Final answer:
The critical t value for a 99% confidence level with a sample size of 26 can be found using a t-distribution table or calculator by looking for the value that corresponds to a cumulative probability of 0.995 with 25 degrees of freedom.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the critical t value for a 99% confidence level with a sample size of 26, you need to understand that the degrees of freedom (df) is equal to the sample size minus one (n-1). Hence, df = 26 - 1 = 25. The confidence level of 99% implies that the cumulative probability is 1 - 0.01 = 0.99. Since it is a two-tailed test, you will look for 0.995 (the midpoint plus half the alpha) in the t-distribution table or use a calculator function similar to invT(0.995, df).
To provide the exact critical t value, you can refer to a t-distribution table or use software with a function for inverse t-distribution. However, in the context of the information given, we're assuming that you will use either a table or a function similar to that described without providing the exact value here.