WGU C784 Applied Healthcare Statistics Final Exam
2026/2027: 200 Practice Questions with Answer Key &
Explanation
1. Which measure of central tendency is most affected by outliers?
A) Mean
B) Median
C) Mode
D) Range
Correct Answer: A) Mean
Explanation: The mean takes into account all values, so extreme values (outliers) can significantly pull
the mean higher or lower. The median and mode are more resistant to outliers.
2. What type of variable is blood type (A, B, AB, O)?
A) Continuous
B) Ordinal
C) Nominal
D) Interval
Correct Answer: C) Nominal
Explanation: Blood type categories, such as A, B, AB, and O, have no natural order or ranking, making
them nominal (categorical) variables.
3. Which test would you use to compare the mean systolic blood pressure between two independent
groups?
A) Paired t-test
B) Independent t-test
,C) Chi-square test
D) ANOVA
Correct Answer: B) Independent t-test
Explanation: An independent t‑test compares means between two independent groups. A paired t‑test
is for related samples, ANOVA is for three or more groups, and chi‑square is for categorical data.
4. In hypothesis testing, what does a p‑value less than 0.05 indicate?
A) The null hypothesis is true
B) The null hypothesis should be rejected
C) The alternative hypothesis is false
D) There is no statistical significance
Correct Answer: B) The null hypothesis should be rejected
Explanation: A p‑value less than 0.05 generally means the observed data is unlikely under the null
hypothesis, so we reject it in favor of the alternative.
5. What does a confidence interval (CI) represent?
A) The probability that the null hypothesis is true
B) The range within which the population parameter is expected to lie with a certain confidence
C) The sample mean
D) The significance level
Correct Answer: B) The range within which the population parameter is expected to lie with a certain
confidence
Explanation: A CI provides an estimated range of values likely to include the true population parameter
with a given confidence level (e.g., 95%).
6. A hospital administrator collects data on the number of patients seen each day for a month. The data
are: Monday 45, Tuesday 38, Wednesday 42, Thursday 47, Friday 52. What type of data are these?
,A) Continuous
B) Nominal
C) Ordinal
D) Discrete
Correct Answer: D) Discrete
Explanation: These are discrete data because they represent distinct, countable values – the number of
patients seen each day. Discrete data have unconnected points and can be counted.
7. If a data set has a mean of 75 and a standard deviation of 10, what is the z‑score for a value of 85?
A) –1
B) 0
C) 1
D) 10
Correct Answer: C) 1
Explanation: z = (x – μ)/σ = (85 – 75)/10 = 10/10 = 1. This indicates the value is one standard deviation
above the mean.
8. According to the Empirical Rule, approximately what percentage of values in a normal distribution fall
within one standard deviation of the mean?
A) 68%
B) 95%
C) 99.7%
D) 50%
Correct Answer: A) 68%
Explanation: The Empirical Rule (68‑95‑99.7 rule) states that in a normal distribution, about 68% of
values lie within one standard deviation of the mean, about 95% within two standard deviations, and
about 99.7% within three standard deviations.
, 9. A nurse records the body temperatures of 20 patients. Which of the following is an example of
continuous data?
A) Number of patients with fever
B) Temperature in degrees Celsius
C) Blood type category
D) Gender of patients
Correct Answer: B) Temperature in degrees Celsius
Explanation: Temperature is a continuous measurement for which it is possible to have fractional parts,
making it continuous data.
10. What is the slope‑intercept form of a linear equation?
A) y = ax² + bx + c
B) y = mx + b
C) y = b + mx²
D) y = a + bx²
Correct Answer: B) y = mx + b
Explanation: The slope‑intercept form y = mx + b is a common format for linear equations, where m is
the slope and b is the y‑intercept.
11. Which of the following is NOT a measure of central tendency?
A) Mean
B) Median
C) Mode
D) Standard deviation
Correct Answer: D) Standard deviation
2026/2027: 200 Practice Questions with Answer Key &
Explanation
1. Which measure of central tendency is most affected by outliers?
A) Mean
B) Median
C) Mode
D) Range
Correct Answer: A) Mean
Explanation: The mean takes into account all values, so extreme values (outliers) can significantly pull
the mean higher or lower. The median and mode are more resistant to outliers.
2. What type of variable is blood type (A, B, AB, O)?
A) Continuous
B) Ordinal
C) Nominal
D) Interval
Correct Answer: C) Nominal
Explanation: Blood type categories, such as A, B, AB, and O, have no natural order or ranking, making
them nominal (categorical) variables.
3. Which test would you use to compare the mean systolic blood pressure between two independent
groups?
A) Paired t-test
B) Independent t-test
,C) Chi-square test
D) ANOVA
Correct Answer: B) Independent t-test
Explanation: An independent t‑test compares means between two independent groups. A paired t‑test
is for related samples, ANOVA is for three or more groups, and chi‑square is for categorical data.
4. In hypothesis testing, what does a p‑value less than 0.05 indicate?
A) The null hypothesis is true
B) The null hypothesis should be rejected
C) The alternative hypothesis is false
D) There is no statistical significance
Correct Answer: B) The null hypothesis should be rejected
Explanation: A p‑value less than 0.05 generally means the observed data is unlikely under the null
hypothesis, so we reject it in favor of the alternative.
5. What does a confidence interval (CI) represent?
A) The probability that the null hypothesis is true
B) The range within which the population parameter is expected to lie with a certain confidence
C) The sample mean
D) The significance level
Correct Answer: B) The range within which the population parameter is expected to lie with a certain
confidence
Explanation: A CI provides an estimated range of values likely to include the true population parameter
with a given confidence level (e.g., 95%).
6. A hospital administrator collects data on the number of patients seen each day for a month. The data
are: Monday 45, Tuesday 38, Wednesday 42, Thursday 47, Friday 52. What type of data are these?
,A) Continuous
B) Nominal
C) Ordinal
D) Discrete
Correct Answer: D) Discrete
Explanation: These are discrete data because they represent distinct, countable values – the number of
patients seen each day. Discrete data have unconnected points and can be counted.
7. If a data set has a mean of 75 and a standard deviation of 10, what is the z‑score for a value of 85?
A) –1
B) 0
C) 1
D) 10
Correct Answer: C) 1
Explanation: z = (x – μ)/σ = (85 – 75)/10 = 10/10 = 1. This indicates the value is one standard deviation
above the mean.
8. According to the Empirical Rule, approximately what percentage of values in a normal distribution fall
within one standard deviation of the mean?
A) 68%
B) 95%
C) 99.7%
D) 50%
Correct Answer: A) 68%
Explanation: The Empirical Rule (68‑95‑99.7 rule) states that in a normal distribution, about 68% of
values lie within one standard deviation of the mean, about 95% within two standard deviations, and
about 99.7% within three standard deviations.
, 9. A nurse records the body temperatures of 20 patients. Which of the following is an example of
continuous data?
A) Number of patients with fever
B) Temperature in degrees Celsius
C) Blood type category
D) Gender of patients
Correct Answer: B) Temperature in degrees Celsius
Explanation: Temperature is a continuous measurement for which it is possible to have fractional parts,
making it continuous data.
10. What is the slope‑intercept form of a linear equation?
A) y = ax² + bx + c
B) y = mx + b
C) y = b + mx²
D) y = a + bx²
Correct Answer: B) y = mx + b
Explanation: The slope‑intercept form y = mx + b is a common format for linear equations, where m is
the slope and b is the y‑intercept.
11. Which of the following is NOT a measure of central tendency?
A) Mean
B) Median
C) Mode
D) Standard deviation
Correct Answer: D) Standard deviation
