In the example shown, the formula in C5 is: where “data” is the named range C5:C12.
Interpolation
When x does not exist within the array, the function interpolates a value between data points. For example, when the x value of 4.00 is passed as an argument to the function, the percentage is interpolated to the value 44.4%, which lies between the percent rank of 3.3 and 4.56 which are 37.5% and 50.0% respectively.
In the graph below, solid orange dots represent x values that are contained within the input array, while the outlined orange dots are values that are interpolated.
Inclusive vs. Exclusive
Starting with Excel 2010, the PERCENTRANK function has been replaced by two functions: PERECENTRANK.INC and PERECENTRANK.EXC. The INC version represents “inclusive” behavior, and the EXC version represents “exclusive” behavior. Both formulas use the same arguments.
Use the PERCENTRANK.EXC function to determine the percentage rank exclusive of the first and last values in the array. Use the PERCENTRANK.INC or PERCENTRANK to find the percentage rank inclusive of the first and last values in the array.
The screen below shows differences with a small data set:
As the size of the input array increases, the difference between the two functions decreases. The difference between the returned percentages will never be larger than 1/(N+1), where N is the size of the input array.
Notes
If x does not exist in the array, PERCENTRANK.EXC interpolates to find the percentage rank. When significance is omitted PERCENTRANK.EXC returns three significant digits (0.xxx)
Dave Bruns
Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.
