Syntax
NORMSINV(probability)
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| probability | Parameter of the NORMSINV function. |
Examples
Z-score at 97.5th percentile
Formula
=NORMSINV(0.975)
Returns 1.96. This is the commonly used critical value for 95% two-tailed confidence intervals.
Median z-score
Formula
=NORMSINV(0.5)
Returns 0. The median of the standard normal distribution is exactly zero.
5th percentile z-score
Formula
=NORMSINV(0.05)
Returns -1.6449. Values below this z-score represent the lowest 5% of the distribution.
Common Errors
#NUM!
The probability argument must be greater than 0 and less than 1.
#VALUE!
Occurs when the argument is non-numeric text.
Tips
Prefer NORM.S.INV
NORMSINV is the compatibility version kept for older spreadsheets. New formulas should use NORM.S.INV for consistency.
Useful for random normal generation
Combine with RAND() to generate random normal values: =NORMSINV(RAND()) gives a random z-score from the standard normal distribution.
Common critical values
NORMSINV(0.975) returns 1.96 for 95% CI, NORMSINV(0.995) returns 2.576 for 99% CI. Memorize these or use the formula.
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