If for a sample data
Mean < Median < Mode
then the distribution is
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) skewed to the left
In a skewed distribution the mean is pulled furthest towards the long tail, the mode sits at the peak, and the median lies between them. Mean < Median < Mode means the tail stretches to the left: the distribution is negatively skewed.
- In a symmetric distribution mean = median = mode, so (a) and (c) are out.
- A few very small values pull the mean down more than the median, while the mode (the peak) is least affected.
- So mean < median < mode signals a long left tail: skewed to the left (negative skew).
- Skewed to the right would give the reverse order: mode < median < mean.
Remember · The mean chases the tail: mean below median means left-skewed; mean above median means right-skewed.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·