Data Interpretation

Tricks to solve Data Interpretation Questions in a quick and Convenient way:

Explanation of the term Data Interpretation?

First, let’s discuss the word “Data” and “Interpretation” used in Data Interpretation.

Data:
Data is based on facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis. Data in numerical format helps us to draw conclusions by comparing the data.

Interpretation:
Interpretation is the act of explaining, re-framing or otherwise showing your own understanding of something.

Data Interpretation:
Data interpretation is an act of analyzing data with the objective to gain useful information from it. It is done to draw conclusions from the given data. Different statistical tools are used to represent the data in organized structures.

Different method in which data can be presented to solve Data Interpretation Questions

Tables:
Tables are the most convenient and versatile method to present data. Analyzing and drawing conclusions from tables is much easier than any other method. Tables are the fundamental method to represent data. In tables, the data is arranged in rows and columns which help us to scrutinize data efficiently.

Data Interpretation Questions

Pie chart:
A Pie chart is a pictorial representation of data as part of a circle. The circle presents the total value and the different parts of the circle present certain portions of the data.

There are two types of pie chart: Normal and Exploded

Data Interpretation Questions

Graphs:

Bar graph:
A bar graph is a way of representing data on the graph using X-axis and Y-axis. It is the most convenient way to present data. It is proven that using lengths in case of bar chart is a better indicator than pie charts where the data is categorized in terms of areas.

Line graph:
Line graph is the simplified version of the normal bar graph. It is simple to draw conclusions from Line Graph.

Various concepts required to solve Questions on Data Interpretation

1. Average = Sum of the Values/Number of Values

2. If A and B are two numbers, then ratio between the numbers is A:B

3. X is what% of Y means X/Y * 100

Data Interpretation Tricks to solve Data Interpretation Questions

1) Read the question carefully

Before rushing over the Data Interpretation Question, stay calm and read the question carefully. In data interpretation, it is important to understand the question in order to solve the question. Read all the data that comes with graphs, the scale value etc to quickly solve the questions.

2) Analyze the Data Carefully

Just wait and have a thorough look at the data given. Analyze the data. You will waste a lot of time if you jump on the questions to find answers directly. Look carefully at the labels, understand the graph, scrutinize the data very carefully and then solve the question.

3) Don’t worry about too much data

At times Data Interpretation Question contains lot of unnecessary data which is not required. When you look at the question you might probably get scared due to too much information present in front of you. It is advisable to read Data Interpretation Question and not skip it before giving it a close glance.

4) Skip Questions if they are time-consuming

Some questions ask for too much. They require lots of calculation to find answers. These questions are known as speed-breakers. If you try to solve these kinds of questions, they make you lose your speed and precious time. The better decision is to leave the question alone and instead solve a much simpler question. Attempt these categories of questions at the end when the time is left.

5) Avoid Unnecessary Calculations
We are taught to solve questions step by step. But exams such as SBI PO, IBPS and SSC examswhere time plays an important role, it is better to avoid unnecessary steps and directly jump to the important ones to solve Data Interpretation Question.

6) Pay close attention to the units used
In Data Interpretation Question at times the different unit is used for the question and another unit in the data. For example, a question may talk about two roads. The time of the first road is in hours and the second road is in minutes. Always convert the units into the ones which is required. So, if the question asks how many minutes it will take, convert the data from hours to minutes.

7) Learn to Approximate the values

You need not find the exact answer always. Many times, the options that are given are far enough from each other which gives you enough room for approximation. So, for example, if you are asked to divide 542678/181234, you can easily approximate that the answer will be somewhere around 3 by looking at the first 2 numbers only. 54/18 is 3. So, instead of dividing it and finding the accurate answer, try to find an approximate answer. This will give you the correct answer. However, if the options are close, you will still be able to eliminate 1 or 2 options easily.

8) Don’t assume anything

There are few questions which ask to find out some data which is not available. Always be alert enough to see whether the data given is enough to answer the question or not and do not answer the question based on assumptions.

Do comment below if this post has helped you to understand the concept of Data Interpretation.

Stay tuned for the next post where we discuss Data Interpretation Questions.