Spreadsheet Practice

How to check if a year is a leap year in Excel

Formula (Excel and Google Sheets)

=IF(MONTH(DATE(A2,2,29))=2,"Leap year","Common year")

Ask DATE for February 29: =IF(MONTH(DATE(A2,2,29))=2,"Leap year","Common year"). In a common year it rolls over to March.

Result on the example
one result per row in B2, filled down to B7
Works in
Every current version
Google Sheets
Same formula

See it work

The formula is already in B2, filled down to B7. Change any input and the result updates, or edit the formula to experiment.

How it works

DATE accepts February 29 for any year, but in a common year it rolls over to March 1. If the month is still 2, the date exists and the year is a leap year. The calendar rules come for free: 2100 is not a leap year, 2000 is.

=IF(MONTH(DATE(A2,2,29))=2,"Leap year","Common year")

Result"Leap year"

  1. A22024

    The value in A2.

  2. DATE(A2,2,29)2/29/2024 (45351)

    DATE: Builds a date from parts.

    • yearA22024
    • month2
    • day29
  3. MONTH(DATE(A2,2,29))2

    MONTH: Month of a date, 1–12.

    • serial_numberDATE(A2,2,29)2/29/2024 (45351)
  4. MONTH(DATE(A2,2,29))=2TRUE

    The = operator tests whether the two sides are equal.

  5. IF(MONTH(DATE(A2,2,29))=2,"Leap year","Common year")"Leap year"

    IF: Returns one value if a test is true, another if false.

    • logical_testMONTH(DATE(A2,2,29))=2TRUE
    • value_if_true"Leap year"
    • value_if_false"Common year"not used

In Google Sheets

The same formula works in Google Sheets: =IF(MONTH(DATE(A2,2,29))=2,"Leap year","Common year"). 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
=IF(DAY(DATE(A2,3,0))=29,"Leap year","Common year")Leap year, Common year, Common year…Day 0 of March is the last day of February.
=IF(OR(MOD(A2,400)=0,AND(MOD(A2,4)=0,MOD(A2,100)<>0)),"Leap year","Common year")Leap year, Common year, Common year…The rule written out: every 4 years, except century years not divisible by 400.

Common mistakes

  • MOD(A2,4)=0 alone calls 2100 a leap year. Century years are leap years only when divisible by 400.
  • Excel treats 1900 as a leap year for compatibility with Lotus 1-2-3, so the DATE test is wrong for 1900. Use the MOD rule for years before 1901.

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.

Check if a year is a leap year

In B2, show "Leap year" or "Common year" for the year in A2, and fill down to B7.

Questions

How do I check the year of a date instead of a year number?

Wrap it in YEAR: =MONTH(DATE(YEAR(A2),2,29))=2.

How many days are in the year?

=IF(MONTH(DATE(A2,2,29))=2,366,365).

Checked by running on 2026-10-30: every formula and result on this page was calculated by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine, in both Excel and Google Sheets modes.