How to Find the Mode of a Data Set

Last updated on September 25th, 2020

The mode is the number in a data set that occurs most frequently. Count how many times each number occurs in the data set. The mode is the number with the highest tally. Here is how to find the mode of a different set.

There are three most common scenarios. First one is number with the highest tally in a data set, more than one mode if the multiple number occurs the same number of time in data set. And if all numbers occur the same number of times there is no mode.

Steps

To find the mode, or modal value follow the three basic steps.

1. Put the numbers in order.
2. Count how many of each number.
3. Mode is the number that appears most often is the mode. 

Find the Mode in different Data Sets

1. Numbers appears most often

For Example, the given data set is {3, 5, 4, 2, 3, 5, 3}

1. Arrange the number in order: {2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5,}
2. 3 -> 3 times, 5 -> 2 times and the rest appear only once.
3. 3 is the mode in the given data set as it appears the most often. 

2. More than one Mode

For Example, the given data set is {6, 8, 3, 9, 8, 6}

1. Arrange the number in order: {3, 6, 6, 8, 8, 9}
2. 6 -> 2 times & 8 -> 2 times and the rest appear only once.
3. There are two modes in the given data set: 6 and 8

Having two modes is called “bimodal”.
Having more than two modes is called “multimodal”.

3. No Mode

For Example, the given data set is {15, 4, 8, 23, 16, 42}

1. Arrange the number in order: {4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42}
2. All the numbers appear only once.
3. There is no mode in given data set.