An Excel IF formula with multiple conditions lets you return different results based on several tests, such as whether a score meets a threshold and a status is complete.
The examples below show when to use AND, OR, nested IF, or IFS—and how to avoid common logic and compatibility problems.
How does IF evaluate conditions?
The IF function checks a logical test and returns one value when the test is TRUE and another when it is FALSE.
Its basic syntax is =IF(logical_test, value_if_true, value_if_false).
For example, =IF(B2>=70,"Pass","Review") returns Pass when B2 is 70 or higher; otherwise it returns Review.
To test multiple conditions, combine tests with AND or OR, or place one IF inside another.
Use AND when every condition must be true.
Use OR when at least one condition is enough.
Nested IF formulas are useful when you need to check conditions in a particular order and return several possible outcomes.
Use IF with AND when every condition must be met
AND returns TRUE only if all its arguments are TRUE.
Put it inside IF when a result depends on meeting every requirement.
Suppose column B contains a score and column C contains a submission status.
In D2, enter:
=IF(AND(B2>=70,C2="Submitted"),"Pass","Review")
This returns Pass only if the score is at least 70 and the status is Submitted.
If B2 is 82 and C2 is Submitted, the expected result is Pass.
If B2 is 82 and C2 is Missing, the result is Review.
For a blank-safe check, you can require both a score and status to be present:
=IF(AND(B2<>"",C2<>"",B2>=70,C2="Submitted"),"Pass","Review")
The first two tests prevent a blank row from being treated as a valid record.
This matters because Excel may interpret a blank cell as zero in numeric comparisons.
Use IF with OR when any condition is enough
OR returns TRUE if at least one of its arguments is TRUE.
For example, suppose a shipping discount applies to orders of at least $100 or to customers marked as members.
If the order total is in B2 and membership status is in C2, use:
=IF(OR(B2>=100,C2="Member"),"Discount","Standard")
For an order total of 75 and a status of Member, the expected result is Discount.
For a total of 75 and a status of Guest, the result is Standard.
AND and OR can also be combined.
This formula returns Eligible when a person is either a member or has ordered at least $100, and the account is active:
=IF(AND(OR(C2="Member",B2>=100),D2="Active"),"Eligible","Not eligible")
Use parentheses to make the grouping clear: the OR test is evaluated first as one requirement, then AND checks that the account is active too.
Use nested IF for several possible outcomes
A nested IF places one IF function inside another.
This is useful for assigning a result to different score bands.
If a score is in B2, enter:
=IF(B2>=90,"A",IF(B2>=80,"B",IF(B2>=70,"C","Needs improvement")))
Expected results are A for 92, B for 85, C for 74, and Needs improvement for 65.
Arrange tests from the highest threshold to the lowest.
Once a condition is TRUE, Excel returns its result and does not check the remaining branches.
Nested formulas become harder to maintain as the number of outcomes grows.
In Microsoft 365, Excel 2019, and Excel 2021, IFS can make a sequence of conditions easier to read:
=IFS(B2>=90,"A",B2>=80,"B",B2>=70,"C",TRUE,"Needs improvement")
The final TRUE acts as a fallback.
Without a matching condition or fallback, IFS returns #N/A.
What Excel versions support these formulas?
IF, AND, and OR are available in older desktop versions of Excel as well as current Microsoft 365 editions.
IFS is available in Microsoft 365, Excel 2019, Excel 2021, and later versions, but it is not supported in Excel 2016 and earlier.
If a workbook must open in an older version, use nested IF instead.
Google Sheets supports IF, AND, OR, and IFS too.
Formula separators can depend on regional settings: some installations use semicolons instead of commas.
If Excel reports a formula error immediately, try replacing argument-separating commas with semicolons, for example =IF(AND(B2>=70;C2="Submitted");"Pass";"Review").
Common mistakes and edge cases
- Using the wrong logic:
ANDrequires every condition to be true, whileORrequires only one.
Check whether the rule says “all” or “any.” - Checking the order incorrectly: In nested IF and IFS formulas, an earlier broad condition can catch values before a later condition is reached.
Put the most specific or highest-priority test first. - Comparing text without quotes: Text values such as Submitted or Member need double quotation marks.
Cell references and numbers do not. - Overlooking blanks: A blank score can behave like zero in a comparison.
Add an explicit blank check, such asB2<>"", when an empty row should stay empty. - Mixing numbers and text: If a score is stored as text, a numeric comparison may not behave as expected.
Convert the source values to numbers or use a careful conversion such asVALUE(B2)when the data is consistently numeric text. - Missing a fallback: Include a final value_if_false in IF, or a final TRUE condition in IFS, so unexpected values have a defined result.
How can you make a multiple-condition formula easier to maintain?
Write each condition in plain language first, then translate it into a test.
For example, “score is at least 70 and status is Submitted” becomes AND(B2>=70,C2="Submitted").
Test boundary values such as 69, 70, and 71, plus blank cells and unexpected text.
These checks help expose threshold and data-entry issues.
Keep formulas readable by adding line breaks in Excel’s formula bar when a formula has many branches, and use cell references rather than hard-coded values where practical.
For a large set of changing thresholds or labels, a lookup table may be easier to update than a long chain of nested IF functions.