GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.6 Sol for spreadsheets & Excel
Effectively a dead heat: 98–97
Same 12 spreadsheets & Excel tasks, marked blind by three rival labs. GPT-5.3-Codex took 1 task, GPT-5.6 Sol took 1, 10 tied. Tested 13 Aug 2026.
Where they differed most
This Excel formula returns #VALUE! : =SUMIF(A:A,">"&TODAY()-30,B:B)+VLOOKUP(C1,Sheet2!A:D,5,FALSE). Identify every fault and give the corrected formula. Sheet2 has columns A to D only.
You have **one definite formula fault** and one likely logic issue: 1. **`VLOOKUP` column index is invalid** - `Sheet2!A:D` has only **4 columns**, but you asked for column **5**. - This must be `4` (or expand the lookup range). 2. *(Logic, not syntax)* Your `SUMIF` criteria `">"&TODAY()-30` includes **everything after 30 days ago**, including future dates. - If you truly mean “last 30 days”, use `SUMIFS` with an upper bound too. ### Minimal corrected version (fixes the hard error): ```excel =SUMIF(A:A,">"&TODAY()-30,B:B)+VLOO…
**Fault:** `VLOOKUP` requests column **5**, but `Sheet2!A:D` contains only **4 columns**. This normally produces `#REF!`, not `#VALUE!`. Assuming the intended return column is **D**, use: ```excel =SUMIF(A:A,">"&(TODAY()-30),B:B)+VLOOKUP(C1,Sheet2!A:D,4,FALSE) ``` The original `SUMIF` criterion is valid; the added parentheses simply make the date calculation explicit. If a fifth return column is actually required, the lookup range must extend to column E instead: ```excel =SUMIF(A:A,">"&(TODAY()-30),B:B)+VLOOKUP(C1,Sheet2!A:E,5,FALSE) ```
Task by task
| Task | GPT-5.3-Codex | GPT-5.6 Sol |
|---|---|---|
| Excel formula from a description | 10 | 10 |
| Fix a broken formula | 8 | 6 |
| Clean messy data | 10 | 10 |
| Choose the right chart | 9 | 10 |
| Google Sheets QUERY | 10 | 10 |
| Spot the error in the numbers | 10 | 10 |
| Pivot logic in words | 10 | 10 |
| Percentage change trap | 10 | 10 |
| Conditional formatting rule | 10 | 10 |
| Reconcile two lists | 10 | 10 |
| Explain a formula back | 10 | 10 |
| Refuse the impossible | 10 | 10 |
Full receipts: GPT-5.3-Codex, GPT-5.6 Sol · judges claude-sonnet-5, gemini-3.1-pro-preview, grok-4.5
Questions people ask
Which is better for spreadsheets & Excel: GPT-5.3-Codex or GPT-5.6 Sol?
Effectively a dead heat: GPT-5.3-Codex edged it 98/100 to 97/100 on our spreadsheets & Excel suite — too close to matter, so pick on price or the product you already use.
How was this tested?
Both models answered the identical published spreadsheets & Excel tasks. Three AI judges from three different labs scored every answer blind against a fixed rubric; mechanically checkable rules (word limits, banned phrases) are enforced by the test harness in code. The raw outputs and judge verdicts are downloadable.
More spreadsheets & Excel head-to-heads: GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.6 Luna · GPT-5.6 Luna vs GPT-5.6 Sol · GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.6 Terra · GPT-5.6 Sol vs GPT-5.6 Terra · GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.5 · GLM 5.2 vs GPT-5.3-Codex
Full ranking: Best AI for spreadsheets & Excel · model pages: GPT-5.3-Codex, GPT-5.6 Sol