Measures of Center and Variability Worksheets, Grade 6 (6.SP.A.3) – Free PDF + Answer Key

First page of the measures of center and variability practice worksheet

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PDFs print on US Letter paper. Free for classroom and home use.

Watch: Mean, Median, Mode, and Range Explained Clearly

Key idea

Center — mean (add, divide) or median (middle). Variability — range (highest − lowest) or MAD (average distance from the mean). For the MAD: find the mean, find how far each value is from it (always positive), then average those distances.

Sample problems

Find the mean of 2, 6, 7, 9.
Find the median of 2, 6, 7, 9.
Find the range of 2, 6, 7, 9.
Find the MAD of 2, 6, 7, 9.

Common mistakes to watch for

Gave 4 as the median by counting positions rather than finding the middle value.
Kept the signs when finding distances, so they summed to 0. Distance is never negative — that is what ‘absolute’ means.
Chose the mean because it uses every value. Using every value is exactly why one extreme value can distort it.

The answer key explains each one, so you can tell what a wrong answer means.

How to use this set

Teach with the slides (about 15 minutes), or watch the video together.
Practice with the worksheet. Questions climb from fluency to application to reasoning.
Check understanding with the exit ticket, and send the homework home.
Mark with the answer key — each answer shows the steps and the most likely mistake.