Determine Normality of Single Observation with Z-Test
Company: Google
Role: Data Scientist
Category: Statistics & Math
Difficulty: easy
Interview Round: Technical Screen
##### Scenario
You have a single numeric observation and want to know if it was drawn from a standard normal distribution.
##### Question
Which statistical test would you apply to decide whether that single observation comes from a normal distribution? State the null and alternative hypotheses and the decision rule.
##### Hints
Compute a z-score and compare it to critical values of the standard normal.
Quick Answer: This question evaluates understanding of hypothesis testing fundamentals, specifically the ability to formulate null and alternative hypotheses and specify a decision rule for a single observation against a fully specified reference distribution.