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Being choosy with the CHOOSE function

The CHOOSE function in Excel allows you to bring back a range of cells, based on a single input.

=CHOOSE(index_num, value1, [value2], …)

The minimum is two inputs, the index number and a value. It wouldn’t be a very interesting function if that is all it did! The power comes when you add other values, up to 254 of them! The index number determines which of the values are returned by the function. Index number of one, will return value 1, index number 2 will return value 2. (A little bit like the INDEX function.)

CHOOSE function returning an array based on the index number.

Here we can see the CHOOSE function in action. Because the index value is 3, the third block has been returned, from F40:F45 Team 3.

The Values in the values slots, can be cell reference, like we have done here, or other formulas, text, or defined names.