Ordinal Data

Definition

Ordinal Data in plain English

Ordinal data is information you can rank in order, but where the gaps between ranks aren't equal or even measurable. Think of a race: you know 1st beat 2nd beat 3rd, but that tells you nothing about whether 1st won by an inch or a mile. It's more informative than plain categories (like 'red, blue, green') because the order matters, but you still can't do real arithmetic with it, averaging 'small, medium, large' makes no sense the way averaging heights does.

Related GMAT terms

• AD/BCE Grid
• Axis & Legend Pre-Read
• Continuous Data
• Data Sufficiency
• Interval Data
• Nominal Data
• Ratio Data
• Data Sufficiency Range Test
• Unit Analysis
• Break-Even