Question

What is 'VLOOK'? Explain it with its syntax.

Hint:

VLOOKUP means vertical lookup. It searches the first column of a table and returns a value from the same row. Write its four arguments.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understand the question:
The printed question asks: What is VLOOK? This is the VLOOKUP function of the spreadsheet, so we define it and write its syntax with all arguments.
The answer carries 6 marks in the paper, so the meaning and each argument must be written clearly.

Step 2: Give the meaning of VLOOKUP:
VLOOKUP stands for vertical lookup.
It helps to find specific information in large data tables, such as an inventory list of parts or a large list of employee contacts.
The function searches for the required value in the first column of a range of cells.
Then it returns a value from any cell on the same row of that range.

Step 3: Write the syntax:
The syntax is VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, range_lookup).
Each argument has a fixed job, as shown in the next table.

Step 4: Explain each argument:

Argument	Meaning
lookup_value	The value to search in the first column of the table. It can be a value or a reference. If it is smaller than the smallest value in the first column, VLOOKUP returns the #N/A error
table_array	Two or more columns of data, given as a reference to a range or a range name. The values in its first column are searched by lookup_value. They can be text, numbers or logical values
col_index_num	The column number in table_array from which the matching value is returned. 1 returns the first column and 2 returns the second. Less than 1 gives the #VALUE! error. More than the number of columns gives the #REF! error
range_lookup	If TRUE or omitted, an exact or approximate match is returned. If FALSE, only an exact match is found

Final Answer:
VLOOKUP is the vertical lookup function. It searches the first column of a table for a value and returns a value from the same row.
Syntax: VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, range_lookup).