Chi-Square

Goodness of
Fit Test
Presented by: Clarence Mart M. Antonio
 Pearson’s chi-square test
1. A Pearson’s chi-square test is a statistical test for categorical data. It is used to
determine whether your data are significantly different from what you expected.
There are two types of Pearson’s chi-square tests:
• The chi-square goodness of fit test is used to test whether the frequency
distribution of a categorical variable is different from your expectations.
• The chi-square test of independence is used to test whether two categorical
variables are related to each other.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. What is a chi-square test?
2. The chi-square formula
3. When to use a chi-square test
4. Types of chi-square tests
5. How to perform a chi-square test
6. How to report a chi-square test
7. Practice questions
What is a chi-square test?

Pearson’s chi-square (Χ2) tests, often referred to simply

as chi-square tests, are among the most common
nonparametric tests. Nonparametric tests are used for
data that don’t follow the assumptions of parametric
tests, especially the assumption of a normal distribution.

If you want to test a hypothesis about the distribution of a

categorical variable, you’ll need to use a chi-square test
or another nonparametric test. Categorical variables can
be nominal or ordinal and represent groupings such as
species or nationalities. Because they can only have a
few specific values, they can’t have a normal
distribution.
Test hypotheses about frequency distributions
There are two types of Pearson’s chi-square tests, but
they both test whether the observed 
frequency distribution of a categorical variable is
significantly different from its expected frequency
distribution. A frequency distribution describes how
observations are distributed between different
groups.
Frequency distributions are often displayed using 
frequency distribution tables. A frequency
distribution table shows the number of observations
in each group. When there are two categorical
variables, you can use a specific type of frequency
distribution table called a contingency table to
show the number of observations in each
combination of groups.
Example: Bird species at a bird feeder

A chi-square test (a chi-square goodness of fit test) can

test whether these observed frequencies are
significantly different from what was expected, such as
equal frequencies.
The chi-square formula

The larger the difference between the observations and

the expectations (O − E in the equation), the bigger the
chi-square will be. To decide whether the difference is
big enough to be statistically significant, you compare
the chi-square value to a critical value.
When to use a chi-square test
A Pearson’s chi-square test may be an appropriate
option for your data if all the following are true:
1. You want to test a hypothesis about one or
more categorical variables. If one or more of your
variables is quantitative, you should use a different 
statistical test. Alternatively, you could convert the
quantitative variable into a categorical variable by
separating the observations into intervals.
2. The sample was randomly selected from the 
population.
3. There are a minimum of five observations
expected in each group or combination of groups.
Types of chi-square tests
The two types of Pearson’s chi-square tests are:
• Chi-square goodness of fit test
• Chi-square test of independence
Mathematically, these are the same test. However, we
often think of them as different tests because they’re
used for different purposes.
Chi-square goodness of fit test
You can use a chi-square goodness of fit test when you
have one categorical variable. It allows you to test
whether the frequency distribution of the categorical
variable is significantly different from your
expectations. Often, but not always, the expectation is
that the categories will have equal proportions.
How to perform a chi-square test
The exact procedure for performing a Pearson’s chi-square test
depends on which test you’re using, but it generally follows
these steps:
1. Create a table of the observed and expected
frequencies. This can sometimes be the most difficult step
because you will need to carefully consider which expected
values are most appropriate for your null hypothesis.
2. Calculate the chi-square value from your observed and
expected frequencies using the chi-square formula.
3. Find the critical chi-square value in a 
chi-square critical value table or using statistical software.
4. Compare the chi-square value to the critical value to
determine which is larger.
5. Decide whether to reject the null hypothesis. You should
reject the null hypothesis if the chi-square value is greater than
the critical value. If you reject the null hypothesis, you can
conclude that your data are significantly different from what
you expected.
How to report a chi-square test
If you decide to include a Pearson’s chi-square test in your 
research paper, dissertation or thesis, you should report it in
your results section. You can follow these rules if you want to 
report statistics in APA Style:
• You don’t need to provide a reference or formula since the chi-
square test is a commonly used statistic.
• Refer to chi-square using its Greek symbol, Χ 2. Although the
symbol looks very similar to an “X” from the Latin alphabet,
it’s actually a different symbol. Greek symbols should not be
italicized.
• Include a space on either side of the equal sign.
• If your chi-square is less than zero, you should include a
leading zero (a zero before the decimal point) since the chi-
square can be greater than zero.
• Provide two significant digits after the decimal point.
• Report the chi-square alongside its degrees of freedom, sample
size, and p value, following this format: Χ2 (degrees of
freedom, N = sample size) = chi-square value, p = p value).