Which function would you use to generate a random integer within a specified range?

Which function would you use to generate a random integer within a specified range?

• A. RAND
• B. RANDBETWEEN
• C. RANNUM
• D. RANDOM

Answer: (B)

To get a random whole number within a defined range, you want a function that returns integers directly and takes the lower and upper bounds. RANDBETWEEN(bottom, top) does exactly that, giving a random integer between the specified limits (inclusive). This is preferable because you don’t have to do any extra math to convert a decimal to an integer and you avoid potential bias from rounding decimals. The other names aren’t standard Excel functions for generating random integers in a range: one returns decimals between 0 and 1, requiring extra steps to convert to an integer, and the others aren’t recognized functions for this purpose.

To get a random whole number within a defined range, you want a function that returns integers directly and takes the lower and upper bounds. RANDBETWEEN(bottom, top) does exactly that, giving a random integer between the specified limits (inclusive). This is preferable because you don’t have to do any extra math to convert a decimal to an integer and you avoid potential bias from rounding decimals. The other names aren’t standard Excel functions for generating random integers in a range: one returns decimals between 0 and 1, requiring extra steps to convert to an integer, and the others aren’t recognized functions for this purpose.