Step 1: Understand the concept of cumulative frequency
The cumulative frequency for a class in a frequency distribution is the sum of the frequencies of all the classes up to and including the given class.
It can be calculated by adding the frequencies of all the classes preceding the given class, including the frequency of the given class itself.
Step 2: Explanation of options
Option (1): Adding the frequencies of all the classes preceding the given class correctly defines how cumulative frequency is calculated.
Option (2): This is incorrect because cumulative frequency involves adding the preceding classes, not the succeeding ones.
Option (3): Subtracting frequencies is not how cumulative frequency is determined.
Option (4): This option is incorrect because the correct process is described in Option (1).
Step 3: Conclusion
The correct way to obtain the cumulative frequency of a class is by adding the frequencies of all the classes preceding the given class.