Summary

The Excel MROUND function returns a number rounded to a given multiple. MROUND will round a number up or down, depending on the nearest multiple.

Purpose 

Round a number to the nearest specified multiple

Return value 

A rounded number.

Syntax

=MROUND(number,significance)
  • number - The number that should be rounded.
  • significance - The multiple to use when rounding.

How to use 

The MROUND function rounds a number to the nearest given multiple. The multiple to use for rounding is provided as the significance argument. Rounding occurs when the remainder from dividing number by significance is greater than or equal to half the value of significance. If the number is already an exact multiple, no rounding occurs and the original number is returned.

The MROUND function takes two argumentsnumber and significanceNumber is the numeric value to round. The significance argument is the multiple to which number should be rounded. In most cases, significance is provided as a numeric value, but MROUND can also understand time entered as text like "0:15" or "0:30". Number and significance must have the same sign, otherwise MROUND will return a #NUM! error.

Examples

Below are some examples of MROUND formulas with hardcoded values:

=MROUND(10,3) // returns 9
=MROUND(10,4) // returns 12
=MROUND(119,25) // returns 125

To round a number in A1 to the nearest multiple of 5, you can use MROUND like this:

=MROUND(A1,5) // round to nearest 5

Nearest negative number

To round negative numbers with MROUND, use a negative sign for significance:

=MROUND(-10,-3) // returns -9
=MROUND(-10,-4) // returns -12
=MROUND(-119,-25) // returns -125

Nearest .99

MROUND can be used to round pricing to end with .99.  The formula below will round a value in A1 to the nearest 1 dollar, subtract 1 cent, and return a final price like $2.99, $5.99, $49.99, etc.

=MROUND(A1,1) - 0.01 // round to nearest .99

Nearest 15 minutes

MROUND can be used to round time. To round a time in A1 to the nearest 15 minutes, you can use a formula like this:

=MROUND(A1,"0:15") // round to nearest 15 min

Rounding functions in Excel

Excel provides a number of functions for rounding:

Notes

  • If a number is already an exact multiple, no rounding occurs.
  • Rounding occurs when the remainder from dividing number by significance is greater than or equal to half the value of significance.
  • Number and significance must have the same sign.
  • MROUND returns #NUM! if number and significance are not the same sign.
  • MROUND returns #VALUE! if number or significance is not numeric.
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Dave Bruns

Hi - I'm Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.