Fall Semester 2025–2026 | WGU C784 Applied
Healthcare Statistics Complete Study Guide with 350
Practice Questions | Updated 2025–2026 WGU C784
Healthcare Analytics Review, Statistical Methods,
Data Interpretation, Quantitative & Qualitative
Analysis, Leadership Decision-Making & High-Yield
Exam Prep Notes
Question 1:
What is the primary purpose of using descriptive statistics in healthcare?
A) To predict future outcomes
B) To summarize and describe data
C) To test hypotheses
D) To establish causal relationships
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: Descriptive statistics are used to summarize and describe the
characteristics of a dataset, providing insights into patterns and trends within the data.
Question 2:
Which of the following represents a type of non-parametric test?
A) T-test
B) Chi-square test
C) ANOVA
D) Pearson correlation
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The Chi-square test is a non-parametric test used to determine if there is a
significant association between categorical variables.
Question 3:
In a normal distribution, what percentage of data falls within one standard deviation of
the mean?
A) 50%
B) 68%
C) 95%
D) 99.7%
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: In a normal distribution, approximately 68% of data points fall within one
standard deviation from the mean, which is a key concept in statistics.
,Question 4:
What is the p-value used for in hypothesis testing?
A) To quantify the variability of data
B) To determine the strength of a correlation
C) To assess the strength of evidence against the null hypothesis
D) To measure the central tendency
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: The p-value indicates the probability of observing the test results under the
null hypothesis. A smaller p-value suggests stronger evidence against the null
hypothesis.
Question 5:
Which of the following is a measure of central tendency?
A) Variance
B) Mode
C) Range
D) Standard deviation
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The mode is one of the measures of central tendency, representing the value
that appears most frequently in a data set.
Question 6:
Which statistical method is commonly used to compare the means of two independent
groups?
A) Paired t-test
B) Independent t-test
C) ANOVA
D) Chi-square test
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The independent t-test compares the means of two independent groups to
see if there is a statistically significant difference between them.
Question 7:
What is the primary characteristic of a positively skewed distribution?
A) The mean is less than the median
B) The median is greater than the mean
,C) The tail extends to the right
D) The mode is greater than the mean
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: In a positively skewed distribution, the tail of the distribution extends to the
right, indicating that the majority of data points are concentrated on the left.
Question 8:
Which of the following tools is commonly used for displaying the frequency distribution
of categorical data?
A) Histogram
B) Box plot
C) Pie chart
D) Line graph
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: A pie chart is a circular statistical graphic that is divided into slices to
illustrate numerical proportions of categorical data.
Question 9:
In regression analysis, which of the following represents the dependent variable?
A) The variable being predicted
B) The variable that is manipulated
C) The constant value
D) The variable that explains changes
CORRECT ANSWER: A
Rationale: The dependent variable is the outcome or the variable that is being
predicted or explained in regression analysis.
Question 10:
What assumption must be met for an ANOVA test to be valid?
A) Homogeneity of variance
B) Normal distribution of data
C) Independent observations
D) All of the above
CORRECT ANSWER: D
Rationale: ANOVA assumes homogeneity of variance, normal distribution of data, and
that observations are independent.
, Question 11:
The term "confounding variable" refers to:
A) A variable that is manipulated in the study
B) A variable that has no effect on the dependent variable
C) A variable that influences both the independent and dependent variables
D) A variable that is directly measured in the study
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: A confounding variable can affect both the independent and dependent
variables, potentially misleading the results of a study.
Question 12:
In a cohort study, what is typically assessed?
A) The prevalence of a condition at a single point in time
B) The risk factors associated with a specific condition
C) The effect of treatment in a randomized manner
D) Historical data from past records
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: A cohort study follows a group of individuals over time to assess how
exposure to risk factors affects the incidence of certain conditions.
Question 13:
What is the main use of a Kaplan-Meier curve?
A) To determine the average treatment effect
B) To estimate survival functions
C) To assess the relationship between two categorical variables
D) To describe the distribution of continuous data
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The Kaplan-Meier curve estimates the survival function from lifetime data,
indicating the probability of survival over time.
Question 14:
Which of the following reflects the concept of external validity?
A) The consistency of results over time
B) The applicability of findings to populations outside the study
Healthcare Statistics Complete Study Guide with 350
Practice Questions | Updated 2025–2026 WGU C784
Healthcare Analytics Review, Statistical Methods,
Data Interpretation, Quantitative & Qualitative
Analysis, Leadership Decision-Making & High-Yield
Exam Prep Notes
Question 1:
What is the primary purpose of using descriptive statistics in healthcare?
A) To predict future outcomes
B) To summarize and describe data
C) To test hypotheses
D) To establish causal relationships
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: Descriptive statistics are used to summarize and describe the
characteristics of a dataset, providing insights into patterns and trends within the data.
Question 2:
Which of the following represents a type of non-parametric test?
A) T-test
B) Chi-square test
C) ANOVA
D) Pearson correlation
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The Chi-square test is a non-parametric test used to determine if there is a
significant association between categorical variables.
Question 3:
In a normal distribution, what percentage of data falls within one standard deviation of
the mean?
A) 50%
B) 68%
C) 95%
D) 99.7%
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: In a normal distribution, approximately 68% of data points fall within one
standard deviation from the mean, which is a key concept in statistics.
,Question 4:
What is the p-value used for in hypothesis testing?
A) To quantify the variability of data
B) To determine the strength of a correlation
C) To assess the strength of evidence against the null hypothesis
D) To measure the central tendency
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: The p-value indicates the probability of observing the test results under the
null hypothesis. A smaller p-value suggests stronger evidence against the null
hypothesis.
Question 5:
Which of the following is a measure of central tendency?
A) Variance
B) Mode
C) Range
D) Standard deviation
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The mode is one of the measures of central tendency, representing the value
that appears most frequently in a data set.
Question 6:
Which statistical method is commonly used to compare the means of two independent
groups?
A) Paired t-test
B) Independent t-test
C) ANOVA
D) Chi-square test
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The independent t-test compares the means of two independent groups to
see if there is a statistically significant difference between them.
Question 7:
What is the primary characteristic of a positively skewed distribution?
A) The mean is less than the median
B) The median is greater than the mean
,C) The tail extends to the right
D) The mode is greater than the mean
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: In a positively skewed distribution, the tail of the distribution extends to the
right, indicating that the majority of data points are concentrated on the left.
Question 8:
Which of the following tools is commonly used for displaying the frequency distribution
of categorical data?
A) Histogram
B) Box plot
C) Pie chart
D) Line graph
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: A pie chart is a circular statistical graphic that is divided into slices to
illustrate numerical proportions of categorical data.
Question 9:
In regression analysis, which of the following represents the dependent variable?
A) The variable being predicted
B) The variable that is manipulated
C) The constant value
D) The variable that explains changes
CORRECT ANSWER: A
Rationale: The dependent variable is the outcome or the variable that is being
predicted or explained in regression analysis.
Question 10:
What assumption must be met for an ANOVA test to be valid?
A) Homogeneity of variance
B) Normal distribution of data
C) Independent observations
D) All of the above
CORRECT ANSWER: D
Rationale: ANOVA assumes homogeneity of variance, normal distribution of data, and
that observations are independent.
, Question 11:
The term "confounding variable" refers to:
A) A variable that is manipulated in the study
B) A variable that has no effect on the dependent variable
C) A variable that influences both the independent and dependent variables
D) A variable that is directly measured in the study
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Rationale: A confounding variable can affect both the independent and dependent
variables, potentially misleading the results of a study.
Question 12:
In a cohort study, what is typically assessed?
A) The prevalence of a condition at a single point in time
B) The risk factors associated with a specific condition
C) The effect of treatment in a randomized manner
D) Historical data from past records
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: A cohort study follows a group of individuals over time to assess how
exposure to risk factors affects the incidence of certain conditions.
Question 13:
What is the main use of a Kaplan-Meier curve?
A) To determine the average treatment effect
B) To estimate survival functions
C) To assess the relationship between two categorical variables
D) To describe the distribution of continuous data
CORRECT ANSWER: B
Rationale: The Kaplan-Meier curve estimates the survival function from lifetime data,
indicating the probability of survival over time.
Question 14:
Which of the following reflects the concept of external validity?
A) The consistency of results over time
B) The applicability of findings to populations outside the study
