Question

Is the "time in minutes students will need to complete a test" a discrete random variable? Why or why not?

Answer 1

No

Explanation:

Time is a continuous variable, it can take any positive value in an interval. Even when we measure it in minutes, it can be measured with infinite precision, for example: 0.125 minutes or 0.13333 minutes. Hence it is a continuous random variable, unless we round the value to nearest integer, in which case it becomes a discrete random variable as it can only take point values.

Answer 2

well... depends on the test. if it's something like a math test, every page would require 6-8 minutes. so a test with 4 pages, would require something like 24-32 minutes to complete.

Explanation:

there is also the attention variable, so like a ten year old with ADHD may require a little extra time, or even a more entertaining test. now i am not crapping on disabilities, so like say a one-handed child may not need more time, considering they would have mastered their disability by now. so yes, it is a random variable, BUT you can get a decent estimate by pinpointing how long it takes each student to answer a question, page or even the entire test, to carve that out of a daily schedule.