In this article
BETA.INV is the reverse of BETA.DIST: for a probability it returns the value, e.g. the duration you will meet 90% of the time.
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Syntax
=BETA.INV(probability, alpha, beta, [A], [B])| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
probability |
0 to 1 |
alpha, beta |
Shape |
A, B |
Bounds |
Examples
Example 1
=ROUND(BETA.INV(A2,B2,C2,D2,E2),3)Result: 12.629. See the worked example table below for more cases.
BETA.INV in practice
Where you will use it
- 90th-percentile duration for a PERT task
- Confidence limits for a proportion
- Simulation inputs (with RAND)
Worked example
| Probability | alpha | beta | A | B | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 20 | =ROUND(BETA.INV(A2,B2,C2,D2,E2),3) | 12.629 |
| 0.9 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 20 | =ROUND(BETA.INV(A3,B3,C3,D3,E3),3) | 16.154 |
| 0.1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | =ROUND(BETA.INV(A4,B4,C4,D4,E4),3) | 0.093 |
Results calculated in Excel.
Mistakes people make
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Probability of 0 or 1 | #NUM!; use values strictly inside 0..1 |
| Forgetting A and B | Without them the answer is on a 0-1 scale |
Related functions
📚 Part of the free Excel course: Beginner → Expert · Try it in the Formula Lab or ask the AI Helper.
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