MEASURES OF POSITION

Quantiles are natural extension of the median idea in that they are values which divide a set of data into
equal parts. Quantiles are classified as:
1. quartile
2. decile
3. percentile

QUARTILE

Quartile is a quantile that divides the distribution into four equal parts. The values of the quartiles are
denoted by Q1 for first quartile; Qa for second quartile, and Q3 for third quartile. ⮚ For the Q1 :
Twenty-five percent (25%) of the distribution falls below and seventy-five percent (75%) falls above
the value on the Q1 .
⮚ For the Q2 : Fifty percent (50%) of the distribution falls below and the other fifty percent (50%)
falls above the value on the Q2 .
⮚ For the Q3 : Seventy-five (75%) of the distribution is less than the value on the Q3 while the
remaining twenty-five percent (25%) is greater.

DECILE

Decile is a quantile that divides the distribution of the distribution into ten equal parts. The data set has
nine deciles which are represented by D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D6, D7, D8, and D9. Where D is the number
that divides the bottom 10 of the data from the top 90 and so on.
⮚ For the D1 or first decile: Ten percent (10%) is below the value in the position of D1 while ninety
percent (90%) is greater than the value in the D1 position.
⮚ For the D2 or second decile: Twenty percent (20%) is below the value in the position of D2 while
eighty percent (80%) is greater than the value in the D2 position.
⮚ For the D3 or third decile: Thirty percent (30%) is below the value in the position of D3 while
seventy percent (70%) is greater than the value in the D3 position.

PERCENTILE

Percentile is a quantile that divides the distribution into 100 equal parts. A set of data has 99 percentiles
which are denoted by P1, P2, P3, P4, … P99 .
⮚ For the P1 or first percentile: One percent (1%) is below the value in the P1 position and ninety
nine percent (99%) is above the value in this position.
position and ninety
⮚ For the P5 or fifth percentile: Five percent (5%) is below the value in the P5
nine percent (95%) is above the value in this position. ⮚ For the P60 or sixtieth percentile: Sixty
percent (60%) is below the value in the P60 position and forty percent (40%) is above the value in
this position.

Solving Quartiles
To solve any quantile follow the steps below:
1. Arrange the scores according to magnitude or size.
2. Compute the position of the given quantile in the distribution using the appropriate formula. 3.
Starting from the lowest score, locate the score corresponding to the obtained position in the array of
data.
4. Interpolate to get the score of the obtained position in the distribution.

Quantiles for Ungrouped Data

Quartile position = i n + ( 1 - i ) th item

44

Where: i = 1 for Q1, 2 for Q2, and 3 for Q3

 n = number of items

Examples: Find the first quartile. ===🡺 Q1 = 1 n + ( 1 - 1 ) th item 4 4

Find the second quartile.===🡺 Q2 = 2 n + ( 1 - 2 ) th item
44

Decile position = i n + ( 1 - i ) th item

10 10

Where: i = 1 for D1, 2 for D2, 3 for D3, 4 for D4, 5 for D5, … and 9 for D9 n = number of items

Examples: Find the first decile.===🡺 D1 = 1 n + ( 1 - 1 ) th item 10 10

Find the fifth decile.===🡺 D5 = 5 n + ( 1 - 5 ) th item

10 10

Percentile position = i n + ( 1 - i ) th item

100 100

Where: i = 1 for P1, 2 for P2, 3 for P3, 4 for P4, 5 for P5, … and 99 for P99 n = number of items

Examples: Find the twenty-fifth percentile.

P25 = 25 n + ( 1 - 25 ) th item
100 100

Find the thirtieth percentile.

P30 = 30 n + ( 1 - 30 ) th item
100 100

Note:
∙ First quartile is equal to twenty-fifth percentile.
∙ Second decile is equal to twentieth percentile.
∙ Fiftieth percentile is equal to fifth decile.

Example:

1. Consider the following scores below:

50 52 48 45 33 65 42 37 69 40 41 38

Find the following:

a. First quartile
b. Third quartile
c. Second decile
d. Fifth decile
e. Twentieth percentile
f. Fortieth percentile

Solution:
Array: 33 37 38 40 41 42 45 48 50 52 65 69

a. Q1 = 1 n + ( 1 - 1 ) th item = 1 (12) + ( 1 - 1 ) = 3.75th item

4444
3.75 is between the 3rd and the 4th items: 38 and 40.
Since 3.75 has decimal .75, interpolate to find the value in this position:
Find the difference between 38 and 40 ===🡺 40 – 38 = 2 Multiply the difference by the decimal .75
===🡺 2 x .75 = 1.5 Add the product to the smaller value which is 38 ===🡺 38 + 1.5 = 39.5

This means that Q1which is the 3.75th item is 39.5.

This also means that 25% of the distribution is below 39.5 and that 75% is above 39.5.

b. Q3 = 3 n + ( 1 - 3 ) th item = 3 (12) + ( 1 - 3 ) = 9.25th item

4444

9.25 is between the 9th and the10th items: 50 and 52.

Find the value in the 9.25th position by interpolation: 52 – 50 = 2 2 x .25 = .5
50 + .5 = 50.5

This means that 75% of the distribution is below 50.5 and that 25% is above 50.5.

c. D2 = 2 n + ( 1 - 2 ) th item = 2 (12) + ( 1 - 2 ) = 3.20th

10 10 10 10

3.20 is between the 3rd and the 4th items: 40 and 38

By interpolation, find the value in the 3.20th position: 40 – 38 = 2 2 x .2 = .4
38 + .4 = 38.4

This means that 20% of the distribution is below 38.4 and that 80% is above 38.4.

d. D5 = 5 n + ( 1 - 5 ) th item = 5 (12) + ( 1 - 5 ) = 6.50th

10 10 10 10

6.50 is between the 6th and the 7th items: 45 and 42

By interpolation, find the value in the 6.5th position: 45 – 42 = 3 3 x .5 = 1.5
42 + 1.5 = 43.5

This means that 50% of the distribution is below 43.5 and that the other 50% is above 43.5

e. P20 = 20 n + ( 1 - 20 ) th item = 20 (12) + ( 1 - 20 ) = 3.20th 10 0 100 100 100

3.20 is between the 3rd and the 4th items: 40 and 38

By interpolation, find the value in the 3.20th position: 40 – 38 = 2 2 x .2 = .4
38 + .4 = 38.4

This means that 20% of the distribution is below 38.4 and that 80% is above 38.4.

f. P40 = 40 n + ( 1 - 40 ) th item = 40 (12) + ( 1 - 40 ) = 5.40th 10 0 100 100 100

5.40 is between the 5th and the 6th items: 41 and 42

By interpolation, find the value in the 5.40th position: 42 – 41 = 1 1 x .2 = .4
41 + .4 = 41.4

This means that 40% of the distribution is below 41.4 and that 60% is above 41.4.
QUANTILES FOR GROUPED DATA

Quantiles for grouped data are computed in the same way median is computed. But in this case, instead
of finding the median class which is n/2, in quantile class is determined:

To compute for the quantiles for grouped data:

1. Determine the quantile class.
2. Apply the procedures in solving for the median for grouped data.

Examples in finding the quantile class:

1. To find the 1st quartile class: (1/4) (n) or n/4
==🡺 find the cumulative frequency in which the result belongs, then the class in that cumulative
frequency is the 1st quartile class.
2. To find the 2nd quartile class: (2/4) (n) or 2n/4
==🡺 find the cumulative frequency in which the result belongs, then the class in that cumulative
frequency is the 2nd quartile class.
3. To find the 4th decile class: (4/10) (n) or 4n/10
==🡺 find the cumulative frequency in which the result belongs, then the class in that cumulative
frequency is the 4th class.
4. To find the 60th percentile class (60/100) (n) or 60n / 100
==🡺 find the cumulative frequency in which the result belongs, then the class in that cumulative
frequency is the 60th quartile class.

Some formulas used in solving quantiles for grouped data

For the first quartile For the eighth decile

n - <cf 8n - <cf
Q1 = Lb + ( 4 ) C D8 = Lb + ( 10 ) C Fqc Fqc

For the third quartile For the forty-fifth percentile 3n - <cf 45n - <cf
Q3 = Lb + ( 4 ) C P45 = Lb + ( 100 ) C Fqc Fqc

For the first quartile For the eightieth percentile 6n - <cf 80n - <cf
D6 = Lb + ( 10 ) C P80 = Lb + ( 100 ) C Fqc Fqc
***Note: Fqc is the frequency of the quantile class.

Example:

1. In the following frequency distribution:

Class Intervals Frequency ( f )

20 – 29 5
30 – 39 7
40 – 49 10
50 – 59 8
60 – 69 6
70 – 79 4

Compute the following:

a. Q2 or the second quartile
b. D3 or the third decile
c. P70 or the seventieth percentile
Solutions:

Class Intervals Frequency ( f ) < Cumulative Frequency ( < cfp )

20 – 29 5 5
30 – 39 7 12
40 – 49 10 22
50 – 59 8 30
60 – 69 6 36
70 – 79 4 40
40 = n
 a. Second Quartile or Q2
Find the Q2 class: 2n / 4 = 2(40)/ 4 = 20; and 20 is in 22 cumulative frequency, therefore 40 –
49 is the Q2 or the second quartile class and its lower boundary (Lb) is 39.5

2n - <cf
Q2 = Lb + ( 4 ) C = 39.5 + ( 20 – 12 ) 10 = 39.5 + 8 = 47.5
Fqc 10

b. Third Decile or D3
Find the D3 class: 3n/10 = 3(40)/10 = 12; the class in the 12 cumulative frequency is 30 –
39 which is the D3 or the third decile class and its lower boundary (Lb) is 29.5

3n - <cf
D3 = Lb + ( 10 ) C = 29.5 + (12 – 5 ) 10 = 29.5 + 10 = 39.5
Fqc 7

c. Seventieth Percentile or P70

Find the P70 class: 70n/100 = 70(40)/100 = 28; 28 is in the 30 cumulative frequency, therefore, 50
– 59 is the P70 or the seventieth percentile class and its lower boundary (Lb) is 49.5

70n - <cf
P70 = Lb + ( 100 ) C = 49.5 + ( 28 – 22 ) 10 = 49.5 + 7.5 = 57
Fqc 8

Exercises:

1. In the following data distribution

23 67 45 78 39 69 77 49

Find the following: a. Q2 b. Q3 c. D3 d. D7 e. P60 f. P80

2. In the data below:

Class Intervals Frequency ( f )
30 – 35 8
36 – 41 10
42 – 47 18
48 – 53 15
54 – 59 7
60 – 65 2
Find the following: a. Q1 b. Q3 c. D4 d. D6 e. P40 f. P50