Which data type describes datasets where items are ranked in order but the differences between ranks are not specified?

• A. Interval data
• B. Nominal data scale
• C. Ordinal data
• D. Percentile range

Answer: (C)

Ordering without defined gaps describes ordinal data. In this type, you can tell which item ranks higher, but you can’t quantify the exact difference between ranks. That’s why rating scales or finishing orders fit ordinal data—you know the order, but the spacing between ranks isn’t specified. In contrast, interval data has meaningful, consistent differences between values (for example, the gap between 20 and 21 is the same as between 30 and 31), even though there may not be a true zero. Nominal data has no inherent order at all, just categories. And a percentile range isn’t a data type for measurement, but a way to summarize a distribution.