Data Interpretation
About 6 min · Quantitative Aptitude · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 386 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
The questions test your ability to extract numerical data from tables, charts, or paragraphs and perform calculations involving percentages, ratios, averages, and basic arithmetic.
Key ideas
- Data Extraction First: Before calculating, spend 15–20 seconds understanding what the table/chart represents—units, time periods, categories.
- Percentage Change Formula: (New − Old) / Old × 100. Use it when comparing years, products, or regions.
- Ratio Interpretation: When a pie chart shows percentages, the actual value = (percentage/100) × total. For comparing two slices, you can directly compare percentages without calculating absolute values.
- Approximation is Your Friend: When options are spread apart, such as 234, 267, 298, 342, you don't need exact calculation—round intelligently and eliminate.
- Caselet DI Requires Note-Making: Word-based DI gives data in sentences. Jot down a mini-table before attempting questions—this prevents re-reading the paragraph five times.
Quick reference
- DI — predictable format.
- Percentage Change = (Difference / Original) × 100 — memorise this cold.
- Pie Chart shortcut: Compare degrees or percentages directly when finding ratios.
- Approximation strategy: Round to nearest 5 or 10; match with closest option.
- Caselet DI: Always convert prose to a table before solving.
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. The table below shows the number of laptops sold by five different stores (A, B, C, D, E) in two consecutive months (January and February). Store | January | February A | 240 | 300 B | 180 | 270 C | 320 | 280 D | 200 | 250 E | 260 | 310 What is the total number of laptops sold by all five stores in February?
2. The bar graph below shows the production (in thousand tonnes) of wheat by six states (P, Q, R, S, T, U) in the year 2022. P: 45 thousand tonnes Q: 60 thousand tonnes R: 35 thousand tonnes S: 50 thousand tonnes T: 40 thousand tonnes U: 55 thousand tonnes The production of wheat by state Q is what percent more than the production by state R?
3. A pie chart shows the distribution of a company's annual budget of Rs. 72,00,000 across five departments: Marketing, Operations, HR, R&D, and Finance. Marketing: 25% Operations: 30% HR: 15% R&D: 20% Finance: 10% What is the difference (in Rs. lakhs) between the budget allocated to Operations and the combined budget of HR and Finance?
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 21 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.
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