SOLUTION: You are taking a true/false test that has 60 questions If you guess on each question, and have the same chance of guessing the correct answer on each question, what is the probabi

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Question 1202716: You are taking a true/false test that has 60 questions If you guess on each question, and have the same chance of guessing the correct answer on each question, what is the probability you get at least 65% of the questions correct?
Answer by ikleyn(52781) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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You are taking a true/false test that has 60 questions.
If you guess on each question, and have the same chance of guessing the correct answer
on each question, what is the probability you get at least 65% of the questions correct?
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The original problem is a binomial distribution probability problem.
The number of trials is n= 60;  the probability of success is p= 1/2 = 0.5 
for each individual trial.


Since the number of trials is great, the method of solution is to use a normal
distribution approximation.
 


About approximation of the binomial distribution by normal distribution and continuity correction factor 
see your textbook and/or these Internet sources

https://www.statology.org/normal-approximation

https://www.statisticshowto.com/probability-and-statistics/binomial-theorem/normal-approximation-to-the-binomial/

https://online.stat.psu.edu/stat414/lesson/28/28.1

https://stats.libretexts.org/Courses/Las_Positas_College/Math_40%3A_Statistics_and_Probability/06%3A_Continuous_Random_Variables_and_the_Normal_Distribution/6.04%3A_Normal_Approximation_to_the_Binomial_Distribution



For this normal distribution approximation, the mean value is m = n*p = 0.5*60 = 30;
the standard deviation is sqrt%28p%2An%2A%281-p%29%29 = sqrt%280.5%2A60%2A%281-0.5%29%29 = 3.87298 (rounded).


Next, at least 65% of 60 questions is at least %2865%2F100%29%2A60 = 39 questions to answer correctly.


Therefore, to answer the problem's question, you should find the area under the the described 
normal curve on the RIGHT of the raw mark 38.5 (we use the continuity correction factor).


So, if you use a regular calculator TI-83 or TI-84, you can get the answer using 
the standard normalcdf function

                       z1     z2    mean     SD      <<<---===  formatting pattern
        P = normalcdf(38.5, -9999,   30,  3.87298).


You get the value of 0.014  (rounded).      ANSWER  

Solved.

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If you are a beginner student in learning normal probability distribution, I advise you
to start learning this kind of computations using the online free of charge calculator

https://onlinestatbook.com/2/calculators/normal_dist.html

It provides a graphical support, so at each step you do understand what you are doing.
In addition, this graphical support prevents you from making mistakes.

When you learn enough this kind of computations, you can switch to your regular calculator,
but even then you may use the online calculator for checking purposes.


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Let's check the answer using direct computations for the binomial distribution.

In this case, we should find the probability P = P(n=60; k >= 39; p= 0.5)

The easiest way to compute it is to use the online free of charge calculator
https://stattrek.com/online-calculator/binomial

It gives the answer 0.014 (rounded).