To find the critical value \( Z_{\alpha/2} \) for a confidence level of 96%, you first need to determine \( \alpha \), which is the complement of the confidence level.
The confidence level is 96%, so:
\[ \alpha = 1 - 0.96 = 0.04 \]
Since this is a two-tailed test, you divide \( \alpha \) by 2:
\[ \alpha/2 = \frac{0.04}{2} = 0.02 \]
Now, you need to find the z-score that corresponds to \( 1 - \alpha/2 = 1 - 0.02 = 0.98 \).
Using a standard normal distribution table or a calculator, you can find that:
\[ Z_{0.98} \approx 2.05 \]
Thus, the critical value \( Z_{\alpha/2} \) needed to construct a confidence interval with a level of 96% is approximately:
\[ \boxed{2.05} \]