NCT Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When analyzing fleet maintenance data to identify trends, which statistical measure best describes the typical repair cost per vehicle?
- Mode
- Mean (Correct answer)
- Range
- Variance
Correct answer: Mean
The mean (average) repair cost per vehicle is the most common measure used to describe typical costs in fleet maintenance analysis.
Question 2: A fleet manager wants to determine whether a new preventive maintenance schedule reduces breakdowns. What type of study design best supports this causal conclusion?
- Cross-sectional survey
- Case study
- Controlled before-and-after comparison (Correct answer)
- Literature review
Correct answer: Controlled before-and-after comparison
A controlled before-and-after comparison allows the fleet manager to attribute changes in breakdowns directly to the new maintenance schedule.
Question 3: In evidence-based fleet management, 'benchmarking' primarily involves:
- Setting internal cost targets for each department
- Comparing your fleet's performance metrics against industry standards or peer organizations (Correct answer)
- Ranking vehicles by total cost of ownership
- Documenting maintenance procedures in a standard manual
Correct answer: Comparing your fleet's performance metrics against industry standards or peer organizations
Benchmarking compares a fleet's key performance indicators to industry standards or similar organizations to identify gaps and opportunities.
Question 4: Which data source would provide the most reliable evidence for evaluating long-term vehicle reliability?
- Manufacturer brochures
- Fleet management system historical records (Correct answer)
- Driver satisfaction surveys
- Vendor testimonials
Correct answer: Fleet management system historical records
Fleet management system historical records contain objective, longitudinal data on actual vehicle performance and maintenance history.
Question 5: A technician reviews three separate studies on brake pad longevity, each reaching different conclusions. The best evidence-based approach is to:
- Choose the study that aligns with current shop practice
- Conduct a meta-analysis or systematic review of all three studies (Correct answer)
- Discard all three and rely on personal experience
- Apply the findings from the most recently published study only
Correct answer: Conduct a meta-analysis or systematic review of all three studies
A systematic review or meta-analysis synthesizes findings from multiple studies to reach a more reliable overall conclusion.
Question 6: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis in fleet management is best described as:
- The purchase price plus taxes of a vehicle
- A calculation of all costs associated with acquiring, operating, maintaining, and disposing of a vehicle (Correct answer)
- An estimate of fuel costs over one year
- A comparison of two competing vehicle brands
Correct answer: A calculation of all costs associated with acquiring, operating, maintaining, and disposing of a vehicle
TCO encompasses all lifecycle costs—acquisition, fuel, maintenance, insurance, and disposal—providing a complete financial picture for fleet decisions.
Question 7: When collecting data on vehicle downtime, which sampling approach ensures every vehicle has an equal chance of being included in the analysis?
- Convenience sampling
- Purposive sampling
- Simple random sampling (Correct answer)
- Snowball sampling
Correct answer: Simple random sampling
Simple random sampling gives every vehicle an equal probability of selection, minimizing selection bias in the dataset.
NCT Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 2
When analyzing fleet maintenance data to identify trends, which statistical measure best describes the typical repair cost per vehicle?