stestvalue

Stestvalue is a term used in statistical analysis and related fields to denote a standardized test value. It is a dimensionless measure that expresses how far an observed statistic deviates from a reference value in units of its standard error. The general form is: stestvalue = (observed_statistic - reference_value) / standard_error_of_observed.

If the population standard deviation is known, the expression yields a z-score; if not, it resembles a t-statistic with the appropriate degrees of freedom. Interpreting the value follows standard hypothesis-testing practice: values near zero indicate little deviation, while larger absolute values indicate stronger evidence against the reference hypothesis. The associated p-value is computed from the relevant distribution (normal or t) and informs decision rules about rejecting the null hypothesis.

Applications include hypothesis testing, quality control, A/B testing, and meta-analysis. Because it standardizes deviations, stestvalue facilitates comparison across tests with different scales and units. In reporting, practitioners may simply call it a standardized test statistic; terminology varies by field.

Example: In a one-sample z-test with mean 105, reference 100, standard deviation 15, and n=36, stestvalue = (105-100) / (15/√36) = 5 / 2.5 = 2.0. This corresponds to a p-value around 0.0455 for a two-sided test.

See also: z-score, t-statistic, standard error, p-value.