Finding the Mean from a Frequency Table

Suppose test scores are recorded as follows: 2 appears 3 times, 5 appears 4 times, and 8 appears 3 times.

First find the total of all scores:

2×3 + 5×4 + 8×3 = 6 + 20 + 24 = 50

Now count how many scores there are:

3 + 4 + 3 = 10

The mean is:

50 ÷ 10 = 5

Common error: adding the values 2 + 5 + 8 and dividing by 3 ignores the frequencies.

Useful next step: cover the worked answer and try the same method on a similar question before moving on.