NLNET Law-VerseThe Universe of Law
UGC NET PAPER 1 · UNIT 07 · MODULE 4: INTERPRETATION PRACTICE · TOPIC 7

Data Interpretation: Method, Question Types and Solved Illustrations

The five-step method, a wording decoder and five solved illustrations: table, bar chart, pie chart, line graph and statement inference.

  • 8 sub-topics
  • 6 min read
  • Topic 7 of 11

What this topic covers

8 sub-topics, in the order to study them. Tap one to jump to it.

  1. §OverviewData interpretation means reading data from a table or graph, analysing it, and drawing a correct conclusion.
  2. 7.1Five-step methodCovers Read the display, Read the question, Extract only the needed numbers, Choose the formula or shortcut, Check the unit and the direction.
    • Read the display
    • Read the question
    • Choose the formula or shortcut
  3. 7.2Question typesType Typical wording How to solve Direct reading "In which year was production highest?" Scan the graph or column Percentage of total "What per cent of the total is X?" Part…
  4. 7.3Wording decoderPhrase Meaning "A is what per cent of B" A / B × 100; base is B "A is what per cent more than B" (A − B) / B × 100; base is B "A is what per cent less than B" (B − A) / B ×…
  5. 7.4Illustration A: a table (enrolment in a university, in thousands)Covers Girls' share in 2022, Growth in total enrolment, 2020 to 2024, Ratio of boys to girls in 2021, Girls' growth from 2023 to 2024.
    • Girls' share in 2022
    • Ratio of boys to girls in 2021
  6. 7.5Illustration B: a bar chart (values read from a grouped bar chart, ₹ thousand crore)Covers Trade deficit (imports minus exports), Imports as a per cent of exports in 2022, Average exports, Rise in exports from 2020 to 2023.
    • Average exports
  7. 7.6Illustration C: a pie chart (budget of an institution, total ₹20 crore)Covers Ratio of salaries to scholarships, Research budget after a 20 per cent rise.
    • Two-pie trap
  8. 7.7Illustration D: a line graph (literacy rate, per cent, illustrative)Covers Where do the lines cross?, Rise of State B from 2001 to 2021, Rise of State A over the same period, Which state had the faster growth?.
    • Where do the lines cross?
  9. 7.8Illustration E: statement-based inferenceSome questions give statements and ask which are correct.

Revision mode hides the full explanations and keeps each section's key terms, lists and tables. Use it from your second read onward.

§Overview#

Data interpretation means reading data from a table or graph, analysing it, and drawing a correct conclusion. The knowledge needed is small; the skill is in reading the display correctly and choosing the quickest calculation. The data sets below are invented for illustration, so do not quote their numbers as facts.

Back to topic map ↑

7.1Five-step method#

In brief

Covers Read the display, Read the question, Extract only the needed numbers, Choose the formula or shortcut, Check the unit and the direction.

  • Read the display
  • Read the question
  • Choose the formula or shortcut

  1. Read the display: title, axis labels, legend, units (thousands, lakhs, crores, per cent) and time period.

  2. Read the question: note exactly what is asked (value, percentage, ratio, average, difference, rank) and the base, if one is named.

  3. Extract only the needed numbers from the table or graph.

  4. Choose the formula or shortcut, and approximate if the options are well separated.

  5. Check the unit and the direction of the answer (increase or decrease, A to B or B to A).

Back to topic map ↑

7.2Question types#

In brief

Type Typical wording How to solve Direct reading "In which year was production highest?" Scan the graph or column Percentage of total "What per cent of the total is X?" Part…

Type Typical wording How to solve
Direct reading "In which year was production highest?" Scan the graph or column
Percentage of total "What per cent of the total is X?" Part / Total × 100
Percentage change "By what per cent did sales rise from 2020 to 2021?" (New − Old) / Old × 100
Percentage point "By how many points did the share change?" Subtract the two percentages
Ratio "Ratio of boys to girls in 2022" Divide and simplify
Average "Average of the five years" Sum / 5
Difference "Difference between exports and imports" Subtract
Comparison "Which had the larger increase?" Compute both, compare
Missing value "If the total is 360, find X" Reverse the formula
Pie-chart value "Amount for the 72° sector" 72 / 360 × Total
Maximum or minimum growth "In which year was growth highest?" Compute year-on-year changes
Inference "Which statement is correct?" Test each statement against the data

Back to topic map ↑

7.3Wording decoder#

In brief

Phrase Meaning "A is what per cent of B" A / B × 100; base is B "A is what per cent more than B" (A − B) / B × 100; base is B "A is what per cent less than B" (B − A) / B ×…

Phrase Meaning
"A is what per cent of B" A / B × 100; base is B
"A is what per cent more than B" (A − B) / B × 100; base is B
"A is what per cent less than B" (B − A) / B × 100; base is B
"Increase over the previous year" Base is the previous year
"Per cent of the total" Base is the total, not another part
"Percentage points" Simple difference of two percentages
"Twice as much" / "double" Ratio of 2; an increase of 100 per cent
"Ratio of A to B" A : B, in that order

Back to topic map ↑

7.4Illustration A: a table (enrolment in a university, in thousands)#

In brief

Covers Girls' share in 2022, Growth in total enrolment, 2020 to 2024, Ratio of boys to girls in 2021, Girls' growth from 2023 to 2024.

  • Girls' share in 2022
  • Ratio of boys to girls in 2021
Year Boys Girls Total
2020 40 30 70
2021 45 35 80
2022 50 50 100
2023 48 52 100
2024 60 60 120

  • Girls' share in 2022: 50 / 100 × 100 = 50 per cent.

  • Growth in total enrolment, 2020 to 2024: (120 − 70) / 70 × 100 = 71.4 per cent.

  • Average boys' enrolment over the five years: (40 + 45 + 50 + 48 + 60) / 5 = 243 / 5 = 48.6 thousand.

  • Ratio of boys to girls in 2021: 45 : 35 = 9 : 7.

  • Year with the highest growth in total over the previous year: 2021 gives 10 / 70 = 14.3 per cent; 2022 gives 20 / 80 = 25 per cent; 2023 gives 0 per cent; 2024 gives 20 / 100 = 20 per cent. The highest is 2022.

  • Change in girls' share between 2020 and 2024: 2020 share is 30 / 70 = 42.9 per cent; 2024 share is 50 per cent. The change is about 7.1 percentage points.

  • Girls' growth from 2023 to 2024: (60 − 52) / 52 × 100 = 15.4 per cent.

Lesson: the percentage growth in the total is not the same as the growth in either component, and a share and its growth must not be mixed.

Back to topic map ↑

7.5Illustration B: a bar chart (values read from a grouped bar chart, ₹ thousand crore)#

In brief

Covers Trade deficit (imports minus exports), Imports as a per cent of exports in 2022, Average exports, Rise in exports from 2020 to 2023.

  • Average exports
Year Exports Imports
2019 200 240
2020 180 210
2021 240 270
2022 300 360
2023 330 330

  • Trade deficit (imports minus exports): 40, 30, 30, 60 and 0 for the five years. The largest deficit is in 2022.

  • Imports as a per cent of exports in 2022: 360 / 300 × 100 = 120 per cent.

  • Average exports: (200 + 180 + 240 + 300 + 330) / 5 = 1,250 / 5 = 250.

  • Rise in exports from 2020 to 2023: (330 − 180) / 180 × 100 = 83.3 per cent.

  • Ratio of exports in 2019 to imports in 2022: 200 : 360 = 5 : 9.

  • In which year did imports fall compared with the previous year? Only 2020 (240 to 210).

Lesson: in a grouped bar chart, always read the legend to know which bar is which series before reading any value.

Back to topic map ↑

7.6Illustration C: a pie chart (budget of an institution, total ₹20 crore)#

In brief

Covers Ratio of salaries to scholarships, Research budget after a 20 per cent rise.

  • Two-pie trap
Head Angle Share Amount (₹ crore)
Salaries 144° 40 per cent 8
Infrastructure 72° 20 per cent 4
Research 54° 15 per cent 3
Scholarships 36° 10 per cent 2
Others 54° 15 per cent 3

The angles add to 360°, which is the first check on any pie chart. Each share is the angle divided by 3.6.

  • Ratio of salaries to scholarships: 144 : 36 = 4 : 1 (angles can be used directly, no need to convert).

  • Difference between infrastructure and research: (72 − 54) / 360 × 20 = 1 crore.

  • Research budget after a 20 per cent rise: 3 × 1.2 = ₹3.6 crore.

  • Salaries and scholarships together, as per cent of the total: (144 + 36) / 360 × 100 = 50 per cent.

Two-pie trap. Suppose research was 20 per cent of a ₹10 crore budget last year (₹2 crore) and is 15 per cent of ₹20 crore this year (₹3 crore). The share fell by 5 percentage points, but the amount rose by 50 per cent. Never compare absolute amounts using percentages from two pies with different totals.

Back to topic map ↑

7.7Illustration D: a line graph (literacy rate, per cent, illustrative)#

In brief

Covers Where do the lines cross?, Rise of State B from 2001 to 2021, Rise of State A over the same period, Which state had the faster growth?.

  • Where do the lines cross?
Year State A State B
2001 60 50
2011 70 66
2021 80 80

  • Where do the lines cross? In 2021, when both are 80 per cent.

  • Rise of State B from 2001 to 2021: 30 percentage points, and 30 / 50 × 100 = 60 per cent in relative terms.

  • Rise of State A over the same period: 20 percentage points, or 33.3 per cent in relative terms.

  • Which state had the faster growth? State B, on both measures.

  • Which decade had the larger rise for State B? 2011 to 2021 (14 points) versus 2001 to 2011 (16 points); the earlier decade was larger.

Lesson: a steeper line means a faster change per unit of time, but compare actual numbers before answering.

Back to topic map ↑

7.8Illustration E: statement-based inference#

In brief

Some questions give statements and ask which are correct.

Some questions give statements and ask which are correct. Test each statement against the data, and mark only those that follow from the data shown. For Illustration A, "girls' enrolment exceeded boys' in 2023" is true (52 against 48), "total enrolment doubled between 2020 and 2024" is false (70 to 120 is a rise of 71.4 per cent), and "the reason for rising enrolment is a new scholarship scheme" cannot be concluded because the data give no cause.

A data display shows what happened, not why. Statements about causes, future values or other places are not supported by the data unless the question says so.

Back to topic map ↑

Test yourself on Data Interpretation: Method, Question Types and Solved Illustrations

Practise with free MCQs and answer keys, then return here to fix what you got wrong.

↑ Module 4: Interpretation Practice · All 12 topics in Data Interpretation · Unit overview and sample MCQs

Last updated: . Notes are a revision aid; check official UGC sources for any rule or scheme that changes over time. Spotted a mistake? Write to netlawverse@gmail.com.