GRE General TestQuantitative ReasoningEasy
A data analyst is examining the ages of participants in a study. The ages are 24, 28, 30, 32, 36. If a new participant aged 60 joins the study, how does the median age change?
- AThe median decreases by 2 years.
- BThe median increases by 1 year.
- CThe median remains unchanged.
- DThe median increases by 2 years.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. The median increases by 1 year.
Initially, with 5 ages, the median is the middle value. When a 6th age is added, the median becomes the average of the two middle values. The new data set, when ordered, results in a median of 31, which is an increase of 1 from the original median of 30.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The added value is greater than the original median, so the median should increase, not decrease.
- C. The addition of a value, especially one far from the original median, will likely change it, unless it's exactly at the median.
- D. This would be the case if the original median was 29, or the new median was 32.
Median with Even/Odd Data Sets
The median is the middle value in an ordered data set. For an odd number of data points, it's the single middle value. For an even number, it's the average of the two middle values.
- Always order data before finding the median.
- Outliers have less impact on the median than on the mean.
- The median divides the data set into two equal halves.
Memory trick: Order numbers, find the middle path.