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
Which logical fallacy is committed when someone argues, 'You can't trust Dr. Smith's research on smoking because he once smoked himself'?
Answer: Ad hominem
An ad hominem fallacy attacks the person rather than evaluating the merits of the argument or evidence.
A table shows that 60 out of 400 patients developed a side effect. What percentage of patients experienced the side effect?
Answer: 15%
60 / 400 = 0.15 = 15%.
The word 'ameliorate' most nearly means:
Answer: Improve
To ameliorate means to make something bad or unsatisfactory better.
A researcher wants to determine the median of the following data set: 7, 3, 12, 5, 9. What is the median?
Answer: 7
Ordered: 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 — the middle value is 7.
Which of the following is an example of deductive reasoning?
Answer: Noting that all mammals breathe air and concluding that whales breathe air
Deductive reasoning applies a general rule (all mammals breathe air) to a specific case (whales) to reach a certain conclusion.
A PA student must read a 180-page textbook chapter in 3 hours. At what rate must they read?
Answer: 60 pages/hour
180 pages ÷ 3 hours = 60 pages per hour.
The BEST way to strengthen an argument in an academic paper is to:
Answer: Cite peer-reviewed evidence that directly supports the claim
Peer-reviewed evidence provides credible, verifiable support that directly strengthens academic arguments.
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