Calculating Average Test Scores

Sarah took eight math tests over the course of a semester. The table below shows her scores for each test:

Test NumberScore (out of 100)
185
292
378
488
595
683
790
889

 

Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player...
Sum: 85 + 92 + 78 + 88 + 95 + 83 + 90 + 89 = ??? ??? 8 = ?? Average score: ?? out of 100 Sarah's Average Test Score

Question

What is Sarah’s average (mean) test score for the semester?

To calculate the average (mean) test score, we need to:

  1. Find the sum of all the scores
  2. Divide the sum by the number of tests

Sum of all scores: 85 + 92 + 78 + 88 + 95 + 83 + 90 + 89 = 700

Number of tests: 8

Average score = 700 ÷ 8 = 87.5

Therefore, Sarah’s average test score for the semester is 87.5 out of 100.

Alternative method: We could also think of this as a fair share problem. If we wanted to distribute the total points (700) equally among the 8 tests, we would end up with 87.5 points per test.

Sum: 85 + 92 + 78 + 88 + 95 + 83 + 90 + 89 = 700 700 8 = 87.5 Average score: 87.5 out of 100 Sarah's Average Test Score