Lesson 1b.04

1b.04 Know the difference between primary and secondary data Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Statistics, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 1b.04, Know the difference between primary and secondary data: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Statistics (1ST0), Unit 1: The collection of data, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What term describes data collected directly by the researcher using them?

    • Qualitative data
    • Secondary data
    • Grouped data
    • Primary data

  2. What term describes data originally collected by someone else and reused?

    • Primary data
    • Secondary data
    • Raw data
    • Sample data

  3. Which is a key advantage of collecting primary data?

    • Quickly available
    • Free to obtain
    • Tailored to hypothesis
    • Large sample size

  4. What is a major limitation of using secondary data?

    • Unknown collection methods
    • Always too small
    • Requires ethical approval
    • Too expensive

  5. What must always be included when using secondary data in a report?

    • Source acknowledgement
    • Funding details
    • Participant names
    • Raw tally sheets

  6. Which source provides secondary data?

    • Own questionnaire
    • Direct interview notes
    • Published census tables
    • Personal lab experiment

  7. Which is an example of a primary data collection method?

    • Government database
    • Library archive
    • Internet textbook
    • Designed questionnaire

  8. What is a key factor to check when using secondary data?

    • Paper quality
    • Printing cost
    • Author's age
    • Original collection method

  9. A student uses census figures for a town's population. Which type of data is this?

    • Primary
    • Secondary
    • Ordinal primary
    • Qualitative primary

  10. A researcher interviews shoppers to ask their opinions. What type of data is collected?

    • Secondary
    • Historical
    • Primary
    • Archived

  11. What issue does rounding create when using secondary data values?

    • Increased bias
    • New variables
    • Loss of accuracy
    • Larger sample size

  12. What is a benefit of personally conducting observations for data collection?

    • Instant publication
    • Known collection method
    • Zero time cost
    • Guaranteed zero bias

  13. Why is data collected by another organisation classified as secondary data?

    • It is numerical
    • Collected by others
    • It is biased
    • It is outdated

  14. Which source of information is classified as primary data?

    • Published journal
    • Textbook
    • Census report
    • Own experiment

  15. What is a major limitation of relying solely on secondary data?

    • Always costs money
    • Always qualitative
    • May be outdated
    • Too much detail

  16. What is a key advantage of collecting your own primary data?

    • Targeted variables
    • No bias possible
    • Zero cost
    • Instant results

  17. What must be checked when combining primary data with secondary data?

    • Paper quality
    • Compatible definitions
    • Weather conditions
    • Exact sample size

  18. What happens to rounding errors when summing many rounded secondary values?

    • Errors cancel out
    • Errors accumulate
    • Bias disappears
    • Data becomes primary

  19. Which approach uses both primary and secondary data?

    • Survey plus census
    • Survey alone
    • Internet search only
    • Textbook reading only

  20. What is the primary check needed before using a pre-existing secondary dataset?

    • Saved as a PDF
    • Matches the hypothesis
    • Written by a friend
    • Printed in colour

All Pearson Edexcel Statistics quizzes