PROB

Excel Functions

Calculate the probability that values in a range fall within specified limits.

Syntax

EXCEL

=PROB(x_range, prob_range, lower_limit, [upper_limit])

Arguments

Parameter	Description
`x_range`	A range of numeric values representing the possible outcomes.
`prob_range`	A range of probabilities corresponding to the values in x_range (must sum to 1).
`lower_limit`	The lower bound for the probability calculation.
`upper_limit`	[optional] The upper bound for the probability calculation. If omitted, PROB returns the probability that x equals lower_limit.

Return Value

A number between 0 and 1 representing the probability.

Details

The PROB function calculates probabilities for discrete probability distributions by summing the probabilities of all values in the x_range that fall within the specified limits. When upper_limit is omitted, PROB returns probability of the lower_limit value. This function is useful for analyzing discrete data where you have known outcomes and their associated probabilities. In this example, we have a dataset showing quiz scores and their corresponding probabilities. To find the probability of getting exactly a score of 7, we pass in 7 for the value of lower_limit. This formula returns 0.20, meaning there is a 20% chance of getting exactly a score of 7. The function works by: To find the probability of getting a score between 5 and 8 (inclusive), we use both the lower_limit and upper_limit

Examples

Example #1 - Single value probability

EXCEL

=PROB(B5:B15, C5:C15, E5)

Example #2 - Range probability

EXCEL

=PROB(B5:B15, C5:C15, E5, F5)

Example #3 - Error conditions

If the probabilities in prob_range don't sum to 1, the function returns #NUM! error

EXCEL

=PROB({1,2,3},{0.2,0.3,0.4},2) // returns #NUM!

Example #3 - Error conditions

If x_range and prob_range have different numbers of values, the function returns #N/A error

EXCEL

=PROB({1,2,3},{0.2,0.3},2) // returns #N/A

Example #3 - Error conditions

If any argument is non-numeric or contains non-numeric values (e.g., text), the function returns #NUM! error

EXCEL

=PROB({"1",2,3},{0.2,0.3,0.5},2) // returns #NUM!

PROB

Syntax

Arguments

Return Value

Details

Examples

See Also