Out-of-the-Box Part 3 - Two Sample Mean Testing with T.TEST
Excel's T.TEST function is commonly used to compare the means of two sample data sets. According to its documentation , the function is designed to: ...to determine whether two samples are likely to have come from the same two underlying populations that have the same mean . In order words, T.TEST tests whether the average (mean) values of two samples are significantly different. However, it does not assess whether one sample's average is specifically greater than or less than the other. If your goal is to test if the mean of one sample is greater than or lesser than the other, T.TEST may not be the right tool. Instead, you might consider alternatives like DC-DEN's two sample mean test , which is specifically designed to compare means in a directional (greater, lesser or equal) context. Understanding the T.TEST formula in Excel The T.TEST function in Excel compares the means of two data sets to determine if they are statistically different. The formula is as follows: