Z Table and Calculator

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Find the area under the standard normal curve for any z-score, or the z-score for any probability. For z = 1.96 the left area is 0.9750, the right area is 0.0250, and the two tails together hold 0.0500.

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Critical z for a confidence level:

Start from a raw score instead

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Z table calculatorP(Z ≤ 1.96) = 0.9750
P(Z ≤ 1.96)
0.9750
97.50% of the standard normal area lies at or below z = 1.96

The area to the left of z = 1.96 is 0.9750. Only 2.50% lies above it.

z-score
1.96
Left tail Φ(z)
0.9750
Right tail
0.0250
Mean to z
0.4750
Two-tailed p-value
0.0500
Standard normal curve
Standard normal curveThe area to the left of z = 1.96 is 0.9750. Only 2.50% lies above it.−4−3−2−101234z-score (standard deviations from the mean)z = 1.9697.50%

Tip: click or drag on the curve to move the z-score.

Show the steps
  1. Round z to two decimals (1.96). In the positive table go to row 1.9 and column 0.06.
  2. The cell reads Φ(1.96) = 0.9750. That is P(Z ≤ z).
  3. Exact value for z = 1.96: 0.975002.

Z table: standard normal probabilities

Each cell is the area to the left of z, P(Z ≤ z). Click any cell to use it. The cell for your z-score is highlighted.

Positive z table: each cell is the area under the standard normal curve to the left of z. Rows give z to one decimal, columns add the second decimal.
z 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09
0.0 0.5000 0.5040 0.5080 0.5120 0.5160 0.5199 0.5239 0.5279 0.5319 0.5359
0.1 0.5398 0.5438 0.5478 0.5517 0.5557 0.5596 0.5636 0.5675 0.5714 0.5753
0.2 0.5793 0.5832 0.5871 0.5910 0.5948 0.5987 0.6026 0.6064 0.6103 0.6141
0.3 0.6179 0.6217 0.6255 0.6293 0.6331 0.6368 0.6406 0.6443 0.6480 0.6517
0.4 0.6554 0.6591 0.6628 0.6664 0.6700 0.6736 0.6772 0.6808 0.6844 0.6879
0.5 0.6915 0.6950 0.6985 0.7019 0.7054 0.7088 0.7123 0.7157 0.7190 0.7224
0.6 0.7257 0.7291 0.7324 0.7357 0.7389 0.7422 0.7454 0.7486 0.7517 0.7549
0.7 0.7580 0.7611 0.7642 0.7673 0.7704 0.7734 0.7764 0.7794 0.7823 0.7852
0.8 0.7881 0.7910 0.7939 0.7967 0.7995 0.8023 0.8051 0.8078 0.8106 0.8133
0.9 0.8159 0.8186 0.8212 0.8238 0.8264 0.8289 0.8315 0.8340 0.8365 0.8389
1.0 0.8413 0.8438 0.8461 0.8485 0.8508 0.8531 0.8554 0.8577 0.8599 0.8621
1.1 0.8643 0.8665 0.8686 0.8708 0.8729 0.8749 0.8770 0.8790 0.8810 0.8830
1.2 0.8849 0.8869 0.8888 0.8907 0.8925 0.8944 0.8962 0.8980 0.8997 0.9015
1.3 0.9032 0.9049 0.9066 0.9082 0.9099 0.9115 0.9131 0.9147 0.9162 0.9177
1.4 0.9192 0.9207 0.9222 0.9236 0.9251 0.9265 0.9279 0.9292 0.9306 0.9319
1.5 0.9332 0.9345 0.9357 0.9370 0.9382 0.9394 0.9406 0.9418 0.9429 0.9441
1.6 0.9452 0.9463 0.9474 0.9484 0.9495 0.9505 0.9515 0.9525 0.9535 0.9545
1.7 0.9554 0.9564 0.9573 0.9582 0.9591 0.9599 0.9608 0.9616 0.9625 0.9633
1.8 0.9641 0.9649 0.9656 0.9664 0.9671 0.9678 0.9686 0.9693 0.9699 0.9706
1.9 0.9713 0.9719 0.9726 0.9732 0.9738 0.9744 0.9750 0.9756 0.9761 0.9767
2.0 0.9772 0.9778 0.9783 0.9788 0.9793 0.9798 0.9803 0.9808 0.9812 0.9817
2.1 0.9821 0.9826 0.9830 0.9834 0.9838 0.9842 0.9846 0.9850 0.9854 0.9857
2.2 0.9861 0.9864 0.9868 0.9871 0.9875 0.9878 0.9881 0.9884 0.9887 0.9890
2.3 0.9893 0.9896 0.9898 0.9901 0.9904 0.9906 0.9909 0.9911 0.9913 0.9916
2.4 0.9918 0.9920 0.9922 0.9925 0.9927 0.9929 0.9931 0.9932 0.9934 0.9936
2.5 0.9938 0.9940 0.9941 0.9943 0.9945 0.9946 0.9948 0.9949 0.9951 0.9952
2.6 0.9953 0.9955 0.9956 0.9957 0.9959 0.9960 0.9961 0.9962 0.9963 0.9964
2.7 0.9965 0.9966 0.9967 0.9968 0.9969 0.9970 0.9971 0.9972 0.9973 0.9974
2.8 0.9974 0.9975 0.9976 0.9977 0.9977 0.9978 0.9979 0.9979 0.9980 0.9981
2.9 0.9981 0.9982 0.9982 0.9983 0.9984 0.9984 0.9985 0.9985 0.9986 0.9986
3.0 0.9987 0.9987 0.9987 0.9988 0.9988 0.9989 0.9989 0.9989 0.9990 0.9990
3.1 0.9990 0.9991 0.9991 0.9991 0.9992 0.9992 0.9992 0.9992 0.9993 0.9993
3.2 0.9993 0.9993 0.9994 0.9994 0.9994 0.9994 0.9994 0.9995 0.9995 0.9995
3.3 0.9995 0.9995 0.9995 0.9996 0.9996 0.9996 0.9996 0.9996 0.9996 0.9997
3.4 0.9997 0.9997 0.9997 0.9997 0.9997 0.9997 0.9997 0.9997 0.9997 0.9998
3.5 0.9998 0.9998 0.9998 0.9998 0.9998 0.9998 0.9998 0.9998 0.9998 0.9998
3.6 0.9998 0.9998 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999
3.7 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999
3.8 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999 0.9999
3.9 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000
4.0 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000

Rows give z to one decimal, columns add the second decimal. Values round to the number of decimals shown, so z of 3.9 and above prints as 1.0000 in the four-decimal table and z of −3.9 and below as 0.0000.

About this z table

A z table lists the area under the standard normal curve, the bell curve with mean 0 and standard deviation 1. A z-score tells you how many standard deviations a value sits from the mean. The area to its left is the proportion of values at or below it.

The calculator above does the lookup for you and also works the other way: give it an area and it returns the z-score. Everything is computed from the exact normal distribution function, and each answer is checked a second way by numerical integration before it is shown.

How to use the z table

  1. Pick what you need: area to the left, to the right, between two z-scores, in both tails, or from the mean to z.
  2. Enter the z-score. If you only have a raw score, open the raw score box and enter the mean and standard deviation.
  3. Read the shaded curve and the result. Expand the steps to see the table row and column.
  4. To find a z-score from a probability, choose Find z and enter the area.

Common critical values

Confidence Two-tailed α Critical z (two-tailed) One-tailed α Critical z (one-tailed)
80% 0.2 1.282 0.1 0.842
90% 0.1 1.645 0.05 1.282
95% 0.05 1.960 0.025 1.645
98% 0.02 2.326 0.01 2.054
99% 0.01 2.576 0.005 2.326
99.9% 0.001 3.291 0.0005 3.090

Two-tailed critical values are the ±z that leave the confidence level in the middle. One-tailed values leave all of α in one tail.

Worked example

Suppose test scores have mean 100 and standard deviation 15, and you want the share of people scoring 130 or less. The z-score is (130 − 100) ÷ 15 = 2.00. In the positive table, row 2.0 and column 0.00 gives 0.9772. About 97.7% of scores fall at or below 130, and 2.3% fall above it.

Practice questions

Test yourself with 6 multiple-choice questions on this topic. Choose an answer and press Submit to see if you are right and why.
Question 1 of 6
1. In a standard normal table, the area to the left of z = 0 is…
Found a mistake? Let us know!
2. The area to the left of z = 1.96 is 0.9750. The area to the right is…
Found a mistake? Let us know!
3. For the middle 95% of a normal distribution, the critical z is…
Found a mistake? Let us know!
4. About what share of values lie within one standard deviation of the mean?
Found a mistake? Let us know!
5. If the area left of z = 1.00 is 0.8413, the area left of z = −1.00 is…
Found a mistake? Let us know!
6. A score of 130 with mean 100 and SD 15 has z = …
Found a mistake? Let us know!

Sources

Values come from Φ(z) = ½ erfc(−z ÷ √2), evaluated to about 15 significant digits.

Common questions

How do I read a z table?

Split the z-score into two parts. Find the row for the whole number and first decimal (for example 1.9), then the column for the second decimal (0.06). The cell where they meet is the area to the left of z. For z = 1.96 the cell reads 0.9750.

What is the z table for negative z-scores?

The negative table lists areas to the left of z-scores below zero. For z = −1.96 the cell is 0.0250. Because the normal curve is symmetric, the negative-table value equals 1 minus the positive-table value for the same size of z.

How do I find the right-tail area?

Subtract the table value from 1. For z = 1.96 the left area is 0.9750, so the right-tail area is 1 − 0.9750 = 0.0250. The calculator shows both at once.

What is the z-score for 95%?

For the middle 95% of a normal distribution the critical values are z = ±1.96. For a one-sided 95% cutoff the z-score is 1.645.

Why is the table value different from the calculator at times?

Tables list z in steps of 0.01 and round the area to four decimals, so a z-score such as 1.964 is looked up as 1.96. The calculator uses the exact z and shows both numbers in the steps.

Does this z table give the area from the mean?

This is a cumulative table, which gives the area from the far left up to z. For the area between the mean and z, use the Mean to z option, or subtract 0.5 from a positive-z table value.

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