As a child of the dark ages, I used the word rank to describe something that smelled rotten or suspicious. Rank in Microsoft Excel is, thankfully, totally different. In Excel, rank is a value that ...

A straight ranking result is easy using one of Microsoft Excel’s ranking functions. Calculating a conditional rank is even easier if you let an Excel PivotTable do all the work. Image: ...

Microsoft isn't trying to confuse you—Excel's three ranking functions balance flexibility, compatibility, and tie handling.