Binomial & Poisson Tests
Hypothesis testing using Binomial and Poisson distributions.
Want a deeper conceptual understanding? Try our interactive lesson!
Binomial test for proportion
A binomial test for proportion checks whether the number of “successes” in a sample is consistent with a hypothesized population proportion p. To find the p-value, calculate the probability of observing results at least as extreme as your sample using the binomial distribution. On the calculator, use
bimomcdf(n,p,k−1) for P(X≤k) and
1−bimomcdf(n,p,k−1) for P(X≥k);
for a two-tailed test, double the smaller tail probability.
Poisson test for mean
A Poisson test for rate checks whether the number of observed events in a sample is consistent with a hypothesized mean rate λ. To find the p-value, calculate the probability of observing results at least as extreme as your sample using the Poisson distribution. On the calculator, use
poissoncdf(λ,k) for P(X≤k) and
1−poissoncdf(λ,k−1) for P(X≥k);
for a two-tailed test, double the smaller tail probability.
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