What is the median of the scores given below?
15, 8, 30, 12, 5, 40, 30, 20​

Correct option is B

The correct answer is 17.50.
1. To calculate the median, we first arrange the data in ascending order:
5, 8, 12, 15, 20, 30, 30, 40
2. The median is the middle value of a dataset. If the number of values (N) is even, the median is the average of the two middle values.
3. In this case, N = 8 (even number). The middle two values are 15 and 20 (4th and 5th terms).
4. Median = (15 + 20) / 2 = 17.50
Hence, option (2) is the correct answer.

Information Booster

Understanding the Median and its Importance
1.1. Median is a measure of central tendency, representing the middle point of a dataset.
1.2. It divides the data into two equal halves—50% of the values lie below the median and 50% lie above it.
1.3. Unlike the mean, the median is not affected by extreme scores or outliers, making it a more reliable indicator of central location in skewed distributions.
1.4. Median is particularly useful in ordinal data or when the dataset has abnormally high or low values.
1.5. In even-numbered datasets, the median is calculated as the average of the two middle values, whereas in odd-numbered datasets, it is simply the middle value.
1.6. It is commonly used in socioeconomic statistics (e.g., median income, median age) where data may not be symmetrically distributed.
1.7. Median helps in interpreting real-world data more accurately when data distribution is not normal.