ASVAB · Averages and Statistics

A soldier scored 72, 85, 91, and 80 on four tests. What is the average (mean) score?

Correct answer

82

  1. A 83
  2. B 84
  3. C 82
  4. D 81

Why this is the answer

Sum = 72 + 85 + 91 + 80 = 328. Mean = 328 ÷ 4 = 82. The mean is the total divided by the number of scores. A quick sanity check: the mean must sit between the lowest (72) and highest (91) score, and 82 is close to the middle of the pack. The distractors 81, 83 and 84 are all plausible-looking neighbours, which is why adding carefully (328, not 324 or 332) matters more than the final division.
Source: ASVAB AR, Averages

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About this topic: Averages and Statistics

Averages and statistics questions cover mean, median, mode and range, including working backwards from a known average to a missing value. Sort the data before finding a median, and remember the mean must lie between the smallest and largest values. This is one of 8 Arithmetic Reasoning questions on averages and statistics, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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