UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B, C and D correctly define the four main levels of measurement. Nominal scales classify without order, ordinal scales rank without equal intervals, interval scales have equal intervals but lack a true zero and ratio scales have both equal intervals and a true zero, permitting ratio statements. Statement E is false because nominal categories are qualitative labels, so saying one category is “twice” another is meaningless. Thus, the combination containing A, B, C and D and excluding E is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it omits D, thereby failing to mention the ratio scale, which is crucial for many quantitative analyses involving meaningful zero points and ratios.

Option B:
Option B is correct since it gathers the accurate definitions of all four scales and rejects E, which inappropriately assigns ratio meaning to nominal categories. It reflects standard measurement theory used in research.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it leaves out A and includes only B, C and D, ignoring the important distinction that nominal scales have no inherent order. This omission makes the overview of scales incomplete.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it includes E, the statement that misuses nominal categories, and omits B, weakening the description of ordinal measurement. This mixture leads to conceptual confusion about scales.

A ratio scale has all the properties of an interval scale—equal intervals between values—and, in addition, a true zero point that indicates the complete absence of the measured attribute. This allows statements such as one value being twice or half of another to be meaningful. Examples include height, weight and reaction time. Because the stem highlights equal intervals, a true zero and meaningful ratios, it is describing a ratio scale.

Option A:
Interval scales, such as temperature in Celsius, have equal intervals but lack a true zero point, which makes ratio statements (like “twice as hot”) conceptually problematic. Therefore, interval is not sufficient to capture the “true zero and meaningful ratios” criterion given in the question.

Option B:
Ratio scales permit the full range of mathematical operations, including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This rich set of properties enables powerful statistical analyses and interpretable comparisons. These features match the description in the stem, so ratio is the correct completion.

Option C:
Nominal scales classify data into categories without order or quantitative meaning, making arithmetic operations and ratio statements inappropriate. They lack both equal intervals and a true zero, so nominal cannot be the answer.

Option D:
Ordinal scales indicate order among categories but do not assume equal differences between ranks, and they lack a true zero point. While they allow ranking, they do not support meaningful ratio comparisons, making ordinal an incorrect option for the stem’s description.

Statements A, B, C and D give an accurate account of the main scales of measurement, whereas statement E is incorrect. Statement A is true because nominal scales simply classify cases into categories with no inherent order. Statement B is correct in noting that ordinal scales permit ranking but do not guarantee equal distances between ranks, and statement C accurately describes interval scales as having equal units but no absolute zero. Statement D properly defines ratio scales as having a true zero and allowing meaningful ratio interpretations, while statement E is false since addition and subtraction are not meaningful on purely nominal categories.

Option A:
Option A lists A, B, C and D only and excludes E, which is the only false statement. By including all the true statements and leaving out the incorrect claim about mathematical operations on nominal data, this combination correctly identifies the full set of correct statements. Therefore it is the right answer.

Option B:
Option B includes A, B and C but omits D. While A, B and C are correct, leaving out D ignores the description of ratio scales, which is also a true and important part of the measurement framework. Because it fails to include all true statements, this combination is incomplete and cannot be accepted.

Option C:
Option C groups A, C and D but leaves out B. Although A, C and D are correct, B is also a correct statement describing the ordinal scale. Excluding B makes the picture of measurement scales incomplete, so this option does not fully answer the question.

Option D:
Option D combines B, C and D with E. While B, C and D are correct, inclusion of E makes the whole combination incorrect, as it wrongly suggests that nominal scale data support meaningful addition and subtraction. A valid combination must not contain any false statements, so this option is not acceptable.

A ratio scale possesses all the properties of an interval scale—equal units and meaningful differences—but also includes a true zero point that indicates the absence of the measured attribute. This allows researchers to say that one score is twice or half another in a meaningful way, as in weight or height. Because of these features, ratio scales support the full range of mathematical operations. Thus, the scale described in the stem is correctly called the ratio scale.

Option A:
Ordinal scales allow ranking of cases but do not guarantee equal intervals between ranks, nor do they have a true zero. Numbers indicate order only, not the magnitude of differences, so ordinal scale does not match the properties described in the question.

Option B:
Nominal scales provide categorical labels without quantitative meaning or order and have no concept of interval or zero magnitude. They cannot support ratio statements like “twice as much.” Hence, nominal scale is not appropriate here.

Option C:
Interval scales do have equal units, enabling meaningful comparison of differences, but they lack a true zero point, as seen in Celsius temperature. This absence prevents meaningful ratio interpretations, so interval scale falls short of the description given in the stem.

Option D:
Ratio scales, by including a natural zero, make statements like “this object weighs twice as much as that one” legitimate, which is exactly the property highlighted in the question. This confirms ratio as the correct answer.

Statements A, B, C and D correctly describe the four classical levels of measurement. Nominal scales simply classify, ordinal scales rank, interval scales provide equal units without a true zero and ratio scales include both equal intervals and an absolute zero. Statement E is false because nominal and ordinal data can still be analysed using appropriate statistics such as frequencies, medians and non-parametric tests. Therefore, the set containing A, B, C and D only is the correct combination.

Option A:
Option A includes A, B and C but omits D, thereby leaving out the crucial description of ratio scales, which are widely used for variables like height, weight or test scores with an absolute zero. Because it fails to list all the true statements, this option is incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it includes all four accurate descriptions of measurement scales and excludes E, which incorrectly claims that nominal and ordinal data are unusable in statistics. It gives a comprehensive and standard account of measurement levels.

Option C:
Option C includes E and omits A, which is a correct description of nominal scales. Since E is false and A is true, this combination misclassifies statements and cannot be accepted.

Option D:
Option D wrongly adds E, the false claim about unsuitability for analysis, and omits B, which correctly explains ordinal scales. Mixing a false statement with true ones and omitting a correct one makes the option invalid.

Option E includes E and leaves out C, neglecting the proper description of interval scales and accepting an incorrect restriction on nominal and ordinal data. Hence this option cannot be considered correct.

A ratio scale possesses all the properties of an interval scale—equal units and meaningful differences—plus a true zero point that indicates the complete absence of the quantity being measured. Because of the true zero, statements such as one value being twice another are meaningful. Examples include height, weight and Kelvin temperature. Thus, a scale with equal units and a true zero that allows ratio comparisons is correctly called a ratio scale.

Option A:
Nominal scales classify objects into categories without any inherent order, such as gender or blood group. They do not have equal units or a zero point with quantitative meaning, so they do not match the stem.

Option B:
Ordinal scales rank order items but do not guarantee equal intervals between ranks; they allow comparison of “greater than” or “less than” but not meaningful differences or ratios. Hence, ordinal is not the right answer.

Option C:
Interval scales have equal units and allow meaningful differences to be calculated, but they lack a true zero, so ratios can be misleading. Celsius temperature is a classic example. Therefore, interval does not fulfil the true-zero condition in the stem.

Option D:
Option D, ratio scale, uniquely combines equal intervals with an absolute zero, enabling multiplication and division operations that are not valid on other scales. This matches the description in the question precisely.