What Is BINOM.INV Google Sheets?
The BINOM.INV Google Sheets function is a statistical function that calculates the inverse of the binomial cumulative distribution. It determines the least value for which the binomial distribution is larger than or equal to a given probability. BINOM.INV Google Sheets function is used to find the smallest number of successes in a binomial distribution for N independent trials with a given probability of success for each trial.
We will explore the application of the BINOM.INV Google Sheets function is in the example below. Here, we check the probability of the occurrence of a defective product in a batch of 100 with a defect rate of 0.03 and a cumulative probability of 0.9. To obtain the output, enter the formula given below in cell B4 as shown below:
=BINOM.INV(B1, B2, B3). Press the Enter key to get the result.

Key Takeaways
- The BINOM.INV in Google Sheets is a statistical function that determines the minimum number of successful trials required to reach a specific cumulative probability.
- The syntax for the BINOM.INV function is as follows:
- =BINOM.INV(trials, probability_s, alpha)
- trials – the number of trials
- probability_s – probability of success for each trial
- alpha – target probability
- Here, each trial must be independent and identically distributed. Each trial has the same probability of success.
- The BINOM.INV function is used in different fields such as statistics, hypothetical testing, and quality control.
Syntax
The BINOM.INV function has the following syntax
=BINOM.INV(n, p, alpha)
- n: The number of independent Bernoulli trials.
- p: The probability of success on each trial.
- alpha: The cumulative probability threshold. This value should be within the range of 0 to 1.
All are mandatory arguments.
How To Use BINOM.INV Function in Google Sheets?
BINOM.INV in Google Sheets returns the minimum number of trials required for an entered probability in a binomial distribution to be successful. It can be useful in statistical analysis to analyze binomial distribution scenarios effectively. Let us look at how to apply this function in Google Sheets. It can be entered in two ways.
- Manually enter the BINOM.INV function
- Through the Google Menubar
Manually enter the BINOM.INV function
First, let us open a Google sheet and enter the following data: the parameters for the BINOM.INV function, which includes the number of trials, the probability of success of each trial, and the cumulative probability threshold.
• number of trials – 50
• probability of success of each trial – 0.02
• alpha = 0.15
Step 1: Select the cell where you must enter the BINOM.INV function. Here, it is cell B4. Type the following formula into the selected cell:

First, type the function name and open the braces.
=BINOM.INV(

Step 2: Now, enter the arguments. Close the braces.
=BINOM.INV(B1, B2, B3)

Step 3: Press Enter. We can now observe the result of the BINOM.INV function in cell B4.

Through the Google Menu bar
- Choose the cell where you want to enter the BINOM.INV function.
- Go to the menu bar and click on “Insert” – “Function” – “Statistical” – “BINOM.INV.”
- Enter the arguments and close the braces. Press Enter.

Examples
BINOM.INV is used for hypothetical testing, clinical research, quality control, etc., which helps you establish a confidence threshold for a minimum number of successful. Let us look at a few examples to support this.
Example #1 – Hypothesis Testing
Let us look at a simple example in hypothesis testing. A drug is undergoing trials and before it is released, you must find the minimum number of successful outcomes from 100 trials to raise the confidence level of the drug’s success to 99%. Initial reports suggest it is 50% successful.
Step 1: Enter all the data in a Google sheet as shown below
- 100: This is the number of trials.
- 0.5: This is the probability of success on each trial.
- 0.99: This is the cumulative probability threshold.

Step 2: The function will return the smallest number of successes where the cumulative probability is greater than or equal to 0.99.
Now, enter the following formula in cell B4.
=BINOM.INV(B1,B2,B3)

Step 3: Press Enter. You get the minimum number of successful trials for a 99% confidence level, which is 62.

Example #2 – Quality Control
In this example, we can see how to use BINOM.INV in quality control. Let us determine the minimum number of products with defects from a batch in an assembly line containing 500 pieces. Here, the cumulative probability or the probability of not having defective products should be 97% and the defect rate is 2%. The data in the table is organized as shown below.
To calculate the desired output, let us follow these steps.
Step 1: Enter all the details in a Google Sheets as shown below.

Step 2: Enter the following formula in B4.
=BINOM.INV(B1, B2, B3).

Step 3: Click the Enter key. The corresponding value will appear in cell B4, as shown below.

Here, the result is 16, which means you can have up to 16 defective products in the batch of 500. It also states that you can be 97% confident of meeting the quality standards based on a 2% defect rate.
Example #3 – Risk Analysis
Using BINOM.INV, you can determine the number of wins needed for a confidence level of 95% to stay on top of the table when a team plays 20 games in a tournament. Let us assume a 50% chance of winning each match in this Binom Inv Google Sheets example.
As seen above, the team needs to know how to play to its full potential to stay at the top statistically. Let us enter the details in a Google Sheet.

Step 1: Enter the following formula in Google sheets in cell B4.

Step 2: Press Enter. You get the number of matches they should win to stay on top of their game.

BINOM.INV vs BINOM.DIST Functions in Google Sheets
Let us compare the BINOM.DIST and BINOM.INV statistical functions that use binomial distributions.
BINOM.DIST
- This function returns the probability of a specific number of successes in N number of trials. Some examples include calculating the probability of two out of three children in a class being male, the probability of 2 products being defective in a batch of 100, etc.
- Its syntax is as follows:
=BINOM.DIST(x, n, p, cumulative)
- x: The number of successes
- n: The number of trials
- p: The probability of success on each trial
- cumulative: A logical value. If TRUE, it finds the cumulative probability up to x. If FALSE, it finds the probability of exactly x successes.
- In short, BINOM.DIST calculates the probability of a specific number of successes.
BINOM.INV
- This function returns the smallest value for which the cumulative binomial distribution is greater than or equal to a particular criterion. For example, Here you can find the minimum number of successful trials for a certain cumulative probability.
- Its syntax is as follows:
BINOM.INV(n, p, alpha)
- n: The number of trials.
- p: The probability of success on each trial.
- alpha: The cumulative probability threshold.
- In short, BINOM.INV finds the smallest number of successes equal to or greater than a given cumulative probability threshold.
Important Things to Note
- If alpha is set to 0.5, the function can be used to find the median number of successes.
- The number of trials should be a positive integer, and the probability of success should be between 0 and 1.
- Always double-check the type of distribution you are using to determine whether the BINOM.INV function is appropriate.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Unless you use the right arguments, you get the following errors when you use BINOM.INV.
• You get the #VALUE! error when any of the entered arguments are non-numeric.
• You get the #NUM! error when:
The trial value is less than zero,
The probability’s value is less than zero or greater than one.
The alpha value is less than zero or greater than one.
The following functions are like BINOM.INV in Google Sheets.
BINOM.DIST
The BINOM.DIST Google Sheets function returns the probability of a particular number of successes for a fixed number of trials. You are given the probability of success for each trial. It is used in statistical analysis to calculate the probability density function (PDF) or the cumulative distribution function (CDF).
NORM.INV
The NORM.INV function returns the inverse of the cumulative normal distribution for a specified mean and standard deviation. It is used to find a threshold value below which a specified percentage of observations occur in statistical analysis.
POISSON.DIST
It calculates the probability of a fixed number of events occurring in a fixed interval of time or space for a Poisson distribution.
Financial analysts use BINOM.INV to analyze which securities to invest in. This function is particularly useful when working with binomial distributions, which contain only two possible outcomes (success or failure) in a series of independent trials.
It is also used in hypothetical testing and risk analysis
The BINOM.INV function can be used to find various occurrences such as the probability of getting a tail when you toss a coin N number of times or the probability of choosing a red ball from a sack containing 20 balls when you withdraw a ball 8 times.
Download Template
This article must help understand BINOM.INV Google Sheets with its features and examples. You can download the template here to use it instantly.
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