Statistics are constantly used in real life to organise the information around us and to determine how it might affect us. Statistics looks at the analysis of the data collected and the data handling cycle. This involves posing a question, collecting data on the response, presenting the data, analysing that data (using measures of centre and spread) and interpreting the results. In answering questions, it is very important that you can justify your findings with context.

Probability is concerned with chance, how likely it is that an event will occur. The information can be used to inform your decisions. Probability is constantly used in the world of insurance, finance and sport among many other fields. Probability can also be used to determine the fairness of a series of events or just a single event. It can be presented using a rule-based approach or diagrams.

Combining the capabilities of both fields can be used to prove/disprove a given statement or conjecture (known as hypothesis testing). The aim of this strand is to merge the mathematical aspects of probability and statistics with examples of real-life application. It is a very interesting topic that is accessible to all students, not only those at school in Ireland.