GRE General TestQuantitative ReasoningEasy
A data analyst is examining the ages of participants in a study. The ages are 24, 28, 30, 32, 35, 38. What is the median age of the participants?
- A30
- B31.5
- C31
- D32
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. 31.5
Since the data set has an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle values after ordering them.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This is one of the middle numbers, but not the average of the two.
- C. This is a plausible miscalculation or rounding error.
- D. This is one of the middle numbers, but not the average of the two.
Median with Even Data Sets
For a data set with an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle values after the data has been ordered from least to greatest.
- Data must be ordered.
- Identify the two central values.
- Calculate their arithmetic mean.
Memory trick: Even Median's Average: Order the numbers, find the two middle ones, then average them out!