Excel Function Translator Logo
    The Excel Translator

    ISO.CEILING

    Math & Trig

    Returns a number rounded up to the nearest integer or to the nearest multiple of significance, following the ISO standard (always toward positive infinity).

    Translations
    EnglishISO.CEILING
    FrenchISO.PLAFOND
    SpanishISO.MULTIPLO.SUPERIOR
    GermanISO.OBERGRENZE
    ItalianISO.ARROTONDA.ECCESSO
    PortugueseISO.TETO
    DutchISO.AFRONDEN.BOVEN
    PolishISO.PUŁAP
    RussianISO.ОКРВВЕРХ
    TurkishISO.TAVANAYUVARLA
    CzechISO.ZAOKR.NAHORU
    HungarianISO.PLAFON
    SwedishISO.RUNDA.UPP
    DanishISO.LOFT
    FinnishISO.PYÖRISTÄ.YLÖS
    Syntax
    ISO.CEILING(number, [significance])

    Arguments

    • numberThe number to round.
    • significanceOptional. The multiple to round to (default 1). Sign is ignored.(optional)
    Examples
    =ISO.CEILING(4.3)
    5

    Rounds up to nearest integer

    =ISO.CEILING(-4.3)
    -4

    Always rounds toward +∞ (less negative)

    =ISO.CEILING(7,3)
    9

    Rounds up to nearest multiple of 3

    Tips & Best Practices
    • •Behaves identically to CEILING.PRECISE — provided for ISO/IEC 29500 compatibility
    • •Sign of significance is ignored
    • •Use CEILING.MATH if you need control over negative-number rounding direction
    Common Mistakes
    • •Not realizing ISO.CEILING and CEILING.PRECISE are functionally identical - choosing one over the other rarely matters except for stylistic consistency or explicit ISO/IEC 29500 standard compliance requirements
    • •Expecting the significance argument's sign to matter - like CEILING.PRECISE, it's always ignored and treated as positive
    • •Needing control over which direction negative numbers round and reaching for ISO.CEILING instead of CEILING.MATH, which is the version that actually offers that control via its mode argument
    Related Functions
    CEILING.PRECISEBehaves identically to ISO.CEILING - the two exist as separate names mainly for standards-compatibility reasons rather than functional differences.
    CEILING.MATHOffers a mode argument for explicit control over negative-number rounding direction, something ISO.CEILING's fixed behavior doesn't provide.
    FLOOR.MATHRounds down instead of up, the counterpart operation to what ISO.CEILING (and CEILING.MATH) perform.
    Frequently Asked Questions

    What's the difference between ISO.CEILING and CEILING.PRECISE?

    None functionally - they behave identically. ISO.CEILING exists specifically for compatibility with the ISO/IEC 29500 spreadsheet standard, while CEILING.PRECISE is Excel's own naming for the same behavior.

    Does ISO.CEILING care about the sign of significance?

    No, like CEILING.PRECISE, the sign is always ignored and treated as positive.

    If I need control over negative-number rounding direction, should I use ISO.CEILING?

    No, use CEILING.MATH instead - it has a mode argument specifically for that purpose, while ISO.CEILING's rounding direction toward positive infinity is always fixed.

    Need to translate a formula using ISO.CEILING?

    Use our translator to convert your complete formula