ASVAB · Averages and Statistics

A unit ran 5 miles, 6 miles, 7 miles, 4 miles, and 8 miles over five days. What was the median daily distance?

Correct answer

6 miles

  1. A 6 miles
  2. B 7 miles
  3. C 5 miles
  4. D 8 miles

Why this is the answer

Arrange in order: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. The median (middle value) is 6 miles. Median means the middle value once the numbers are sorted — not the middle of the original list. Here the mean also happens to be 6 (30 ÷ 5), but on the test the two usually differ, so always sort first. With an even count of values, the median is the average of the two middle numbers.
Source: ASVAB AR, Median

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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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