P Value Calculator

By Seagit ✨
Deploy to your own cloud with Seagit, today.Start freeNo credit card required

One-tailed and two-tailed p-values for a z or t test statistic

Test statistic

Selected p-value0.031555
Two-tailed p-value0.031555
Left-tail probability0.984222
Right-tail probability0.015778

p = 0.031555 is below α = 0.05, so the result is statistically significant at that level.

Reading the p-value

A p-value is the probability of a result at least as extreme as yours, assuming the null hypothesis is true. It is not the probability that the null hypothesis is true. Pick the tail that matches your alternative hypothesis: two-tailed when a difference in either direction counts, right-tailed when you only care about an increase. Use a z test when the population standard deviation is known or the sample is large, and a t test with n − 1 degrees of freedom otherwise.

🎯 P-Value Calculator — Free Online Tool

Get the p-value for a z or t test statistic, one-tailed or two-tailed. A p-value is the probability of a test statistic at least as extreme as the one you observed, if the null hypothesis were true. This calculator turns a z statistic, or a t statistic with its degrees of freedom, into one-tailed and two-tailed p-values, and compares the result with your significance level. It works from the statistic you already have; it does not compute a t statistic from raw data. The normal case uses the standard normal distribution, and the t case uses the Student t distribution.

How to use it

  1. Choose z for a normal test, or t for a Student t test.
  2. Enter the test statistic and, for a t test, its degrees of freedom. For a one-sample test, that is n − 1.
  3. Choose the tail that matches your alternative hypothesis.
  4. Compare the p-value with your significance level α, usually 0.05.

🚀 Why use this P-Value Calculator tool?

A p-value converts any test statistic onto one scale: the probability of a result this extreme under the null. With the statistic in hand, the p-value and your significance level decide the conclusion. 100% free, no registration, and complete privacy — everything runs locally in your browser, so your data never touches a server.

Key Features

🎯Z and t tests

Pick the normal or the Student t distribution to match the test you ran.

↔️One and two tails

Left, right and two-tailed p-values in one table, with the tail you chose highlighted.

✅Significance check

Compares the p-value with α and states whether the result is significant at that level.

🔒Accurate tail areas

Tail areas come from the normal CDF and the regularized incomplete beta function, checked against published t values.

Popular Use Cases

Hypothesis tests

  • • Two-tailed z test
  • • One-tailed t test
  • • Check a software output

Research and A/B tests

  • • z statistic from a proportion test
  • • t statistic with its df
  • • Report p to three decimals

Coursework

  • • Use a t table without printing
  • • Verify the 0.05 critical values
  • • Explain tails clearly

What It Handles

Tests

  • ✓ Normal (z) statistic
  • ✓ Student t with df
  • ✓ Positive and negative statistics

Tails

  • ✓ Two-tailed
  • ✓ Left-tailed
  • ✓ Right-tailed

Decision

  • ✓ Compares p with α
  • ✓ Adjustable significance level
  • ✓ Runs in the browser

Related Tools

Sources & References

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a p-value of 0.03 mean?

If the null hypothesis were true, a result at least this extreme would occur about 3% of the time. It is evidence against the null. It is not the probability that the null is true, and it is not a measure of effect size.

One-tailed or two-tailed?

Choose two-tailed when a difference in either direction matters, which is the usual default. Choose one-tailed only when you decided before seeing the data that only one direction is of interest.

How do I get the degrees of freedom?

For a one-sample t test, df = n − 1. For a two-sample Welch test the formula is more involved, so use the value your software reports. Using the smaller of n1 − 1 and n2 − 1 is a conservative shortcut.

When should I use a z test instead of a t test?

Use z when the population standard deviation is known, or as an approximation for large samples. Use t when you estimate the standard deviation from the sample, especially for small samples.

Is a p-value below 0.05 proof of an effect?

No. It shows the data are unusual under the null at the chosen level. Study design, effect size and replication matter as well, as the ASA statement on p-values explains.

🎓 Pro Tips

  • Tip 1: Report the test statistic, df and exact p-value, for example t(24) = 2.15, p = 0.041, rather than only saying p < 0.05.
  • Tip 2: For a symmetric distribution such as z or t, the two-tailed p-value is twice the one-tailed value.
  • Tip 3: Set α before you run the test, so the threshold does not get chosen to suit the result.
banner