Separate mark scheme — do not issue with the student worksheet
Time guide: — · Questions: 32 · Total marks: 76
Written in AQA Higher-style. Show clear working. A calculator may be used unless a question says otherwise.
Indicative marking points. Award marks for equivalent scientific or mathematical wording. Do not issue this sheet with the student worksheet.
1.
For the data 2, 5, 7, 7, 9, 11, 15, find the median.
[2 marks]
Ordered already, middle value
Final answer: 7
2.
Find the mode of that data set.
[1 mark]
Most frequent
Final answer: 7
3.
Find the range of that data set.
[1 mark]
Largest − smallest
Final answer: 13
4.
Find the mean of that data set. Give your answer to 1 d.p. if needed.
[2 marks]
Sum ÷ 7
Final answer: 8.0
5.
The mean of four numbers is 10. Three of the numbers are 7, 9 and 12. Find the fourth number.
[3 marks]
Total = 40
Final answer: 12
6.
Which average is most affected by an outlier: mean, median or mode? Explain.
[2 marks]
Mean
It uses every value
7.
A frequency table: 1,2,3,4,5 scored by 4, 6, 7, 3, 0 students.
(a) [2 marks]
20
(b) [3 marks]
(1×4+2×6+3×7+4×3)/20 = 2.45
8.
From the same table, find the modal score and the median score.
[3 marks]
20 values, 10th and 11th both in the 3 group
Final answer: Mode 3; median 3
9.
Explain the difference between a bar chart and a histogram.
[3 marks]
Bar chart: gaps, frequencies of categories
Histogram: no gaps, frequency density, continuous data
10.
A histogram has a class 10 ≤ t < 20 of width 10 and frequency 16. Find the frequency density.
[2 marks]
f ÷ class width
Final answer: 1.6
11.
A scatter graph shows a strong negative correlation. Describe what this means in context if the variables are age of a car and value.
[2 marks]
As age increases, value decreases
Strong: points close to a line
12.
Why does correlation not imply causation? Give an exam-style example.
[2 marks]
A third variable may be involved
e.g. ice cream sales and drowning both rise in summer
13.
Stem-and-leaf: 1 | 2 5 ; 2 | 0 3 7 8 ; 3 | 1 4. Find the median and the range.
[3 marks]
9 values, 5th is 27; 34−12
Final answer: Median 27; range 22
14.
Quartiles for 11 ordered values: find the positions of Q1, Q2 and Q3.
[2 marks]
Final answer: Q1 = 3rd, Q2 = 6th, Q3 = 9th
15.
A data set has Q1 = 4, Q3 = 12. Find the interquartile range and explain what it measures.
[3 marks]
Spread of the middle 50%
Final answer: IQR = 8
16.
An outlier is often defined as a value more than 1.5 × IQR above Q3 or below Q1. If Q1 = 10, Q3 = 22, which of 42 and 40 would be outliers?
[3 marks]
IQR = 12, fence = 22 + 18 = 40
42 is an outlier; 40 is on the fence / check the definition used
17.
Two groups: A has mean 20 from 10 people, B has mean 30 from 20 people. Find the combined mean.
[3 marks]
(200 + 600)/30
Final answer: 26.67 or 80/3
18.
Describe how to draw a box plot from a five-number summary.
[3 marks]
Min, Q1, median, Q3, max
Box from Q1 to Q3, line at median, whiskers to min/max
19.
Compare two box plots: team A has a higher median but a larger IQR than team B. Write a comparison in context of test scores.
[3 marks]
A typically scored higher
A's scores are more spread out
20.
Grouped data: 0–10 fd=2, 10–20 fd=5, 20–40 fd=3. The second class is 10 wide. Find its frequency.
[2 marks]
5 × 10
Final answer: 50
21.
What is frequency density and why is it used in a histogram with unequal class widths?
[2 marks]
Frequency ÷ class width
So area represents frequency
22.
A pie chart represents 180 students. The 'walk' sector is 80°. How many students walk?
[2 marks]
80/360 × 180
Final answer: 40
23.
In a sample of 40, 7 people own a cat. Estimate how many own a cat in a town of 12 000, assuming the sample is representative.
[2 marks]
7/40 × 12000
Final answer: 2100
24.
Give one reason a sample might not be representative, and one way to improve it.
[2 marks]
Bias / too small / only one location
Random sample / larger / stratified
25.
Explain the difference between discrete and continuous data. Give an example of each.