Mean Median Mode Range Worksheet

Mean, median, mode, and range at a glance

Mean, median and mode are all measures of central tendency or average – each gives a central value to represent a set of data points. 

The mode is the most frequently occurring value – this can be categorical or numerical. The mode is the only average that can be used for categorical data.

The median is the middle value when a set of numbers is put in order. For a small set of data, we write down the list of numbers in order, then systematically cross one number from each end in turn until we find the middle value. If there is an even number of values, this will result in two values identified as ‘the middle number’, so we state the mode as the midpoint of these two values. The mode can be a fraction or a decimal, even if the original data are integers. 

To calculate the mean of a set of numbers, we add up all of the numbers in the set, then divide by how many numbers there are. 

The average chosen depends on the set of data. For example, when comparing results on a test, when we talk about the average score, this tends to be the mean. However, if the data set contains a lot of extreme values or outliers, the median value may be more appropriate.

The range is often taught alongside mean, median and mode; it is important that students understand that the range is not an average, and instead is a measure of spread. To calculate range, we subtract the smallest value from the largest value in the data set.

Looking forward, students can then progress to additional Statistics worksheets, for example a line graph worksheet or pie chart worksheet.

For more teaching and learning support on Statistics our GCSE maths lessons provide step by step support for all GCSE maths concepts.