How to Report T-Test, ANOVA and Chi-Square in APA from SPSS (One Guide)

If you are writing a psychology, business, nursing or education dissertation in the UK, you will almost certainly need to show how to report t-test, ANOVA and chi-square in APA from SPSS. These three tests cover more than 80% of undergraduate quantitative analyses: comparing two means, comparing three or more means, and testing associations between categorical variables.

The problem is that SPSS output does not look like APA. SPSS prints Sig. = .000, unitalicised headings, and far too many decimals. Your marker expects italicised t, F, p, exact p values, no leading zeros on p, and an effect size for every test. Miss those details and you lose easy marks even when your analysis is correct.

This guide fixes that in one place. You will learn which test to choose, where to click in SPSS, what numbers to copy, and how to turn them into a clean ANOVA APA write-up, t-test paragraph and chi-square APA example that pass Turnitin, ethics and second marking. For broader Results section structure, see our guides on how to report SPSS results in APA 7th and reporting descriptive statistics from SPSS.

Which Test Should You Use in SPSS?

Before you report anything, choose correctly. UK markers check your rationale first. Use this decision table:

Quick examples: male vs female wellbeing scores = independent t-test. Pre- vs post-intervention anxiety in the same students = paired t-test. Wellbeing across first-, second- and third-years = one-way ANOVA. Gender (male/female) by degree preference (yes/no) = chi-square.

Already confident on descriptives? Report means and standard deviations first, then inferential tests. Our descriptive statistics guide shows the APA table layout markers prefer.

What Are the APA 7th Rules for Reporting Statistics?

APA 7th is mechanical. Learn these five rules once and every t-test, ANOVA and chi-square write-up becomes fill-in-the-blanks. These rules come from the APA Publication Manual (7th ed., sections 6.40–6.44) and the APA Numbers and Statistics Guide.

1. Italics: Latin yes, Greek no

Italicise Latin statistical letters: t, F, p, M, SD, N, n, d, R², V. Keep Greek letters upright: χ², η², α, β, ω². So you write t(78) and F(2, 87) in italics, but χ²(1, N = 120) with an upright chi and italic N. SPSS never italicises, so you must add italics by hand in Word.

2. No leading zero only when the value cannot exceed 1

Drop the zero before the decimal only for numbers bounded by 1: p = .032, r = .34, Cramér's V = .23. Keep the leading zero for everything that can exceed 1: t = 2.45, F = 5.42, M = 24.50, SD = 4.12, d = 0.55. A common error is writing d = .55. Because Cohen's d can exceed 1, APA requires d = 0.55.

3. Decimals and exact p values

Report t, F, χ², M, SD and effect sizes to two decimals. Report exact p values to two or three decimals: p = .032, p = .006. Use spaces around = and <: p < .001, not p<.001. The one exception is tiny values: never write p = .000. Always write p < .001.

SPSS prints Sig. (2-tailed) = .000 because it rounds to three decimals. A probability is never exactly zero. In APA you must translate SPSS p .000 to report p < .001.

4. Always give descriptives + test + effect size

Every report needs three parts: (a) descriptive statistics, (b) test statistic with degrees of freedom and p, (c) effect size. The pattern is:

For full Results chapter organisation — assumption checks, table order and what goes in text versus tables — read how to report SPSS results in APA 7th.

How Do You Report a T-Test in APA from SPSS?

A t-test compares two means. Use an independent-samples t-test for two different groups (e.g., intervention vs control) and a paired-samples t-test for the same people twice (e.g., pre vs post). Organisation is identical; only the SPSS table changes.

SPSS steps: where to click and what to copy

1. Independent: Analyze > Compare Means > Independent-Samples T Test. Move your scale variable to Test Variable(s) and grouping variable to Grouping Variable > Define Groups. Tick Confidence interval and Effect sizes (Cohen's d).
2. Paired: Analyze > Compare Means > Paired-Samples T Test. Move Pair 1 variables across. Request descriptives and effect sizes.
3. From Group Statistics, copy each group's M, SD and n.
4. From Independent Samples Test, first read Levene's test. If p > .05, read the top row (Equal variances assumed). If p ≤ .05, read the bottom row (Equal variances not assumed) and report Welch's adjusted df, which SPSS prints with decimals, e.g., t(62.35) = 2.51.
5. Copy t, df and Sig. (2-tailed). If Sig. = .000, you will report p < .001.
6. From Independent Samples Effect Sizes, copy Cohen's d (use Hedges' g only if your department asks for it).

T-test APA template

An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare [DV] between [Group 1] (M = 0.00, SD = 0.00, n = 00) and [Group 2] (M = 0.00, SD = 0.00, n = 00). There was a significant [or non-significant] difference, t(00) = 0.00, p = .000, d = 0.00, with [higher/lower direction in plain English].

Worked t-test example (independent)

Suppose 80 UK undergraduates completed a wellbeing scale (0–40). Intervention group (n = 40): M = 26.40, SD = 4.12. Control group (n = 40): M = 24.10, SD = 4.25. Levene's test was non-significant (p = .482), so equal variances were assumed. SPSS gave t(78) = 2.45, Sig. = .016, d = 0.55.

An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare wellbeing scores between students who received the mindfulness intervention (M = 26.40, SD = 4.12, n = 40) and students in the control condition (M = 24.10, SD = 4.25, n = 40). There was a significant difference, t(78) = 2.45, p = .016, d = 0.55, with higher wellbeing in the intervention group. The effect was medium.

For a paired version, swap the opening line: “A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare pre-intervention (M = 22.15, SD = 3.90) and post-intervention (M = 25.30, SD = 4.05) anxiety scores. Scores were significantly lower at post-test, t(39) = 9.27, p < .001, d = 1.46.” Note p < .001 because SPSS printed .000, and the direction is stated.

Tip: if your t is negative, keep the minus sign with a space before it only (e.g., t(78) = –2.45) or reorder groups so t is positive. Do not drop the sign silently.

How Do You Report ANOVA in APA from SPSS?

Use one-way ANOVA when you have one categorical independent variable with three or more groups and one continuous dependent variable. Example: comparing dissertation stress across first-, second- and third-year students. If your omnibus F is significant, you must run and report post hoc tests — usually Tukey HSD — to say which groups differ. Reporting only “ANOVA was significant” without post hocs is the most common reason UK students lose marks on this test.

SPSS steps for a one-way ANOVA with Tukey

1. Analyze > Compare Means > One-Way ANOVA. Move DV to Dependent List, grouping variable to Factor.
2. Click Post Hoc > Tukey (equal variances) or Games-Howell if Levene's test is significant. Set significance level .05.
3. Click Options > Descriptives, Homogeneity of variance test, Effect size estimates (eta-squared), Means plot.
4. From Descriptives, copy each group's M, SD and n for text and tables.
5. From ANOVA table, copy F, df between, df within and Sig. From ANOVA Effect Sizes, copy eta-squared (η²) or partial η².
6. From Multiple Comparisons (Tukey HSD), copy significant pairwise mean differences and their exact p values. Non-significant pairs should also be mentioned briefly.

ANOVA APA write-up template

A one-way ANOVA was conducted to compare [DV] across [Group 1] (M = 0.00, SD = 0.00), [Group 2] (M = 0.00, SD = 0.00) and [Group 3] (M = 0.00, SD = 0.00). There was a significant [or non-significant] effect, F(2, 87) = 0.00, p = .000, η² = .00. Tukey HSD post hoc tests indicated that [specific pair] differed significantly (p = .000), whereas [other pairs] did not (p = .000).

Worked ANOVA example with Tukey

Suppose 90 students reported exam stress (0–50): first-years (M = 28.40, SD = 5.10, n = 30), second-years (M = 31.20, SD = 4.85, n = 30), third-years (M = 33.10, SD = 5.30, n = 30). Levene's test was non-significant (p = .614). SPSS gave F(2, 87) = 5.42, Sig. = .006, η² = .11.

A one-way ANOVA was conducted to compare exam stress across first-year (M = 28.40, SD = 5.10, n = 30), second-year (M = 31.20, SD = 4.85, n = 30) and third-year students (M = 33.10, SD = 5.30, n = 30). There was a significant effect of year group, F(2, 87) = 5.42, p = .006, η² = .11. Tukey HSD post hoc tests indicated that third-year students reported significantly higher stress than first-year students (p = .004), whereas second-year students did not differ significantly from either group (p = .102 and p = .312, respectively). The effect was medium-to-large.

Note three things markers love: (1) degrees of freedom are two numbers — between then within; (2) η² stays upright because it is Greek; (3) Tukey results are interpreted, not just pasted. If Levene's test had been significant, you would report Welch's F and Games-Howell instead, and state that explicitly.

How Do You Report Chi-Square in APA from SPSS?

Use Pearson's chi-square test of independence when both variables are categorical. Example: is there an association between accommodation type (halls vs private) and placement completion (yes vs no)? Chi-square tells you whether the pattern differs from chance, not why it happens and not that one variable causes the other.

SPSS steps for chi-square

1. Analyze > Descriptive Statistics > Crosstabs. Move one variable to Row(s), the other to Column(s).
2. Click Statistics > Chi-square, Phi and Cramér's V, Contingency coefficient.
3. Click Cells > Observed, Expected, Row percentages so you can describe the pattern.
4. From Chi-Square Tests, read the Pearson Chi-Square row — copy Value, df and Asymptotic Significance (2-sided).
5. From Symmetric Measures, copy Phi or Cramér's V (phi for 2 × 2 tables, Cramér's V for larger tables).
6. Check footnotes: no expected count should be below 5 in more than 20% of cells. If assumptions fail, report Fisher's exact test instead and say so.

Chi-square APA template

A chi-square test of independence was conducted to examine the association between [Variable 1] and [Variable 2]. The association was significant [or non-significant], χ²(df, N = 000) = 0.00, p = .000, V = .00, with [plain-English pattern using percentages].

Worked chi-square APA example

Suppose 120 students were classified by part-time work (yes/no) and dissertation submission on time (yes/no). SPSS gave Pearson χ²(1) = 6.30, Sig. = .012, N = 120, Cramér's V = .23. Crosstab percentages showed 78% of non-working students submitted on time versus 58% of working students.

A chi-square test of independence was conducted to examine the association between part-time work status and on-time dissertation submission. The association was significant, χ²(1, N = 120) = 6.30, p = .012, V = .23. Students without part-time work were more likely to submit on time (78%) than students with part-time work (58%). The effect was small-to-medium.

Notice the format: χ² stays upright, df comes first, total N sits inside parentheses, and percentages explain the direction. For a non-significant result you would write: “The association was non-significant, χ²(2, N = 170) = 2.14, p = .343, V = .11.” If you need more on categorical descriptives and contingency tables, see reporting descriptives alongside this test.

What Mistakes Cost UK Students Marks?

After reviewing hundreds of UK Results chapters, these six errors appear most often. Fix them and your t-test, ANOVA and chi-square write-up will already be above average.

1. Writing p = .000

This is the fastest way to signal you copied SPSS without understanding it. SPSS rounds to three decimals, so .000 means “smaller than .0005”, not zero. Always write p < .001. The same applies to ANOVA and chi-square Sig. values.

2. Forgetting italics and leading zeros

Markers check typography. t, F, M, SD, p, d, N must be italicised. Drop the leading zero only on p, V, φ and η². Keep it on t, F, M, SD and d. In Word, select each letter and press Ctrl+I — SPSS will not do it for you.

3. Reporting the test without descriptives or effect sizes

A lone t(78) = 2.45, p = .016 means nothing without means and d. Always pair every inferential result with M and SD (or percentages for chi-square) and Cohen's d, η² or Cramér's V. State the size in words: small, medium or large.

4. Claiming causality from ANOVA or chi-square

Do not write “part-time work caused late submission” from a chi-square, or “year group caused stress” from a one-way ANOVA. These designs show differences and associations, not causation. Use “was associated with”, “differed significantly” or “predicted” only if your design supports it.

5. Reporting ANOVA without post hocs

A significant omnibus F only tells you that somewhere there is a difference. Without Tukey HSD (or Games-Howell when variances are unequal), your ANOVA APA write-up is incomplete. Name which pairs differ and give their p values.

6. Repeating numbers in text and tables

APA asks you not to duplicate. Put full means, SDs and confidence intervals in an APA table, then highlight only key comparisons in text. For table models, see SPSS Results in APA 7th and regression interpretation if your dissertation also includes predictors.

What Is Your Final APA Checklist?

Run this checklist on every paragraph before submission. If you can tick all nine, your formatting is ready for second marking.

Keep a copy of this table beside your laptop while you write. Most UK departments allow two-tailed tests by default — if you ran one-tailed tests, state that explicitly in your Methods, otherwise markers will assume two-tailed Sig. values.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Learning how to report t-test, ANOVA and chi-square in APA from SPSS is less about statistics and more about translation: turning SPSS tables into clean, italicised sentences with descriptives, exact p values and effect sizes. Remember the three templates — t(df) =, F(df1, df2) =, χ²(df, N =) = — fix SPSS p .000 to p < .001, add Tukey pairs for every significant ANOVA, and describe chi-square patterns with percentages rather than causal claims.

If you organise descriptives first and run the nine-point checklist above, your Results chapter will meet APA 7th and UK second-marking expectations. For next steps, review reporting SPSS results in APA 7th, descriptive statistics and interpreting regression to complete the chapter.