26134 · Responsible Evidence-based Decisions
Exam Preparation: The Restricted Open-Book Exam
Week 12 consolidates Modules 1–5 for the final: the exam format (120 minutes, 25 equally-weighted questions presented all at once, restricted open-book, no negative marking), how to pre-organise the Z/t/chi-square/F/binomial tables and your notes for speed, and a decision tree that routes any question to the right method. This chapter is about execution under time pressure as much as content.
What this chapter covers
- 01Exam format: 120 minutes, 25 equally-weighted questions presented all at once, no negative marking
- 02Restricted open-book: paper notes, textbook, a calculator of any type and offline Excel/Word/PDF allowed; no internet or cloud notes
- 03Delivery via ProctorU (Guardian browser); on-campus sitting can be requested
- 04Pre-loading and navigating the five statistical tables (Z, t, chi-square, F, binomial)
- 05A master decision tree: describe vs infer, one vs two samples, mean vs variance, Z vs t, paired vs independent
- 06Time budgeting: roughly one question every four to five minutes with a review buffer
- 07Covering all five modules, including the often-neglected Week 2 communication and Week 11 ethics
Routing and executing a two-sample question under time pressure
- +1Route the question. Two separate groups (not matched), comparing means, σ unknown, equal variances assumed → pooled two-independent-samples t-test with df = n₁ + n₂ − 2 = 25. H₀: μ₁ = μ₂ vs H₁: μ₁ ≠ μ₂.
- +1Pooled variance. s²_p = [(n₁ − 1)s₁² + (n₂ − 1)s₂²]/(n₁ + n₂ − 2) = [11 × 36 + 14 × 25]/25 = [396 + 350]/25 = 746/25 = 29.84.
- +1Test statistic. SE = √[s²_p(1/n₁ + 1/n₂)] = √[29.84 × (1/12 + 1/15)] = √[29.84 × 0.15] = √4.476 = 2.116. t = (52 − 48)/2.116 = 4/2.116 = 1.89.
- +1Decide. Two-tailed critical value t_(0.025, 25) = 2.060. Since |1.89| < 2.060, fail to reject H₀: at the 5% level there is not enough evidence that the two group means differ.
Key terms
- Restricted open-book exam
- The 26134 final: paper notes, textbook, a calculator of any type and offline Excel/Word/PDF notes are permitted, but the internet and cloud-stored notes are not. It is 120 minutes, 25 equally-weighted questions, ProctorU-invigilated, with no negative marking.
- Equally-weighted questions
- All 25 exam questions carry the same marks, so time should be budgeted evenly (about one question every four to five minutes) and no single question is worth agonising over at the expense of others.
- No negative marking
- Wrong answers are not penalised beyond scoring zero, so every question should be attempted — a reasoned guess can only help. UTS assessments apply no negative marking on this exam.
- The five statistical tables
- The Z (standard normal), Student-t, chi-square, F and binomial tables provided in the exam. Knowing which table each method uses — and how to read it quickly — is a core exam skill under the open-book format.
- Decision tree (method selection)
- A routing flowchart: describe or infer? one sample or two? a mean, a variance or several means? σ known (Z) or unknown (t)? paired or independent? It maps any question to the correct statistic and table before you compute.
- ProctorU invigilation
- The online proctoring system (a Guardian browser) used to invigilate the exam remotely; an on-campus sitting can be requested. It enforces the restricted-open-book conditions, blocking internet and cloud access during the exam.
Exam Preparation: The Restricted Open-Book Exam FAQ
What exactly can I bring to the 26134 exam?
It is restricted open-book: paper notes, the textbook, printed or offline PDF/Word notes, and a calculator of any type are allowed, and the five statistical tables are provided. What is NOT allowed is the internet and any cloud-stored notes (Drive, OneDrive, OneNote). Prepare well-organised printed notes so you can find a formula or table fast. Confirm the current permitted-materials list on Canvas.
How should I budget time across 25 questions?
The questions are equally weighted over 120 minutes, so aim for roughly one every four to five minutes and keep a review buffer. Bank the quick computes and lookups first, flag anything slow and return to it, and because there is no negative marking, attempt every question even if you have to make a reasoned guess.
Where can I find practice for the 26134 exam?
Canvas hosts the exam-preparation material — the ProctorU practice exam, sample questions and the provided statistical tables — and your tutorial questions with worked solutions are the closest match to the exam's compute-then-interpret style. This guide's re-authored practice set mirrors the paper's shape with fresh numbers, and you can ask Sia to generate more practice in the same style and explain each step. Confirm what is officially provided on Canvas.
Can AI help me prepare for the 26134 exam?
Yes, as a study aid. Sia is an AI tutor built to mirror how 26134 is taught and assessed at University of Technology Sydney: it can drill you on routing questions with the decision tree, walk through table lookups, and set fresh practice items with step-by-step explanations. It does not sit the exam or do graded work for you, and the UTS academic-integrity policy applies.
Exam move
Week 12 is about execution, so rehearse the exam as a system, not just the content. Build and internalise one master decision tree that routes any question — describe vs infer, one vs two samples, mean vs variance, Z vs t, paired vs independent — and practise routing mixed questions at speed before computing. Organise your printed notes by module with the five tables tabbed so you can find each in seconds, since the format is restricted open-book. Do a full timed practice paper to calibrate roughly one question every four to five minutes, banking easy computes first and attempting every question because there is no negative marking. Do not neglect Week 2 communication and Week 11 ethics, which appear on the paper. When your routing feels slow, ask Sia to drill you on classifying scenarios; confirm the exam date, permitted materials and any changes on Canvas and the UTS exam timetable.
Working through Exam Preparation: The Restricted Open-Book Exam in 26134? Sia is AskSia’s AI Statistics tutor — ask any 26134 Exam Preparation: The Restricted Open-Book Exam question and get a clear, step-by-step explanation grounded in how 26134 is taught and assessed. Read this chapter free, then take your hardest questions to Sia.
