Averages: Median and Mode
Median is the middle value; mode the most frequent.
Key idea
Median is the middle value; mode the most frequent.
In depth
The median is the middle value of ordered data (average the two middle values if the count is even). The mode is the most frequent value. The median resists outliers.
Worked example
Data 3, 5, 5, 8, 20: median 5, mode 5, mean 8.2, showing the 20 pulling the mean up.
Real-world uses
- Describing typical house prices
- Finding the most popular shoe size in a shop
- Summarising survey answers
Common mistake
Not sorting the data before finding the median.
How to learn this
- Read the key idea and say it in your own words.
- Work through the worked example, then try a similar problem.
- Use the interactive lesson’s visual and mini-quiz to check the pattern.
Frequently asked questions
What is Averages: Median and Mode?
Median is the middle value; mode the most frequent. It is a topic at the intermediate level in Arithmetic & Number Sense.
Where is Averages: Median and Mode used in real life?
Real-world examples: Describing typical house prices; Finding the most popular shoe size in a shop; Summarising survey answers.
What should I learn before Averages: Median and Mode?
Make sure you are comfortable with Averages: Mean, the previous topic in Arithmetic & Number Sense.
What is a common mistake with Averages: Median and Mode?
Not sorting the data before finding the median.
How can I practise Averages: Median and Mode?
Open the interactive lesson, play with the visual, then answer the three-question mini-quiz. Getting two right marks the topic complete.
What comes after Averages: Median and Mode?
Move on to Powers of Ten next.
Related intermediate topics in Arithmetic & Number Sense
- Long Multiplication – Multiply by each digit of the multiplier, shift by place value, then add partial products.
- Long Division – Divide, multiply, subtract and bring down repeatedly to get the quotient.
- Factors and Multiples – Factors divide a number exactly; multiples are its products with whole numbers.
- Divisibility Rules – Quick tests: by 2 last digit even, by 3 digit-sum divisible by 3, by 5 ends 0/5, by 9 digit-sum divisible by 9.
- Prime Numbers – A prime has exactly two positive divisors: 1 and itself.
- Composite Numbers – Numbers greater than 1 with more than two factors.