If a value is exactly two standard deviations below the mean, how is it classified according to the rule about inconsistencies?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Sometimes
• D. Always

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how the inconsistency rule treats observations that lie exactly at the threshold defined by the standard deviation. If inconsistencies are flagged only if a value is more than two standard deviations away from the mean, then being exactly two standard deviations below does not cross that boundary, so it is not considered inconsistent.

For example, with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, two standard deviations below is 70. That value sits right on the cutoff, not beyond it, so it’s classified as not inconsistent. Only values beyond that limit (more than two standard deviations away) would be flagged as inconsistent.