False positives and false negatives

False positives and negatives are words related with practical testing. When performing a practical test, there is the possibility that the result of the test does not show the real situation.

In a test,  a false positive is when a test result shows that a condition is present  but it is not. A false negative is when a test result shows a condition is not present when in fact it is present.

 Related pages 
 Type I and type II errors describe the same condition when it occurs in a statistical test

Category:Science