SUMMER 2026
PREDICTED PAPER
Mark Scheme (Results)
Summer 2026
Pearson Edexcel GCE
AS Mathematics (8MA0)
Paper 21 Statistics
for more resources: tyrionpapers.com
,1 State one disadvantage of using quota sampling compared with simple random sampling.
Answer
Quota sampling is not random
[B1]
Mark Scheme and Guidance
B1: Any of the following is acceptable:
Not random
Cannot reliably be used for inferences
Biased
You do not get the mark for the following:
Not representative
Less accurate
Comments about time or cost
Comments about skew
Comments about non-responses
(1 mark)
2 A hypothesis test uses a sample of data in an experiment to test a statement made about
the value of a population parameter (p ).
Explain, in the context of hypothesis testing, what is meant by:
(i) ‘sample of data’,
(ii) ‘population parameter’
(iii) ‘null hypothesis’,
(iv) ‘alternative hypothesis’,
(v) ‘test statistic’.
, Answer
(5 marks)
3 (a) A company manufacturing energy-saving light bulbs claims the mean lifetime of a light bulb
is 8000 hours. It is known from past quality assurance procedures that the probability of
any particular light bulb having a lifetime of less than 5000 hours is 0.1.
A random sample of 30 light bulbs is taken.
The random variable X is used to model the probability that light bulbs in the sample last
less than 5000 hours.
Write down a suitable distribution that can be used to model X .
Answer
[B1]
(1 mark)
(b) Find the probability that
(i) exactly one light bulb lasts less than 5000 hours.
(ii) no more than three light bulbs last less than 5000 hours.
PREDICTED PAPER
Mark Scheme (Results)
Summer 2026
Pearson Edexcel GCE
AS Mathematics (8MA0)
Paper 21 Statistics
for more resources: tyrionpapers.com
,1 State one disadvantage of using quota sampling compared with simple random sampling.
Answer
Quota sampling is not random
[B1]
Mark Scheme and Guidance
B1: Any of the following is acceptable:
Not random
Cannot reliably be used for inferences
Biased
You do not get the mark for the following:
Not representative
Less accurate
Comments about time or cost
Comments about skew
Comments about non-responses
(1 mark)
2 A hypothesis test uses a sample of data in an experiment to test a statement made about
the value of a population parameter (p ).
Explain, in the context of hypothesis testing, what is meant by:
(i) ‘sample of data’,
(ii) ‘population parameter’
(iii) ‘null hypothesis’,
(iv) ‘alternative hypothesis’,
(v) ‘test statistic’.
, Answer
(5 marks)
3 (a) A company manufacturing energy-saving light bulbs claims the mean lifetime of a light bulb
is 8000 hours. It is known from past quality assurance procedures that the probability of
any particular light bulb having a lifetime of less than 5000 hours is 0.1.
A random sample of 30 light bulbs is taken.
The random variable X is used to model the probability that light bulbs in the sample last
less than 5000 hours.
Write down a suitable distribution that can be used to model X .
Answer
[B1]
(1 mark)
(b) Find the probability that
(i) exactly one light bulb lasts less than 5000 hours.
(ii) no more than three light bulbs last less than 5000 hours.
