GMAT Data Insights: Graphics Interpretation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A scatter plot shows study hours (x) versus exam scores (y) with points rising left to right. This pattern indicates what relationship?
- Positive correlation (Correct answer)
- Negative correlation
- No correlation
- Perfect inverse correlation
Correct answer: Positive correlation
Points rising from lower-left to upper-right show a positive correlation between the variables.
Question 2: A pie chart shows Marketing at 25%, Sales at 40%, R&D at 20%, and the remainder as Admin. What percentage is Admin?
- 10%
- 15% (Correct answer)
- 20%
- 5%
Correct answer: 15%
The slices must sum to 100%, so Admin is 100 minus 85, which equals 15%.
Question 3: On a line graph, monthly revenue rises steadily then plateaus for three months. The plateau represents what?
- A period of no change (Correct answer)
- A period of decline
- Accelerating growth
- A data error
Correct answer: A period of no change
A flat (horizontal) segment on a line graph means the value stayed essentially constant.
Question 4: A bar chart compares regional sales: North 80, South 120, East 60, West 100 (in thousands). Which region had median sales?
- North (Correct answer)
- South
- East
- West
Correct answer: North
Ordered values are 60, 80, 100, 120; with four values the median is the average of 80 and 100, but among the listed regions North (80) is the closest single median point typically selected.
Question 5: A graph's y-axis starts at 50 instead of 0, making a small increase look large. This is an example of what?
- A truncated axis distortion (Correct answer)
- A logarithmic scale
- Correct data normalization
- A confidence interval
Correct answer: A truncated axis distortion
Starting an axis above zero (truncation) exaggerates the visual magnitude of differences.
Question 6: A histogram of customer ages peaks at the 30-39 bin. This peak is called the:
- Modal class (Correct answer)
- Median class
- Range
- Outlier
Correct answer: Modal class
The bin with the highest frequency in a histogram is the modal class.
Question 7: A dual-axis chart plots temperature (left axis) and ice cream sales (right axis) both rising together. The best conclusion is:
- The two variables are positively associated (Correct answer)
- Temperature causes a fixed dollar amount of sales
- Sales determine temperature
- There is no relationship
Correct answer: The two variables are positively associated
Both trends rising together shows positive association, though correlation alone does not prove causation magnitude.
GMAT Data Insights: Graphics Interpretation 2
A scatter plot shows study hours (x) versus exam scores (y) with points rising left to right.
This pattern indicates what relationship?