Why everyone should know statistics!

“Decision is the central intellectual activity in our everyday lives” and statistics is central to these activities (Longford, 2021, p. xi). The ability to manipulate and interpret data is an important component in decision making. A misunderstanding or poor grasp of data distributions and statistical methods can lead to assumptions that are not accurate. When these inaccurate assumptions are presented as factual to decision makers also possessing little or no statistical knowledge, poor decisions can be made. This paper investigates how an interpretation of statistics played a role the decision to remove multiple-choice questions from invigilated examinations at a regional Australian university. The case is further argued that it is important for everyone to have a basic understanding of statistics.