Which term is the middle value when the data are ordered?

• A. Mean
• B. Median
• C. Mode
• D. Precision

Answer: (B)

The middle value when data are ordered is the median. It sits at the point that divides the dataset into two halves, with half of the observations at or below it and half at or above it. This makes it a robust measure of central tendency, less influenced by extreme values than the average. If there are an odd number of values, the exact middle value is the median; with an even number of values, the median is the average of the two central values. In contrast, the mean averages all data points and can be skewed by outliers, the mode is the most frequent value, and precision relates to how consistently a measurement can be repeated, not to a central value.