A reader, Ken Hirsch, shows how Microsoft Excel can be used to perform a basic operation of the method of thresholds. The essential calculation of the method of thresholds, finds a group mean difference from the proportions of two groups that reach or exceed some threshold. Excel can perform this operation with the function: =normsinv(fractA)-normsinv(fractB), where fractA and fractB are the fractions of Groups A and B that reach the threshold.

For example, if Group A has a pass rate of 40% and Group B, 30%, the Excel formula "=normsinv(.40)-normsinv(.30)" returns the group mean difference of 0.271 SD.

Most other spreadsheets will do the same job, though perhaps with different syntax.