EBM Multiple Choice Exam UPDATED
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Subjects serve as their own controls in which of the following research design?
a. Factorial design
b. Parallel design
c. Cross‐over design
d. Randomized control trial
e. Case‐control study - CORRECT ANSWER c. Cross‐over design
The most effective method of controlling extraneous variables is by:
a. Analysis of covariance
b. Matching
c. Randomization
d. Use control group
e. None of the above - CORRECT ANSWER c. Randomization
A study is internally valid if:
a. A repeated‐measures design was used.
b. A causal relationship is confirmed
c. An experimental design was used
d. All alternative explanations of the results can be ruled out
e. It can be generalized to the population - CORRECT ANSWER b. A causal
relationship is confirmed
,d. All alternative explanations of the results can be ruled out
The use of inferential statistics permits the researcher to:
a. Generalize to a population based on information gathered from a sample
b. Interpret descriptive statistics
c. Describe information obtained from empirical observation
d. Reject the null hypothesis
e. Select a level of significance - CORRECT ANSWER a. Generalize to a population
based on information gathered from a sample
A study was conducted to evaluate an antibiotic in the treatment of possible bacteremia. Five
hundred children with fever but no focal infection were randomly assigned to the antibiotic or
to a placebo. All patients were reevaluated after 48 hours. The design used in this study is
best described as a
a. Randomized clinical trial
b. Placebo‐controlled trial
c. Controlled clinical trial
d. Cohort study - CORRECT ANSWER a. Randomized clinical trial
A study is conducted to compare the efficacy of two medications (Drug A and Drug
B) for the treatment of hypertension. One hundred patients are enrolled in the study
(50 receiving Drug A and 50 receiving Drug B). Which of the following terms BEST
describes patients receiving the study medications?
a. Population
b. Sample
c. Experimental group
d. Control group
e. None of the abov - CORRECT ANSWER b. Sample
,Which of the following research designs would be the MOST optimal in terms of
controlling the study and producing valid results for a clinical trial comparing two
drugs?
a. Prospective, randomized, double‐blind parallel study
b. Prospective experimental with historical control, open‐label, comparative study
c. Observational, double‐blind parallel study
d. Retrospective, parallel, longitudinal, open‐label study
e. A and C - CORRECT ANSWER a. Prospective, randomized, double‐blind parallel
study
Patients may alter their behavior when they know they are being observed under
study conditions. Which of the following terms best describes this phenomenon?
a. Contamination bias
b. Selection bias
c. Volunteer bias
d. Attention bias (Hawthorne effect)
e. Admission rate bias (Berkson's paradox) - CORRECT ANSWER d. Attention bias
(Hawthorne effect)
Which of the following is TRUE with respect to the term "random chance?"
a. Outcomes of clinical trials may be affected by random chance
b. Statistical tests help to determine the effect of random chance on the study
outcomes
c. Random chance is also known as "systematic variation"
d. A and B
e. All of the above - CORRECT ANSWER d. A and B
, A study is conducted to determine the efficacy of 2 drugs in preventing seasickness.
Measurements are taken to assess the following: no seasickness, mild seasickness,
or severe seasickness. Which of the following data types best describes these
measurements?
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
d. Ratio
e. Integer - CORRECT ANSWER b. Ordinal
Which of the following best describes the function of the inclusion criteria for a study?
a. Assures patient safety
b. Describes the characteristics of the sample
c. Is important in evaluating the external validity of the study
d. B and C
e. None of the above - CORRECT ANSWER d. B and C
A study is conducted to determine the effect of Vitamin C tablets on mortality. After the study
is completed, the data indicate that patients taking Vitamin C tablets had a decrease in
mortality. However, the study design did not control for the effects of dietary Vitamin C.
Which of the following terms best describes the role of DIETARY Vitamin C in this study?
a. Independent variable
b. Dependent variable
c. Confounding variable
d. Control variable
e. None of the above - CORRECT ANSWER c. Confounding variable
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Subjects serve as their own controls in which of the following research design?
a. Factorial design
b. Parallel design
c. Cross‐over design
d. Randomized control trial
e. Case‐control study - CORRECT ANSWER c. Cross‐over design
The most effective method of controlling extraneous variables is by:
a. Analysis of covariance
b. Matching
c. Randomization
d. Use control group
e. None of the above - CORRECT ANSWER c. Randomization
A study is internally valid if:
a. A repeated‐measures design was used.
b. A causal relationship is confirmed
c. An experimental design was used
d. All alternative explanations of the results can be ruled out
e. It can be generalized to the population - CORRECT ANSWER b. A causal
relationship is confirmed
,d. All alternative explanations of the results can be ruled out
The use of inferential statistics permits the researcher to:
a. Generalize to a population based on information gathered from a sample
b. Interpret descriptive statistics
c. Describe information obtained from empirical observation
d. Reject the null hypothesis
e. Select a level of significance - CORRECT ANSWER a. Generalize to a population
based on information gathered from a sample
A study was conducted to evaluate an antibiotic in the treatment of possible bacteremia. Five
hundred children with fever but no focal infection were randomly assigned to the antibiotic or
to a placebo. All patients were reevaluated after 48 hours. The design used in this study is
best described as a
a. Randomized clinical trial
b. Placebo‐controlled trial
c. Controlled clinical trial
d. Cohort study - CORRECT ANSWER a. Randomized clinical trial
A study is conducted to compare the efficacy of two medications (Drug A and Drug
B) for the treatment of hypertension. One hundred patients are enrolled in the study
(50 receiving Drug A and 50 receiving Drug B). Which of the following terms BEST
describes patients receiving the study medications?
a. Population
b. Sample
c. Experimental group
d. Control group
e. None of the abov - CORRECT ANSWER b. Sample
,Which of the following research designs would be the MOST optimal in terms of
controlling the study and producing valid results for a clinical trial comparing two
drugs?
a. Prospective, randomized, double‐blind parallel study
b. Prospective experimental with historical control, open‐label, comparative study
c. Observational, double‐blind parallel study
d. Retrospective, parallel, longitudinal, open‐label study
e. A and C - CORRECT ANSWER a. Prospective, randomized, double‐blind parallel
study
Patients may alter their behavior when they know they are being observed under
study conditions. Which of the following terms best describes this phenomenon?
a. Contamination bias
b. Selection bias
c. Volunteer bias
d. Attention bias (Hawthorne effect)
e. Admission rate bias (Berkson's paradox) - CORRECT ANSWER d. Attention bias
(Hawthorne effect)
Which of the following is TRUE with respect to the term "random chance?"
a. Outcomes of clinical trials may be affected by random chance
b. Statistical tests help to determine the effect of random chance on the study
outcomes
c. Random chance is also known as "systematic variation"
d. A and B
e. All of the above - CORRECT ANSWER d. A and B
, A study is conducted to determine the efficacy of 2 drugs in preventing seasickness.
Measurements are taken to assess the following: no seasickness, mild seasickness,
or severe seasickness. Which of the following data types best describes these
measurements?
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
d. Ratio
e. Integer - CORRECT ANSWER b. Ordinal
Which of the following best describes the function of the inclusion criteria for a study?
a. Assures patient safety
b. Describes the characteristics of the sample
c. Is important in evaluating the external validity of the study
d. B and C
e. None of the above - CORRECT ANSWER d. B and C
A study is conducted to determine the effect of Vitamin C tablets on mortality. After the study
is completed, the data indicate that patients taking Vitamin C tablets had a decrease in
mortality. However, the study design did not control for the effects of dietary Vitamin C.
Which of the following terms best describes the role of DIETARY Vitamin C in this study?
a. Independent variable
b. Dependent variable
c. Confounding variable
d. Control variable
e. None of the above - CORRECT ANSWER c. Confounding variable
