TRUE and FALSE don’t work within SUM()

calendar_today Asked Jan 7, 2013
thumb_up 10 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

You can try prefixing the range with — and entering as an array. The — will convert the booleans into their integer equivalents: =SUM(–(A1:A4)) Per the documentation on the SUM…. This is an advisory response with reference links, ranked #110th of 303 by community upvote score, from 2013.


The Problem (Q-score 10, ranked #110th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2013

I have boolean values in a column:

   A
1  TRUE
2  FALSE
3  TRUE
4  TRUE

I realize that in Excel =TRUE+TRUE returns 2 and =TRUE+FALSE returns 1 which implies TRUE is equal to 1 and FALSE is equal to 0. However, SUM(A1:A4) always returns 0 no matter whether it is array formula style… I would expect it to be 3 (the number of TRUE in the range).

One way to get 3 is to use {=SUM(IF(A1:A4,1,0))} (array formula style), which I find redundant… Could anyone think of a simpler solution than that?

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds solid answer (above median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.


The Verified Solution — solid answer (above median) (+10)

Advisory answer — community consensus with reference links

Note: the verified answer below is a reference / advisory response rather than a copy-ready snippet.

You can try prefixing the range with -- and entering as an array. The -- will convert the booleans into their integer equivalents:

=SUM(--(A1:A4))

Per the documentation on the SUM function:

If an argument is an array or reference, only numbers in that array or
reference are counted. Empty cells, logical values, or text in the
array or reference are ignored.


When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)

Ranked #110th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 97% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2013 and 2026

The answer is 13 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this above-median answer still worth copying?
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Answer score +10 vs the Excel VBA archive median ~4; this entry is solid. The score plus 10 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+10) means the asker and 9 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

This answer links out — what are the reference links worth following?
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Read the first external link for the canonical reference, then search this archive for a top-10 entry in the same category — advisory answers are best paired with a ranked code snippet to close the loop.

Published around 2013 — what’s changed since?
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Published 2013, which is 13 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The Excel VBA object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which Excel VBA pattern ranks just above this one at #109?
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The pattern one rank above is “Viewing excel files in my android app”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 10, Answer-score 10, original post 2013, ranked #110th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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