FAA Statistics — Analysis & Syllabus Mapping (2022 + 2024)
📊 FAA Statistics — Analysis & Mapping
Section: Statistics · 10 of 120 marks · 10 syllabus topics Papers analysed: 2022 (Q31–40) and 2024 (Q71–80) — 20 questions in total.
🚨 THE HEADLINE FINDING
This is not a coincidence: 10 topics, 10 marks, one question each, sequentially.
| Q | Syllabus topic | Asked |
|---|---|---|
| 71 | (i) Primary and secondary data | Secondary data is sourced from? |
| 72 | (ii) Methods of collecting data | Example of a primary collection method |
| 73 | (iii) Preparation of questionnaires | Correct statements on questionnaire design |
| 74 | (iv) Tabulation & compilation | Which statement is FALSE about tabulation |
| 75 | (v) Measures of central tendency | Order mean/median/mode/n |
| 76 | (vi) Theory of probability | Which probability statements are correct |
| 77 | (vii) Theory of attributes | Class of 100 students — boys/girls matching |
| 78 | (viii) Theory of index numbers | Fisher Ideal Value Index |
| 79 | (ix) Demography — Census | A feature of the census |
| 80 | (x) Vital statistics | Measures of mortality matching |
What this means for you
Statistics is the most predictable section on the entire paper. You know how many questions come from each topic (one), and probably in what order. No topic can be skipped — skipping one topic costs exactly one mark, guaranteed. But equally, no topic needs depth beyond one question.
1. The 10 syllabus topics
| # | Topic |
|---|---|
| (i) | Primary and secondary data |
| (ii) | Methods of collecting Primary and Secondary Data |
| (iii) | Preparation of questionnaires |
| (iv) | Tabulation and compilation of Data |
| (v) | Measures of Central Tendency |
| (vi) | Theory of Probability |
| (vii) | Theory of Attributes — basic concepts and applications |
| (viii) | Theory of Index Numbers — tests; wholesale & consumer price index |
| (ix) | Demography — Census, its features and functions |
| (x) | Vital Statistics — fertility measures, crude & specific fertility rates, gross & net reproduction rates, measures of mortality |
2. Mapping — 2024 paper (Q71–80) ✅ the real FAA paper
| Q | Topic | Question | Ans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | (i) Primary/secondary data | Secondary data is primarily sourced from | B Publicly available databases |
| 72 | (ii) Collection methods | Example of primary data collection | D Conducting interviews and surveys |
| 73 | (iii) Questionnaires | Correct statements on questionnaire preparation | A a and b |
| 74 | (iv) Tabulation | Which statement is FALSE | D comparison between rows and not columns |
| 75 | (v) Central tendency | Arrange mean/median/mode/n in decreasing order | C d, c, b, a |
| 76 | (vi) Probability | Which probability statements are correct | A P and S |
| 77 | (vii) Attributes | Class of 100 — match boys/girls figures | D a-3, b-1, c-2, d-5 |
| 78 | (viii) Index numbers | Fisher Ideal Value Index | C 20 |
| 79 | (ix) Census | A feature of the census | B Simultaneity |
| 80 | (x) Vital statistics | Measures of mortality — matching | C a-5, b-3, c-2, d-4 |
Coverage: 10 / 10 topics. Perfect one-to-one.
3. Mapping — 2022 paper (Q31–40)
The 2022 file is an Accounts Assistant (PANCHAYAT) paper, Series A — a different post with a different syllabus and layout (its Accountancy block is Q81–110, not Q31–60). Its Statistics section therefore does not follow the FAA statistics syllabus cleanly, and 3 of its 10 questions are actually Mathematics, not Statistics. Weight the 2024 mapping far more heavily.
| Q | Maps to | Question | Ans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | (ii) Collection/sampling | Sampling error — which is true | A decreases as sample size increases |
| 32 | ❌ Maths — Set Theory | Symmetric difference of A and B | D {1,2,5,6,7} |
| 33 | ⚠️ Time series (not in the 10 topics) | 3-month moving average for January | A 300 |
| 34 | (vi) Probability | P(Maths ∪ Physics) | A 1/2 |
| 35 | (ii) Collection methods | Method of collecting secondary data | D Government Publications |
| 36 | (ix)/(x) Demography | Demographic sex ratio | B 96.7 |
| 37 | ❌ Maths — Coordinate Geometry | Length of a line segment | B 11.4 |
| 38 | (iv) Tabulation/graphs | Shape of a frequency polygon as classes increase | C becomes increasingly smooth |
| 39 | (vii) Attributes | Ultimate class frequency, independent attributes | B 70 |
| 40 | (ix) Census | Highest negative decadal growth (Census 2011) | C Nagaland |
Genuine statistics coverage: 7 / 10. Off-syllabus: Q32, Q37 (pure Maths) and Q33 (time series, not a listed topic).
4. Combined topic frequency
| # | Topic | 2022 | 2024 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (ii) | Methods of collecting data | 2 | 1 | 3 ⭐ |
| (vi) | Theory of Probability | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| (vii) | Theory of Attributes | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| (ix) | Demography / Census | 2 | 1 | 3 ⭐ |
| (iv) | Tabulation & compilation | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| (i) | Primary & secondary data | — | 1 | 1 |
| (iii) | Preparation of questionnaires | — | 1 | 1 |
| (v) | Measures of central tendency | — | 1 | 1 |
| (viii) | Index Numbers | — | 1 | 1 |
| (x) | Vital Statistics | — | 1 | 1 |
| — | Off-syllabus (Maths/time series) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
5. What kind of questions are asked
| Format | 2022 | 2024 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct definition / factual | 5 | 4 | "Secondary data is sourced from…" |
| Numerical calculation | 5 | 3 | mean/median, probability, index, attributes |
| ⭐ Multi-statement "which are correct/FALSE" | 0 | 3 | Q73, Q74, Q76 |
| ⭐ Matching (a-1, b-2 …) | 0 | 2 | Q77, Q80 |
2022 was mostly direct + simple sums. 2024 leaned on statement-based and matching formats — which reward precise knowledge, because you must judge each statement independently. Practise eliminating one statement at a time — that alone usually removes two options.
Difficulty
- Easy (4–5): Q71, Q72, Q79 in 2024; Q35 in 2022 — pure recall
- Moderate (3–4): Q73, Q74, Q76, Q75 — statement judgement or a light sum
- Hard (2): ⭐ Q78 Fisher Ideal Value Index and Q77 — the two genuinely tricky items
6. 🔮 Prediction for 15 Nov 2026
One question from each of the 10 topics, most likely in syllabus order (Q71–80 or wherever Statistics sits).
| Topic | Most likely question |
|---|---|
| (i) Primary/secondary | which is primary vs secondary; definition of each |
| (ii) Collection methods | interview/survey = primary · publications/census = secondary |
| (iii) Questionnaires | correct/incorrect statements about design; pilot testing is required |
| (iv) Tabulation | a FALSE statement; parts of a table; tabulation precedes diagrams |
| (v) Central tendency | compute mean/median/mode; ⭐ Mode = 3 Median − 2 Mean |
| (vi) Probability | range 0 ≤ P ≤ 1; mutually exclusive vs independent; simple P(A∪B) |
| (vii) Attributes | (AB) = (A)(B)/N for independence; consistency; Venn-style counting |
| (viii) Index numbers | ⭐ Fisher = √(Laspeyres × Paasche); time-reversal & factor-reversal tests; CPI |
| (ix) Census | features — simultaneity, universality, periodicity (10 yrs), government sponsorship; Census 2011 facts |
| (x) Vital statistics | CBR/CDR, GRR vs NRR (NRR accounts for mortality), ASFR, MMR per 1,00,000 or 1,000 live births |
Two safest bets: a census feature question and a primary-vs-secondary question — both appeared and both are pure recall. The one to prepare hardest: ⭐ Index Numbers — Fisher's Ideal Index was the hardest question in 2024 and the formula is non-obvious.
🔗 Related
- Solved questions: Statistics-Tagged-Answers
- Study plan: Statistics-Study-Plan
- Papers: 2022-paper · 2024-paper · Overall: FAA-MASTER-PLAN
