Academic Ability Flashcards
7 cards from real Physician Assistant practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Academic Ability flashcards as text
A PA student reads: 'Patients with condition X who received treatment Y showed a 30% reduction in symptoms compared to controls.' What type of study design MOST likely produced this result?
Answer: Randomized controlled trial
Comparing a treatment group to controls with measured outcomes is the hallmark of a randomized controlled trial.
Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
Answer: Running quickly, the bus was missed by the student.
In the first option, the participial phrase 'Running quickly' incorrectly modifies 'the bus' rather than the student.
If a train travels 240 miles at 60 mph, then returns the same distance at 40 mph, what is the average speed for the entire trip?
Answer: 48 mph
Average speed = total distance / total time = 480 / (4 + 6) = 48 mph.
A passage states that 'correlation does not imply causation.' A student concludes that ice cream sales cause drowning because both rise in summer. This is an example of:
Answer: Confounding variable error
A confounding variable (summer/heat) explains both ice cream sales and drowning rates, creating a false causal link.
What is the value of x if 3(2x − 4) = 2(x + 6)?
Answer: x = 6
Expanding: 6x − 12 = 2x + 12, so 4x = 24, giving x = 6.
In academic writing, which of the following BEST defines a thesis statement?
Answer: A concise claim that the essay will argue and support
A thesis statement presents the central argument the writer will develop and defend throughout the essay.
A beaker holds 500 mL. If 20% of the liquid evaporates and then 50 mL is added, how many mL remain?
Answer: 450 mL
500 × 0.80 = 400 mL after evaporation; 400 + 50 = 450 mL.