PERCENTRANK() May Appear to Return Incorrect Results (129436)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
- Microsoft Excel for Windows 95
- Microsoft Excel for Windows 5.0
This article was previously published under Q129436 SYMPTOMS
When you use PERCENTRANK to find the percentage rank of a number, the
results may appear to be incorrect.
CAUSE
If the largest number in your list occurs more than once, the rank
assigned to that number will be different than if it occurs only once.
When the largest number occurs only once, the percentage rank given to it
is 1. However, if the largest number occurs more than once, it will be
given a percentage rank other than 1.
MORE INFORMATION
To create an example of how the PERCENTRANK function returns different
percentages when a number occurs more than once in the list of numbers,
type the following in a new worksheet:
A1: 1.00 B1: =PERCENTRANK($A$1:$A$4,A1) (result in B is 1)
A2: 0.75 B2: =PERCENTRANK($A$1:$A$4,A2) (result in B is 0.666)
A3: 0.50 B3: =PERCENTRANK($A$1:$A$4,A3) (result in B is 0.333)
A4: 0.25 B4: =PERCENTRANK($A$1:$A$4,A4) (result in B is 0)
A6: 1.00 B6: =PERCENTRANK($A$6:$A$13,A6) (result in B is 0.857)
A7: 0.75 B7: =PERCENTRANK($A$6:$A$13,A7) (result in B is 0.571)
A8: 0.50 B8: =PERCENTRANK($A$6:$A$13,A8) (result in B is 0.285)
A9: 0.25 B9: =PERCENTRANK($A$6:$A$13,A9) (result in B is 0)
A10: 1.00 B10: =PERCENTRANK($A$6:$A$13,A10) (result in B is 0.857)
A11: 0.75 B11: =PERCENTRANK($A$6:$A$13,A11) (result in B is 0.571)
A12: 0.50 B12: =PERCENTRANK($A$6:$A$13,A12) (result in B is 0.285)
A13: 0.25 B13: =PERCENTRANK($A$6:$A$13,A13) (result in B is 0)
If you look at the percentage rank given to the value 1.00 in the first
set of numbers and compare it to the percentage rank given to the value
1.00 in the second set of numbers, it may appear that the function is not
working properly. However, this result is by design of the PERCENTRANK
function. If the highest value occurs more than once, it must share the
highest percentage rank, and, therefore, it will not be given a percentage
rank of 1.00.
REFERENCES
"User's Guide," version 5.0, Chapter 31, "Rank and Percentile"
Excel 97
For more information about the PERCENTRANK function, click the Office
Assistant, type "percentrank," click Search, and then click to view
"PERCENTRANK."
NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the
Standard toolbar. If Microsoft Help is not installed on your computer,
please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
120802 Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office Program or Component Excel 5.0
For more information about the PERCENTRANK function, click the Search
button in Microsoft Excel Help and type:
percentrank
| Modification Type: | Minor | Last Reviewed: | 8/15/2005 |
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| Keywords: | kbprb KB129436 |
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