American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Practice Exam

What does the mode in a data distribution represent?

1. The most frequently occurring score

2. The average of all scores

3. The midpoint of the dataset

4. The range of scores

The correct answer is: The most frequently occurring score

The mode in a data distribution represents the most frequently occurring score or value. It is a measure of central tendency that indicates which value appears the most in a dataset. This characteristic is particularly useful in various fields such as statistics and planning, where understanding common trends or typical values can inform decision-making. For example, in a dataset representing the number of houses sold in different price ranges, the mode would identify the price range that had the highest number of sales, helping planners to understand market preferences. The other options describe different statistical measures: the average of all scores is known as the mean, the midpoint of the dataset is represented by the median, and the range refers to the difference between the highest and lowest values in the data set. Each of these measures provides different insights and can be valuable depending on the context of the analysis, but they do not define the mode.