The CHIDIST function in Excel is a statistical function used to calculate the right-tailed probability of a chi-square distribution. It plays an important role in hypothesis testing, especially when working with chi-square tests in statistics.
Important: CHIDIST is a legacy function and has been replaced by CHISQ.DIST.RT in newer versions of Excel.
What Does the CHIDIST Function Do?
CHIDIST returns the probability that a chi-square statistic exceeds a given value for a specified number of degrees of freedom.
It is commonly used to calculate p-values in chi-square hypothesis tests.
CHIDIST Function Syntax
=CHIDIST(x, degrees_freedom)Arguments
- x – The calculated chi-square statistic.
- degrees_freedom – The number of degrees of freedom.
Example: Basic CHIDIST Calculation
Assume you have:
- Chi-square statistic: 10.85
- Degrees of freedom: 4
Formula:
=CHIDIST(10.85, 4)The result is the probability that a chi-square value is greater than 10.85.
Understanding the Result
The returned value is a p-value:
- Small value (≤ 0.05) → statistically significant result
- Large value (> 0.05) → not statistically significant
This helps you decide whether to reject the null hypothesis.
Download the CHIDIST Excel Template
⬇ Download CHIDIST_Example.xlsx
This Excel template demonstrates the CHIDIST function along with its modern replacement
CHISQ.DIST.RT, making it ideal for both legacy files and new spreadsheets.
Practical Use Cases
- Statistics & Research: Hypothesis testing
- Surveys: Testing independence between variables
- Quality Control: Comparing observed vs expected results
- Education: Teaching statistical distributions
CHIDIST vs CHISQ.DIST.RT
| Function | Status | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| CHIDIST | Deprecated | Right-tailed chi-square distribution |
| CHISQ.DIST.RT | Recommended | Modern equivalent of CHIDIST |
Equivalent formula:
=CHISQ.DIST.RT(x, degrees_freedom)Example Using the Modern Function
=CHISQ.DIST.RT(10.85, 4)This returns the same result as CHIDIST but should be used in all new spreadsheets.
Things to Remember
- CHIDIST exists only for backward compatibility.
- Use CHISQ.DIST.RT for new projects.
- Degrees of freedom must be a positive whole number.
- The chi-square value must be non-negative.
Final Thoughts
The CHIDIST function is still useful when working with older Excel files, but modern analysis should rely on CHISQ.DIST.RT. Understanding both ensures compatibility and accurate statistical reporting.