Which reference is a valid way to reference a named range called Cost in a formula?

Which reference is a valid way to reference a named range called Cost in a formula?

• A. Cost
• B. "Cost"
• C. Cost[]
• D. [Cost]

Answer: (A)

Referencing a named range in a formula is done by using the defined name directly, without any extra symbols. If you have a named range called Cost, you simply type Cost in the formula. This tells the program to use the cells that were assigned to that name. For example, =SUM(Cost) or =AVERAGE(Cost) will operate on that range. Using quotes turns the name into a text string, like "Cost," which means the formula would treat it as literal text rather than a range—so numeric operations wouldn’t work as intended. Cost[] and [Cost] aren’t valid ways to reference a standalone named range in a formula; brackets aren’t used for that purpose (they’re used in other contexts, such as certain table references).

Referencing a named range in a formula is done by using the defined name directly, without any extra symbols. If you have a named range called Cost, you simply type Cost in the formula. This tells the program to use the cells that were assigned to that name. For example, =SUM(Cost) or =AVERAGE(Cost) will operate on that range.

Using quotes turns the name into a text string, like "Cost," which means the formula would treat it as literal text rather than a range—so numeric operations wouldn’t work as intended. Cost[] and [Cost] aren’t valid ways to reference a standalone named range in a formula; brackets aren’t used for that purpose (they’re used in other contexts, such as certain table references).