SAT Math · Problem-Solving & Data Analysis

Data Distributions & Measures of Center on the Digital SATWhat it tests, how to approach it, and where students get trapped

Mean, median, mode, range, and standard deviation — and how outliers or skew change them — read from lists, tables, and frequency plots.

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Data Distributions & Measures of Center in Our Question Bank

48

Total questions

15

Easy

18

Medium

15

Hard

These counts cover the full Grind1600 bank. On the Free plan you get the first 5 easy, 5 medium, and 5 hard questions in Problem-Solving & Data Analysis.

What the SAT Actually Tests

These questions test mean, median, mode, range, and standard deviation as concepts, not just calculations: how does removing an outlier move the mean vs. the median? Which of two dot plots has a larger standard deviation? What's the median when data is given as a frequency table?

Know the behavioral rules: the mean chases outliers, the median resists them; skewed-right data pulls the mean above the median; standard deviation is about spread from the mean, not the height of bars. For frequency tables, find the median by counting positions — with 25 values, the 13th value in order is the median.

Original Data Distributions & Measures of Center Practice Questions

These fixed public samples come from Grind1600's original question bank. Choose an answer and check your reasoning before reading the explanation.

Question 1easy
The range of a data set is the difference between the maximum and minimum values. What is the range of the following data set? 14, 22, 8, 31, 17, 25
Question 2medium
A teacher recorded the test scores of 11 students: 62, 68, 71, 74, 78, 78, 82, 85, 88, 91, 95. If the score of 95 is removed from the data set, which of the following correctly describes the change?

Traps to Avoid

  • Finding the median of a frequency table by taking the middle category instead of the middle data value.
  • Assuming the mean must equal the median in any 'normal-looking' plot.
  • Comparing standard deviations by the range alone — clustering near the mean matters more than total width.

Want more official questions for this skill?

The College Board Student Question Bank can filter official SAT questions by section, domain, skill, and difficulty. Read our question-bank workflow guide before choosing a set.

More Problem-Solving & Data Analysis Skills

Ratios, Rates & Units

Setting up proportions, converting units, and reasoning with rates — the most common word-problem machinery on the SAT Math section.

Percentages

Percent change, percent of a quantity, reverse-percentage problems, and multi-step percent scenarios like tax-plus-discount.

Scatterplots & Two-Variable Data

Reading scatterplots, lines of best fit, interpreting slope in context, and distinguishing linear from exponential association.

Probability

One-event and conditional probability, usually read out of two-way frequency tables — the key is identifying the correct restricted group.

Inference & Margin of Error

What sample results let you conclude about a population, how margin of error works, and why sample size changes confidence.

Evaluating Statistical Claims

Judging what a study design supports: random sampling vs. random assignment, causation vs. correlation, and generalizability.

Continue With Problem-Solving & Data Analysis Practice

Practice is sorted by domain and difficulty. On the Free plan you get the first 5 questions of each difficulty in Problem-Solving & Data Analysis. Pro opens every question in the bank.

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Last reviewed August 29, 2026 · Grind1600 Editorial Team