Statistics interview question: What is the difference between hypothesis testing and A/B testing?
After having studied data science for about four years now, one thing that I realised is that I really like statistics. If one wants to excel at data science then he needs to learn statistics. I have used the free resources available to me to learn statistics, which has included taking courses on Udemy and watching YouTube videos.
One integral part of statistics is the practice of conducting statistical tests. When studying statistical tests, I came across the terms of hypothesis testing and A/B testing. I was not entirely sure what the differences between these two practices are, so I decided to investigate. One thing that I discovered is that hypothesis testing and A/B testing are closely related concepts, but are not the same.
Hypothesis testing
Hypothesis testing is a general statistical method used to make inferences or decisions about population parameters based on sample data. This process involves:-
- Formulate the null and alternate hypothesis. In the null hypothesis (H0) the statement makes no difference, and in the alternate hypothesis (Ha) the statement indicates a difference.
- Gather sample data to test the hypothesis.
- Select the appropriate…
