Which Excel function can be used to count the number of cells that meet a specific criterion?

The function COUNTIF is designed specifically to count the number of cells within a specified range that meet a particular condition or criterion. For example, if you want to count how many times a specific word appears in a list or how many values are above a certain number, COUNTIF will provide the exact count based on the defined requirement.

It operates by taking two arguments: the range of cells to evaluate and the criterion that determines which cells to count. This flexibility makes COUNTIF particularly useful in data analysis, allowing users to efficiently find counts based on specific parameters, which can be essential for decision-making and reporting.

Other functions listed, such as SUM, AVERAGEIF, and MIN, serve different purposes. SUM adds up all the numbers in a specified range, AVERAGEIF calculates the average of the cells meeting a certain criterion, and MIN finds the minimum value in a range. While AVERAGEIF also uses criteria similar to COUNTIF, it does not count cells but rather averages their values. Thus, COUNTIF stands out as the correct function for counting based on specific conditions.