GAT Data Interpretation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A company's quarterly revenue (in millions SAR) was: Q1=45, Q2=52, Q3=48, Q4=55. What was the percentage increase from Q1 to Q4?
- 18.2%
- 22.2% (Correct answer)
- 15.6%
- 10.0%
Correct answer: 22.2%
Percentage increase = ((55-45)/45) × 100 = (10/45) × 100 = 22.2%.
Percentage increase from Q1 to Q4 = ((Q4 - Q1) / Q1) × 100 = ((55 - 45) / 45) × 100 = (10/45) × 100 ≈ 22.22%. Note that we use Q1 as the base (denominator) since we're measuring the increase FROM Q1. A common error is using the average or Q4 as the base.
Question 2: In a survey of 500 students, 35% preferred Science, 25% preferred Math, 20% preferred Arabic, and the rest preferred other subjects. How many students preferred other subjects?
- 75
- 100 (Correct answer)
- 125
- 150
Correct answer: 100
Subjects accounted for: 35% + 25% + 20% = 80%. Other subjects: 100% - 80% = 20%. Students: 20% of 500 = 100.
Total percentage for named subjects: 35% + 25% + 20% = 80%. Remaining for 'other subjects': 100% - 80% = 20%. Number of students: 20% × 500 = 0.20 × 500 = 100 students. This is a straightforward data interpretation problem involving the complement of given percentages.
Question 3: A bar chart shows the following monthly sales (units): Jan=120, Feb=95, Mar=140, Apr=110, May=160. What is the median monthly sales?
- 110
- 120 (Correct answer)
- 125
- 140
Correct answer: 120
Arranged in order: 95, 110, 120, 140, 160. The median (middle value) is 120.
To find the median, arrange values in ascending order: 95, 110, 120, 140, 160. With 5 values (odd count), the median is the 3rd value (middle position). The median is 120. Note: the median is not affected by the chronological order of the months — we must sort by value. The mean would be (95+110+120+140+160)/5 = 125, which is different from the median.
Question 4: A pie chart shows budget allocation: Education 30%, Healthcare 25%, Infrastructure 20%, Defense 15%, Other 10%. If the total budget is 800 billion SAR, how much more is spent on Education than Defense?
- 80 billion
- 120 billion (Correct answer)
- 100 billion
- 140 billion
Correct answer: 120 billion
Education: 30% of 800 = 240 billion. Defense: 15% of 800 = 120 billion. Difference: 240 - 120 = 120 billion SAR.
Method 1 (direct): Education = 0.30 × 800 = 240 billion. Defense = 0.15 × 800 = 120 billion. Difference = 240 - 120 = 120 billion. Method 2 (shortcut): Difference in percentages = 30% - 15% = 15%. Then 15% of 800 = 120 billion. Both methods yield the same answer; the shortcut is faster.
Question 5: A table shows that a factory produced 500 units on Monday, 480 on Tuesday, 520 on Wednesday, 460 on Thursday, and 540 on Friday. What is the range of daily production?
- 40
- 60
- 80 (Correct answer)
- 100
Correct answer: 80
Range = Maximum - Minimum = 540 - 460 = 80 units.
The range measures the spread of data. Maximum production = 540 (Friday). Minimum production = 460 (Thursday). Range = 540 - 460 = 80 units. The range is a simple measure of variability. Note that the order of days does not matter for calculating range — only the extreme values are needed.
Question 6: A line graph shows population growth: Year 2020=2.0 million, 2021=2.1 million, 2022=2.25 million, 2023=2.4 million. In which year was the growth rate highest?
- 2020 to 2021
- 2021 to 2022 (Correct answer)
- 2022 to 2023
- All years equal
Correct answer: 2021 to 2022
Growth rates: 2020-21: (2.1-2.0)/2.0 = 5.0%. 2021-22: (2.25-2.1)/2.1 = 7.14%. 2022-23: (2.4-2.25)/2.25 = 6.67%. Highest: 2021 to 2022.
Growth rate = ((New - Old) / Old) × 100. From 2020 to 2021: ((2.1 - 2.0)/2.0) × 100 = 5.00%. From 2021 to 2022: ((2.25 - 2.1)/2.1) × 100 = 7.14%. From 2022 to 2023: ((2.4 - 2.25)/2.25) × 100 = 6.67%. The highest growth rate is 7.14% from 2021 to 2022. Note that the absolute increase from 2022-2023 (0.15M) is larger than 2021-2022 (0.15M) — they're equal in absolute terms, but the rate differs because of different base values.
GAT Data Interpretation 3
A company's quarterly revenue (in millions SAR) was: Q1=45, Q2=52, Q3=48, Q4=55.
What was the percentage increase from Q1 to Q4?