Data Interpretation
About 6 min · Numerical Ability · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 335 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
Data Interpretation (DI) is an area in the SBI Clerk Prelims Numerical Ability section. The questions test your ability to extract numbers from tables, graphs, or word problems and perform quick calculations.
Key ideas
- Read the entire data set first. Spend 30–45 seconds understanding headings, units, totals, and relationships before attempting any question.
- Identify what each row/column represents. In tables, rows often represent categories (products, years, persons) while columns represent attributes (quantity, price, percentage).
- Check for totals or pre-calculated values. Many DI sets provide row/column totals—use them to verify your calculations or take shortcuts.
- Approximation is your best friend. In Prelims, answer options are usually well-spaced. Round numbers to the nearest 5 or 10 to save time.
- Convert percentages to fractions mentally. Know that 25% = 1/4, 33.33% = 1/3, 12.5% = 1/8, 16.67% = 1/6 for faster mental math.
Quick reference
- DI = Data Reading + Arithmetic Speed — practice both separately.
- Percentage change base = OLD value, not new.
- Pie chart: 1% = 3.6°; always convert to actual values before comparing.
- Approximation saves time — use it.
- Read headings, units, and footnotes BEFORE calculating anything.
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. The table below shows the number of students enrolled in five different courses in a coaching institute. Course | Number of Students -------|------------------- Maths | 240 English| 180 Reasoning| 300 Computer| 150 General Knowledge| 210 What is the average number of students enrolled per course?
2. A bar graph shows the production (in tonnes) of wheat in a village over five years: Year 2018: 450 tonnes Year 2019: 520 tonnes Year 2020: 480 tonnes Year 2021: 600 tonnes Year 2022: 550 tonnes What is the percentage increase in production from 2018 to 2021?
3. A pie chart shows the distribution of monthly expenses of a family. The total monthly expense is Rs. 36,000. - Food: 30% - Rent: 25% - Education: 20% - Transport: 15% - Others: 10% How much more is spent on Food than on Transport?
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 18 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.
Read the full noteFlashcards for this topic
Saves this lesson and its 3 questions in this browser on this phone. No sign-in; nothing about you is saved or sent. A saved copy is not updated until you save it again. Parts that load from the server when you use them (the AI tutor, adaptive practice, sign-in) still need a connection.