Unit 6 · Report it in APA style

How to write up a t-test in APA style

The APA 7 pattern for reporting t-tests and ANOVA from SPSS output, with worked examples.

Pro lessonAbout 5 minutes7 practice questions

Anatomy of a t-test write-up

APA results sentences follow a fixed pattern. Get the order right once and you can reuse it for every test.

Results.docx – Word

An independent-samples t-test1 showed that students taught online (M = 71.20, SD = 10.40)2 scored significantly higher than3 students taught in person (M = 65.80, SD = 11.10), t(98) = 2.514, p = .0145, d = 0.506.

1
Name the testSay which test you ran so the reader knows how to read the numbers.
2
DescriptivesGive the mean and SD for each group, from the Group Statistics table.
3
DirectionSay which group scored higher, in words. A p-value alone doesn't tell the reader that.
4
t(df)The t value with its degrees of freedom in brackets, to two decimals.
5
Exact pWrite p = .014 with no leading zero. Only use p < .001 when SPSS shows .000.
6
Effect sizeCohen's d shows how big the difference is: about 0.2 small, 0.5 medium, 0.8 large.

Italicise statistical symbols: t, p, M, SD, d, F, r, N.

Keep going with Pro

7 interactive practice questions are part of Pro, along with every other unit and unlimited hearts.

Unlock with Pro

Anatomy of a t-test write-up

Keep going with Pro

More in Report it in APA style