Question

On your next test, instead of telling you what you made, your teacher told you what percentile you scored in. He told you you were in the 35th percentile and the median score of the test was a 62. With this information, do you think you pass a test? Explain your reasoning.

a) Yes, because I scored above the median.
b) No, because I scored below the median.
c) It's uncertain, as the percentile doesn't provide the exact score.
d) Not enough information to determine.

Answer 1

Being in the 35th percentile means you scored below the median but does not give enough information to determine if you passed. The percentile indicates positioning relative to others, not the exact score. Answer d) 'Not enough information to determine' is the correct one.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you were told that you are in the 35th percentile, it means that you scored higher than 35 percent of the other test takers, but lower than the remaining 65 percent. Since the median (50th percentile) score on the test was a 62, and you are in the 35th percentile, you scored below the median. In general, percentiles are used to understand where you stand relative to a large group. However, whether you passed the test or not cannot be determined directly from your percentile alone without knowing the passing score threshold.

Answer d) Not enough information to determine is correct because the percentile does not provide the exact score you achieved on the test, nor does it indicate the passing mark. Percentiles are more about your position in relation to others than about the specific score or whether that score is a passing or failing one.