Spreadsheet Practice

How to always round up in Excel

Formula (Excel and Google Sheets)

=ROUNDUP(B2/C2,0)

Use =ROUNDUP(value,0) to round up to the next whole number, or =CEILING(value,step) to round up to a multiple.

Result on the example
one result per row in D2, filled down to D6
Works in
Every current version
Google Sheets
Same formula

See it work

The formula is already in D2, filled down to D6. Change any input and the result updates, or edit the formula to experiment.

How it works

130 units at 24 per box is 5.42 boxes, but you can't ship 0.42 of a box. ROUNDUP with 0 digits always moves up to the next whole number, so any remainder adds a box. Exact divisions, like 48/24, stay as they are.

=ROUNDUP(B2/C2,0)

Result6

  1. B2130

    The value in B2.

  2. C224

    The value in C2.

  3. B2/C25.416666667

    The / operator divides.

  4. ROUNDUP(B2/C2,0)6

    ROUNDUP: Rounds away from zero.

    • numberB2/C25.416666667
    • num_digits0

In Google Sheets

The same formula works in Google Sheets: =ROUNDUP(B2/C2,0). We ran it in Google Sheets mode on the same data and it returns the same results.

Other ways to do it

Each one was run on the same example sheet.

FormulaResultWhen to use it
=CEILING(B2/C2,1)6, 2, 1…CEILING rounds up to a multiple of its second argument; with 1 it's the same as ROUNDUP(…,0).
=INT(B2/C2)+(MOD(B2,C2)>0)6, 2, 1…Full boxes plus one more if anything is left over. TRUE counts as 1 when added.

Common mistakes

  • ROUND would give 5 boxes for 130 units, leaving 10 units unshipped.
  • ROUNDUP rounds away from zero, so -5.4 becomes -6. CEILING.MATH lets you choose the direction for negatives.

Try it yourself

Same data, empty answer cell. Your formula is graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data, so a typed-in number won't pass.

Always round up

In D2, calculate how many boxes each order needs (a part-full box still counts as a box) and fill down to D6.

Questions

How do I round up to the nearest 10?

Use =ROUNDUP(A2,-1) or =CEILING(A2,10).

How do I always round down?

Use =ROUNDDOWN(A2,0), or INT for positive numbers.

Checked by running on 2026-10-29: every formula and result on this page was calculated by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine, in both Excel and Google Sheets modes.