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NOTE: Practice Problems do not utilize University web templates, and there may be accessibility problems. Please contact Dr. Moriarty concerning such problems.
Practice problems for Exam 1, Exam 2, and Final
BIO 211 Test Pac (pdf format; 102 pages; 414 KB) When you download, assuming you have Adobe Reader, the file will probably open in the reader, which is probably opened inside your browser.. It is recommended that you save the file to your hard disk, run Adobe Reader, open the file, and then print. If you try to print at the download, it can take a long time. Special characters (e.g. Greek letters; mathematical symbols) may not be correct on your copy due to font substitution. Pay close attention in lecture to get the correct symbols. You will be required to use the correct symbols on exams. You are welcome to ask Dr. Moriarty if there is any confusion with respect to the symbols.
Basic Statistics Calculations Workbook (Excel format; 77KB) This is the Excel file that was used in Lab 1 to give you some practice on calculating the basic descriptive statistics. You may download the file so you can do some more practicing on your own. Here are some things you need to know:
(1) The file is small (~77 kb), so it will download quickly even if you're using a dial-up connection with a modem.
(2) When you open the file in Excel, you will have to enable Macros (like we did in lab) in order to use the links to the help sheets. If you don't want to enable Macros, you can go to the help sheets using the worksheet tabs at the bottom of the screen - but you'll have to figure out which sheet to go to yourself (there are only 3). If you don't get the dialog box about enabling macros, your Excel settings may be blocking any workbook with macros. To change this, click Tools, then Macro, then Security, and the Security Level tab. Click the button for Medium security - this will enable the dialog box. Note: If you're using someone else's computer, you probably should check with them first.
(3) Every time you load the file in Excel, a new set of 10 data points are randomly generated.
(4) Save the file to your hard disk, exit your web browser, then run Excel and open the file. Don't try to use the Excel file from within your web browser - this produces unpredictable results.
Normal Distribution Workbook (Excel format; 113 KB) This is the Excel file that was used in Lab 2 to give you some practice on working with proportions of the normal distribution and Z scores.
(1) The file is small (~113 kb), so it will download quickly even if you're using a dial-up connection with a modem.
(2) When you open the file in Excel, you will have to enable Macros (like we did in lab) in order to use the button that takes you the second part of the exercise (where you calculate the Z scores). If you don't want to enable Macros, you can use the worksheet tabs at the bottom of the screen - but you'll have to figure out which sheet to go to yourself (there are only 3). If you don't get the dialog box about enabling macros, your Excel settings may be blocking any workbook with macros. To change this, click Tools, then Macro, then Security, and the Security Level tab. Click the button for Medium security - this will enable the dialog box. Note: If you're using someone else's computer, you probably should check with them first.
(3) Every time you load the file in Excel, a new Z value and new data points are randomly generated.
(4) Save the file to your hard disk, exit your web browser, then run Excel and open the file. Don't try to use the Excel file from within your web browser - this produces unpredictable results.
StatCat version 3.6: available in native Excel format (1.1 MB); or in Zip format (348 KB). It allows you to perform all of the analyses covered in the course. Some analyses are done using custom templates, some using the Excel data analysis tools. One analysis is in StatCat that is not covered in the course: the D'Agostino - Pearson K-squared Test for normality (allows you to test to see if your data are normally distributed). StatCat is suitable for classroom work, but should not be used for analysis of serious research data - use a real statistical package (e.g. SAS, SPSS) for those data. When you run StatCat, you must enable macros, or some features will not operate. In order for StatCat to work properly, the Analysis Toolpak and Analysis Toolpak VBA must be enabled. Click Tools, then click Add-Ins. Check the boxes by Analysis ToolPak and Analysis ToolPak - VBA, and then click OK. NOTE: If you have Excel 2007, then the method of getting to the Add-Ins window is different. Use the Excel help facility to find out how to get to Add-Ins.
Basic Statistics Reviews - what you need to know from basic statistics for success in Biometrics. (Files are pdf format, both less than 150 KB)
Additional Excel files are available to help you. These are modified versions of the Excel files provided above. They are modified to be easier for you to use on your own, i.e. without an instructor present.
