Question

Suppose a student takes mathematics and economics as subjects. He obtains the following marks on his tests 82% for maths and 89% for economics. Using the available information determine how the student performed relative to the rest of the class in each subject. Describe this in terms of where his z-scores lie on the normal distribution curve. In which subject did he perform better?

Information
Mathematics
Mean 68
Standard deviation 8

Economics
Mean 80
Standard deviation 6

Answer 1

The student's z-score for mathematics is 0.75, which means that his score is 0.75 standard deviations above the mean. This puts him in the upper quartile of the class, indicating that he performed better than 75% of the class.

The student's z-score for economics is 1.5, which means that his score is 1.5 standard deviations above the mean. This puts him in the upper quintile of the class, indicating that he performed better than 80% of the class.

The student performed better in economics than in mathematics.