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SSC CHSL Standard Deviation & Variance

Study Material — 2 PYQs (2018–2018) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts

SSC CHSL Standard Deviation & Variance is a frequently tested subtopic — 2 previous year questions from 2018–2018 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.

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2018–2018
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Previous Year Questions

SSC CHSL Standard Deviation & Variance — Past Exam Questions

2 questions from actual SSC CHSL papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution

Exam Q 12018Previous Year Pattern

If each value of a data set is multiplied by 3, the variance of the new data set becomes how many times the original variance?

Exam Q 22018Previous Year Pattern

The mean of 10 observations is 20 and the mean of their squares is 450. A new observation of value 30 is added to the dataset. What is the variance of the 11 observations?

Concept Notes

Standard Deviation & Variance— Rules & Concept

Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic

Standard Deviation and Variance are measures that tell us how spread out data is from the average. Think of them as measuring 'how different' the numbers are from each other. CORE CONCEPT:

Imagine you have marks of 5 students: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. All are spread out widely. Now imagine: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. These are clustered tightly around 30. Both have the same average (30), but the spread is different. Variance and Standard Deviation measure this spread. Variance (σ²) = Average of squared differences from the mean

Standard Deviation (σ) = Square root of Variance KEY RULES:

1. Standard Deviation is always non-negative (≥0) 2. If all numbers are identical, SD = 0

3. Larger SD means more scattered data; smaller SD means data is clustered 4. Standard Deviation is preferred over Variance because it's in the same units as original data

Formula BlockMemorise — at least one formula appears in every paper
Variance = Σ(x - mean)² / n
Standard Deviation = √Variance
For quick calculation: Variance = (Σx² / n) - (mean)²
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs

SSC CGL typically asks: - Calculate SD or Variance from raw data - Compare spread of two datasets - Identify which dataset has more variation - Effect on SD when all values are multiplied or added by a constant SHORTCUT/TRICK: When values are multiplied by k: New SD = k × Original SD When values are added by c: New SD = Original SD (unchanged) This saves calculation time significantly.

Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1

Find mean = (2+4+6+8+10)/5 = 30/5 = 6

2
Step 2

Find differences from mean: (2-6)=-4, (4-6)=-2, (6-6)=0, (8-6)=2, (10-6)=4

3
Step 3

Square differences: 16, 4, 0, 4, 16

4
Step 4

Variance = (16+4+0+4+16)/5 = 40/5 = 8

5
Step 5

Standard Deviation = √8 = 2.83 (approximately)

Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these

Students forget to divide by n after summing squared differences. They calculate Σ(x-mean)² but stop there—this is NOT variance. You MUST divide by n.

Also, many confuse which measure to use; remember SD is more commonly reported in exams because it's interpretable.

Key Points to Remember

  • Variance measures average squared distance of data points from the mean; Standard Deviation is its square root.
  • Formula: Variance = Σ(x - mean)² / n; SD = √Variance
  • If all data values are identical, Standard Deviation = 0 (no spread).
  • When multiplying all values by k: New SD = k × Original SD; when adding c: SD remains unchanged.
  • Standard Deviation is preferred in exams because it's expressed in the same units as original data, making it more interpretable.
  • Larger SD indicates data is spread out; smaller SD indicates data is clustered around the mean.

Exam-Specific Tips

  • Standard Deviation formula: σ = √[Σ(x - μ)² / n], where μ is the arithmetic mean and n is number of observations.
  • Variance is the square of Standard Deviation: σ² = Variance.
  • Alternative variance formula for quick calculation: Variance = (Σx² / n) - (mean)².
  • Property: If each observation is multiplied by constant k, new SD = k × original SD (linear transformation rule).
  • Property: If constant c is added to each observation, SD remains unchanged (addition does not affect spread).
  • Standard Deviation of any dataset is always a non-negative value (σ ≥ 0).
  • Coefficient of Variation (CV) = (SD / Mean) × 100, used to compare variability across different datasets with different means.
  • For grouped data, class midpoints are used in calculations, and frequency weights are applied in variance formula.
Practice MCQs

Standard Deviation & Variance — Practice Questions

24graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis · showing 20 of 24

All MCQs →
Practice 1easy

The variance of the dataset {1, 3, 5, 7, 9} is:

Practice 2easy

The variance of the dataset {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} is:

Practice 3easy

If the variance of a dataset is 16, what is the standard deviation?

Practice 4easy

The variance of the dataset {5, 5, 5, 5, 5} is:

Practice 5easy

The standard deviation of the dataset {1, 3, 5, 7, 9} is:

Practice 6easy

If the standard deviation of a dataset is 5, what is the variance?

Practice 7easy

The variance of the dataset {10, 20, 30} is:

Practice 8easy

The standard deviation of the dataset {5, 5, 5, 5, 5} is:

Practice 9medium

The variance of a dataset is 36. If each observation is multiplied by 5, what will be the new variance?

Practice 10medium

The variance of a dataset is 36. If each observation in the dataset is multiplied by 5, what will be the new variance?

Practice 11medium

The standard deviation of five numbers is 4. If 6 is added to each number, what is the new standard deviation?

Practice 12medium

The mean of a dataset is 50 and the standard deviation is 10. If the dataset is transformed by the formula Y = 2X − 30, what is the new standard deviation?

Practice 13medium

The variance of the dataset {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} is calculated. What is the variance?

Practice 14medium

Two datasets have the same mean of 50. Dataset A has a standard deviation of 8, and Dataset B has a standard deviation of 12. Which statement is correct?

Practice 15medium

For a dataset, the mean is 50 and the standard deviation is 8. If the variance is calculated for a new dataset where each value is decreased by 10 and then divided by 2, what is the new variance?

Practice 16medium

The coefficient of variation (CV) of a dataset is defined as CV = (SD ÷ Mean) × 100%. If a dataset has mean 40 and standard deviation 8, what is its coefficient of variation?

Practice 17hard

Two datasets have the same mean of 50. Dataset A has 8 observations with variance 16, and Dataset B has 12 observations with variance 36. What is the combined variance when both datasets are merged?

Practice 18hard

The standard deviation of a set of 5 numbers is 6. If the sum of squares of deviations from the mean is S, what is S?

Practice 19hard

Three datasets have variances 25, 36, and 49 respectively. If a new dataset is formed by combining all three with equal sample sizes, and the means of all three datasets are identical, what is the standard deviation of the combined dataset?

Practice 20hard

A frequency distribution has mean 50 and variance 100. The frequencies are 10, 15, and 25 for three class intervals. If the class midpoints are 40, 50, and 60 respectively, verify the variance and find the coefficient of variation.

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60-Second Revision — Standard Deviation & Variance

  • Formula: Variance = Σ(x-mean)²/n; SD = √Variance. Use quick formula: Variance = (Σx²/n) - (mean)² to save time.
  • Multiply by k → SD multiplies by k; Add constant c → SD unchanged. Use this trick for transformation questions.
  • SD=0 only when all values are identical. Higher SD = more scattered; Lower SD = clustered around mean.
  • Trap: Don't forget to divide by n after summing squared differences—this is the most common error in calculations.
  • Remember: SD is preferred over Variance in SSC exams because it's in original units and easier to interpret.
  • For two datasets with same mean: compare SDs to determine which is more variable/consistent.
  • In exam, if asked 'which dataset varies more?'—calculate or compare SD values; higher SD = more variation.
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