Molly wants to pursue a graduate degree at New University but is unsure whether to specialize in law or medicine. To help her decide, she takes the MCAT and LSAT exams.
LSAT: Molly's score = 120; Students at New University: M = 150, SD = 15
MCAT: Molly's score = 52; Students at New University: M = 40, SD = 6
-In relation to the other people at New University,on which test did Molly get the better score?
A)the LSAT
B)the MCAT
C)the scores were equal
D)it is impossible to say without more information

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Molly's performance relative to the other students at New University is better on the MCAT because her score is higher above the mean in terms of standard deviations. For the LSAT, her score is 2 standard deviations below the mean (150-120=30; 30/15=2). For the MCAT, her score is 2 standard deviations above the mean (52-40=12; 12/6=2). Therefore, in terms of standard deviations from the mean, she did better on the MCAT.

Molly Wants to Pursue a Graduate Degree at New University