How to check if any cell in a row meets a condition in Excel

Q: How do I check if any cell in the row contains a word?

Use COUNTIF with the text: =IF(COUNTIF(B2:E2,"Fail")>0,"Review","OK").

Q: How do I show how many days failed?

Return the count itself: =COUNTIF(B2:E2,"<"&$I$1).

Formula (Excel and Google Sheets)

=IF(COUNTIF(B2:E2,"<"&$I$1)>0,"Review","OK")

Count the cells that meet it: =IF(COUNTIF(B2:E2,"<"&$I$1)>0,"Review","OK"). Any count above zero means at least one does.

Result on the example: one result per row in F2, filled down to F7
Works in: Every current version
Google Sheets: Same formula

See it work

The formula is already in F2, filled down to F7. Change any input and the result updates, or edit the formula to experiment.

How it works

COUNTIF counts the readings below the minimum; "<"&$I$1 builds the condition "<92". If the count is above zero, at least one day failed. L5 has a 92, which is not below the minimum, so it's OK.

=IF(COUNTIF(B2:E2,"<"&$I$1)>0,"Review","OK")

Result"OK"

B2:E21 row × 4 cols: 96, 94, 97, 95
A range: 4 cells in one row.
$I$192
The value in I1.
"<"&$I$1"<92"
The & operator joins as text.
COUNTIF(B2:E2,"<"&$I$1)0
COUNTIF: Counts cells that meet one condition.
- rangeB2:E21 row × 4 cols: 96, 94, 97, 95
- criteria"<"&$I$1"<92"
COUNTIF(B2:E2,"<"&$I$1)>0FALSE
The > operator tests greater than.
IF(COUNTIF(B2:E2,"<"&$I$1)>0,"Review","OK")"OK"
IF: Returns one value if a test is true, another if false.
- logical_testCOUNTIF(B2:E2,"<"&$I$1)>0FALSE
- value_if_true"Review"not used
- value_if_false"OK"

In Google Sheets

The same formula works in Google Sheets: =IF(COUNTIF(B2:E2,"<"&$I$1)>0,"Review","OK"). 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.

Formula	Result	When to use it
=IF(MIN(B2:E2)<$I$1,"Review","OK")	OK, Review, OK…	For a "below" test, checking the smallest value is enough. Use MAX for an "above" test.
=IF(OR(B2:E2<$I$1),"Review","OK")	OK, Review, OK…	OR over a whole range. Excel 365 and 2021 evaluate it directly; older Excel needs Ctrl+Shift+Enter and Google Sheets needs ARRAYFORMULA.

Common mistakes

Writing OR(B2<92,C2<92,D2<92,E2<92) works but has to be edited whenever a column is added.
Empty cells aren't counted by COUNTIF "<92", but MIN ignores them too. A missing reading won't trigger a review in either version.

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 any cell in a row meets a condition

In F2, show "Review" when any daily reading in B2:E2 is below the minimum in I1, otherwise "OK". Fill down to F7.

Questions

How do I check if any cell in the row contains a word?

Use COUNTIF with the text: =IF(COUNTIF(B2:E2,"Fail")>0,"Review","OK").

How do I show how many days failed?

Return the count itself: =COUNTIF(B2:E2,"<"&$I$1).

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.