Microsoft Knowledge Base

XL4: Critical Values Reversed in z-Test: Two-Sample for Means
Last reviewed: September 12, 1996
Article ID: Q124576
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 4.0
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you use the z-Test: Two-Sample for Means tool to perform a two-sample z-test with your data, the z Critical values returned by the tool are reversed. That is, the value that is returned for the z Critical one-tail value is the value that should be returned for the z Critical two-tail value, and vice versa.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem has been corrected in Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0 and Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0.

MORE INFORMATION

The z-Test: Two-Sample for Means tool is available in Microsoft Excel by choosing Analysis Tools from the Options menu. This command is available only if you have loaded the Analysis ToolPak add-in. The Analysis ToolPak add-in file, ANALYSIS.XLA, is located in the LIBRARY\ANALYSIS subdirectory of your Microsoft Excel directory.

KBCategory: kbtool
KBSubcategory:

REFERENCES

"User's Guide 2," version 4.0, pages 50-51.

For more information about z-Test: Two-Sample For Means, choose the Search
button in Help and type:

z-tests

Additional reference words: 4.00 4.00a atp tool pack t test stats
statistics analysis tools backwards mixed up



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Last reviewed: September 12, 1996
©1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Legal Notices.