Which Excel function can be used to automatically return the value from cell C77 based on a matching value found in cells B77 through B81?

• A. VLOOKUP
• B. AVERAGE
• C. SUM
• D. COUNTIF

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the problem: You need to identify the Excel function that can automatically return the value from cell C77 based on a matching value found in cells B77 through B81. This involves searching for a match and retrieving a corresponding value.
2. Review the options provided: VLOOKUP, AVERAGE, SUM, and COUNTIF. Each function serves a different purpose in Excel. For this problem, focus on the function that performs a lookup operation.
3. Learn about VLOOKUP: The VLOOKUP function is designed to search for a value in the first column of a range and return a value in the same row from another column. Its syntax is: $\mathrm{VLOOKUP}(\mathrm{lookup\_value},\mathrm{table\_array},\mathrm{col\_index\_num},\mathrm{range\_lookup})$. This function is relevant for the problem as it matches a value and retrieves a corresponding value.
4. Eliminate irrelevant options: AVERAGE calculates the mean of a range of values, SUM adds up values in a range, and COUNTIF counts the number of cells that meet a condition. None of these functions perform a lookup operation, so they are not suitable for this problem.
5. Conclude that VLOOKUP is the correct function: Based on the explanation, VLOOKUP is the function that can automatically return the value from cell C77 based on a matching value found in cells B77 through B81.