Free tool · Chapter 4
Chi-square test calculator
Enter your observed counts and get χ², the p-value and the decision on your hypothesis — with a sentence ready for Chapter 4.
| Group | ||
|---|---|---|
Enter observed counts (number of respondents), not percentages.
Chi-square (χ²)
3.69
Not significant — retain the null hypothesis
- df
- 1
- p-value
- 0.055
- Critical (0.05)
- 3.84
- N
- 200
Expected counts
| Male | 64.50 | 35.50 |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 64.50 | 35.50 |
For your Chapter 4
A chi-square test of independence showed no significant association between gender and awareness of cyberbullying, χ²(1, N = 200) = 3.69, p = .055. Since the calculated χ² (3.69) is less than the critical value (3.84) at the 0.05 level of significance, the null hypothesis was retained.
The chi-square formula
χ² = Σ (O − E)² / E
- O — the observed count in each cell
- E — the expected count: (row total × column total) ÷ grand total
- df — degrees of freedom: (rows − 1) × (columns − 1)
Worked example
200 students were asked whether they were aware of cyberbullying: 58 of 100 males and 71 of 100 females said yes.
Expected (aware): 100 × 129 / 200 = 64.5 in each group
χ² = 3.69, df = 1, p = 0.055
Critical value at 0.05 = 3.84
Because 3.69 is less than 3.84 (p above 0.05), there is no significant relationship between gender and awareness, so the null hypothesis is retained.
Before you use chi-square
- Both variables are categories (e.g. gender, level, aware/not aware), not scores.
- Each respondent appears in only one cell.
- Enter counts, not percentages.
- Most expected counts should be 5 or more — the calculator warns you when they aren't.
Testing hypotheses in Chapter 4?
MonoEd writes your Chapter 4 around the results you enter, table by table, and never makes up figures. Chapters 1–2 are free; ₦6,500 once for the whole project.
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Common questions
What is the chi-square test used for in a project?
It tests whether two categorical variables are related — for example, whether awareness of a service differs between male and female respondents. It is common for testing hypotheses in survey-based Chapter 4s.
How do I decide whether to reject the null hypothesis?
If the p-value is below 0.05 (or the calculated χ² is larger than the critical value), the relationship is statistically significant and you reject the null hypothesis. Otherwise you retain (fail to reject) it.
What if some expected counts are below 5?
Chi-square becomes unreliable when more than 20% of cells have an expected count below 5. Merge small categories (for example, combine Strongly agree with Agree) or, for a 2×2 table, use Fisher's exact test.
Can I enter percentages?
No. Chi-square works on counts — the number of respondents in each cell. Percentages give a wrong result.
How do I report chi-square in APA style?
Give the statistic, degrees of freedom, sample size and p-value, for example χ²(1, N = 200) = 3.69, p = .055. The calculator writes this sentence for you.