Google Data Analytics Professional Certification Practice Test

Which function is commonly used for searching for a value in the first column of a range?

1. VLOOKUP

2. SEARCH

3. FIND

4. INDEX

The correct answer is: VLOOKUP

The function VLOOKUP is commonly used for searching for a value in the first column of a specified range. This function operates by taking a lookup value and searching for it within the first column of a table array defined in the function. Once it locates the value, VLOOKUP retrieves data from a specified column within the same row of the table, which is particularly useful in data analysis and reporting tasks. VLOOKUP is favored for situations where you need to look up tabular data and retrieve correlated information efficiently. Its syntax allows you to specify not only the lookup value but also the range of data from which to pull corresponding values, making it a practical choice for many common data lookup scenarios in spreadsheets. Other functions mentioned, such as SEARCH and FIND, are primarily used for locating substrings within text rather than looking up values within a data table. INDEX, while it can retrieve values based on row and column numbers, does not inherently search; it requires additional context or a combination with MATCH to facilitate a lookup. Thus, VLOOKUP stands out as the appropriate answer for searches conducted specifically in the first column of a data range.