VAR.S in Google Sheets: Sample Variance and Squared Units

Use VAR.S in Google Sheets to estimate variance from a sample, dividing the sum of squared deviations by n minus one. The working example below describes support resolution times; its result is measured in squared minutes. The official reference supports the function’s identity and purpose.

This guide separates documentation review from application testing. The expected numbers are independently calculated, not screenshots or results captured from Google Sheets.

VAR.S(value1, [value2, ...])

Numeric inputs: individual numbers or cell ranges holding the observations. One range can contain many observations; a header is not a measurement.

Additional inputs: optional extra numeric values or ranges. Omit the square brackets shown in the syntax notation when entering a formula. The numeric-only examples avoid relying on text or logical-value conversion.

Use sample variance when the available observations represent a larger population and your analysis needs squared deviations. The n minus one denominator distinguishes it from population variance. This distinction is about the question being asked, not the number of rows or how many decimal places you display.

Variance is in squared input units. For measurements recorded in minutes, the result is in minutes squared, not minutes. Standard deviation is often easier to explain to a non-specialist because its units match the original data. Neither statistic alone establishes causation, a prediction interval or whether a particular observation should be discarded.

A shared support log with one row per resolved ticket provides the scenario. Enter the following numeric observations into A2:A8, one per row, with a header in A1. Use a spare result cell outside the input range.

Download the Google Sheets VAR.S practice data (CSV). Import it into a new, blank sheet starting at A1, with a comma as the file delimiter and the header row retained. The CSV contains input values only, not formulas or native test results. Blank spacer columns place the requested position in D2 and any additional test data in column F. Keep observations numeric rather than importing them as text.

Example 1: Measure spread in the working register

=VAR.S(A2:A8)

Expected result: 7.619048 (displayed to six decimal places).

The numeric count is 7, the mean is 10.428571, and the sum of squared deviations is 45.714286. Divide by 6 (n minus one); the result is a variance in squared measurement units.

Example 2: Check the denominator with three known numbers

=VAR.S(2,4,6)

Expected result: 4.

The mean is 4 and the squared deviations are 4, 0 and 4, for a total of 8. The sample denominator is 2. Keep the fractional result during later calculations rather than rounding the input values.

Example 3: Check squared units when values are rescaled

For this check, use F2:F5 containing 0, 0, 80, 80, in that order. These values are included in the practice file.

=VAR.S(F2:F5)

Expected result: 2133.333333 (displayed to six decimal places).

These four observations have mean 40 and squared deviations totalling 6400. They are ten times the numbers 0, 0, 8, 8, so their variance is one hundred times as large. Both zeros still count as observations.

Subtract the mean from each observation and square each difference. Add the squared differences and divide by n minus one. Do not take a square root when reporting variance; its units remain squared. This mathematical definition is used to check the numbers in the examples, independently of the spreadsheet software. Keep stored results at full available precision and round only the final presentation when a report requires it. The displayed expectations above are rounded where necessary; a different number of displayed decimal places is not by itself a calculation error.

The output looks much larger than the original measurements. Variance is expressed in squared units. Compare it with other variances using the same unit scale, not directly with an average expressed in the original units.

The sample has fewer than two numeric observations. The n minus one denominator is then unusable. Show that the data is insufficient rather than quietly substituting zero.

A very different value appears after an import. Check units, included records and numeric storage before changing the formula. A mixture of individual observations, totals and text-coded numbers is not a consistent statistical input. Do not average subgroup variances as though that automatically gives the combined variance.

Google lists VAR.S as an alias of VAR in its function catalogue; the dedicated help page uses the older name. The dotted spelling is used in the examples so the name matches the Excel comparison guide.

The support-log example uses ordinary worksheet cells, not a BigQuery data column. Some Google help pages also show Connected Sheets syntax; that is not the syntax being demonstrated here. A ticket’s duration is entered as a number of minutes, not as a time-of-day text label.

For a shared log, agree on whether reopened tickets form new observations and whether each row represents one ticket or one agent action. Keep that decision consistent before comparing reporting periods. When collaborators paste data, inspect a small sample of numeric cells and confirm the selected range still ends at the intended row.

The examples use English function names and commas. Adjust the argument separator to the file’s locale as needed, while keeping decimal values and cell references intact. No import/export or native Google Sheets execution was performed for this guide.

For the same statistical question in other programs, see VAR.S in Microsoft Excel, VAR.S in ONLYOFFICE, VAR.S in SoftMaker PlanMaker. These links identify corresponding measures, not a guarantee that names, mixed-data rules, error codes or file conversions are identical.

MEDIAN, LARGE, SMALL, RANK.EQ, STDEV.S, STDEV.P, VAR.P. Browse the Google Sheets function library for the other published guides.

Editorial verification: The vendor documentation was reviewed on 2026-10-12. Scope: Ordinary Google Sheets cells using English function names. Connected Sheets / BigQuery column syntax is outside this guide. Three numeric examples were checked with an independent arithmetic model. No native application run was performed. Single-value population edge cases, mixed-data coercion, exact error-code parity and round-trip workbook compatibility remain untested; they are not labelled application-verified.