Which test is designed to compare two means in parametric data?

• A. T-test
• B. ANOVA
• C. Mann-Whitney U Test
• D. Chi-square

Answer: (A)

The test designed to compare two means when the data are parametric is the t-test. It asks whether the average value of a continuous outcome differs between two groups beyond what would be expected by chance. The independent-samples version applies when the groups are separate, while the paired version fits when the same subjects are measured under two conditions. This approach relies on assumptions of normal distribution within each group (and roughly equal variances for the independent case). When you have more than two groups, you’d use ANOVA, and when the data aren’t normally distributed or are ordinal, a nonparametric alternative like the Mann-Whitney U test is used. Chi-square is for comparing categorical data.