GMAT Math : Calculating mode

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #2101 : Problem Solving Questions

Find the mode of the following set of numbers.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The mode is the most frequent number. Thus, our answer is .

Example Question #2111 : Problem Solving Questions

.

Give the mode of the set .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The mode of a set, if it exists, is the value that occurs most frequently. The inequality

means that the set

 

can be rewritten as

 and  occur as values twice each; the other values,  and , are unique. Therefore, the set has two modes,  and .

Example Question #103 : Descriptive Statistics

Which of these values is not a mode of the set  ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The mode of a set is the value that occurs most frequently in that set. Since 

, it follows that 

can be rewritten as

.

This makes  and  both modes, since both occur twice. Equivalently, since  and  and  are modes.

Example Question #561 : Arithmetic

True or false: is the arithmetic mean of the set .

Statement 1:

Statement 2: is the arithmetic mean of and .

Possible Answers:

STATEMENT 2 ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question, but STATEMENT 1 ALONE does NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

EITHER STATEMENT ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question.

BOTH STATEMENTS TOGETHER provide sufficient information to answer the question, but NEITHER STATEMENT ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question.

BOTH STATEMENTS TOGETHER do NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

STATEMENT 1 ALONE provides sufficient information to answer the question, but STATEMENT 2 ALONE does NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

Correct answer:

BOTH STATEMENTS TOGETHER do NOT provide sufficient information to answer the question.

Explanation:

Assume both statements to be true, and examine two cases.

Case 1:

The arithmetic mean of and is

The conditions of both statements are satisfied.

The mean of the five numbers is their sum divided by 5:

 

Case 2:

The arithmetic mean of and is

The conditions of both statements are satisfied.

But the mean of the five numbers is

Therefore, the mean may or may not be equal to .

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