How To Fix Microsoft Access 3615 – “Type Mismatch In Expression” Error

Do you often encounter the “Type Mismatch in Expression” Error in the MS Access Application?

To fix this error you need to understand where the problem is actually so that you can work accordingly. Well, this tutorial is written with the main prospective of how to resolve this particular Access 3615 – Type Mismatch in expression error code.

So, let’s start conquering what this error is, what are its causes, and how to fix MS Access Type Mismatch in Expression error well.

What Is Type Mismatch In Expression Error In Access?

The Access error 3615 – Type Mismatch in expression itself gives a clear indication that MS Access can’t match with the data type of the input value.

Suppose for an instance, if you assign Access with a text string when it is expecting for a number then at that time you will get Access data type mismatch in criteria expression error.

Practical scenario:

I am new to Access. for simple query I have used two tables and tried to ,nothing fancy. when I just picked a couple of table titles from two tables, connected them with a primary key and got this error when I tried to run it. Any guidance is appreciated.

Source: https://www.mrexcel.com/forum/microsoft-access/654428-type-mismatch-expression-error.html

Well, this error is a quite common one to get encountered in Microsoft Access for both and experienced users. Fortunately, it is also an easy one to resolve in most cases.

When Would You Encounter This “Type Mismatch In Expression” Error?

Typically this particular data type mismatch in criteria expression Access 2010 query error message comes when users try to run a query. A variant of it can also be found when attempting to create a relationship between two tables in relationship Window. The difference is only that the message would seem like this:

What Causes Access 3615 Error Code?

Type Mismatch in Expression errors itself indicates that the fields you are trying to link or join between the two tables have different data types. The field may have the same name or have the same values in them but the different data types are actually causing an issue.

A common discrepancy would be that the data type for the field in one of the tables might be Short Text, while in another table it may be set up as Number. You can see the example shown below:

As in this example, the same field (ClerkID) is set to Short Text data type in the Clerk Information table, and it is set to Number data type in the Shift Information table:

Even though the values in the ClerkID fields may be the same in these 2 tables but the fact is that their data types are different and will cause issue when you try to create relationships or queries joins between them.

In order to work, the data types need to be the same.

What Leads To Data Type Conflict Error In Access?

Other Situation That Leads To Data Type Conflict Are:

• While you are specifying criteria for the Lookup field and the criteria use the value that is shown in the lookup list instead of their associated foreign key values.

Actually these Foreign key values are the values that are actually get stored in the underlying table; you need to use them when you specify criteria for a field.

• Maybe you have typed the dollar sign ($) in criteria you specified for a Currency field. Remove the dollar sign and then view the results.

You can tell if the numeric criteria you entered aren’t a number if it has quote marks around it. When you type the $ sign, access automatically encloses the string you type in quote marks.

• Check that the data type of each pair of joined fields in the query is the same. If not, then change the data type of one of the joined fields to match the data type of the other so you don’t get the Type Mismatch in Expression error.

Why It’s Necessary To Fix Access 3615 – Type Mismatch In Expression Error?

Fixing up this, Access Type Mismatch In Expression error is not that tough task to do. If the field in the primary key in one of the tables, the recommendation is to use that as a model data type.

In the above-mentioned example, ClerkID is the primary key in the Clerk Information table and its data type is Short Text.

This means that the user should update the data type for this field in the Shift Information table to Short Text.

Assuming that there are no such values for ClerkID in the Shift Information table that don’t get match up for ClerkID in the Clerk Information table, this will fix the issue.

Sometimes users don’t have the permission to change the data type in tables in their database.

Moreover, there may be good or bad reasons for the type to be different between these tables. Well in such cases you can try out these troubleshooting steps.

How To Fix Access Data Type Mismatch In Criteria Expression Error?

Following fixes will help you in troubleshooting Type Mismatch In Expression In Access 2010/2013/2016 database.

If you made any changes in the default value for a field in a table and see a message about data type mismatch each time when you try to enter new records. Then open the table in design view.

Also make sure that the expression you use for the fields default value evaluates as the same data type as the field.

Eg: If the field contains the number data type, make sure you don’t put quote marks around the Default Value expression.

• Verify that the criteria for a column match the data type of the column’s underlying field. If you specify text criteria for a numeric or date/time field, you will surely get this error.

E.g.: If you type the criteria “50” or “12/3/12”, an error message is returned because Access interprets values in quotes marks as text, not as numbers.

Be sure to remove this double quote. You will know when you enter valid data in the criteria field because # sign will appear around the date, like #12/3/12#.

How To Change Data Type In Access 2010/2013/2016?

If the issue is just because of the similar data type then you must try the following fixes. This helps in the easy changing of the data type for existing fields. So, learn here how to change the data type in Access 2010/2013/2016.

1. Make a selection for the field for whom you require to change the data type.
2. Select the field tab and then go to the Formatting group.  Within the formatting group there is a drop-down arrow present next to Data Type, click on it.
3. After then choose the data type which you want to assign, according to the data value.
4. Performing the above step will change the Field data type. As per the selection of the data type you will notice a change in your information.

Note: Don’t make any modification in the data type of the field. Unless and until you are so sure about the right format of the data type in which you are applying for the field data. If you are changing the field data type to Number from text then it will remove entire of your data field and the process is almost irreversible.

What To Do If All The Above Solution Fails To Work?

The possibility is also that the above-mentioned solution won’t work. For such cases, you need to reach out to Access Repair And Recovery tool for advanced troubleshooting and solutions to get back to being productive with Microsoft Access!

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Wrap Up:

Well, the data type mismatch in criteria expression Access creates issues in which query starts joining fields that have different data types. So, check out the query design and make sure that the joined fields have the same data type. Try all the mentioned fixes of this post and get easy relief from this type mismatch in expression Access error.

And don’t forget to share your experiences after trying the fixes..!

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Pearson Willey

Pearson Willey is a website content writer and long-form content planner. Besides this, he is also an avid reader. Thus he knows very well how to write an engaging content for readers. Writing is like a growing edge for him. He loves exploring his knowledge on MS Access & sharing tech blogs.