Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) ATI Mathematics Practice Test

According to the prescribing habits of doctors, what fraction of them were always prescribing medication?

1. 1/3

2. 5/12

3. 1/4

4. 3/8

The correct answer is: 1/3

To understand the situation regarding the prescribing habits of doctors, it's important to examine the concept of fractions in relation to a whole. The fraction represents a part of a total group—in this case, the total group is all doctors surveyed about their prescribing habits. When considering the fraction of doctors who are always prescribing medication, it’s essential to look at the available choices and how they relate to potential total numbers of doctors. If a fraction signifies a specific, consistent percentage of the whole group, it must be based on the context provided in the problem regarding the overall prescribing practices. Choosing \( \frac{1}{3} \) indicates that one-third of the doctors surveyed adhere strictly to the practice of always prescribing medication. This fraction can be understood as a straightforward proportion, making it a significant segment compared to the other choices. If we consider dividing a group of doctors into three equal parts, one segment would indeed represent those who fully commit to prescribing medication in every instance. The other fractions, although they represent possible parts of the total, suggest that a smaller proportion of doctors exhibit that behavior consistently. Therefore, if the objective is to identify the fraction of doctors who demonstrate an unwavering approach to prescribing medication, \( \frac{1}{3} \) emerges as