LESSON

The Percentile Rank for Grouped Data

In this self-learning module lesson, you will be able to illustrate and calculate the percentile
rank of a certain value, and how it can be very useful in relating individual value to their positions in
the entire group.
Percentile rank is typically defined as the proportion of scores in a distribution that a specific
score is greater than or equal to. For instance, if you received a score of 95 on a mathematics test and
this score was greater than or equal to the scores of 88% of the students taking the test, then your
percentile rank would be 88.
 In computing the percentile rank of ungrouped data, the following formula is
used:

𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑥

𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒙 =
× 100
𝑁

Consider the following examples below.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in partnership with the Bureau of Local
Employment (BLE), revealed in their latest Labor Market Trends release which jobs presently earn
the highest salaries in the Philippines year 2019.

JOB ESTIMATED MONTHLY

SALARY
Aircraft Pilots, Navigators and Flight Engineers Php 116,714
Securities and Finance Dealers and Brokers Php 89,831
Civil Engineers Php 68,957
Actuaries Php 60,477
Computer Programmers Php 52,331
System Analysts and Designers Php 51,069
Computer Engineers Php 49,335
Accountants and auditors Php 47,756
Production Supervisors & Foremen Php 47,101
Statisticians Php 41,480

Example 1: Determine the percentile rank of Computer Engineers’ salary among the
other Jobs.

Solution: Make sure that the given values are arrange from highest to lowest or vice versa.

𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤

𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒙 = × Notice that there are 10
𝑁 total number of jobs and
100
3 3 jobs are below
= × 100 Computer Engineers.
10
= 30%

Therefore, Computer Engineers’ salary is at 30th percentile rank.

Example 2: Find how many percent of the jobs has monthly salaries lower than Php 60,477?
𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑥
𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒙 = × There are 6 jobs are below the
𝑁
100 job with monthly salary of 60,
6
477.
= × 100
10
= 60%

Therefore, 60% of the jobs have monthly salaries of Php 60, 477 or less and 40% of the jobs
have monthly salaries of Php 60, 477 or more.

In computing the percentile rank of grouped data, the following formula is used:

100 (𝑃 − 𝐿𝐵 ) 𝑓𝑃
𝑃𝑃𝑅 = [ ] [ + 𝑐𝑓𝑃 ]
𝑁 𝑖
where: PR = percentile rank, the answer will be a percentage
P = raw score or value for which one wants to find a percentile rank
LB = lower boundary of the kth percentile class N = total
frequency
cfP = cumulative frequency of all the values below the critical
value
𝑓𝑃 = frequency of the percentile class
i = size of class interval

Example 3: Find how many percent of the scores are greater than the cumulative frequency of 38 in
the Mathematics test scores of 50 students.
Scores frequency <cf
46-50 4 50
41-45 8 46
36-40 11 38
31-35 9 27
26-30 12 18
21-25 6 6
Solution:
100 (𝑃 − 𝐿𝐵 ) 𝑓𝑃
38 is within 36-40 𝑃𝑃𝑅 = [ ] [ + 𝑐𝑓𝑃 ]
LB = 35.5 𝑁 𝑖
P = 38 100 (38 − 35.5)11
N = 50 𝑃𝑃𝑅 = [ ][ + 27]
fP = 11 50 5
cfP = 27
𝑃𝑃𝑅 = 65
i=5
 Therefore, 65% of the scores are less than the cumulative frequency of 38, while 35% of
the scores are greater than the cumulative frequency of 38.

Example 4: Using the previous table, if one of the students got a score of 42, what is her percentile
rank?
Solution:
100 (𝑃 − 𝐿𝐵 ) 𝑓𝑃
42 is within 41-45 𝑃𝑃𝑅 = [ ] [ + 𝑐𝑓𝑃 ]
LB = 40.5 𝑁 𝑖
P = 42
N = 50 𝑃 = [ 100 (42 − 40.5)8+ 38]
𝑃𝑅
fP = 8 ][
50 5
cfP = 38
i=5 𝑃𝑃𝑅 = 80.8
Round off the resulting value to the nearest whole number. Therefore, the percentile rank
of a student who got 42 is 81%.

ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1: LET’S PRACTICE
Directions: Determine whether the following statements are true or false.
Encircle the numbers with correct statements.

1. The percentile rank of a certain score shows the percent of individuals in a group who
achieved scores lower than the one given.
2. The higher the percentile rank of a score, the greater the percent of scores above that
score.
3. A mark of 90% always has a percentile rank of 90.
4. It is possible to have a mark of 85% and a percentile rank of 30.
5. The higher the percentile rank, the better the score compared to the others.
6. Two equal scores will have the same percentile rank.
7. A percentile rank of 75, indicates that 75% of the score are above of that score.
For numbers 8-10. The following data give the scores of twelve Grade 10 students in 20 item test
in Mathematics:
20 19 18 17 15 14 13 11 9 7 6 4

8. The percentile rank for a score of 15 is 32nd percentile.

9. There are 6 students below 50th percentile.
10. 25% of the students got a score greater than 7.
 ACTIVITY 2: KEEP PRACTICING
The frequency distribution presented below gives the number of days before the 30 patients
have fully recovered from Corona Virus from February 2020 to March 2020.
Complete the table and answer the following questions. Write your answer on the space provided.

Days Recovered Frequency <cf

18-20 2
15-17 4
12-14 6
9-11 11
6-8 4
3-5 3
1. Based on the given, what is the average days before a patient fully recovered from Corona
Virus?
2. What is the percentile rank of a patient if he recovered in 13 days?

3. What is the percentage of the patients who recovered in or before 7 days?

_

4. What is the percentage of the patients who recovered in or after 10 days?

_

ACTIVITY 3: TEST YOURSELF

A. Using data below convert the raw scores of the students listed below to percentiles.

Student Score
1. Rosé
Taehyung 96
Jungkook 94
2. Joy Jimin 97
Jin 86
3. Lisa Suga 94
RM 91
J-Hope 93
4. J-Hope Lisa 95
Jennie 82
5. Yeri Rosé 90
Jisoo 87
Irene 88
Yeri 88
Wendy 79
Joy 83
Seulgi 80
B. Find the percentage of consultants who made Php 4,500 or more and Php 3,000 or less
per day. Write your answer with solution on the space provided.

Consultant Fees (in Number of Cumulative

Php) consultants
Frequency
6400 – 7599 24 120
5200 – 6399 36 96
4000 – 5199 19 60
2800 – 3999 26 41
1600 – 2799 15 15

WRAP–UP
The percentile rank of a score is the percentage of scores in its frequency distribution
that are equal to or lower than it.
In computing the percentile rank of ungrouped data, the following
formula is used:
𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑥
𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒙 =
× 100
𝑁

while in computing the percentile rank of grouped data, the following formula is
used:
100 (𝑃 − 𝐿𝐵 ) 𝑓𝑃
𝑃𝑃𝑅 = [ ] [ + 𝑐𝑓𝑃 ]
𝑁 𝑖
where: PR = percentile rank, the answer will be a percentage P = raw
score or value for which one wants to find a
Percentile rank
LB = lower boundary of the kth percentile class N =
total frequency
cfP = cumulative frequency of all the values below the critical value
fP = frequency of the percentile class
i = size of class interval
 VALUING
How percentile rank helpful in describing where one stands in
relation to others? Are you agree with the quotation written by Carl
David Anderson “The ideal student would be one who was not
working for grades but was working because he was interested in the
work and not trying to compete with fellow students.”? Why or
why not?

POSTTEST
Read each item and choose the correct answer. Write your answer before the number.
1. If you belong to the 95th percentile of your batch for your
moving-up, what can you conclude?
a. you received an average of 95%
b. among the graduates, you rank 95th
c. 95% of your batch mates will not graduate
d. your rank is lower than or equal to 95% of your batch

2. Rodolfo learned that his score on a recent exam was the 72 nd

percentile. If 90 students took the test, approximately how many students
received a higher score than Rodolfo?
a. 25 b. 36 c. 65 d. 72

3. Gloria scored at 76th percentile on a chemical engineering

exam. How does her score stand in relation to the others?
a. It means that she scored better than 76% of all the test takers
b. It means that 24% scored the same or lower than her
c. She surpassed 24% of all the test takers
d. She got the highest score

4. Of the 374 third year students in a private school. Shirley got a

raw score of 36 in verbal aptitude with a percentile rank of 68. Which of
the following is NOT true?
a. Her score is below the 7th decile.
b. She scored above 68% of her classmates.
c. 32% percent of the class got scores of 36 and below.
d. If the passing mark is the 50th percentile, she passed the test.