Mean absolute deviation worksheet for Statistics
Take each value away from the mean, drop the minus signs, and average what is left. It answers a different question from the range: how far a typical value sits from the middle, rather than how far the two extremes are apart.
Also taught in Algebra 1, at its own level and with its own examples.
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Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets Name Mean Absolute Deviation Date Period Answer each question.
Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep |
Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets Name Mean Absolute DeviationAnswer keyVersion 1 Date Period Answer each question.
Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep |
How to do these
The mean of is . Find the mean absolute deviation, to the nearest hundredth
- The distances are 2, 0 and 2.
- Their total is 4, over 3 values.
The answer is .
Where students go wrong
Leaving the minus signs in. The deviations always add to zero with their signs, so the absolute values are the whole point.
Also called MAD, average deviation or spread.
What you can put on this worksheet
- Mean absolute deviation
- The mean is . Find the mean absolute deviation: . →
- Rounded to a hundredth
- Find the mean absolute deviation, to the nearest hundredth:
. Do not round the mean before you use it. → - Comparing two groups
- The test scores: Class A has mean 43 and MAD 4; Class B has mean 59 and MAD 4. How many MADs apart are the two means? →