WGU C784 Applied Healthcare Statistics
Objective Assessment #1 Exam Questions
and Answers with Detailed Rationales
2026 | Verified | 100% Accurate
DOMAIN 1: FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTHCARE DATA &
MEASUREMENT
Question 1
Which level of measurement classifies blood type (A, B, AB, O)?
• A) Interval
• B) Ordinal
• C) Nominal
• D) Ratio
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Nominal data are categories with no inherent order or ranking. Blood
types are purely categorical labels with no quantitative meaning or hierarchical
relationship .
Question 2
A hospital records patient satisfaction on a scale of "poor, fair, good, excellent."
This data is:
• A) Nominal
• B) Ordinal
, • C) Interval
• D) Ratio
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Ordinal data have ranked categories with a clear order (poor < fair <
good < excellent), but the intervals between categories are not necessarily equal .
Question 3
Which level of measurement has a true zero point?
• A) Interval
• B) Ordinal
• C) Nominal
• D) Ratio
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Ratio data have an absolute zero, allowing for meaningful ratio
comparisons (e.g., weight, height, age). Zero means absence of the quantity .
Question 4
Body temperature in degrees Fahrenheit is an example of which level of
measurement?
• A) Nominal
• B) Ordinal
• C) Interval
• D) Ratio
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Interval data have equal intervals between values but no true zero. 0°F
does not mean "no temperature," so ratios are not meaningful .
,Question 5
What type of variable is "number of hospital readmissions within 30 days"?
• A) Qualitative
• B) Categorical
• C) Quantitative discrete
• D) Quantitative continuous
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This is a quantitative discrete variable because it represents countable
whole numbers (0, 1, 2, ...) with no fractional values possible between integers.
Question 6
A patient's height in centimeters is what type of data?
• A) Quantitative discrete
• B) Quantitative continuous
• C) Qualitative nominal
• D) Qualitative ordinal
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Height is quantitative continuous because it can take any value within a
range (e.g., 165.3 cm, 165.32 cm) and is measured, not counted .
Question 7
Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?
• A) Blood pressure in mmHg
• B) Pain level on a 0–10 scale
, • C) Patient's gender
• D) Body mass index (BMI)
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Qualitative (categorical) data describe attributes or characteristics.
Gender is a category, not a numerical measurement. Blood pressure, pain scale, and
BMI are quantitative .
Question 8
What does the term "sample" refer to in statistics?
• A) The entire group of interest in a study
• B) A subset of the population used to draw conclusions
• C) Any numerical measurement
• D) The average value of a dataset
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A sample is a representative subset of a population, selected to make
inferences about the larger population without measuring every individual .
Question 9
What is the primary purpose of descriptive statistics?
• A) To make predictions about a population
• B) To test hypotheses
• C) To summarize and describe data
• D) To determine causation
Correct Answer: C
Objective Assessment #1 Exam Questions
and Answers with Detailed Rationales
2026 | Verified | 100% Accurate
DOMAIN 1: FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTHCARE DATA &
MEASUREMENT
Question 1
Which level of measurement classifies blood type (A, B, AB, O)?
• A) Interval
• B) Ordinal
• C) Nominal
• D) Ratio
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Nominal data are categories with no inherent order or ranking. Blood
types are purely categorical labels with no quantitative meaning or hierarchical
relationship .
Question 2
A hospital records patient satisfaction on a scale of "poor, fair, good, excellent."
This data is:
• A) Nominal
• B) Ordinal
, • C) Interval
• D) Ratio
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Ordinal data have ranked categories with a clear order (poor < fair <
good < excellent), but the intervals between categories are not necessarily equal .
Question 3
Which level of measurement has a true zero point?
• A) Interval
• B) Ordinal
• C) Nominal
• D) Ratio
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Ratio data have an absolute zero, allowing for meaningful ratio
comparisons (e.g., weight, height, age). Zero means absence of the quantity .
Question 4
Body temperature in degrees Fahrenheit is an example of which level of
measurement?
• A) Nominal
• B) Ordinal
• C) Interval
• D) Ratio
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Interval data have equal intervals between values but no true zero. 0°F
does not mean "no temperature," so ratios are not meaningful .
,Question 5
What type of variable is "number of hospital readmissions within 30 days"?
• A) Qualitative
• B) Categorical
• C) Quantitative discrete
• D) Quantitative continuous
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This is a quantitative discrete variable because it represents countable
whole numbers (0, 1, 2, ...) with no fractional values possible between integers.
Question 6
A patient's height in centimeters is what type of data?
• A) Quantitative discrete
• B) Quantitative continuous
• C) Qualitative nominal
• D) Qualitative ordinal
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Height is quantitative continuous because it can take any value within a
range (e.g., 165.3 cm, 165.32 cm) and is measured, not counted .
Question 7
Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?
• A) Blood pressure in mmHg
• B) Pain level on a 0–10 scale
, • C) Patient's gender
• D) Body mass index (BMI)
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Qualitative (categorical) data describe attributes or characteristics.
Gender is a category, not a numerical measurement. Blood pressure, pain scale, and
BMI are quantitative .
Question 8
What does the term "sample" refer to in statistics?
• A) The entire group of interest in a study
• B) A subset of the population used to draw conclusions
• C) Any numerical measurement
• D) The average value of a dataset
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A sample is a representative subset of a population, selected to make
inferences about the larger population without measuring every individual .
Question 9
What is the primary purpose of descriptive statistics?
• A) To make predictions about a population
• B) To test hypotheses
• C) To summarize and describe data
• D) To determine causation
Correct Answer: C
