Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) ATI Mathematics Practice Test

If a survey recorded the average number of houses sold annually by various agents, which statistic would best represent the average performance of Amelia?

1. Mean

2. Median

3. Mode

4. Standard deviation

The correct answer is: Median

To determine which statistic best represents Amelia's average performance in terms of houses sold annually, the median is the most appropriate choice. The median provides the middle value when the data set is arranged in ascending order. This means that half of the agents sold more than this number, and half sold less, making it a reliable measure of central tendency that is not influenced by extremely high or low values. In scenarios where the distribution of data is skewed—such as a few agents selling an exceptionally high number of houses while most sell fewer—the mean could be disproportionately affected, leading to a misleading average. The median, on the other hand, remains robust in such cases, reflecting a more representative performance of the typical agent. Other statistics like mode simply indicate the most frequently occurring number of houses sold, which may not effectively reflect the overall performance of Amelia relative to her peers. Standard deviation measures the dispersion or variability in the data set but does not offer insights into central performance. Thus, the median is the most effective statistic in providing a clear understanding of Amelia's average performance among the agents surveyed.