Hypothesis Testing: Maths & Science Guide to Clear and Simple
What a p-value actually tells you, and a four-step method that works for almost every exam question.
Hypothesis testing confuses students because textbooks start with the formulas.
Start with the question
Every test asks one thing: is this result too unusual to be chance? The p-value is how unusual it is.
Write your hypotheses in words before symbols. It prevents most mistakes.Margin note from Daniel
Four steps
- State the hypotheses
- Choose the test and significance level
- Calculate the statistic
- Conclude in the context of the question
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