Data Interpretation (Faculty Notes)

Strategy

Strategy #1: Survey the landscape

All of sudden, you are tossed into an unruly world of facts and figures, bars and charts, and pies and lines. The first
thing to do—before throwing up your hands in defeat—is to get your bearings. If you see bar graphs, read what is
to the side of the bar graphs (the y-axis). Then read the information below the bars. Now you should know what
each bar stands for and what it means for one bar to be higher than the other.

Strategy #2: Do not try to understand everything

At the same time, do not scrutinize the graph. You want to get a sense of the big picture. Once you’ve done so
move on to the question. Answering the question will allow you to focus on the relevant information in the
passage. Knowing the big picture will allow you to correctly interpret this information.

Strategy #3: Approximate whenever you can

If you have waded through all the information, determining that you have to find the total dollar amount of exports
for Company B, you may be stymied yet. Often ETS gives us unpleasant numbers, like 149,000 and 41%. In fact,
we can say the first figure is the dollar amount in thousands of the exports of Companies A – E, and that 39% is
the percent of that share attributed to Company B.

Do not whip out the calculator to perform the tedious calculation. Instead, round up 149,000 to 150,000 and round
41% down to 40%. Quick math should give you 60,000. Then find an answer close to 60,000. If in the off chance
that there are happening to be two answers very close to 60,000, then use the calculator. However, there will most
likely be only one answer close to 60,000.

Strategy #4: Do not confuse percent with actual total

Almost every Data Interpretation Set will try to catch you mixing up percent with the actual total. To illustrate:
Let’s say that Company X has increased by 40% from 1998 to 2000. Company Y has decreased by 30%. Without
knowing the total amount of either company, we cannot say that Company X has more than Company Y.

Strategy #5: Correlate the US based terms & lingo to local terms

Many a times you will see terms like Medicaid, or US states or mortgages, try to correlate these terms to Indian
situations to get a feel of it.
DI Set 1

1) What is the dollar amount of sales of canned goods in the first quarter of this year?
(A) $6,000 (B) $9,000 (C) $18,000 (D) $36,000 (E) $90,000
2) Frozen prepared meals constitute what percentage of the total sales for the first quarter this year?
(A) 2.4% (B) 8.5% (C) 20% (D) 36% (E) 54%
3) During the first quarter this year, this particular grocery store was finishing its construction of an expanded bakery
facility, which, when opened at the beginning the second quarter, will offer dozens of new cakes and pies, a whole new line
of pastries, and several flavors of gourmet coffee. Assume that in the second quarter, the bakery sales triple, and all other
sale stay the same. Bakery would then account for what percentage of total sales in the second quarter?
(A) 8.7% (B) 12% (C) 16.1% (D) 18% (E) 25.3%
Explanations:
1) The pie chart tells us canned goods sales constitute 18% of $200,000.
(18/100)X200,000 = $36,000
Ans D
2) From the bar chart, prepared meals account for about $17,000 in sales. This $17,000 is what percent of $200,000?
8.5%
Ans B
3) This is a tricky question, because there’s a tempting wrong answer. The bakery accounts for 6% of the total sales in first
quarter, so the new amount would be 18% of the total sales in the first quarter, but we want to know what percent it
would be of the total sales in the second quarter. That’s a new total because, even though everything else stayed the
same, bakery sales increased.
We don’t need to consider the actual numbers: we can just work with the percents. Bakery sales triple
from 6% to 18% — that’s the new “part.” Since the bakery goes up 12% from 6% to 18%, and all other
sales stay the same, the new total is 112% — that’s the new “whole.”
(18/112)X100 = 16%
DI Set 2

INCOME: EXPENDITURE:
1. Money from fund raising programmes, 1. Education of the illiterate,
2. Grant from the government, 2. Food for the poor,
3. Contributions from individuals, 3.Management and salary of staff
4. Contributions from corporations, 4. Expenses to organize fund-raising programmes.
5. Contributions as commodities.
Above charts show the amounts of an NGO where
Above charts show the amounts of an NGO where Expenditure for the same year = $54Mn
Income for the year 1998-1999 = $ 55 Mn and
1. What percentage of the total expenditure does management and salary account for?
A. 30% B. 3% C. 8.3% D. 3.4% E. 5.7%
2. Approximately what percentage of the money is saved?
A. 2% B. 3% C. 1% D. 10% E. 100%
3. If the government stops the grant and the expenditure pattern remains the same, then what will be the decrease in
the money spent for the education of illiterate?
A. 19.37mn B. 22.5mn C. 28.3mn D. 5.43mn E. 3.13mn
4. How much money is raised by fund raising programs?
A. 21.39 mn B. 30.13mn C. 14mn E. 28mn E. 28.57mn
Explanations:
1) Answer C
(100/360)(30)=8.3% Alternate method: The total money spent for management and salary =(30/360)x54 = 4.5
million. The percentage of this in the expenditure = (4.5/100)/54 = 8.3%.
2) Answer A
The saved money is 55-54=1million. Required percentage = (1/55) (100) = 20/11 = 1.81%. It is approximately 2%.
3) Answer E
Government grant = (50/360)x55 =7.64Mn. 55-7.64=47.36 Mn.
Money saved =47.36x(1/55), of the rest, (150/360) is spent for education.
Therefore Money for education =47.36 x (54/55)x(150/360 ) =19.37 Mn.
Money spent earlier =22.5 Mn. 22.5-19.37=3.13 Mn.
4) Answer A
(140/360)x55=21.39
DI Set 3

1. From 1972 to 1974 the fares collected from subways increased by what percentage?
A. 10% B. 12% C. 15% D. 16.67% E. 25%
2. From 1972 to 1977 what was the average fare collected by buses per year?
A. 225 B. 250 C. 260 D. 275 E. 300
3. The fares collected from commuter rail in 1977 was what percent of fares collected from all sources in 1977?
A. 200% B. 100% C. 50% D. 28% E. 12%
4. Which of the following can be inferred from the graph?
I) the fares collected by commuter rail were maximum in 1977.
II) There was approximately 10% hike in fares collected by subways from 1973 to 1974.
III) There are three years in which fares collected by subways in a particular year was greater than the fares
collected in its preceding year.
A. I only B. II only C. III only D. I & II E. I,II & III
Explanations:
1) Answer D
The fares collected from subways in 1972 and 1974 are 300mn and 350mn. The increase is 350-300=50mn. The
percentage increase =(50)(100/300)=50/3 = 16.67%.
2) Answer D
From 1972 to 1977 the collection of fares was (275+300+325+300+225+225)=1650mn. The average fares collected
per year =1650/6)=275
3) Answer C
The rail fare collected in 1977 was 400. Total number of fares collected from all sources in 1977 was 220+400+180=800.
Therefore rail fare collected in 1977 was (400)(100/800)=50% of the fares collected from all sources.
4) Answer D
I is true. It is clear from the graph.
II is true. (100/300)(30)=10%.)
III is False since there are only 2 such years.
DI Set 4

1. Which year of the following did California have the least number of cases?
A. 1960 B. 1975 C. 1970 D. 1980 E. 1990
2. How many cases were registered in NY and CAL in 1950?
A. 275 B. 325 C. 320 D. 290 E. 150
Explanations:
1) Answer B
2) Answer A [150 + 125 = 175]
DI Set 5

1. Throughout the years shown, for how many commodities has there been at least a 10% difference in the per capita
demand?
A. 3 B. 2 C. 4 D. 5 E. 1
2. What was the approximate percent fall in per capita demand for other cereals' in 1992 compared to 1989?
A. 10 B. 9.1 C. 11.2 D. 8.7 E. 7.5
Explanations:
1) Answer B
A difference of 10% means that for each year, the figure must be less than 90% or more than 110% of that of the
previous year. Such a difference is there in the case of (1) Sugar; (2) Tea. Therefore answer is 2 commodities.
 2) Answer B
Percent fall in per capita demand for other cereals' in 1992 compared to 1989 = ((44 - 40)/44) X 100 = (4/44) X 100
= 9.1 approximately.

DI Set 6

1. Of every dollar received by the federal government, how much (in cents) is from corporate sources?
A. 32 B. 70 C. 30 D. 35 E. 29
2. What percentage of the federal revenue is derived from borrowings?
A. 0.2% B. 0.02% C. 2.7% D. 1.2% E. 2.5%
Explanations:
1) Answer A
Total revenue =$(20+32+6+92+70)=220. Revenue from corporate sources = $70. Therefore, required percentage =
(70/220) (100) = 31.5%. Approximately it is 32 cents.
2) Answer C
Borrowings = $6. Therefore, required percentage = (6/220) (100) = 30/11 = 2.7% approximately.
DI Set 7

1. The amount spent by country C in 1983 is what percentage more than the amount spent by Countries A and B together
in 1977? (Find approximately)
A. 50% B. 179% C. 75% D. 13% E. 70%
2. Which of the following statements must be true? i) Country A spends minimum amount of its budget on arms. ii)
Throughout, Country C has spent the maximum amount on arms during the years shown. iii) An examination of the
information for the last 3 years reveals that generally all 3 countries are reducing their expenditure on arms.
A. i only. B. i and ii only C. i and iii only D. ii and iii only E. None of the statements above.
Explanations:
1) Answer C
The amount spent in 1977 by Countries A and B together =$ (0.75+1.25) = $2.0 million. The amount spent by
Country C in 1983 = $3.5 million. This is $1.5mn more than (A + B). In percentage it is = (1.5/2.0) (100)=75%.
2) Answer E
From the given data we cannot say the statement i) must be true. The graph gives us information only about how
much money each country is spending on arms, but it does not give us any information of the budget of each
country. Statement ii) is not true. In 1979 Country B has spent more than Country C. Statement iii) is also not true.
Countries B and C have reduced their expenditure on arms from 1981-83 and country A has reduced its expenditure
in 1983 compared to 1982. But in 1982, country A has not reduced its expenditure and is spending the same
amount as in 1981. Therefore None of the statement must be true. Therefore the answer is (E).
DI Set 8

1. About how many degrees (to the nearest degree) are in the angle of the sector representing mortgages?
A. 59 B. 106 C. 211 D. 246 E. 318
2. The annual rate of interest from "other assets" is 4.8%. If the total assets of the bank are 57.6 million dollars, what is the
annual income (in dollars) from "other assets"?
A. 82,944 B. 921,600 C. 1,728,000 D. 2,764,800 E. 3,600,000
3. The average annual interest on mortgage investments is m% and the average annual interest on the mortgage bond
investment is b%. If the annual interest on the bond investment is x dollars, how many dollars are invested in mortgages?
A. xm/b B. xb/m C. 100xb/m D. bx/100m E. 200x/b
4. About how many degrees (to the nearest degree) are in the angle of the sector representing cash on hand?
A. 114 B. 14 C. 140 D. 39 E. 321
Explanations:
1) Answer C
Mortgages --> 58.6% Therefore 58.6% of 360 degrees = (58.6/100) X 360 = (0.586) (360) = 210.9 degrees. This is
nearest to 211. Therefore the answer is C.
2) Answer A
Total assets = $57.6 million. Other assets=3% of total assets = $ 1.728 million. 4.8% of $1.728 million = $ 0.082944
million or $ 82944.
3) Answer E
Amount invested in bonds = $(100x/b). Therefore the amount invested in mortgages must be $(58.6/29.3) (100x/b)
= $ 200x/b
4) Answer B
(3.9%) of 360 degrees. = (0.0369 (360) = 14.04. This is nearest to 14.
DI Set 9

1. A man drives from Albany to Boston. His average speed for 2 hours is 60 miles per hour. What is his average speed
(approximately) for the remaining portion of the trip if he completes it in the usual time?
A. 34 B. 38 C. 40 D. 45 E. 68

2. Find approximately the ratio of the average speed of a man who drove from Montreal to Boston via Albany and to the
average speed of a man who drove from Montreal to Boston via Portland.
A. 1 B. 3/2 C. 2/3 D. 1/5 E. 5/4

Explanations:
1) Answer B
The driver covered (60) (2) = 120 miles in two hrs. He has to cover 51 miles more. For this he can spend (3 1/3) - 2 =
1 1/3 hrs = 4/3 hrs for the rest of the trip. speed = distance/time. speed = 51/(4/3)hours = (51)(3/4) = 153/4 = 38
1/4 miles per hour. It is approximately 38 miles per hour
2) Answer A
The distance between Montreal and Boston via Albany is 231+171=402 miles.
The time taken for this drive is 6 1/4 + 3 1/3 = (25/4)+(10/3) = 115/12 hours.
Therefore the speed of this drive is 402/(115/12) = (402)(12)/(115) .
The distance between Montreal and Boston via Portland is 265+108=373 miles.
The time taken for this drive is 6 3/4 + 2 5/12 = (27/4)+(29/12) = 110/12 hours.
Therefore the speed of this drive is 373/(110/12) = (373)(12)/(110).
The ratio of these two is (402)(12)/(115)/ (373)(12)/(110) = (402)(22)/(373)(23) = 1 approximately