Determine the significance level, α
Identify whether the test is one-tailed or two-tailed
Determine the degrees of freedom, if applicable
Choose the correct distribution
Use a critical value table or calculator
For a left-tailed test, find the value with area α in the left tail
For a right-tailed test, find the value with area α in the right tail
For a two-tailed test, split α into α/2 for each tail
Read the critical value from the chosen distribution and degrees of freedom
Verify the sign and tail direction match the test type