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Excel XOR function

Each order should be paid one way: by card (column B) or on invoice (column C), never both and never neither. A 0 means no payment. In column D, show TRUE when exactly one of the two holds a payment.

XOR(test1, test2) is TRUE when an odd number of its tests are true: with two tests, exactly one. OR would also be TRUE when both are. Test each amount with >0, so a 0 doesn't count as a payment.

21 Exactly one of the two XOR Core

payments.xlsx
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The XOR guide

=XOR(B2>0, C2>0) is TRUE when exactly one of the two tests is true, and FALSE when both are or neither is. OR would also say TRUE when both are; that's the difference.

CoreAbout 3 minutesBy Updated

AND, OR, XOR side by side

"Paid by card or on invoice, not both" is XOR. An order paid twice is a problem to catch, and OR would wave it through. See AND and OR.

Test the value, not whether the cell is filled

A 0 in the card column means no card payment, but the cell isn't empty. B2<>"" and ISNUMBER(B2) both count it as a payment. B2>0 asks the real question.

Without XOR

Older files sometimes write it as =(B2>0)<>(C2>0): two TRUE/FALSE values that differ means exactly one is true. Or in full: =OR(AND(B2>0, C2=0), AND(B2=0, C2>0)). All three give the same answer.

More than two tests

With three or more arguments, XOR is TRUE when an odd number of them are true: one or three, not two. To check "exactly one of three", count instead: =COUNTIF(B2:D2, ">0")=1.

FAQ

What does XOR do in Excel?
XOR returns TRUE when an odd number of its tests are true. With two tests that means exactly one: TRUE if one is true and the other false, FALSE if both or neither are.
What is the difference between OR and XOR in Excel?
OR is TRUE when at least one test is true, including both. XOR is FALSE when both are true.
Is XOR available in all versions of Excel?
XOR arrived in Excel 2013. In older versions, compare the two tests instead: =(A2>0)<>(B2>0).
How do I check that exactly one of three cells is filled?
Count them: =COUNTA(B2:D2)=1, or =COUNTIF(B2:D2,">0")=1 for amounts. XOR with three tests is also TRUE when all three are true.

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  1. 01Starter, 3 min Add it upSUM
  2. 02Starter, 3 min Find the averageAVERAGE
  3. 03Starter, 3 min Smallest and largestMIN, MAX
  4. 04Starter, 3 min Count what's thereCOUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK
  5. 05Starter, 3 min Write once, fill downRelative references
  6. 06Core, 3 min Lock it with $Absolute references
  7. 07Starter, 3 min Percent of a totalPercentages
  8. 08Starter, 3 min Make the numbers readableNumber formats
  9. 09Core, 3 min Up or down by how much?Percent change
  10. 10Core, 3 min What you see vs what's storedROUND
  11. 11Core, 3 min The typical valueMEDIAN
  12. 12Core, 3 min Select to the end in one moveCtrl + Shift + arrow
  13. 13Starter, 3 min Sort without breaking rowsSort
  14. 14Starter, 3 min Filter to what mattersFilter
  15. 15Starter, 3 min Copy and paste a formulaCtrl+C, Ctrl+V
  16. 16Core, 3 min Paste values onlyPaste Special → Values
  17. 17Core, 3 min Highlight what's over targetConditional formatting
  18. 18Core, 3 min Spot the duplicatesDuplicate Values rule
  19. 19Core, 3 min Pass or fail?IF
  20. 20Core, 3 min Both or either?AND, OR
  21. 21Core, 3 min Exactly one of the twoXOR
  22. 22Core, 3 min Grade bands with nested IFNested IF
  23. 23Core, 3 min Count the ones that matchCOUNTIF
  24. 24Core, 3 min Add up the ones that matchSUMIF
  25. 25Core, 3 min Use a cell as the conditionCriteria in a cell
  26. 26Core, 3 min Partial matches with * and ?SUMIF, COUNTIF with wildcards
  27. 27Core, 3 min Count with two conditionsCOUNTIFS
  28. 28Core, 3 min Add up with two conditionsSUMIFS
  29. 29Core, 3 min Look it upVLOOKUP
  30. 30Core, 3 min Find the right bracketVLOOKUP approximate match
  31. 31Core, 3 min XLOOKUP, the modern wayXLOOKUP
  32. 32Core, 3 min Where is it in the list?MATCH
  33. 33Advanced, 3 min INDEX and MATCH togetherINDEX + MATCH
  34. 34Advanced, 3 min Lock just the row or the columnMixed references
  35. 35Advanced, 3 min Growth per year (CAGR)CAGR with ^
  36. 36Core, 3 min Use a rate from another sheetReferences to other sheets
  37. 37Core, 3 min Catch the error, not the bugIFERROR
  38. 38Core, 3 min Which invoices are missing?Compare two lists
  39. 39Core, 3 min Reconcile the ledger with the bankXLOOKUP or VLOOKUP + IFNA
  40. 40Core, 3 min Join text together&, CONCAT, PROPER
  41. 41Core, 3 min Split first and last namesLEFT, MID + FIND
  42. 42Core, 3 min Stray spaces that break a countTRIM
  43. 43Core, 3 min Flag the bad entriesTRIM, LEN, EXACT
  44. 44Advanced, 3 min Clean a bank descriptionTEXTBEFORE, TEXTAFTER, PROPER
  45. 45Core, 3 min Mistake hunt: #N/A everywhereFixing #N/A
  46. 46Core, 3 min Mistake hunt: hard-coded numbersReferences instead of typed numbers
  47. 47Core, 3 min Mistake hunt: numbers stored as textNumbers stored as text
  48. 48Core, 3 min One of each, then the totalsUNIQUE
  49. 49Core, 3 min Your first pivot tablePivot tables
  50. 50Advanced, 3 min Which category went up most?SUMIFS, change, lookup
  51. 51Core, 3 min How many days late?Date arithmetic
  52. 52Core, 3 min Turn text into real datesDATEVALUE
  53. 53Advanced, 3 min Month ends and working daysEOMONTH, NETWORKDAYS
  54. 54Core, 3 min Renewal datesEDATE
  55. 55Core, 3 min Days overdue and aging bandsDate difference, aging bands
  56. 56Core, 3 min How many late orders?Pick the tool
  57. 57Core, 3 min Sales per repPick the tool
  58. 58Core, 3 min Whose part is it?Pick the tool
  59. 59Core, 3 min Who gets the bonus?Pick the tool
  60. 60Core, 3 min Each region's sharePick the tool
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  62. 62Advanced, 3 min Case: the monthly budgetCase, five steps
  63. 63Advanced, 3 min Case: the reorder listCase, five steps

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