Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Mathematics Practice Exam

What does the five-number summary consist of?

1. Mean and standard deviation only

2. Minimum, maximum, and three quartiles

3. Only the total count of data points

4. Mode and median only

The correct answer is: Minimum, maximum, and three quartiles

The five-number summary is a descriptive statistic that provides a quick overview of a dataset, summarizing its distribution and identifying its key features. It includes five specific values: the minimum, which is the lowest data point; the first quartile (Q1), marking the 25th percentile of the data; the median, which is the 50th percentile or the midpoint of the dataset; the third quartile (Q3), representing the 75th percentile; and the maximum, which is the highest data point. This summary is particularly useful because it provides insights into the center and spread of the data, allowing for easy identification of potential outliers and the overall range of the dataset. In contrast, the other options offered do not encompass the necessary elements that define the five-number summary. For instance, focusing solely on measures like the mean and standard deviation does not account for the distribution of data points, nor do they represent a complete summary of the dataset. Similarly, just counting the total number of data points or considering only mode and median fails to capture the essential aspects of data distribution and range.