WGU C784 APPLIED HEALTHCARE STATISTICS FINAL EXAM 2026/2027 | COMPLETE]
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A
|LATEST EXAM UPDATE 2026/2027.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
Which measure of central tendency is most appropriate for nominal data?
A. Mean
B. Median
C. Mode
D. Standard deviation
🟢 C. Mode
🔴 RATIONALE: The mode is the only measure of central tendency that can be used for nominal
data, as it represents the most frequently occurring category.
In a normal distribution, what percentage of data falls within two standard deviations of the mean?
A. 68%
B. 95%
C. 99.7%
D. 50%
🟢 B. 95%
🔴 RATIONALE: According to the empirical rule for a normal distribution, approximately 95% of the
data lies within two standard deviations of the mean.
Which type of error occurs when a researcher rejects a true null hypothesis?
A. Type I error
B. Type II error
C. Sampling error
,D. Measurement error
🟢 A. Type I error
🔴 RATIONALE: A Type I error is defined as the rejection of a null hypothesis that is actually true
(a false positive).
If a healthcare study has a p-value of 0.03 and the alpha level is 0.05, what is the correct
conclusion?
A. Fail to reject the null hypothesis
B. Reject the null hypothesis
C. The study is invalid
D. Increase the sample size
🟢 B. Reject the null hypothesis
🔴 RATIONALE: When the p-value is less than the significance level (alpha), the null hypothesis
should be rejected as the results are statistically significant.
Which sampling method ensures that every member of the population has an equal chance of
being selected?
A. Convenience sampling
B. Stratified sampling
C. Simple random sampling
D. Cluster sampling
🟢 C. Simple random sampling
🔴 RATIONALE: Simple random sampling gives every member of the target population an equal
and known probability of being included in the sample.
A variable that represents the number of patients admitted to a hospital is an example of what type
of data?
,A. Continuous
B. Discrete
C. Ordinal
D. Nominal
🟢 B. Discrete
🔴 RATIONALE: Discrete data consists of countable values, such as the number of people, which
cannot be broken down into fractional parts.
What does the standard deviation measure in a data set?
A. The average value
B. The spread or dispersion of data points around the mean
C. The difference between the highest and lowest value
D. The central point of the data
🟢 B. The spread or dispersion of data points around the mean
🔴 RATIONALE: Standard deviation quantifies the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of
values relative to the mean.
Which statistical test is used to compare the means of three or more independent groups?
A. T-test
B. Chi-square test
C. ANOVA
D. Correlation coefficient
🟢 C. ANOVA
🔴 RATIONALE: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is the standard test for comparing means across
three or more distinct groups.
, What is the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To manage hospital budgets
B. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects in research
C. To publish findings in medical journals
D. To recruit study participants
🟢 B. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects in research
🔴 RATIONALE: The primary ethical and regulatory role of an IRB is to oversee research to
ensure it adheres to ethical standards and protects participants.
A Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.95 indicates:
A. A strong positive relationship
B. No relationship
C. A strong negative relationship
D. A weak negative relationship
🟢 C. A strong negative relationship
🔴 RATIONALE: A correlation coefficient close to -1 indicates a strong inverse relationship where
one variable decreases as the other increases.
Which of the following is a measure of variability?
A. Range
B. Mean
C. Mode
D. Median
🟢 A. Range
🔴 RATIONALE: The range is a measure of dispersion or variability, defined as the difference
between the maximum and minimum values.
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A
|LATEST EXAM UPDATE 2026/2027.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–100
Which measure of central tendency is most appropriate for nominal data?
A. Mean
B. Median
C. Mode
D. Standard deviation
🟢 C. Mode
🔴 RATIONALE: The mode is the only measure of central tendency that can be used for nominal
data, as it represents the most frequently occurring category.
In a normal distribution, what percentage of data falls within two standard deviations of the mean?
A. 68%
B. 95%
C. 99.7%
D. 50%
🟢 B. 95%
🔴 RATIONALE: According to the empirical rule for a normal distribution, approximately 95% of the
data lies within two standard deviations of the mean.
Which type of error occurs when a researcher rejects a true null hypothesis?
A. Type I error
B. Type II error
C. Sampling error
,D. Measurement error
🟢 A. Type I error
🔴 RATIONALE: A Type I error is defined as the rejection of a null hypothesis that is actually true
(a false positive).
If a healthcare study has a p-value of 0.03 and the alpha level is 0.05, what is the correct
conclusion?
A. Fail to reject the null hypothesis
B. Reject the null hypothesis
C. The study is invalid
D. Increase the sample size
🟢 B. Reject the null hypothesis
🔴 RATIONALE: When the p-value is less than the significance level (alpha), the null hypothesis
should be rejected as the results are statistically significant.
Which sampling method ensures that every member of the population has an equal chance of
being selected?
A. Convenience sampling
B. Stratified sampling
C. Simple random sampling
D. Cluster sampling
🟢 C. Simple random sampling
🔴 RATIONALE: Simple random sampling gives every member of the target population an equal
and known probability of being included in the sample.
A variable that represents the number of patients admitted to a hospital is an example of what type
of data?
,A. Continuous
B. Discrete
C. Ordinal
D. Nominal
🟢 B. Discrete
🔴 RATIONALE: Discrete data consists of countable values, such as the number of people, which
cannot be broken down into fractional parts.
What does the standard deviation measure in a data set?
A. The average value
B. The spread or dispersion of data points around the mean
C. The difference between the highest and lowest value
D. The central point of the data
🟢 B. The spread or dispersion of data points around the mean
🔴 RATIONALE: Standard deviation quantifies the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of
values relative to the mean.
Which statistical test is used to compare the means of three or more independent groups?
A. T-test
B. Chi-square test
C. ANOVA
D. Correlation coefficient
🟢 C. ANOVA
🔴 RATIONALE: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is the standard test for comparing means across
three or more distinct groups.
, What is the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To manage hospital budgets
B. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects in research
C. To publish findings in medical journals
D. To recruit study participants
🟢 B. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects in research
🔴 RATIONALE: The primary ethical and regulatory role of an IRB is to oversee research to
ensure it adheres to ethical standards and protects participants.
A Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.95 indicates:
A. A strong positive relationship
B. No relationship
C. A strong negative relationship
D. A weak negative relationship
🟢 C. A strong negative relationship
🔴 RATIONALE: A correlation coefficient close to -1 indicates a strong inverse relationship where
one variable decreases as the other increases.
Which of the following is a measure of variability?
A. Range
B. Mean
C. Mode
D. Median
🟢 A. Range
🔴 RATIONALE: The range is a measure of dispersion or variability, defined as the difference
between the maximum and minimum values.
