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Main Authors: Kessler, Ryan, McQueen, James, Rokkanen, Miikka
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.03366
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author Kessler, Ryan
McQueen, James
Rokkanen, Miikka
author_facet Kessler, Ryan
McQueen, James
Rokkanen, Miikka
contents We develop a theoretical framework for sample splitting in A/B testing environments, where data for each test are partitioned into two splits to measure methodological performance when the true impacts of tests are unobserved. We show that sample-split estimators are generally biased for full-sample performance but consistently estimate sample-split analogues of it. We derive their asymptotic distributions, construct valid confidence intervals, and characterize the bias-variance trade-offs underlying sample-split design choices. We validate our theoretical results through simulations and provide implementation guidance for A/B testing products seeking to evaluate new estimators and decision rules.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_03366
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Evaluating A/B Testing Methodologies via Sample Splitting: Theory and Practice
Kessler, Ryan
McQueen, James
Rokkanen, Miikka
Econometrics
We develop a theoretical framework for sample splitting in A/B testing environments, where data for each test are partitioned into two splits to measure methodological performance when the true impacts of tests are unobserved. We show that sample-split estimators are generally biased for full-sample performance but consistently estimate sample-split analogues of it. We derive their asymptotic distributions, construct valid confidence intervals, and characterize the bias-variance trade-offs underlying sample-split design choices. We validate our theoretical results through simulations and provide implementation guidance for A/B testing products seeking to evaluate new estimators and decision rules.
title Evaluating A/B Testing Methodologies via Sample Splitting: Theory and Practice
topic Econometrics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.03366