Statistics

Statistics on the GCSE is about handling data: calculating and comparing averages, measuring spread, drawing and reading charts, sampling, and interpreting what the numbers actually say. It covers mean, median and mode, averages from frequency and grouped-frequency tables, bar charts, pie charts, stem and leaf, scatter graphs, cumulative frequency, box plots and histograms.

Averages, range and the basic charts are dependable marks on both tiers. Averages from grouped data, scatter graphs and lines of best fit are the crossover topics. Cumulative frequency, box plots and histograms, particularly histograms with unequal class widths and frequency density, are the Higher-tier material where the harder marks sit. Many marks in this unit are for interpretation in words, so practise writing clear one-sentence conclusions that refer back to the context of the question.