What does the VLOOKUP function do?

The VLOOKUP function is primarily used to search for a specific value in the first column of a table and return a corresponding value from another column in the same row. The key aspect of VLOOKUP is that it conducts this search within a vertical arrangement of data, which is why the first choice is correct.

When using VLOOKUP, the user provides a "lookup value," which the function compares against the values in the first column of the specified table array. If it finds a match, it retrieves information from a defined column in that row, based on the user's input for which column to pull the data from. This makes VLOOKUP a powerful tool for data retrieval when working with lists and databases in spreadsheet applications.

The other options, while they reference various spreadsheet functions and operations, do not accurately describe what VLOOKUP does. The function does not sum values or sort data, and it does not update values based on a vertical reference; it is strictly meant for looking up and retrieving data associated with a specific entry in a table format.