A hypothesis is a tentative statement, assumption, or proposition about the relationship between two or more variables that can be tested through systematic collection and analysis of data. It provides a direction to research by suggesting what the researcher expects to find. A hypothesis is not simply a guess; it is based on existing theories, observations, previous studies, or logical reasoning and must be capable of empirical verification. For example, a researcher may propose that “students who spend more time studying achieve higher academic performance.” Here, study time and academic performance are the variables whose relationship can be examined. In research methodology, hypothesis testing is a statistical procedure used to determine whether the evidence obtained from a sample provides sufficient support for a particular assumption about a population. The major steps involved in testing a hypothesis are as follows. The first step is to formulate the research hypothesis. The researcher clearly states the proposition that is to be examined. It may be expressed as a directional or non-directional hypothesis. For example, a researcher may hypothesize that a new teaching method improves students’ performance. The second step is to formulate the null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis, generally represented by H₀, states that there is no significant relationship, difference, or effect between the variables under study. The alternative hypothesis, represented by H₁