Excel functions / Maths & statistics
MEDIAN & MODE
MEDIAN returns the middle value; MODE returns the most common one.
Syntax
=MEDIAN(number1, ...)
=MODE(number1, ...)Arguments
number1, ... | The numbers to examine. |
|---|
How it works
MEDIAN sorts the numbers and takes the one in the middle. Unlike AVERAGE, one unusually large value cannot drag it around, so it is a good "typical" figure for things like salaries or house prices.
MODE returns the value that appears most often.
Example
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rep | Deals | ||
| 2 | Jo | 12 | 9 | |
| 3 | Kim | 7 | ||
| 4 | Lee | 15 | ||
| 5 | Mo | 9 | ||
| 6 | Ned | 7 | ||
| 7 |
Result: 9. Sorted, the deals are 7, 7, 9, 12, 15. The middle one is 9.
Tips
- With an even count, MEDIAN averages the two middle values.
Practise MEDIAN & MODE
Try it yourself in a real spreadsheet, with instant feedback on every answer.