STATISTICS PORTAGE CNSL 503 TEST PAPER
2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉ What are Variables? Answer: Variables are measurable characteristics
that can vary in value.
My answer: Variables are different types of data in an experiment (used
to classify the type of data being collected)
◉ What type of scale is used when labeling or using categories?
Answer: This would be qualitative data and the SCALE would be
nominal! Ex: blood type, college majors, room numbers
◉ True or false: it is generally feasible to collect data from every
member of a population. Answer: FALSE! unless the target of a
particular research study is comprised of a small population, it is usually
not practical or sensible to attempt to reach every member within a
population
◉ Which of the following are examples of ordinal variables? Select all
that apply.
,- Shirt sizes
- college major
- places in a marathon (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
- Temperature. Answer: -shirt sizes, places in a marathon Explanation:
ordinal is used for qualitative variables and includes ranking in size or
measure (does not indicate how much the data differ)
◉ When a variable can contain negative values, what type of scale is
most appropriate? Why? Answer: An interval scale because variables
containing negative values do not have an absolute zero. Note: this is
quantitative data
◉ When is it most appropriate to use a ratio scale? Answer: A ratio scale
is used when a variable has an absolute zero (Ex: height, weight, exam
scores, GPA)
Note: this is quantitative data
◉ True or false: statistics are used to communicate results but can be
used to mislead individuals. Answer: TRUE!
◉ Provide an example of quantitative variable and an example of a
qualitative variable. Answer: Quantitative Ex: test scores, reaction time,
error number, vital signs, temperature
,Qualitative Ex: sex, college major, eye color, blood type, shirt size
◉ How are sample and population related? Answer: A population
includes every member within a particular group, whereas a sample is a
smaller subset of the given population (used to represent the whole
population)
◉ True or false: discrete variables are counted as whole numbers.
Answer: TRUE! discrete variables are quantitative variables that can be
organized into separate categories or counted using whole numbers. Ex:
number of patients in a hospital, pets in a home
◉ _________ statistics involves analyses that provide a way to
summarize and describe data, whereas _________ statistics are
performed for researchers to make inferences and generalizations about
populations based on sample data. Answer: Answer: descriptive;
inferential Explanation: descriptive statistics involve calcluations like
mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, and range. Inferential
statistics involve calculations such as those use for hypothesis testing (z-
scorem, t-test, ANOVA, correctional analyses).
◉ Which of the following is NOT involved in the process of sampling?
- identify goals
- collect data
- make conclusions
, - obtain resources. Answer: Answer: obtain resources Explanation: the
steps are identify goals, gather sample, make inferences/conclusions
◉ A movie theater is interested in how movie-goers would rate the
current movies being shown. They survey a group of 100 movie-goers
and ask each to rate the movie they saw on a scale of 1-5 (1 = terrible, 5
= excellent). The surveyors then calculate the average rating of each
movie. This is an example of what kind of statistic?
- descriptive statistics
- sample statistics
- parametric statistics
- inferential statistics. Answer: descriptive statistic because average
rating of movie is a calculation used to summarize / describe
◉ Which of the following is a discrete variable? Select all that apply.
- Number of pets per household
- distance
- number of patients at a hospital
- exam scores. Answer: number of pets per household, number of
patients at a hospital
because discrete variables can ONLY be counted as whole numbers!
2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉ What are Variables? Answer: Variables are measurable characteristics
that can vary in value.
My answer: Variables are different types of data in an experiment (used
to classify the type of data being collected)
◉ What type of scale is used when labeling or using categories?
Answer: This would be qualitative data and the SCALE would be
nominal! Ex: blood type, college majors, room numbers
◉ True or false: it is generally feasible to collect data from every
member of a population. Answer: FALSE! unless the target of a
particular research study is comprised of a small population, it is usually
not practical or sensible to attempt to reach every member within a
population
◉ Which of the following are examples of ordinal variables? Select all
that apply.
,- Shirt sizes
- college major
- places in a marathon (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
- Temperature. Answer: -shirt sizes, places in a marathon Explanation:
ordinal is used for qualitative variables and includes ranking in size or
measure (does not indicate how much the data differ)
◉ When a variable can contain negative values, what type of scale is
most appropriate? Why? Answer: An interval scale because variables
containing negative values do not have an absolute zero. Note: this is
quantitative data
◉ When is it most appropriate to use a ratio scale? Answer: A ratio scale
is used when a variable has an absolute zero (Ex: height, weight, exam
scores, GPA)
Note: this is quantitative data
◉ True or false: statistics are used to communicate results but can be
used to mislead individuals. Answer: TRUE!
◉ Provide an example of quantitative variable and an example of a
qualitative variable. Answer: Quantitative Ex: test scores, reaction time,
error number, vital signs, temperature
,Qualitative Ex: sex, college major, eye color, blood type, shirt size
◉ How are sample and population related? Answer: A population
includes every member within a particular group, whereas a sample is a
smaller subset of the given population (used to represent the whole
population)
◉ True or false: discrete variables are counted as whole numbers.
Answer: TRUE! discrete variables are quantitative variables that can be
organized into separate categories or counted using whole numbers. Ex:
number of patients in a hospital, pets in a home
◉ _________ statistics involves analyses that provide a way to
summarize and describe data, whereas _________ statistics are
performed for researchers to make inferences and generalizations about
populations based on sample data. Answer: Answer: descriptive;
inferential Explanation: descriptive statistics involve calcluations like
mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, and range. Inferential
statistics involve calculations such as those use for hypothesis testing (z-
scorem, t-test, ANOVA, correctional analyses).
◉ Which of the following is NOT involved in the process of sampling?
- identify goals
- collect data
- make conclusions
, - obtain resources. Answer: Answer: obtain resources Explanation: the
steps are identify goals, gather sample, make inferences/conclusions
◉ A movie theater is interested in how movie-goers would rate the
current movies being shown. They survey a group of 100 movie-goers
and ask each to rate the movie they saw on a scale of 1-5 (1 = terrible, 5
= excellent). The surveyors then calculate the average rating of each
movie. This is an example of what kind of statistic?
- descriptive statistics
- sample statistics
- parametric statistics
- inferential statistics. Answer: descriptive statistic because average
rating of movie is a calculation used to summarize / describe
◉ Which of the following is a discrete variable? Select all that apply.
- Number of pets per household
- distance
- number of patients at a hospital
- exam scores. Answer: number of pets per household, number of
patients at a hospital
because discrete variables can ONLY be counted as whole numbers!
