Excel DATE Function
DATE creates a valid Excel date from separate year, month, and day numbers.
Use it when date parts live in separate cells, formulas need reliable date values, or criteria need dates that are not typed as ambiguous text.
DATE syntax & arguments
Syntax
=DATE(year, month, day)
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1
year
RequiredThe year portion of the date, usually entered as a four-digit year such as
2026. -
2
month
RequiredThe month portion of the date. Values outside 1 through 12 roll backward or forward by whole months.
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3
day
RequiredThe day portion of the date. Values outside the normal days in the month roll backward or forward by days.
Example
=DATE(2026, 3, 15)
Return the date value for March 15, 2026.
DATE caveats
DATE builds reliable date values, but Excel still stores the result as a serial number and normalizes out-of-range inputs.
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Dates are stored as numbers
A DATE result can be formatted as a calendar date, but formulas treat it as an underlying serial number.
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Month values can roll over
A month value greater than 12 moves into a later year, while zero or negative values move backward.
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Day values can roll over
A day value beyond the days in the month moves into the next month, and zero or negative values move backward.
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Display format is separate
Use TEXT only when the date needs to become a specific text display string.
Building date-based reports? Pair DATE with SUMIFS or COUNTIFS to create dynamic criteria like ">="&DATE(2026,1,1).
Intro DATE practice problem
Solve the intro problem directly here, or open it on its own page.
Advanced DATE practice problems
Use DATE alongside other Excel functions in realistic, less-prescriptive challenges.
