What are Mean, Median and Mode?

Measures of Central Tendency

Measure of central tendency provides a very convenient way of describing a set of scores with a
single number that describes the performance of a group. It is also defined as a single value that is used to
describe the “center” of the data. It is thought of as a typical value in a given distribution. There are three
commonly used measures of central tendency. These are the mean, median and mode. In this section, we
shall discuss how to compute the value and some of the properties of the mean, median and mode as
applied in the classroom setting.

1. Mean
Mean is the most commonly used measure of the center of data and it is also referred as the
“arithmetic average.”

Computation of Population Mean

Ʃx X 1+ X 2+ X 3+… Xn
µ= =
N N

Computation of Sample Mean

ƩX X 1 + X 2 + X 3+ … X n
x= =
N N

Computation of the Mean for Ungrouped Data

1. x=¿
Ʃx
n

2. x=¿
Ʃfx
n

Example 1: Scores of 10 students in Mathematics I quiz consist of 25 items. The highest score is
25 and the lowest score is 10. Here are the scores: 25, 20, 18, 18, 17, 15, 14, 13, 12, 10. Find the mean in
the following scores.

X (scores)

25, 20, 18, 18, 17, 15, 14, 13, 12, 10

Ʃx=162
n=10

Ʃx 162
x= = =16.2
n 10

Analysis:

The average performance of 10 students who participated in a Mathematics quiz consisting of 25

items is 16.2. The implication of this is that student who got scores below 16.2 did not perform well in the
said examination. Students who got scores higher than 16.2 performed well in the examination compared
to the performance of the whole class.

Example 2: Find the Grade Point Average (GPA) of Timmy for the first semester of the school year
2018-2019. Use the table below:

Subjects Grade (Xi) Units (Wi) (Wi) (Xi)

 BM 112 1.25 3 3.75

BM 101 1.00 3 3.00

AC 103N 1.25 6 7.50

BEC 111 1.00 3 3.00

MGE 101 1.50 3 4.50

MKM 101 1.25 3 3.75

FM 111 1.50 3 4.50

PEN 2 1.00 2 2.00

Ʃ(¿Wi )=26 ¿ Ʃ(¿Wi )(¿ Xi )=32.00 ¿ ¿

Ʃ(¿Wi )(¿ Xi )
x= ¿¿
Ʃ Wi

32
x=
26

x=1.23

The Grade Point Average of Timmy for the first semester SY 2018-2019 is 1.23.

Mean for Grouped Data

Grouped data are the data or scores that are arranged in a frequency distribution. Frequency
distribution is the arrangement of scores according to category of classes including the frequency.
Frequency is the number of observations falling in a category.

For this particular lesson we shall discuss only one formula in solving the mean for grouped data
which is called midpoint method. The formula is:

Ʃf X m
x=
n

where,

x = mean value Ʃf X m=¿¿ summation of the product of f X m

f = frequency in each class or category X m=¿¿ midpoint of each class or category

Steps in Solving Mean for Grouped Data

1. Find the midpoint or class mark (X m) of each class or category using the formula

¿+UL
X m= .
2

2. Multiply the frequency and the corresponding class mark f X m.

3. Find the sum of the results in step 2.
 Ʃf X m
4. Solve the mean using the formula x = .
n

Example 3: Scores of 40 students in a Science class consist of 60 items and they are tabulated
below.
X f Xm f Xm
10 - 14 5 12 60

15 – 19 2 17 34

20 – 24 3 22 66

25 – 29 5 27 135

30 – 34 2 32 64

35 – 39 9 37 333

40 – 44 6 42 252

45 – 49 3 47 141

50 – 54 5 52 260

n = 40 Ʃf X m=1 345

Ʃf X m
x=
n

1345
x=
40

x = 33.63

Analysis:

The mean performance of 40 students in Science quiz is 33.63. Those students who got scores
below 33.63 did not perform well in the said examination while those students who got scores above 33.63
performed well.

Properties of the Mean

 It measures stability. Mean is the most stable among other measures of central tendency because
every score contributes to the value of the mean.
 The sum of each score’s distance from the mean is zero.
 It is easily affected by the extreme scores.
 It may not be an actual score in the distribution.
 It can be applied to interval level of measurement.
 It is very easy to compute.

When to use the Mean

 Sampling stability is desired.

  Other measures are to be computed such as standard deviation, coefficient of variation and
skewness.

2. Median

Median is the second type of measures of central tendency. It refers to the centermost score when
the scores in the distribution are arranged according to magnitude (from highest score to lowest score or
from lowest score to highest score).

Median of Ungrouped Data

1. Arrange the scores (from lowest to highest or highest to lowest).

2. Determine the middle most score in a distribution if n is an odd number and get the average of the
two middle most scores if n is an even number.

Example 1: Find the median score of 7 students in an English class.

x (score)

19
17
16
15
10
5
2

Analysis:

The median score is 15. Fifty percent (50%) or three of the scores are above 15 (19, 17, 16) and
50% or three scores are below 15 (10, 5, 2).

Example 2: Find the median score of 8 students in an English class.

x (score)
30
19
17
16
15
10
5
2

~ 16+15
x=
2

~
x=15.5

Analysis:
The median score is 15.5 which means that 50% of the scores are lower than 15.5, those are 15,
10, 5 and 2; and 50% are greater than 15.5, those are 30, 19, 17, 16 which mean (4) scores are below 15.5
and four (4) scores are above 15.5.

Median of Grouped Data

Formula:
 ( )
n
− cfp
~ 2
x=L B + c.i
fm
~
x= median value
n
MC = median class is a category containing the
2
LB = lower boundary of the median class (MC)
cfp = cumulative frequency before the median class if the scores are arranged from lowest to
highest value
fm = frequency of the median class
c.i = size of the class interval

Steps in Solving Median for Grouped Data

1. Complete the table for cf<.

n
2. Get of the scores in the distribution so that you can identify MC.
2
3. Determine the LB , cfp, fm, and c.i.
4. Solve the median using the formula.

Example 3: Scores of 40 students in a Science class consist of 60 items and they are tabulated below.
The highest score is 54 and the lowest score is 10.
X f cf <
10 - 14 5 5

15 – 19 2 7

20 – 24 3 10

25 – 29 5 15

30 – 34 2 17 (cfp)

35 – 39 9 (fm) 26

40 – 44 6 32

45 – 49 3 35

50 – 54 5 40

n = 40

Solution:
 n 40
= = 20
2 2

n
The category containing is 35 - 39.
2

MC = 35 – 39

LL of the MC = 35

LB = 34.5

cfp = 17

fm = 9

c.i = 5

( )
n
− cfp
~ 2
x=L B + c.i
fm

= 34.5 + ( 20 −17
9 )
5

= 34.5 + ( 39 ) 5
= 34.5 + ( 159 )
= 34.5 + 1.67
~
x = 36.17

Analysis:

The median value is 36.17, which means that 50% or 20 scores are less than 36.17.

Properties of the Median

 It may not be an actual observation in the data set.

 It can be applied in ordinal level.
 It is not affected by extreme values because median is a positional measure.

When to Use the Median

 The exact midpoint of the score distribution is desired.

 There are extreme scores in the distribution.

3. Mode

Mode is the third measure of central tendency. It refers to the score/s that occurs most frequently
in the score distribution.

Types of Mode

1. Unimodal is a score distribution that consists of one mode.

2. Bimodal is a score distribution that consists of two modes.
 3. Trimodal is a score distribution that consists of three modes. It is also considered as
multimodal – a score distribution that consist of more than two modes.

Example 1: Scores of 10 students in Section A, Section B, and Section C

Scores of Section A Scores of Section B Scores of Section C

25 25 25

24 24 25

24 24 25

20 20 22

20 18 21

20 18 21

16 17 21

12 10 18

10 9 18

7 7 18

Analysis:

The score that appeared most in section A is 20, hence the mode of section A is 20. There is only
one mode, therefore, score distribution is called unimodal. The modes of section B are 18 and 24, since
both 18 and 24 appeared twice. There are two modes in section B, hence, the distribution is a bimodal
distribution. The modes for section C are 18, 21 and 25. There are three modes for section C, therefore, it
is called a trimodal or multimodal distribution.

Mode for Grouped Data

In solving the mode value using grouped data, use the formula:

^x =LB +
( )
d1
d 1+d 2
c.i

LB = lower boundaryof the modal class

Modal Class (MC) = is a category containing the highest frequency

d 1 = difference between the frequency of the modal class and the frequency above it,
when the scores are arranged from lowest to highest.

d 2 = difference between the frequency of the modal class and the frequency below it,
when the scores are arranged from the lowest to highest.

c.i = size of the class interval

Example 2: Scores of 40 students in a Science class consist of 60 items and they are tabulated
below.
 X f
10 - 14 5

15 – 19 2

20 – 24 3

25 – 29 5

30 – 34 2

35 – 39 9

40 – 44 6

45 – 49 3

50 – 54 5

n = 40

Modal Class = 35 – 39

LL of MC = 35

LB = 34.5

d1 = 9 – 2 = 7

d2 = 9 – 6 = 3

c.i = 5

^x =LB +
( )d1
d 1+d 2
c.i

= 34.5 + ( 7+37 ) 5
35
= 34.5 +
10

^x = 34.5 + 3.5

^x = 38

The mode of the score distribution that consists of 40 students is 38, because 38 occurred several
times.

Properties of the Mode

 It can be used when the data are qualitative as well as quantitative.

 It may not be unique.
 It is not affected by extreme values.
  It may not exist.

When to use the Mode

 When the “typical” value is desired.

 When the data set is measured on a nominal scale.

*For more information, watch thisvideo: [Link]