Microsoft Excel: Finding Central Tendency, Skew, and Kurtosis

Consider the following three hypothetical datasets plotted in Microsoft Excel.

Now, three measures of the central tendency — mean, median, and mode — can be calculated using the Excel functions AVERAGE, MEDIAN, and MODE.SNGL for the selected range of data.

After visualizing datasets A and C, their tails appear extended to the left and right.

Quantitatively, this skewness can be determined using the Excel function SKEW for the selected range of data. They are calculated as follows for datasets A, B, and C.

Kurtosis can be measured using the Excel function KURT for the selected range of data for the datasets A, B, and C.

Skewness and kurtosis, as measures of asymmetry, determine the departure from symmetry. Skew values closer to zero indicate more symmetry in the data.

Positive kurtosis values indicate a higher peak of the distribution compared to a normal distribution, with fewer values in the center than in the tails.

Conversely, negative values show the distribution's flatness, with more values in the center than in the tails.