What Is the Excel Remainder Function?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 25, 2020

The formula to find the remainder when dividing one number by another in Microsoft Excel is =MOD(first number, second number). For example, =MOD(17,3) returns an answer of two.

The remainder is the amount left over after division. When dividing 17 by three, the decimal answer is 5.67. Therefore, three goes into 17 five times; 3 x 5 = 15, and 17 – 15 = 2, the remainder. In Excel, one could arrive at the same result using the INT function, with =17-(3*INT(17/3)). As with all Excel formulas, cell references can be used in place of numbers; if the value 17 is in A1 and 3 is in C4, the remainder can be calculated with =MOD(A1,C4).