If you need to get the total time spent on a project or work time, in this article, you will get acquainted with the methods of addition and subtraction of time in Excel.
When you use Microsoft Excel to keep track of time, you may also need to calculate the final statistics. To view the total time spent, you can add hours and minutes or subtract the start and end time to see the amount of work time.
Total time in Microsoft Excel
In Excel, you can track the amount of time you spend completing a project. You can use a combination of formulas and formatting to get all the time spent on yourself or the customer bill.
Format cells for hours and minutes
Note that we use the H: MM structure to adapt to the timing of hours and minutes. Although Excel should recognize this when entering data, you can ease your mind by formatting cells.
To do this, select the cells containing your inputs or, after right-clicking, the Format Cells option. You can also click Format and select Format Cells from the Home tab.
In the Format Cells window, go to the Number tab. In the Category box, select Custom. Then, enter h: mm from the selection list or enter this template in the Type box.
Click OK to apply the template to the cells.
Addition of time using a formula
If you only have a few inputs, you can calculate the sum of hours and minutes with a simple formula. Select the cell in which you want the time to be displayed. Enter the following formula and replace your cellular reference:
| F2+F3= |
To apply the formula, press the Enter key. Now you need to see the total hours and minutes of your inputs.
Addition of time using the Sum function
If your timekeeping tab has many inputs, using the SUM function is the easiest way. Select the cell at the bottom of the inputs. Go to the Home tab and click on “Sum” which was previously called AutoSum.
Excel must identify the cells you want to use. If Excel fails to detect, simply drag the cursor over the cells containing the times you want and press Enter.
You should now see the total number of hours and minutes of your inputs.
24-hour formatting of times
You may get an incorrect result when you collect inputs that use 24-hour time. To prevent this, you must format the result cell.
Select the cell containing the formula and right-click and select Format Cells. You can also go to Home> Format> Format Cells.
In the Format Cells window, make sure the Number tab is selected. Select Custom from the box on the left and from the menu option @; mm: [] or enter the same template in the Type box.
To apply the format to the cell, you must click OK. Now, you should see accurate results for inputs using the 24-hour time format.
Subtraction of time in Microsoft Excel
Another useful way to track time in Excel is a start and end time. This can be true of your project or perhaps your career schedule. By following the steps below, you can calculate the total working hours.
Format cells for time
Like when you save hours and minutes, it’s best to make sure your input cells are formatted correctly. Cells should be formatted according to time (for example, 4:30 in the morning).
Select the cells containing your inputs and right-click and select Format Cells or go to Home> Format> Format Cells.
In the Format Cells window on the Number tab, select Time from the box on the left. For the hour and minute format, select 1:30 PM.
Click OK to apply the template to the cells.
Subtraction of time in Excel
Select the cell in which you want the result to be displayed and enter the following formula. Replace the cell reference with your reference:
| C2-B2= |
Press Enter to apply the formula. Next, you may need to format the cell for hours and minutes to display all the time spent. By default, results may be displayed as a time of day.
Select the cell containing the formula and right-click and select Format Cells or go to Home> Format> Format Cells .
In the Format Cells window and in the Number tab, select Custom as the category. Select the h: mm option or enter it in the Type box and click OK .
You should now be able to see the exact number of hours and minutes spent.
We hope you find this tutorial useful. If you have any questions about adding and subtracting time in Excel or how to calculate working time, you can share it with us and Wironal users.
