What EXACT does
EXACT compares two text values and returns TRUE only when the characters match exactly. It is case-sensitive, so ABC and abc are different.
Use EXACT when normal equality checks are too loose for the task, such as product codes, IDs, imported labels, or passwords where letter case matters.
Practical examples
Compare two cells with case sensitivity
=EXACT(A2,B2)
If both cells contain the same characters in the same case, the result is TRUE. If one cell contains SKU-101 and the other contains sku-101, the result is FALSE.
Return a readable match label
=IF(EXACT(A2,B2),"Exact match","Different")
This wraps the TRUE/FALSE result in labels that are easier to scan in a worksheet.
Common mistakes and notes
EXACT is case-sensitive
This is the main reason to use the function. If case should not matter, use a normal comparison such as =A2=B2 instead.
Formatting does not make values different
EXACT compares the text values, not the visual formatting. A bold value and a regular value can still be an exact match.
Extra spaces count
If one value has a leading, trailing, or repeated space, EXACT returns FALSE. Use TRIM first when imported data may contain unwanted spaces.