LookupAdvanced

Find the last matching row, not the first

When a key repeats, the default lookup gives you the oldest row — usually the opposite of what you want.

The data

Row numberABC
1DateTicketStatus
22026-01-04T-88Open
32026-01-09T-88In progress
42026-02-02T-91Open
52026-02-18T-88Closed
62026-03-01T-91Closed

Your task

Ticket T-88 appears three times. Put a formula in F2 that returns its MOST RECENT status — the last matching row, not the first.

Your formula goes in F2

The checker compares your formula against the accepted answers — it does not run it. The expected result is shown with the solution so you can verify it in your own spreadsheet.

Why this is the right formula

The fifth argument is the search mode, and -1 searches from the bottom up. Without it XLOOKUP returns "Open" — the first match, which here is the oldest and most misleading answer available. The LOOKUP form is the pre-XLOOKUP idiom that does the same thing; it is accepted because you will meet it in inherited workbooks, but nobody should write a new one.

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Use this on your own site

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Questions

Does this actually run my formula?

No, and it is worth being clear about that. The checker normalises what you type — case, spaces, the semicolon-or-comma separator, dollar-sign anchors — and compares it against every formula that solves the task. The expected result is shown so you can verify it independently in your own spreadsheet.

My formula is different but correct. Will it be marked wrong?

It should not be: each exercise accepts the genuinely different approaches, not one blessed answer. If you find a correct formula that is rejected, the feedback button sends it to us with the page attached.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no signup, no progress tracking and nothing stored — everything happens in your browser.