C784 Applied Healthcare Statistics Study Guide 2026 |WGU
1. A researcher finds a p-value of 0.02 in a clinical trial. If the significance level is
set at 0.05, what is the appropriate conclusion?
A. Fail to reject the null hypothesis
B. Reject the null hypothesis
C. The results are not statistically significant
D. Accept the null hypothesis
Answer: B
Rationale: Since the p-value (0.02) is less than the alpha level (0.05), the researcher rejects
the null hypothesis, indicating statistical significance.
2. Which of the following describes a Type I error?
A. Failing to reject a false null hypothesis
B. Incorrectly assuming no difference exists
C. Accepting an alternative hypothesis that is false
D. Rejecting a true null hypothesis
Answer: D
Rationale: A Type I error occurs when the null hypothesis is true, but we mistakenly reject
it (a false positive).
,3. In a normal distribution, approximately what percentage of data falls within
two standard deviations of the mean?
A. 68%
B. 95%
C. 99.7%
D. 50%
Answer: B
Rationale: According to the Empirical Rule, approximately 95% of observations fall within
two standard deviations of the mean in a normal distribution.
4. A healthcare administrator wants to compare the average patient satisfaction
scores between three different hospital wings. Which statistical test is most
appropriate?
A. Independent samples t-test
B. Paired t-test
C. One-way ANOVA
D. Chi-square test
Answer: C
Rationale: ANOVA is used to compare the means of three or more independent groups.
5. Which measurement scale is used for data that can be categorized and
ranked, but the differences between ranks are not uniform?
A. Ordinal
B. Nominal
C. Interval
D. Ratio
Answer: A
Rationale: Ordinal data involves categories that have a natural order or ranking (e.g., pain
scale 1-10) but lack consistent intervals.
, 6. What is the purpose of the Central Limit Theorem?
A. To show that the sampling distribution of the mean approaches normality as sample size increases
B. To prove that all populations are normally distributed
C. To determine the exact mean of a population
D. To calculate the probability of a Type II error
Answer: A
Rationale: The CLT states that regardless of the population distribution, the distribution of
sample means will be normal if the sample size is large enough.
7. If a correlation coefficient (r) is -0.85, how would you describe the
relationship between the two variables?
A. Strong negative correlation
B. Weak positive correlation
C. Weak negative correlation
D. No correlation
Answer: A
Rationale: A value of -0.85 indicates a strong relationship where one variable increases as
the other decreases.
8. What does the coefficient of determination (r-squared) represent in linear
regression?
A. The slope of the regression line
B. The probability of a Type I error
C. The standard error of the estimate
D. The proportion of variance in the dependent variable explained by the independent variable
Answer: D
Rationale: R-squared measures how well the independent variable explains the variation
in the dependent variable.
1. A researcher finds a p-value of 0.02 in a clinical trial. If the significance level is
set at 0.05, what is the appropriate conclusion?
A. Fail to reject the null hypothesis
B. Reject the null hypothesis
C. The results are not statistically significant
D. Accept the null hypothesis
Answer: B
Rationale: Since the p-value (0.02) is less than the alpha level (0.05), the researcher rejects
the null hypothesis, indicating statistical significance.
2. Which of the following describes a Type I error?
A. Failing to reject a false null hypothesis
B. Incorrectly assuming no difference exists
C. Accepting an alternative hypothesis that is false
D. Rejecting a true null hypothesis
Answer: D
Rationale: A Type I error occurs when the null hypothesis is true, but we mistakenly reject
it (a false positive).
,3. In a normal distribution, approximately what percentage of data falls within
two standard deviations of the mean?
A. 68%
B. 95%
C. 99.7%
D. 50%
Answer: B
Rationale: According to the Empirical Rule, approximately 95% of observations fall within
two standard deviations of the mean in a normal distribution.
4. A healthcare administrator wants to compare the average patient satisfaction
scores between three different hospital wings. Which statistical test is most
appropriate?
A. Independent samples t-test
B. Paired t-test
C. One-way ANOVA
D. Chi-square test
Answer: C
Rationale: ANOVA is used to compare the means of three or more independent groups.
5. Which measurement scale is used for data that can be categorized and
ranked, but the differences between ranks are not uniform?
A. Ordinal
B. Nominal
C. Interval
D. Ratio
Answer: A
Rationale: Ordinal data involves categories that have a natural order or ranking (e.g., pain
scale 1-10) but lack consistent intervals.
, 6. What is the purpose of the Central Limit Theorem?
A. To show that the sampling distribution of the mean approaches normality as sample size increases
B. To prove that all populations are normally distributed
C. To determine the exact mean of a population
D. To calculate the probability of a Type II error
Answer: A
Rationale: The CLT states that regardless of the population distribution, the distribution of
sample means will be normal if the sample size is large enough.
7. If a correlation coefficient (r) is -0.85, how would you describe the
relationship between the two variables?
A. Strong negative correlation
B. Weak positive correlation
C. Weak negative correlation
D. No correlation
Answer: A
Rationale: A value of -0.85 indicates a strong relationship where one variable increases as
the other decreases.
8. What does the coefficient of determination (r-squared) represent in linear
regression?
A. The slope of the regression line
B. The probability of a Type I error
C. The standard error of the estimate
D. The proportion of variance in the dependent variable explained by the independent variable
Answer: D
Rationale: R-squared measures how well the independent variable explains the variation
in the dependent variable.
