Society of Actuaries (SOA) PA Practice Exam

What does TPR stand for in the context of sensitivity?

1. True Positive Ratio

2. True Proportion Rate

3. Total Positive Rate

4. Threshold Positive Rate

The correct answer is: Total Positive Rate

In the context of sensitivity, TPR stands for True Positive Ratio, which is a critical metric in evaluating the performance of a diagnostic test or model. It measures the proportion of actual positives that are correctly identified by the test. In simpler terms, it indicates how effectively the model identifies positive cases out of all the instances that are actually positive. Understanding TPR is fundamental in various fields, especially in medical testing and machine learning, where accurately detecting the presence of a condition or classification is essential. A high TPR means that the test is effective in identifying most of the positive cases, which is crucial in scenarios like disease detection where missing a positive case can have serious consequences. While the other options may contain terms that sound similar, they do not accurately reflect the recognized definition of TPR in sensitivity analysis. Choices such as True Proportion Rate and Total Positive Rate could lead to confusion as they might suggest similar concepts but are not the standard terminology used. Thus, the correct answer highlighting TPR as True Positive Ratio aligns with established definitions and usage in statistical analysis related to sensitivity.