Abstract
This paper proposes a two sample median test based on the ranks of sample observations drawn from two
independent populations, for testing the null hypothesis of equality of two population medians. The populations may
be measurements on, as low as the ordinal scale. It is shown that the proposed test statistic is at least as efficient
and powerful as the Mann-Whitney U-Test of the same, over all sample size. When the two samples are of equal
size, the proposed test statistic may also be used as an improved alternative to the sign test for two independent
samples of equal size. These methods are illustrated with some data, and shown to compare favorably with the
ordinary sign-test, the median test and Mann-Whitney U-Test for two independent samples