Mathematics · Pearson Edexcel 9MA0 · Topic 1

Statistical sampling

How data is collected: populations, samples and the different sampling methods.

  • 1 sub-topic
  • Taught in Year 12
  • 24 practice questions
  • 1 animated lesson
Practice questions (24) Lessons Worksheets All Edexcel Mathematics topics

What the specification says

Every sub-topic Pearson Edexcel can examine in this topic, with its reference number from the official specification. The Y12 and Y13 tags show when each sub-topic is usually taught.

  1. 1.1Populations, samples and sampling methodsY12

Try 3 questions

Easy, medium and hard questions from this topic, each with a worked solutions and the mark for every step. All 24 questions in this topic, free, no account needed.

Statistical sampling

Easy

Census or sample? · Year 12 · 2 marks

  1. Explain the difference between a census and a sample, and give one advantage of using a sample.
    (2)
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  1. A census uses every member of the population; a sample uses only some of them
  2. Any one sensible advantage.A sample is quicker and cheaper (and does not destroy every item if testing is destructive)

Total2

  • M
  • A
  • B
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Statistical sampling

Medium

Quota and stratified · Year 12 · 3 marks

  1. (a)
    State one similarity and one difference between quota sampling and stratified sampling.
    (2)
  2. (b)
    Which of the two is a random sampling method?
    (1)
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Part (a)2 marks

  1. Similarity: both split the population into groups and sample each group in proportion
  2. Difference: stratified picks at random within each group; quota does not

Part (b)1 mark

  1. Stratified sampling

Total3

  • M
  • A
  • B
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Statistical sampling

Hard

Designing a survey · Year 12 · 5 marks

A firm has 1000 employees in four departments. It wants to survey 100 of them about working hours.
  1. Describe in detail how to take a stratified sample, and explain why it is better than a simple random sample here.
    (5)
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  1. Find the number of employees in each department
  2. Sample department size1000×100\dfrac{\text{department size}}{1000} \times 100 from each department
  3. Number the staff in each department and choose them using random numbers
  4. Every department is represented in proportion
  5. Working hours probably differ between departments, so this gives a more representative sample

Total5

  • M
  • A
  • B
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