Overview for 1-Sample Equivalence Test

Use 1-Sample Equivalence Test to evaluate whether the mean of a population is close enough to a target value or a reference value to be considered equivalent.

When you use a 1-sample equivalence test, you must specify a range of values that are "close enough" to be considered equivalent to the target. This equivalence interval, also called the zone of equivalence, is based on your knowledge of the product or process and should be determined before you perform the test. The analysis then determines whether you have enough evidence to claim that the difference between the population mean and the target value is within the equivalence interval.

For example, an analyst wants to test whether the strength of a new drug is equivalent to a target of 5 mg/ml. The analyst defines equivalence as a strength of 5 ± 0.1 mg/ml. If the confidence interval of the difference between the population mean and the target is contained completely within the equivalence interval (–0.1, 0.1), then the strength of the new drug is equivalent to the target.