Civil Service Numerical Reasoning Test Data Interpretation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A graph shows that train punctuality improved from 82% to 91%. By how many percentage points did it improve?
- 9 (Correct answer)
- 7
- 8
- 11
Correct answer: 9
91% − 82% = 9 percentage points. Note: this is a difference in percentage points, not a percentage change.
Question 2: A table shows that 1,200 items were produced in January. In February, production fell by 5%. How many items were produced in February?
- 1,140 (Correct answer)
- 1,160
- 1,100
- 1,180
Correct answer: 1,140
5% of 1,200 = 60. February production = 1,200 − 60 = 1,140.
Question 3: A pie chart shows spending: Staff 55%, IT 20%, Premises 15%, Other 10%. Total budget is £400,000. How much is spent on IT?
- £80,000 (Correct answer)
- £60,000
- £100,000
- £75,000
Correct answer: £80,000
20% of £400,000 = 0.20 × 400,000 = £80,000.
Question 4: A line graph shows four data points: 15, 22, 19, 28. What is the range?
- 13 (Correct answer)
- 11
- 9
- 17
Correct answer: 13
Range = highest − lowest = 28 − 15 = 13.
Question 5: A table shows customer complaints per month over 6 months: 12, 8, 15, 10, 9, 14. What is the total?
- 68 (Correct answer)
- 66
- 70
- 72
Correct answer: 68
12 + 8 + 15 + 10 + 9 + 14 = 68.
Question 6: A report shows that a project was completed 20 days early. The original timeline was 250 days. What percentage of the timeline was saved?
- 8% (Correct answer)
- 10%
- 6%
- 12%
Correct answer: 8%
(20 ÷ 250) × 100 = 8%.
A graph shows that train punctuality improved from 82% to 91%.
By how many percentage points did it improve?