Easy GRE Statistics Exam Questions Practice Questions

Concept Explanation

Statistics on the GRE Quantitative Reasoning section focuses on analyzing data sets through measures of central tendency, dispersion, and simple probability. To excel at easy GRE statistics exam questions, you must be comfortable calculating the arithmetic mean, identifying the median and mode, and understanding the range of a data set. These foundational concepts are frequently tested in both Multiple Choice and Quantitative Comparison formats. For instance, the arithmetic mean is simply the sum of all values divided by the number of values, while the median represents the middle value when the data is ordered from least to greatest.

Success on the GRE requires more than just memorizing formulas; it requires a deep understanding of how data shifts when new values are added. If you are looking for a comprehensive study path, our GRE Prep hub provides a structured overview of all quantitative topics. Understanding statistics is crucial because it accounts for a significant portion of the data interpretation questions you will encounter. By mastering these easy GRE statistics exam questions, you build the confidence needed for more complex standard deviation and normal distribution problems later in the exam.

Solved Examples

Reviewing these step-by-step solutions will help you internalize the logic required for basic GRE data analysis.

1. Finding the Average: A student scores 82, 90, and 98 on three exams. What is the average score?

   1. Sum the scores: $82 + 90 + 98 = 270$.

   2. Count the number of exams: 3.

   3. Divide the sum by the count: $\frac{270}{3} = 90$.

   4. The average score is 90.

2. Median of an Even Data Set: Find the median of the set: {12, 5, 22, 18, 10, 7}.

   1. Order the set: {5, 7, 10, 12, 18, 22}.

   2. Identify the two middle numbers: 10 and 12.

   3. Calculate the mean of the middle numbers: $\frac{10 + 12}{2} = 11$.

   4. The median is 11.

3. Range Calculation: If the heights of five players in inches are 72, 75, 68, 80, and 71, what is the range?

   1. Identify the maximum value: 80.

   2. Identify the minimum value: 68.

   3. Subtract the minimum from the maximum: $80 - 68 = 12$.

   4. The range is 12 inches.

Practice Questions

Apply your knowledge to these easy GRE statistics exam questions. Start with the basics and work your way through the set.

1. The set $S$ consists of the integers {4, 9, 11, 11, 15}. What is the mean of set $S$?

2. In a group of 10 students, the ages are 20, 21, 20, 22, 23, 20, 24, 21, 20, and 25. What is the mode of this data set?

3. A set of five numbers has a median of 12. If the numbers are {7, 10, $x$, 15, 19}, what is the value of $x$?

4. Quantity A: The mean of {5, 10, 15}. Quantity B: The median of {5, 10, 15}. Which quantity is greater?

5. If the average of $x$, $x+2$, and $x+4$ is 12, what is the value of $x$?

6. A list of numbers consists of {2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12}. If the number 14 is added to the list, by how much does the median increase?

7. The range of a set of 4 numbers is 15. If the smallest number is 5, what is the largest number?

8. What is the arithmetic mean of all even integers from 2 to 10 inclusive?

9. If the sum of 5 consecutive integers is 50, what is the median of these integers?

10. A data set contains the values {3, 3, 5, 8, 11}. If each value in the set is increased by 2, what is the new mean?

For more variety, you can explore GRE Practice Questions with Answers or try our AI Question Generator to create custom sets.

Answers & Explanations

1. 10: Sum the values: $4 + 9 + 11 + 11 + 15 = 50$. Divide by the count: $\frac{50}{5} = 10$.

2. 20: The mode is the value that appears most frequently. The number 20 appears 4 times, which is more than any other number.

3. 12: In an ordered set of five numbers, the median is the third number. Since the set is already ordered, $x = 12$.

4. The two quantities are equal: The mean is $\frac{5+10+15}{3} = 10$. The median (middle value) is 10.

5. 10: Set up the equation: $\frac{x + (x+2) + (x+4)}{3} = 12$. This simplifies to $3x + 6 = 36$, so $3x = 30$ and $x = 10$.

6. 1: The original median of {2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12} is the average of 6 and 8, which is 7. The new set is {2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14}, where the median is 8. The increase is $8 - 7 = 1$.

7. 20: Range = Max - Min. So, $15 = \text{Max} - 5$. Adding 5 to both sides gives $\text{Max} = 20$.

8. 6: The even integers are {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}. Sum = 30. Mean = $\frac{30}{5} = 6$.

9. 10: Let the integers be $n, n+1, n+2, n+3, n+4$. Their sum is $5n + 10 = 50$, so $5n = 40$ and $n = 8$. The integers are {8, 9, 10, 11, 12}. The median is 10.

10. 8: The original mean is $\frac{3+3+5+8+11}{5} = \frac{30}{5} = 6$. If every value increases by 2, the mean also increases by 2. New mean = 8.

1. If a set of data is {2, 2, 3, 7, 11}, which of the following is true?

• AThe mean is greater than the median
• BThe mode is 2
• CThe range is 11
• DThe median is 3.5

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find the median if there is an even number of values?

To find the median of an even-numbered data set, you must list the numbers in order and then calculate the average (arithmetic mean) of the two middle numbers. This ensures the median accurately represents the center of the distribution.

What is the difference between mean and median on the GRE?

The mean is the average of all values, while the median is the middle value of an ordered list. The GRE often tests your ability to determine which measure changes more when a new value is added to the set.

Can a data set have more than one mode?

Yes, a data set can be bimodal or multimodal if two or more values appear with the same highest frequency. If no value repeats, the set is said to have no mode.

How is the range of a data set defined?

The range is the simplest measure of dispersion, calculated by subtracting the smallest value in the set from the largest value. It indicates the total spread of the data but is highly sensitive to outliers.

Does the GRE provide a calculator for statistics questions?

Yes, an on-screen calculator is provided during the GRE Quantitative Reasoning sections. You should use it to ensure accuracy when summing large lists of numbers for mean calculations, but always try to estimate first to save time.

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