Stats

[Haze]

Stats is one area of maths I can't do.

In the Nfer 11+, one statistical question we often get is the based on taking one from each set of... How many combinations are there.

eg, making sandwiches with 3 types of bread, 4 types of filling and 3 types of garnish. Haw many sandwich combinations are there. We know the answer is 3x4x3.

Does anyone know is this the only type we get? If, for example, you was asked how many combination of three balls might you draw from a bag containing 8 balls, the answer is going to be something completely different (which I would have to put my thinking cap on to work out. Is it 8x7x6?).

Are 11+ students expected to know all these types? Or is it always just the first option?

I may not have explained that well but, like I said, Stats has always been a weak area for me.

[wiltsman]

Stats is one area of maths I can't do.

In the Nfer 11+, one statistical question we often get is the based on taking one from each set of... How many combinations are there.

eg, making sandwiches with 3 types of bread, 4 types of filling and 3 types of garnish. Haw many sandwich combinations are there. We know the answer is 3x4x3.
(

I wouldn't class this as "Stats" but that's somewhat irrelevant.

This kind of question is way beyond the average 11 year old, but easy to do.

In the question, they will mention a set of numbers. Multiply them together and that's the answer. (in your example there are 3 *4 * 3 = 36 combinations)

It's essentially a gift question, as you need not spend any time thinking.

[edit: yes, I think this is the only type of combinations question you get - you don't get coloured-balls-in-a-bag-without-replacement questions, as far as I know - I did those in the first year of A level maths, not when I was 11]

[Haze]

Thanks for that. Yes, it was the edit part I was asking really.
So if it's always this type of question, it's not really a test of maths, more a test of memory