WGU D772 OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT AND
PRACTICE EXAM NEWEST 2026 TEST BANK|
D772 STATISTICAL DATA
Question 1
A student is designing a survey. Which question will result in quantitative data?
A) What is your favorite color?
B) How much sleep do you get each night?
C) What is your preferred brand of sneakers?
D) Which political candidate do you support?
Correct Answer: B) How much sleep do you get each night?
Rationale: Quantitative data is numerical and can be measured or counted. "How
much sleep" requires a numerical answer (e.g., 7 hours), making it quantitative.
The other options are categorical (qualitative) as they describe qualities or
characteristics.
Question 2
A psychologist splits participants into four groups and gives each a maze with a
different color. The time to solve the maze is recorded. What is the explanatory
variable?
A) The time to solve the maze
B) The specific maze color
C) The participants' ages
D) The difficulty of the maze
Correct Answer: B) The specific maze color
,Rationale: The explanatory variable (independent variable) is the one
manipulated by the researcher to see if it causes an effect on the response
variable (solve time). Here, the maze color is what is being changed.
Question 3
In a study on a new plant fertilizer, what is an example of a control group?
A) Plants that receive a high dose of the fertilizer
B) Plants that receive a low dose of the fertilizer
C) Plants that do not receive the fertilizer
D) Plants that are kept in a dark room
Correct Answer: C) Plants that do not receive the fertilizer
Rationale: The control group does not receive the experimental treatment. It
provides a baseline to compare against the groups that do receive the treatment.
Question 4
A director calls 500 random students. What is the sample in this study?
A) All students on campus
B) The food preferences of students
C) The 500 students called by the director
D) The director of food services
Correct Answer: C) The 500 students called by the director
Rationale: A sample is a subset of the population selected for study. The
population would be all students on campus; the 500 students are the sample.
Question 5
,A researcher collects data from 100 women about their heights. The researcher
calculates the average height of the 100 women. What is this value called?
A) Parameter
B) Statistic
C) Variable
D) Population
Correct Answer: B) Statistic
Rationale: A statistic is a numerical value that describes a characteristic of a
sample. The sample is the 100 women, and their average height is the descriptive
statistic.
Question 6
A study reports that "the average height of 100 adult women randomly selected
from the US is 5'4"." What is the statistic?
A) All adult women in the US
B) The method of random selection
C) The average height of 5'4"
D) The 100 adult women
Correct Answer: C) The average height of 5'4"
Rationale: A statistic is a number that describes a characteristic of a sample. The
sample is the 100 women, and their average height (5'4") is the descriptive
statistic.
Question 7
What are the basic elements that make up a dataset?
A) Mean, median, and mode
B) Individuals, variables, and data
, C) Samples, populations, and parameters
D) Surveys, experiments, and observations
Correct Answer: B) Individuals, variables, and data
Rationale: Every dataset has individuals (the objects described), variables (the
characteristics being measured), and data (the actual values of those variables).
Question 8
In a dataset, what are individuals?
A) The numerical calculations performed on the data
B) The people conducting the research study
C) The objects described by the data (people, animals, or things)
D) The graphs used to display the data
Correct Answer: C) The objects described by the data (people, animals, or
things)
Rationale: Individuals are the entities we collect information on. For example, in a
study of students, each individual student is an individual in the dataset.
Question 9
What are variables in a dataset?
A) The results of the statistical analysis
B) The characteristics or measurements we are interested in studying
C) The fixed values that never change in an experiment
D) The errors that occur during data collection
Correct Answer: B) The characteristics or measurements we are interested in
studying
Rationale: Variables are the specific aspects of the individuals that we collect data
on, such as height, age, favorite color, or test score.
PRACTICE EXAM NEWEST 2026 TEST BANK|
D772 STATISTICAL DATA
Question 1
A student is designing a survey. Which question will result in quantitative data?
A) What is your favorite color?
B) How much sleep do you get each night?
C) What is your preferred brand of sneakers?
D) Which political candidate do you support?
Correct Answer: B) How much sleep do you get each night?
Rationale: Quantitative data is numerical and can be measured or counted. "How
much sleep" requires a numerical answer (e.g., 7 hours), making it quantitative.
The other options are categorical (qualitative) as they describe qualities or
characteristics.
Question 2
A psychologist splits participants into four groups and gives each a maze with a
different color. The time to solve the maze is recorded. What is the explanatory
variable?
A) The time to solve the maze
B) The specific maze color
C) The participants' ages
D) The difficulty of the maze
Correct Answer: B) The specific maze color
,Rationale: The explanatory variable (independent variable) is the one
manipulated by the researcher to see if it causes an effect on the response
variable (solve time). Here, the maze color is what is being changed.
Question 3
In a study on a new plant fertilizer, what is an example of a control group?
A) Plants that receive a high dose of the fertilizer
B) Plants that receive a low dose of the fertilizer
C) Plants that do not receive the fertilizer
D) Plants that are kept in a dark room
Correct Answer: C) Plants that do not receive the fertilizer
Rationale: The control group does not receive the experimental treatment. It
provides a baseline to compare against the groups that do receive the treatment.
Question 4
A director calls 500 random students. What is the sample in this study?
A) All students on campus
B) The food preferences of students
C) The 500 students called by the director
D) The director of food services
Correct Answer: C) The 500 students called by the director
Rationale: A sample is a subset of the population selected for study. The
population would be all students on campus; the 500 students are the sample.
Question 5
,A researcher collects data from 100 women about their heights. The researcher
calculates the average height of the 100 women. What is this value called?
A) Parameter
B) Statistic
C) Variable
D) Population
Correct Answer: B) Statistic
Rationale: A statistic is a numerical value that describes a characteristic of a
sample. The sample is the 100 women, and their average height is the descriptive
statistic.
Question 6
A study reports that "the average height of 100 adult women randomly selected
from the US is 5'4"." What is the statistic?
A) All adult women in the US
B) The method of random selection
C) The average height of 5'4"
D) The 100 adult women
Correct Answer: C) The average height of 5'4"
Rationale: A statistic is a number that describes a characteristic of a sample. The
sample is the 100 women, and their average height (5'4") is the descriptive
statistic.
Question 7
What are the basic elements that make up a dataset?
A) Mean, median, and mode
B) Individuals, variables, and data
, C) Samples, populations, and parameters
D) Surveys, experiments, and observations
Correct Answer: B) Individuals, variables, and data
Rationale: Every dataset has individuals (the objects described), variables (the
characteristics being measured), and data (the actual values of those variables).
Question 8
In a dataset, what are individuals?
A) The numerical calculations performed on the data
B) The people conducting the research study
C) The objects described by the data (people, animals, or things)
D) The graphs used to display the data
Correct Answer: C) The objects described by the data (people, animals, or
things)
Rationale: Individuals are the entities we collect information on. For example, in a
study of students, each individual student is an individual in the dataset.
Question 9
What are variables in a dataset?
A) The results of the statistical analysis
B) The characteristics or measurements we are interested in studying
C) The fixed values that never change in an experiment
D) The errors that occur during data collection
Correct Answer: B) The characteristics or measurements we are interested in
studying
Rationale: Variables are the specific aspects of the individuals that we collect data
on, such as height, age, favorite color, or test score.
