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FINV Function

Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016

Summary

The FINV function returns the inverse of the right-tailed F probability distribution, finding the critical F-value for a given probability. Essential for F-tests comparing variability between datasets like income distributions across regions.

Syntax

FINV(probability, deg_freedom1, deg_freedom2)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
probability	`Number`	Yes	Probability associated with the F cumulative distribution (0-1)
deg_freedom1	`Number`	Yes	Numerator degrees of freedom
deg_freedom2	`Number`	Yes	Denominator degrees of freedom

Using the FINV Function

FINV is used in statistical analysis to find critical F-values for hypothesis testing. Common in ANOVA results where you need F critical values at specific significance levels like 0.05.

Common FINV Examples

Find F Critical Value

=FINV(0.01, 6, 4)

Returns 15.206865 - the F critical value for 1% significance with 6 numerator and 4 denominator degrees of freedom.

ANOVA Critical Value

=FINV(0.05, A1, B1)

Uses cell values for degrees of freedom to find 5% significance critical F-value.

Frequently Asked Questions

FINV finds inverse F. It's replaced by F.INV (left-tailed) and F.INV.RT (right-tailed) in newer Excel versions for better accuracy.

Probability must be between 0 and 1 (exclusive). Values outside return #NUM! error.

Common Errors and Solutions

#VALUE!

Cause: Non-numeric arguments provided

Solution: Ensure all inputs are valid numbers

#NUM!

Cause: Probability <0 or >1, or degrees of freedom out of range

Solution: Check probability between 0-1, degrees of freedom ≥1 and <10^10

#N/A

Cause: Iterative search didn't converge after 100 iterations

Solution: Verify input values are reasonable for F distribution

Notes

Deprecated in favor of F.INV and F.INV.RT functions
Degrees of freedom truncated to integers
Uses iterative algorithm for precision
Maximum degrees of freedom: 10^10 - 1

Compatibility

Available in: Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016

Not available in: Excel 2019+, Excel 2021, Microsoft 365 (use F.INV.RT instead)

Content last reviewed: December 9, 2025
Update frequency: As needed
Excel versions tested: Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016