Comments on: How to generate random numbers in Excel: RAND and RANDBETWEEN functions

The tutorial explains the specificities of the Excel random number generator algorithm and demonstrates how to use RAND and RANDBETWEEN functions in Excel to generate random numbers, dates, passwords and other text strings. Continue reading →

Comments page 2. Total comments: 62

  1. What is the best formula when rolling (many) dice:
    a) The TRUNC(RAND) function
    or
    b) The INT(RAND) function
    or
    c) are they both suitable?

  2. Nice information about randam password generator.

  3. wow i like this app

  4. Hello can you please help me to find the next number in Random Number Generator when the last numbers was 351 and 610 then what is the next number? please help me.

  5. Hi there, i want to generate random number between 2 number in decimal point form (between 0.1 and 0.6), but always got value of 1. Is there any possible way to make the random number generate between these 2 values?

  6. I have a list of Latitude and Longitude values in excel, is there a way to build a script that will take the column of data and randomize the last 2 digits past the decimal? This would in effect jitter the points by a few meters, and keep points from all falling on top of each other on a map. Anyone know how to accomplish this?

  7. I have a small VBA code setup to generate 4 random integers (using INT (RAND()*(10-1)+1) ) between 1 and 10 every time I push a button on the worksheet. What I noticed is that every time I open the spreadsheet it cycles through the same order of numbers. Meaning the first time I click the button I'll get the same 4 random numbers, the second time I push the button I'll get the same set of numbers I got the last time I opened the sheet and presssed it twice.

  8. Hi, Would you please help me find the correct formula to generate a random number between 1500 and 4000 which ends in a zero (either round up or down, doesnt matter).
    Kind regards

  9. NOT TRUE;
    There is no way to seed either Excel RAND or RANDBETWEEN function, which are rumored to be initialized from the computer's system time. Technically, a seed is the starting point for generating a sequence of random numbers. And every time an Excel random function is called, a new seed is used that returns a unique random sequence. In other words, when using the random number generator in Excel, you cannot get a repeatable sequence with the RAND or RANDBETWEEN function, nor with VBA, nor by any other means.

    Use Rnd(-N) to generate a reproducible number.
    Feed the previous results as a negative number to the succeeding Rnd calls, x1=RND(-Seed); x2=RND(-x1) etc.. to produce a repeatable sequence from a seed number.

    1. Hello!

      Thank you for your comment.

      Right, in Excel VBA you can initialize a random sequence using Rnd(-N), but as noted in the tutorial, it cannot be done with the regular worksheet functions RAND or RANDBETWEEN. Or course, you can create your own user-defined function that will use RND to generate reproducible numbers.

  10. Hi, is there a possible way to combine the randbetween function with current day. In other words use a random number with current day to create an unique number using only the year and the day only. Thanks!

    1. use this formula, i hope it will help you

      =text(today(),"DD ")&randbetween(100,9999)

  11. Trying to randomize the 55- 2 digit combinations for 0-9. For example: 0,0 0,1 and so on through 9,9. 0,1 and 1,0 are considered the same combo. Gotta be easier than 55 slips of paper?? Can you help?

  12. Very nice article. Note that from Excel 2010 onwards, Excel RAND() function uses the Mersenne Twister algorithm.

  13. 3 cells wide 100 down that have my own numbers that don't change.

    3 cells wide beside it and 100 down as well but random numbers between 1 and 20 "no decimals"

    3 Cells wide 100 down as a match column that highlights any number of single pairs or tripples

    Can you paste or send to my email please

    I need for my work so please help me :(

  14. I need random incremental decimal values in a range.

    range
    22.1234 to 79.1234

    and from row 1 to row 300.

    how to do it........?

  15. how to generate the 100 random numbers equally
    distributed between 23 and 87 using excel

  16. Hello

    i am working on a norm.inv(rand(),Mean,Std dev) using these mean and deviation values to generate my random number. however, the deviation may bring the value across 0, negative, which is not possible for my needs. is it possible to put a bounds (randbetween) while still asking it to use the mean and dev. to create the number?

  17. Hi Svetlana, I have a requirement in excel when I simulate random variables in excel particular cell, if the cell value is within a specified range, I want to copy that value to a new cell each time it simulates, I want to retain the previous value to calculate the mean, Kindly help with the requirement of copying the simulated value to new cell I am running the simulation 10k times

  18. When I say '5 rows', I mean as many times as posible for each number in the ninety numbers.

    Urgently pls.

  19. I want to generate a lotto chart of 1 - 90 in 5 unrepeated rows involving all numbers such that every winning result of 5 numbers must comform with at least one possible and correct row.

  20. Hi

    Do you know how to change the root of the generator? has excell a simple method to do that? thanks.

    1. Hello, Yasser,

      If you mean the randomization algorithm, it cannot be changed. That's why we created Random Generator for Excel - to use a different reliable algorithm.

  21. Is the specific method of generating RAND() in Excel known, or is it a black box? In other words, how random is RAND()?

    1. Hi TG,

      The RAND function generates pseudo-random numbers from the Uniform distribution, aka rectangular distribution, where there is equal probability for all values that a random variable can take on.

  22. I have several days extending for over 4 years
    I need to generate one randon time for each date for the next 4 years

  23. I have a date field and a time field in my excel table
    For each day there are multiple times
    20-1-2009 6:00
    20-1-2009 7:00
    20-1-2009 8:00

    so on till
    20-1-2009 24:00
    from each day I need to generate one randon time from all times I have.

    Can you help

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