Function guides ยท Math
ROUNDUP function
Rounds a number up, away from zero, to a set number of digits.
Syntax
=ROUNDUP(number, num_digits)
| Argument | What it is |
|---|---|
number | The number to round. |
num_digits | Decimal places to keep. 0 for a whole number, negative for tens, hundreds and so on. |
What ROUNDUP does
ROUNDUP rounds a number away from zero. Unlike ROUND, it never goes back down. A value of 2.0001 becomes 3 when you ask for whole numbers.
That makes it the right tool whenever a shortfall is not acceptable: ordering enough boxes, scheduling enough vehicles, quoting a price that cannot fall under cost.
The second argument works as it does in ROUND. Positive digits keep decimals, zero keeps whole numbers, and negative digits round to the left of the decimal point.
Pairing ROUNDUP with division is the most common pattern. The number of containers needed is ROUNDUP of the total divided by the container size. The number of pages is ROUNDUP of items over items per page. Writing it as one formula keeps the sheet correct when the quantity changes.
If the step size is something other than a power of ten, such as sheets of 25 or slots of 15 minutes, CEILING rounds up to a multiple. ROUNDUP is about decimal places. Reading which one a rule needs from its wording saves a lot of fiddling.
Check the boundaries when you test it. A load of exactly 40 divided by 20 should need 2 vans, and a load of 40.5 should need 3. If your formula gives 3 for the first case, the number is probably carrying floating point noise from earlier arithmetic, and a ROUND to six places before ROUNDUP will fix it.
ROUNDUP examples
1. Always up to the next whole number
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Load (tons) | Trucks |
| 2 | 2.1 | 3 |
Any fraction pushes the result up. A job that needs 2.1 trucks needs 3 trucks, and ROUND would have said 2.
2. Up to the next cent
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Cost | |
| 2 | Bracket | 4.2011 | 4.21 |
A unit cost of 4.2011 rounds up to 4.21, never down to 4.20. Quotes that must not undercut cost use this pattern.
3. Negative numbers round away from zero
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Change | |
| 2 | -3.2 | -4 |
"Up" means away from zero, not toward larger values. -3.2 becomes -4. If you want toward positive infinity, use CEILING.MATH or ROUNDUP on the absolute value.
Common ROUNDUP mistakes
- Expecting negatives to round toward zero. ROUNDUP rounds away from zero. -3.2 becomes -4, not -3.
- Using ROUND when capacity matters. A quantity of 2.1 trucks, boxes or staff needs 3, so ROUND gives the wrong answer. ROUNDUP is correct for capacity.
- Rounding up a number that is already exact. Floating point can leave 2.0000000001, which ROUNDUP pushes to 3. Round the input with ROUND(x,6) first when the numbers come from long calculations.
- Mixing up the digits argument. Digits count decimals, so 1 keeps one place. For multiples such as 5, use CEILING.
ROUNDUP on Excel job tests
Capacity questions rarely say "round". They say "how many 20-seat vans are needed for 85 people" or "how many boxes of 12 for 140 items". Both are ROUNDUP of a division: ROUNDUP(85/20,0) is 5.
The cue words are "at least", "enough", "must cover" and "minimum number". The opposite words, "full" and "complete", point to ROUNDDOWN or INT.
Test your formula on a quantity just above a whole number (40.01) and on one exactly on it (40.00). The second should not jump up a level.
Related functions
ROUNDUP questions
- What is the difference between ROUND and ROUNDUP?
- ROUND goes to the nearest value. ROUNDUP always goes away from zero, whatever the next digit is.
- How do I round up to the nearest 5?
- Use CEILING:
=CEILING(A2,5). ROUNDUP works on digits, not multiples. - Does ROUNDUP work on negative numbers?
- Yes, but away from zero: -3.2 becomes -4.
- How do I round up to a whole number?
- Use 0 as the digits argument:
=ROUNDUP(A2,0).
Practice ROUNDUP
No lesson is built around ROUNDUP yet. The closest thing to practice is a free 5-item sample test, which uses the same kind of formulas in a working grid. The Everyday Excel track shows what is published.
Try a 5-item Excel test sample