Stats

[nikhilagrawal]

A class of 35 students take part in an test. How many students are below the average score?
1. The average score is 86
2. The median score is 86

[CappyAA]

Cannot solve with either (E)

(1) Avg score is 86 - This could be lots of students higher or lower. It doesn't tell about the number below 86. The only thing we know is that the average works out to 86. (NOT SUFFICIENT)
(2) Median is 86 - This says nothing about the average score. We do not know what the average is. We only know that the 18th person when listed in order scored an 86. (NOT SUFFICIENT)
(1) and (2) - We know that the median and average are both 86. If all students had different scores, we'd know that there would be 17 below the average. However, the 17th and 19th students in order could have also had an 86. (NOT SUFFICIENT)

[krazy800]

I would go with C.

Since information abt no. of students is given (i.e. 35) the median is 18th term. It is also given that median=average=86.. therefore 17 students score below average.. C is the answer.

[Toph@GMAT_REBOOT]

It's E. As Cappy said, multiple people could be at the median. 35 people could have received an 86%, 1 person could have received an 86%, etc.

[kris610]

I would go with C.

Since information abt no. of students is given (i.e. 35) the median is 18th term. It is also given that median=average=86.. therefore 17 students score below average.. C is the answer.

Median=Average iff the numbers are equally spaced..

[namitrajiv]

Please post the OA

[arthi]

I also think it is C

[cramya]

It should be E)

As a few others said there is no way of knowing what any of the students below the 18th student(median) got.

86 could have been repeated many times; we dont know.

[arthi]

But if the median and avg are the same, then the numbers should be equally spaced. so we should have 17 below avg.

Nikhil - what is the OA?