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A researcher administers an achievement test to assess and indicate the possible effect of an independent variable in his/her study. The distribution of scores on the test is found to be negatively skewed. On the basis of this, what can be started with regard to the difficulty level of the test?
  • a)
    The test is very easy
  • b)
    The test is very difficult
  • c)
    The test is neither easy nor difficult
  • d)
    The test is easy and needs normalization
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
A researcher administers an achievement test to assess and indicate th...
Skewness refers to distortion or asymmetry in a symmetrical bell curve, or normal distribution, in a set of data. If the curve is shifted to the left or to the right, it is said to be skewed. Skewness can be quantified as a representation of the extent to which a given distribution varies from a normal distribution.
Key Points:
Negative Skewness: Negatively skewed distribution refers to the distribution type where more values are plotted on the right side of the graph, where the tail of the distribution is longer on the left side and the mean is lower than the median and mode which it might be zero or negative due to the nature of the data as negatively distributed. Mode  >  Median  > Mean.
For Example, university exams; exams are the same, but a few scores less, a few score average, and a few scores the high percentage, which shows the data is negatively skewed as there is unequal distribution.
An easy test will result in a left-skewed (negatively skewed) distribution of the scores. Thus, the tail of that score distribution will be the lower marks which are on the left-hand side.
This is basically because the frequency of higher scores will be far more than the frequency of low scores, if any, given that the test is an easy one.
Essentially the mode (peak) will be that of a higher score, whereas the median score will be lower than the modal score, and then the mean score which will be the least of all three scores. These are characteristics associated with the left-skewed distribution.
Thus, option A is the correct answer.
In short, easy tests tend to yield negatively skewed score distributions and hard tests tend to yield positively skewed distributions
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Most Upvoted Answer
A researcher administers an achievement test to assess and indicate th...
Understanding the Negative Skewness of the Distribution
Negative skewness in the distribution of test scores indicates that more students scored higher on the test compared to those who scored lower. This means that the majority of students found the test relatively easy, leading to a concentration of scores at the higher end of the scale.

Implication for the Difficulty Level of the Test
Based on the negative skewness of the distribution, it can be inferred that:
- The test is very easy: Since a large number of students scored well on the test, it suggests that the test may have been too easy for the sample population. This is further supported by the fact that the distribution is negatively skewed, indicating an abundance of high scores.
Therefore, the most appropriate conclusion to draw from the negative skewness of the distribution of scores on the achievement test is that the test is very easy. This information can be valuable for the researcher in evaluating the effectiveness of the test in assessing the impact of the independent variable under study.
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Community Answer
A researcher administers an achievement test to assess and indicate th...
Skewness refers to distortion or asymmetry in a symmetrical bell curve, or normal distribution, in a set of data. If the curve is shifted to the left or to the right, it is said to be skewed. Skewness can be quantified as a representation of the extent to which a given distribution varies from a normal distribution.
Key Points:
Negative Skewness: Negatively skewed distribution refers to the distribution type where more values are plotted on the right side of the graph, where the tail of the distribution is longer on the left side and the mean is lower than the median and mode which it might be zero or negative due to the nature of the data as negatively distributed. Mode  >  Median  > Mean.
For Example, university exams; exams are the same, but a few scores less, a few score average, and a few scores the high percentage, which shows the data is negatively skewed as there is unequal distribution.
An easy test will result in a left-skewed (negatively skewed) distribution of the scores. Thus, the tail of that score distribution will be the lower marks which are on the left-hand side.
This is basically because the frequency of higher scores will be far more than the frequency of low scores, if any, given that the test is an easy one.
Essentially the mode (peak) will be that of a higher score, whereas the median score will be lower than the modal score, and then the mean score which will be the least of all three scores. These are characteristics associated with the left-skewed distribution.
Thus, option A is the correct answer.
In short, easy tests tend to yield negatively skewed score distributions and hard tests tend to yield positively skewed distributions
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Question Description
A researcher administers an achievement test to assess and indicate the possible effect of an independent variable in his/her study. The distribution of scores on the test is found to be negatively skewed. On the basis of this, what can be started with regard to the difficulty level of the test?a)The test is very easyb)The test is very difficultc)The test is neither easy nor difficultd)The test is easy and needs normalizationCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? for SAT 2026 is part of SAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the SAT exam syllabus. Information about A researcher administers an achievement test to assess and indicate the possible effect of an independent variable in his/her study. The distribution of scores on the test is found to be negatively skewed. On the basis of this, what can be started with regard to the difficulty level of the test?a)The test is very easyb)The test is very difficultc)The test is neither easy nor difficultd)The test is easy and needs normalizationCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for SAT 2026 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for A researcher administers an achievement test to assess and indicate the possible effect of an independent variable in his/her study. The distribution of scores on the test is found to be negatively skewed. On the basis of this, what can be started with regard to the difficulty level of the test?a)The test is very easyb)The test is very difficultc)The test is neither easy nor difficultd)The test is easy and needs normalizationCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?.
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