Spreadsheet Practice

How to round down in Excel

Formula (Excel and Google Sheets)

=ROUNDDOWN(B2,2)

Use ROUNDDOWN with the number of decimals to keep: =ROUNDDOWN(B2,2) turns 3.4987 into 3.49.

Result on the example
one result per row in C2, filled down to C6
Works in
Every current version
Google Sheets
Same formula

See it work

The formula is already in C2, filled down to C6. Change any input and the result updates, or edit the formula to experiment.

How it works

ROUNDDOWN cuts the number off at the given decimal place and never rounds up, so 3.9999 stays 3.99 instead of becoming 4.00. That is the rule for cutoffs like scholarships, where a value must not be rounded past the bar. The second argument works like ROUND's: 0 for whole numbers, -1 for tens.

=ROUNDDOWN(B2,2)

Result3.49

  1. B23.4987

    The value in B2.

  2. ROUNDDOWN(B2,2)3.49

    ROUNDDOWN: Rounds toward zero.

    • numberB23.4987
    • num_digits2

In Google Sheets

The same formula works in Google Sheets: =ROUNDDOWN(B2,2). 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
=TRUNC(B2,2)3.49, 2.95, 3.80…TRUNC gives the same result: both cut toward zero.
=ROUND(B2,2)3.50, 2.96, 3.80…Different resultNormal rounding, for comparison. Rounds half up: 3.50, 2.96, 3.80, 3.12, 4.00.

Common mistakes

  • Number formatting with 2 decimals rounds the display normally, so 3.4987 shows as 3.50 even though the value is unchanged. Use ROUNDDOWN to change the value.
  • ROUNDDOWN moves toward zero, so -2.567 becomes -2.56. INT moves down, to -3, which matters for negative numbers.

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.

Round down

In C2, round the GPA down to 2 decimal places, so 3.4987 is reported as 3.49, then fill down to C6.

Questions

How do I round down to a whole number?

Use =ROUNDDOWN(B2,0), or =INT(B2) for positive numbers.

How do I round down to the nearest 10?

Use a negative digit count: =ROUNDDOWN(B2,-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.