How to Use the Standard Normal with NORM.S.DIST in Excel

Turn z-scores into percentiles with NORM.S.DIST — compare results measured on different scales.

You will learn to

• Convert a z-score into a percentile
• Build the z-score inside the formula
• Find the two-sided share beyond a z threshold

How it works

A z-score says how many standard deviations a result sits above or below the average. NORM.S.DIST converts that z-score into a percentile: =NORM.S.DIST(1.35,TRUE) returns about 0.91, meaning the result beats roughly 91% of the group.

Because every z-score uses the same standard normal curve (mean 0, SD 1), you can compare results from different tests or departments. Build the z-score inside the formula as (value-mean)/sd, and double the upper tail when you care about extremes in both directions.

=NORM.S.DIST(1.35,TRUE)