Physician Assistant Academic Ability 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 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?
- Case report
- Randomized controlled trial (Correct answer)
- Cross-sectional survey
- Ecological study
Correct answer: Randomized controlled trial
Comparing a treatment group to controls with measured outcomes is the hallmark of a randomized controlled trial.
Question 2: Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
- Running quickly, the bus was missed by the student. (Correct answer)
- The student ran quickly but missed the bus.
- Because she ran quickly, the student missed the bus.
- The student, running quickly, missed the bus.
Correct 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.
Question 3: 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?
- 50 mph
- 48 mph (Correct answer)
- 52 mph
- 45 mph
Correct answer: 48 mph
Average speed = total distance / total time = 480 / (4 + 6) = 48 mph.
Question 4: 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:
- Confirmation bias
- Confounding variable error (Correct answer)
- Selection bias
- Attrition bias
Correct answer: Confounding variable error
A confounding variable (summer/heat) explains both ice cream sales and drowning rates, creating a false causal link.
Question 5: What is the value of x if 3(2x − 4) = 2(x + 6)?
- x = 6 (Correct answer)
- x = 3
- x = 9
- x = 5
Correct answer: x = 6
Expanding: 6x − 12 = 2x + 12, so 4x = 24, giving x = 6.
Question 6: In academic writing, which of the following BEST defines a thesis statement?
- A question that introduces the topic
- A concise claim that the essay will argue and support (Correct answer)
- A summary of background information
- A list of evidence used in the paper
Correct 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.
Question 7: A beaker holds 500 mL. If 20% of the liquid evaporates and then 50 mL is added, how many mL remain?
- 450 mL (Correct answer)
- 440 mL
- 430 mL
- 420 mL
Correct answer: 450 mL
500 × 0.80 = 400 mL after evaporation; 400 + 50 = 450 mL.
Physician Assistant Academic Ability 2
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?