GMAT - Graduate Management Admission Data Insights: Graphics Interpretation Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The stacked bar chart below shows the annual revenue in millions of dollars for a technology company, broken down by division, for Year 1 and Year 2. \[Image of a stacked bar chart showing revenue for 'Software', 'Hardware', and 'Services' for two consecutive years. Year 1: Software=$50M, Hardware=$30M, Services=$20M. Year 2: Software=$60M, Hardware=$35M, Services=$30M.] Which division experienced the greatest percentage increase in revenue from Year 1 to Year 2?
- Hardware
- Software
- Services (Correct answer)
- All divisions grew by the same percentage.
Correct answer: Services
To find the percentage increase, use the formula: ((New Value - Old Value) / Old Value) * 100. - Software: (($60M - $50M) / $50M) * 100 = ($10M / $50M) * 100 = 20%. - Hardware: (($35M - $30M) / $30M) * 100 = ($5M / $30M) * 100 ≈ 16.7%. - Services: (($30M - $20M) / $20M) * 100 = ($10M / $20M) * 100 = 50%. The Services division had the highest percentage increase at 50%.
Question 2: The line graph below tracks the monthly number of active users for three different social media platforms over a six-month period. \[Image of a line graph with three lines representing Platform A, Platform B, and Platform C. Month 1: A=5000, B=8000, C=7000. Month 6: A=7500, B=9000, C=6000. Platform B's line shows the most fluctuation (volatility) between months.] Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the graph?
- Platform B was the most volatile in terms of its number of active users. (Correct answer)
- Platform C experienced the largest absolute decrease in users from Month 1 to Month 6.
- At the end of Month 6, Platform A had the most active users.
- Platform A experienced uninterrupted growth throughout the entire period.
Correct answer: Platform B was the most volatile in terms of its number of active users.
Volatility refers to the degree of variation or fluctuation. By visually inspecting the graph, Platform B's line shows the most significant ups and downs from month to month compared to the relatively smoother trends of A and C, indicating it was the most volatile. Platform C's decrease (1000 users) was smaller than Platform A's increase (2500 users). At the end of Month 6, Platform B had the most users (9000). The term 'uninterrupted growth' cannot be confirmed for Platform A without seeing data points for every single day; monthly data can hide intra-month dips.
Question 3: The scatter plot below shows the relationship between the number of hours a student studied per week and their final exam score, along with a line of best fit for the data. \[Image of a scatter plot with 'Hours Studied per Week' on the x-axis (0 to 15) and 'Final Exam Score' on the y-axis (0 to 100). A line of best fit is drawn through the data points, passing through approximately (4 hours, 65 score) and (12 hours, 95 score).] Based on the line of best fit, what would be the predicted exam score for a student who studied 10 hours per week?
- 80
- 88 (Correct answer)
- 95
- 75
Correct answer: 88
First, determine the equation of the line of best fit using two approximate points on the line, for example, (4, 65) and (12, 95). The slope (m) is (95 - 65) / (12 - 4) = 30 / 8 = 3.75. Using the point-slope form: y - 65 = 3.75(x - 4), which simplifies to y = 3.75x - 15 + 65, or y = 3.75x + 50. Now, substitute x = 10 into the equation: y = 3.75(10) + 50 = 37.5 + 50 = 87.5. The closest answer is 88.
Question 4: The two pie charts below show the market share of laptop brands in Year 1 and Year 2. The total number of laptops sold was 1.5 million in Year 1 and 2.0 million in Year 2. \[Image of two pie charts. Year 1 (Total: 1.5M units): Brand A=20%, Brand B=50%, Others=30%. Year 2 (Total: 2.0M units): Brand A=30%, Brand B=45%, Others=25%] What was the absolute increase in the number of units sold by Brand A from Year 1 to Year 2?
- 100,000
- 500,000
- 150,000
- 300,000 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 300,000
To find the absolute increase, you must first calculate the number of units sold by Brand A in each year and then find the difference. - Year 1 units for Brand A: 20% of 1,500,000 = 0.20 * 1,500,000 = 300,000. - Year 2 units for Brand A: 30% of 2,000,000 = 0.30 * 2,000,000 = 600,000. - Absolute increase: 600,000 - 300,000 = 300,000 units.
Question 5: The table below provides efficiency data for four different manufacturing plants. | Plant Location | Units Produced per Day | Operating Cost per Day | Number of Employees | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | North | 1,200 | $15,000 | 50 | | South | 1,500 | $16,500 | 60 | | East | 900 | $10,800 | 40 | | West | 1,600 | $20,000 | 80 | Which plant has the lowest operating cost per unit produced?
- North
- South (Correct answer)
- East
- West
Correct answer: South
To find the operating cost per unit, divide the 'Operating Cost per Day' by the 'Units Produced per Day' for each plant. - North: $15,000 / 1,200 units = $12.50 per unit. - South: $16,500 / 1,500 units = $11.00 per unit. - East: $10,800 / 900 units = $12.00 per unit. - West: $20,000 / 1,600 units = $12.50 per unit. The South plant has the lowest cost per unit at $11.00.
Question 6: The bubble chart below compares several companies based on their market share, customer satisfaction rating, and annual revenue. The size of each bubble corresponds to the company's annual revenue. \[Image of a bubble chart. X-axis: 'Market Share (%)'. Y-axis: 'Customer Satisfaction (out of 100)'. Bubble size represents 'Annual Revenue'. Company Alpha: high market share, moderate satisfaction, large bubble. Company Beta: low market share, high satisfaction, small bubble. Company Gamma: moderate market share, low satisfaction, medium bubble. Company Delta: high market share, high satisfaction, medium bubble.] Which of the following statements can be most reliably concluded from the chart?
- Higher customer satisfaction directly causes higher annual revenue.
- The company with the highest market share also has the highest annual revenue.
- The company with the highest customer satisfaction has the lowest market share. (Correct answer)
- There is no consistent relationship between market share and customer satisfaction.
Correct answer: The company with the highest customer satisfaction has the lowest market share.
By examining the positions of the bubbles, we can evaluate each statement. Company Beta is highest on the y-axis (highest satisfaction) but is farthest to the left on the x-axis (lowest market share), making this statement a direct and accurate observation from the graph. Statement A implies causation, which a chart like this cannot prove. Statement B is incorrect because Company Alpha has the largest bubble (revenue) but shares a similar high market share with Company Delta, which has a smaller bubble. Statement D is too strong; while not a perfect linear relationship, there isn't 'no consistent relationship' as companies are clustered in different ways.
GMAT - Graduate Management Admission Data Insights: Graphics Interpretation Questions and Answers 1
The stacked bar chart below shows the annual revenue in millions of dollars for a technology company, broken down by division, for Year 1 and Year 2.
\[Image of a stacked bar chart showing revenue for 'Software', 'Hardware', and 'Services' for two consecutive years.
Year 1: Software=$50M, Hardware=$30M, Services=$20M.
Year 2: Software=$60M, Hardware=$35M, Services=$30M.]
Which division experienced the greatest percentage increase in revenue from Year 1 to Year 2?