1.

Most graduate schools of business require applicants for admission to take the Graduate
Management Admission Council’s GMAT examination. Scores on the GMAT are roughly
normally distributed with a mean of 527 and a standard deviation of 112. What is the probability
of an individual scoring above 500 on the GMAT?
500 – 527
Z= = - 0.24107
112
μ = 527
σ = 112
Pr{X > 500} = Pr{Z > -0.24} = 1 – 0.4052 = 0.5948

2. How high must an individual score on the GMAT in order to score in the highest 5%?
μ = 527
σ = 112
P(X > ?) = 0.05 ⇒ P(Z > ?) = 0.05
P(Z < ?) = 1 - 0.05 = 0.95 ⇒ Z = 1.645
X = 527 + 1.645(112)
X = 527 + 184.24
X = 711.24

3. The length of human pregnancies from conception to birth approximates a normal distribution
with a mean of 266 days and a standard deviation of 16 days. What proportion of all pregnancies
will last between 240 and 270 days (roughly between 8 and 9 months)?

240 – 266
Z= = - 1.625
16

270 – 266
Z= = - 0.25
μ = 266 16

σ = 16
P(240 < X < 270) = P(-1.63 < Z < 0.25)
P(-1.63 < Z < 0.25) = P(Z< 0.25) - P(Z < -1.63)
P(-1.63 < Z < 0.25) = 0.5987 – 0.0516 = 0.5471

4. What length of time marks the shortest 70% of all pregnancies?

μ = 266
σ = 16
P(X < ?) = 0.70 ⇒ P(Z < ?) = 0.70 ⇒ Z = 0.52
X = 266 + 0.52(16)
X = 266 + 8.32
X = 274.32
5. The average number of acres burned by forest and range fires in a large New Mexico County is
4,300 acres per year, with a standard deviation of 750 acres. The distribution of the number of
acres burned is normal. What is the probability that between 2,500 and 4,200 acres will be burned
in any given year? 2500 – 4300
Z= = -2.40
750

4200 – 4300
Z= = - 0.13333
750
μ = 4300

P(2500 < X < 4200) = P(-2.40 < Z < -0.13)

P(-2.40 < Z < -0.13) = P(Z < -0.13) - P(Z < -2.40)
1. An unknown distribution has a mean of 90 and a standard deviation of 15. Samples of size n
= 25 are drawn randomly from the population. Find the probability that the sample mean is
between 85 and 92.
μX = 90
σX = 15
n = 25

90, 15
√25
85 X < 92 = 0.6997

2. An unknown distribution has a mean of 90 and a standard deviation of 15. A sample of size
80 is drawn randomly from the population.

a. Find the probability that the sum of the 80 values (or the total of the 80 values) is more
than 7500.
b. Find the sum that is 1.5 standard deviations below the mean of the sums.

μX = 90
σX = 15
n = 80

a. mean of the sums = n · μX = (80) (90) = 7200

b. standard deviation of the sums = √n · σX =√80 · 15
c. sum of 80 values = Σx = 7500

P (ΣX > 7500) = 0.0127

3. – 5. A study involving stress is done on a college campus among the students. The stress
scores follow a uniform distribution with the lowest stress score equal to 1 and the highest
equal to 5. Using a sample of 75 students, find:
1. The probability that the average stress score for the 75 students is less than 2.
2. The 90th percentile for the average stress score for the 75 students.
3. The probability that the total of the 75 stress scores is less than 200.

1. μX = a + b = 1 + 5 = 3

2 2

P (X < 2) = 0

2. P (X < k) = 0.90
k = 3.23. 75 · 3 = 225

√75 · 1.15 = 9.96

P (ΣX < 200) = 0