IGCSEMaths: CoreCIERevision NotesStatisticsStatistical DiagramsTally Charts & Frequency Tables

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First teaching 2023

First exams 2025

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Tally Charts & Frequency Tables (CIE IGCSE Maths: Core)

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CIE Maths: CoreCambridge (CIE) International Maths: Core

Tally Charts & Frequency Tables

What is a tally chart?

  • Tally charts are a quick way to count data
  • Each time you count an item, draw a vertical line
    • Do this the first four times
    • The fifth time, draw a diagonal line through the four vertical lines up diagonal strike vertical line vertical line vertical line vertical line end strike
    • Continue counting in sets of five
  • For example
    • Counting different coloured flowers in the garden
Colour Tally
Blue up diagonal strike vertical line vertical line vertical line vertical line end strike
Red up diagonal strike vertical line vertical line vertical line vertical line end strike space space up diagonal strike vertical line vertical line vertical line vertical line end strike space space vertical line vertical line space space
Yellow vertical line vertical line vertical line

What is a frequency table?

  • A frequency table counts how many times an item appears
  • Tally charts can be converted into frequency tables
    • Find the totals
      • Count up in 5's then add any extras
      • up diagonal strike vertical line vertical line vertical line vertical line end strike space up diagonal strike vertical line vertical line vertical line vertical line end strike space vertical line vertical linemeans 5 + 5 + 2 = 12
  • The tally chart above gives the following frequency table:
Colour Frequency
Blue 5
Red 12
Yellow 3

Worked example

Susie asks pupils in her class to select their favourite type of pet.

Write the results in a frequency table.

Dog Cat Dog Dog Dog
Rabbit Dog Rabbit Cat Cat
Cat Dog Dog Rabbit Dog
Cat Cat Dog Dog Dog

 

It helps to use a tally chart initially
 

Type of pet Tally
Dog  up diagonal strike vertical line vertical line vertical line vertical line end strike space vertical line up diagonal strike vertical line vertical line vertical line end strike space vertical line
Cat  up diagonal strike vertical line vertical line vertical line vertical line end strike space space vertical line
Rabbit  vertical line vertical line vertical line

 

Then write the tally chart as a frequency table
 

Type of pet Frequency
Dog 11
Cat 6
Rabbit 3

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    Mark

    Author: Mark

    Expertise: Maths

    Mark graduated twice from the University of Oxford: once in 2009 with a First in Mathematics, then again in 2013 with a PhD (DPhil) in Mathematics. He has had nine successful years as a secondary school teacher, specialising in A-Level Further Maths and running extension classes for Oxbridge Maths applicants. Alongside his teaching, he has written five internal textbooks, introduced new spiralling school curriculums and trained other Maths teachers through outreach programmes.