GCSE Cumulative Frequency, Box Plots & The table shows information about the numbers

of certificates awarded in Jordan’s class during a

Quartiles
term. Work out the interquartile range of the
Exercise 1 – Quartiles & Median numbers of certificates awarded.

1. Determine the Lower Quartile, Median, Upper

Quartile and Interquartile Range of each list of
numbers.
a. 1, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, 20
b. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15 6. [Edexcel GCSE June 2017 2H Q12a]
c. -3, 0, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 9, 10, 10.5, 11 The table gives information about the heights of
d. 8, 10, 14, 15, 20, 22, 25 35 girls. Find the class interval that contains the
e. median.

Age (years) Freq

18 6

19 7

20 1 7. [June2003-5H Q14a] Mary recorded the heights,

in centimetres, of the girls in her class.
21 2
She put the heights in order.
22 3 132 144 150 152 160 162 162
2. Determine the median class interval and modal 167 167 170 172 177 181 182 182
class interval: Determine the lower and upper quartiles.
8. [Nov 2017 3H Q1a] The table shows information
Weight of cat (kg) Freq about the heights of 80 children. Find the class
interval that contains the median.

2≤𝑤<6 6

6≤𝑤<8 8

8 ≤ 𝑤 < 20 5

20 ≤ 𝑤 < 30 3 9. [Edexcel IGCSE Jan2015(R)-3H Q12b]

Here are the marks scored in a test by the girls in
30 ≤ 𝑤 < 32 1
class 8C.
3. For the following marks: 2 8 10 12 15 16 16
3 9 2 10 1 11 4 17 18 19 20
Determine: (a) Find the interquartile range of this data.
(a) The median (b) Lower Quartile (b) The boys in class 8C did the same test.
(c) Upper quartile (d) Interquartile range The boys’ marks had a range of 19 and an
interquartile range of 11 marks. Gareth says
4. [Edexcel IGCSE Jan2015(R)-3H Q12a] that the girls’ marks are more spread out than
Here are the marks scored in a test by the girls in the boys’ marks. Is Gareth right?
class 8C. 10. [JMC 2017 Q20] The range of a list of integers is
2 8 10 12 15 16 16 17 18 19 20 20, and the median is 17. What is the smallest
Work out the interquartile range of the girls’ possible number of integers in the list?
marks. 11. [Hamilton 2016 Q5] James chooses five different
5. [Edexcel IGCSE May2015(R)-4H Q5b] positive integers, each at most eight, so that their
Jordan’s school awards certificates for mean is equal to their median.
outstanding work. In how many different ways can he do this?
Exercise 2 – Box Plots 5. [Edexcel GCSE June 2017 1H Q19 Edited]
1. Above the number line provided, draw a box Some students were asked how many times
plot to represent the following information: they each used their mobile phones last week.
The box plots give information about the male
Minimum value: 5 students’ answers and about the female
Maximum value: 23 students’ answers.
Lower quartile: 10
Median: 12
Upper quartile: 18

6. [Edexcel GCSE Jun2016-1H Q15b]

2. Use the following weights to draw a box plot
above the provided number line.
3.5kg 4.2kg 5.1kg 5.2kg 5.5kg 8.0kg 11.9kg
The box plots give information about the
wages of a group of 16 year old workers and a
group of 18 year old workers.
There are 200 workers who are 16 years old.
Work out an estimate for the number of these
workers whose wages are £130 or more.

3. [Edexcel GCSE Nov2015-2H Q18]

The box plot shows information about the
number of countries competing in each
Winter Olympic Games since 1948.
a. Work out the median.
b. Work out the interquartile range.
7. Edexcel GCSE(9-1) Nov 2017 1H Q12b]
The table shows information about the
heights, in cm, of a group of Year 11 girls.

4. [Edexcel GCSE
The box plot below shows information about
Nov2011-4H
the heights, in cm, of a group of Year 7 girls.
Q16a]
Compare the distribution of heights of the
Barry drew an
Year 7 girls with the distribution of heights of
angle of 60°.
the Year 11 girls.
He asked some
children to
estimate the size of the angle he had drawn.
He recorded their estimates. The box plot
gives some information about these
estimates.
a. Write down the median of the
children’s estimates.
b. Find the interquartile range of the
children’s estimates.
Exercise 3 – Cumulative Frequency Graphs
Test Your Understanding

[Edexcel IGCSE(9-1) SAM 2H Q12] (a) Complete the cumulative frequency table.
The table shows information about the amount of
money that 120 people spent in a shop.

(b) On the grid, draw a cumulative frequency graph for the table.

(c) Use the graph to find an estimate for the median amount of money spent in the shop by these people.

……………………………..
Question 1: The table shows information about the heights of 40 bushes.

Height (h cm) Frequency

170 ≤ h < 175 5
175 ≤ h < 180 18
180 ≤ h < 185 12
185 ≤ h < 190 4
190 ≤ h < 195 1

(a) Complete the cumulative frequency table.

Height
Cumulative Frequency
(h cm)
170 ≤ h < 175
170 ≤ h < 180
170 ≤ h < 185
170 ≤ h < 190
170 ≤ h < 195

(b) On the grid, draw a cumulative frequency graph for your table.

40
Cumulative
frequency

30

20

10

0
170 175 180 185 190 195
Height (h cm)

(c) Use the graph to find an estimate for the median height of the bushes.

……………………… cm
Question 2. 40 boys each completed a puzzle.
The cumulative frequency graph below gives information about the times it took them to complete the puzzle.

(a) Use the graph to find an estimate for the median time

............... seconds (1)

40

Cumulative 30
frequency

20

10

O 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time in seconds

For the boys

the minimum time to complete the puzzle was 9 seconds
and the maximum time to complete the puzzle was 57 seconds.

(b) Use this information and the cumulative frequency graph to draw a box plot showing information
about the boy’s times.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time in seconds
(3)

The box plot below shows information about the times taken by 40 girls to complete the same
puzzle.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time in seconds

(c) Make two comparisons between the boys’ times and the girls’ times.

...............................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................... (2)
Question 3. The table gives information about the ages of 160 employees of an IT company.

Age (A) in years Frequency

15 < A ≤ 25 44
25 < A ≤ 35 56
35 < A ≤ 45 34
45 < A ≤ 55 19
55 < A ≤ 65 7

(a) Write down the modal class interval.

.......................................
(1)

(b) Complete the cumulative frequency table.

Age (A) in years Cumulative Frequency

15 < A ≤ 25
15 < A ≤ 35
15 < A ≤ 45
15 < A ≤ 55
15 < A ≤ 65
(1)

(c) On the grid on the next page, draw a cumulative frequency graph for your table.
(2)

(d) Use your graph to find an estimate for

(i) the median age of the employees,

................................... years

(i) the interquartile range of the ages of the employees.

................................... years
(3)

Another IT company has 80 employees.

The age of the youngest employee is 24 years.

The age of the oldest employee is 54 years.

The median age is 38 years.

The lower quartile age is 30 years.
The upper quartile age is 44 years.
(e) On the grid at the bottom of the page, draw a box plot to show information about the ages of the
employees.
(2)

180

Cumulative
frequency
160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Age (A) in years

Diagram for part (e).

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Age (A) in years
(Total 9 marks)
Question 4. A company tested 100 batteries. The table shows information about the number of hours that
the batteries lasted.
Time (t hours) Frequency
50 ≤ t < 55 12
55 ≤ t < 60 21
60 ≤ t < 65 36
65 ≤ t < 70 23
70 ≤ t < 75 8

(a) Complete the cumulative frequency table for this information.

(1)
Time Cumulative
(t hours) frequency

50 ≤ t < 55 12
50 ≤ t < 60
50 ≤ t < 65
50 ≤ t < 70
50 ≤ t < 75

(b) On the grid, draw a cumulative frequency graph for your completed table. (2)

(c) Use your completed graph to find an estimate for the median time.
You must state the units of your answer.

100

Cumulative
frequency
80

60

40

20

0
50 55 60 65 70 75
Time (t hours)

.....................................
(2)
(Total 5 marks)
Question 5. [Edexcel GCSE Nov2007-3I Q20ii, Nov2007-5H Q11ii]
Here is the cumulative frequency curve of the weights of 120 girls at Mayfield
Secondary School.

140

120

100

80

Cumulative
frequency
60

40

20

0
40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Weight (kg)

Use the cumulative frequency curve to find an estimate for the

(i) median weight,

..................................... kg

(ii) interquartile range of the weights.

..................................... kg
(Total 3 marks)
Question 6. Here are four cumulative frequency diagrams.

A B

C D

Here are four box plots.

For each box plot, write down the letter of the appropriate cumulative
frequency diagram.

P and .....................................

Q and .....................................

R and .....................................

S and .....................................
(Total 2 marks)