BESC 3010 PRACTICE EXAM –
REALISTIC QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Which is the lowest level of measurement needed to calculate a mean?
Nominal
Ratio
Interval
Ordinal - Answer-interval
What is the minimal level of data required to calculate a mode?
Nominal
Ordinal
Ratio
Interval - Answer-nominal
If a raw score distribution has a mean of 12 and a standard deviation of 3, what number
would have a z-score of -2?
36
6
9
15 - Answer-6
A sampling distribution of means is:
a population distribution
a distribution of means from many samples
highly skewed
always generalizable - Answer-a distribution of means from many samples
When trying to determine if there is a difference between the population and sample,
and when the population mean and population standard deviation is known, it is most
appropriate to use:
a Pearson's correlation
a single sample t-test
a z-test
a magic 8-ball - Answer-a z-test
Which of the following is an impossible value for both p and alpha?
.01
.00
.05
, .50 - Answer-.00
If we use alpha as the criteria or critical value for the maximum probability of incorrectly
rejecting the null hypothesis, then when the p-value is less than alpha:
the data set was incorrectly interpreted
the null hypothesis is true
the null hypothesis is retained (not rejected)
the null hypothesis is rejected - Answer-the null hypothesis is rejected
Which of the following is true about regression towards the mean?
Predicted Y values will have more variation than actual observed values of Y
All of the these answers are right
Predicted Y values tend to be farther from the mean of Y than the observed values of X
are to the mean of X
Predicted Y values will not be perfect unless r = 1 or -1 - Answer-predicted y values will
not be perfect unless r=1 or -1
Which of the following statement below is inappropriate when discussing results of
statistical significance tests?
The null hypothesis has been proven true
The null hypothesis has been retained (not rejected)
The null hypothesis has been rejected
All of these answers are appropriate statements for reporting null hypothesis results -
Answer-the null hypothesis has been proven true
If the dots on a scatterplot generally extend from the bottom left to the upper right of the
diagram, but are very widely spread out, the researcher would report the correlation as:
Weak and negative
Strong and negative
Strong and positive
Weak and positive - Answer-weak and positive
In which of the following situations is the median an appropriate measure of central
tendency?
When the mode is less than 10
When the data set has an even number of scores
When the researcher has nominal data
When the distribution is significantly skewed positively or negatively - Answer-when the
distribution is significantly skewed positively or negatively
A researcher uses alpha as the criteria or critical value for the maximum probability of
incorrectly rejecting the null hypothesis. He/she conducts a z-test with alpha = .05 and
finds the p-value is .02. The researcher should:
Accept the alternative hypothesis
Fail to reject (retain) the null hypothesis
None of these answers are correct
REALISTIC QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Which is the lowest level of measurement needed to calculate a mean?
Nominal
Ratio
Interval
Ordinal - Answer-interval
What is the minimal level of data required to calculate a mode?
Nominal
Ordinal
Ratio
Interval - Answer-nominal
If a raw score distribution has a mean of 12 and a standard deviation of 3, what number
would have a z-score of -2?
36
6
9
15 - Answer-6
A sampling distribution of means is:
a population distribution
a distribution of means from many samples
highly skewed
always generalizable - Answer-a distribution of means from many samples
When trying to determine if there is a difference between the population and sample,
and when the population mean and population standard deviation is known, it is most
appropriate to use:
a Pearson's correlation
a single sample t-test
a z-test
a magic 8-ball - Answer-a z-test
Which of the following is an impossible value for both p and alpha?
.01
.00
.05
, .50 - Answer-.00
If we use alpha as the criteria or critical value for the maximum probability of incorrectly
rejecting the null hypothesis, then when the p-value is less than alpha:
the data set was incorrectly interpreted
the null hypothesis is true
the null hypothesis is retained (not rejected)
the null hypothesis is rejected - Answer-the null hypothesis is rejected
Which of the following is true about regression towards the mean?
Predicted Y values will have more variation than actual observed values of Y
All of the these answers are right
Predicted Y values tend to be farther from the mean of Y than the observed values of X
are to the mean of X
Predicted Y values will not be perfect unless r = 1 or -1 - Answer-predicted y values will
not be perfect unless r=1 or -1
Which of the following statement below is inappropriate when discussing results of
statistical significance tests?
The null hypothesis has been proven true
The null hypothesis has been retained (not rejected)
The null hypothesis has been rejected
All of these answers are appropriate statements for reporting null hypothesis results -
Answer-the null hypothesis has been proven true
If the dots on a scatterplot generally extend from the bottom left to the upper right of the
diagram, but are very widely spread out, the researcher would report the correlation as:
Weak and negative
Strong and negative
Strong and positive
Weak and positive - Answer-weak and positive
In which of the following situations is the median an appropriate measure of central
tendency?
When the mode is less than 10
When the data set has an even number of scores
When the researcher has nominal data
When the distribution is significantly skewed positively or negatively - Answer-when the
distribution is significantly skewed positively or negatively
A researcher uses alpha as the criteria or critical value for the maximum probability of
incorrectly rejecting the null hypothesis. He/she conducts a z-test with alpha = .05 and
finds the p-value is .02. The researcher should:
Accept the alternative hypothesis
Fail to reject (retain) the null hypothesis
None of these answers are correct
