FINAL EXAM PRACTICE QS SOCI 301 SOCIAL
STATISTICS (ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY)
2025/2026.
Course Instructor: Professor of Social Statistics
Exam Instructions: Answer all 50 questions. Select the best option for multiple-choice
questions. Fill in the blank for calculation questions. Select "True" or "False" for boolean
questions. Select all valid options for Select-All-That-Apply questions.
DOMAIN 1: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, CENTRAL TENDENCY & DISPERSION (12
Questions)
1. [Calculation] A sociologist records the number of social media accounts used by a sample of
5 students: 2, 5, 5, 7, 11. Calculate the Mean of this dataset.
2. [Calculation] Using the dataset provided in Question 1 (2, 5, 5, 7, 11), calculate the Median.
3. [Calculation] Using the dataset provided in Question 1 (2, 5, 5, 7, 11), calculate the Mode.
4. [Multiple Choice] Which measure of central tendency is most appropriate for summarizing
"religious affiliation" (e.g., Christian, Muslim, Jewish, None)?
A) Mean
B) Median
C) Mode
D) Standard Deviation
5. [Multiple Choice] Given a dataset with the following five-number summary: Minimum = 5,
Q1 = 10, Median = 15, Q3 = 25, Maximum = 50. What is the Interquartile Range (IQR)?
A) 10
,B) 15
C) 20
D) 40
6. [Multiple Choice] Using the IQR calculated in Question 5, what is the upper boundary for
identifying outliers using the 1.5 × IQR rule?
A) 25.0
B) 32.5
C) 47.5
D) 55.0
7. [Multiple Choice] A dataset regarding annual income in a small community contains a value
of $5,000,000, while all other values are below $100,000. This extreme value is best described
as:
A) The Mean
B) The Mode
C) An Outlier
D) The Parameter
8. [Multiple Choice] If the variance of a dataset is 36, what is the standard deviation?
A) 6
B) 12
C) 36
D) 1,296
, 9. [Multiple Choice] Consider two samples of student GPA scores. Sample A has a standard
deviation of 0.5, and Sample B has a standard deviation of 1.2. Which statement accurately
describes the dispersion?
A) Sample A is more dispersed than Sample B.
B) Sample B is more dispersed than Sample A.
C) Both samples have identical dispersion.
D) Dispersion cannot be determined from the standard deviation.
10. [Multiple Choice] A survey asks respondents to rank their satisfaction with municipal
services on a scale from "Very Dissatisfied" to "Very Satisfied." What level of measurement is
being used?
A) Nominal
B) Ordinal
C) Interval
D) Ratio
11. [Multiple Choice] In a study measuring the exact temperature in Celsius at specific
outdoor locations, the zero point represents an actual absence of thermal energy (in physics
terms), but for statistical purposes of sociological comfort measurement, we often treat it as
interval. However, strictly speaking, "Annual Income in Dollars" is measured at which level?
A) Nominal
B) Ordinal
C) Interval
D) Ratio
12. [True/False] The Mean is always the most accurate measure of central tendency regardless
of the shape of the distribution or the presence of outliers.
STATISTICS (ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY)
2025/2026.
Course Instructor: Professor of Social Statistics
Exam Instructions: Answer all 50 questions. Select the best option for multiple-choice
questions. Fill in the blank for calculation questions. Select "True" or "False" for boolean
questions. Select all valid options for Select-All-That-Apply questions.
DOMAIN 1: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, CENTRAL TENDENCY & DISPERSION (12
Questions)
1. [Calculation] A sociologist records the number of social media accounts used by a sample of
5 students: 2, 5, 5, 7, 11. Calculate the Mean of this dataset.
2. [Calculation] Using the dataset provided in Question 1 (2, 5, 5, 7, 11), calculate the Median.
3. [Calculation] Using the dataset provided in Question 1 (2, 5, 5, 7, 11), calculate the Mode.
4. [Multiple Choice] Which measure of central tendency is most appropriate for summarizing
"religious affiliation" (e.g., Christian, Muslim, Jewish, None)?
A) Mean
B) Median
C) Mode
D) Standard Deviation
5. [Multiple Choice] Given a dataset with the following five-number summary: Minimum = 5,
Q1 = 10, Median = 15, Q3 = 25, Maximum = 50. What is the Interquartile Range (IQR)?
A) 10
,B) 15
C) 20
D) 40
6. [Multiple Choice] Using the IQR calculated in Question 5, what is the upper boundary for
identifying outliers using the 1.5 × IQR rule?
A) 25.0
B) 32.5
C) 47.5
D) 55.0
7. [Multiple Choice] A dataset regarding annual income in a small community contains a value
of $5,000,000, while all other values are below $100,000. This extreme value is best described
as:
A) The Mean
B) The Mode
C) An Outlier
D) The Parameter
8. [Multiple Choice] If the variance of a dataset is 36, what is the standard deviation?
A) 6
B) 12
C) 36
D) 1,296
, 9. [Multiple Choice] Consider two samples of student GPA scores. Sample A has a standard
deviation of 0.5, and Sample B has a standard deviation of 1.2. Which statement accurately
describes the dispersion?
A) Sample A is more dispersed than Sample B.
B) Sample B is more dispersed than Sample A.
C) Both samples have identical dispersion.
D) Dispersion cannot be determined from the standard deviation.
10. [Multiple Choice] A survey asks respondents to rank their satisfaction with municipal
services on a scale from "Very Dissatisfied" to "Very Satisfied." What level of measurement is
being used?
A) Nominal
B) Ordinal
C) Interval
D) Ratio
11. [Multiple Choice] In a study measuring the exact temperature in Celsius at specific
outdoor locations, the zero point represents an actual absence of thermal energy (in physics
terms), but for statistical purposes of sociological comfort measurement, we often treat it as
interval. However, strictly speaking, "Annual Income in Dollars" is measured at which level?
A) Nominal
B) Ordinal
C) Interval
D) Ratio
12. [True/False] The Mean is always the most accurate measure of central tendency regardless
of the shape of the distribution or the presence of outliers.
