Statistics for Nursing Research: A Workbook for Evidence-Based Practice
4th Edition by Susan K. Grove, All Chapters Updated
Nursing Research Statistics – Practice Test (Set 1)
Questions + Answers + Rationales
1. What is the primary purpose of statistics in nursing research?
A. Diagnose diseases
B. Organize and interpret data
C. Prescribe medication
D. Replace clinical judgment
Answer: B
Rationale: Statistics are used to analyze, organize, and interpret data to support
evidence-based practice.
2. Which level of measurement involves categories with no order?
A. Ordinal
B. Interval
C. Nominal
D. Ratio
Answer: C
Rationale: Nominal data = categories only (e.g., gender, blood type).
3. A researcher ranks patients’ pain as mild, moderate, or severe. This is:
A. Nominal
B. Ordinal
C. Interval
D. Ratio
,Answer: B
Rationale: Ordinal = ranked categories without equal spacing.
4. Which measure represents the average value?
A. Mode
B. Median
C. Mean
D. Range
Answer: C
Rationale: Mean = sum ÷ number of values.
5. What does the median represent?
A. Most frequent value
B. Middle value
C. Highest value
D. Lowest value
Answer: B
Rationale: Median = midpoint when data is ordered.
6. Which value occurs most frequently?
A. Mean
B. Median
C. Mode
D. Range
Answer: C
Rationale: Mode = most common value.
7. What is the range?
A. Average
B. Difference between highest and lowest
, C. Middle value
D. Most frequent value
Answer: B
Rationale: Range = max – min.
8. Which test compares means between two groups?
A. Chi-square
B. ANOVA
C. t-test
D. Correlation
Answer: C
Rationale: t-test compares two group means.
9. ANOVA is used to compare:
A. Two groups
B. Three or more groups
C. Categories
D. Medians
Answer: B
Rationale: ANOVA = 3+ groups.
10. What does a p-value < 0.05 indicate?
A. No significance
B. Strong correlation
C. Statistical significance
D. Error
Answer: C
Rationale: p < 0.05 = results unlikely due to chance.
11. What is a hypothesis?