NBT - National Benchmark Quantitative Literacy Data Interpretation Questions and Answers

Question 1

The bar chart below shows the number of students enrolled in four different courses at a college. What is the ratio of students in Engineering to students in Medicine?

[Bar chart showing: Medicine - 300 students, Law - 450 students, Engineering - 600 students, Business - 750 students]

Accepted Answer

C) 2:1

Answer

To find the ratio, divide the number of students in Engineering by the number of students in Medicine. Engineering has 600 students and Medicine has 300 students. The ratio is 600:300, which simplifies to 2:1.

Question 2

A university department's budget of R2,500,000 is allocated as shown in the pie chart below. How much more money is allocated to 'Research' than to 'Salaries'?

[Pie chart showing allocations: Salaries - 40%, Research - 30%, Equipment - 20%, Administration - 10%]

Accepted Answer

A) R250,000

Answer

First, find the difference in percentage between Research and Salaries: 40% - 30% = 10%. Then, calculate 10% of the total budget: 0.10 * R2,500,000 = R250,000. Alternatively, calculate the amount for each: Salaries = 0.40 * 2,500,000 = R1,000,000; Research = 0.30 * 2,500,000 = R750,000. The difference is R1,000,000 - R750,000 = R250,000.

Question 3

The line graph shows the average monthly temperature in a city over a year. Which of the following periods shows the steepest rate of temperature increase?

[Line graph showing monthly temperatures: Jan-5, Feb-8, Mar-15, Apr-20, May-25, Jun-30, Jul-32, Aug-31, Sep-28, Oct-22, Nov-15, Dec-8 (all in degrees Celsius)]

Accepted Answer

A) January to March

Answer

The rate of increase is the change in temperature over the period. 
A) Jan to Mar: 15 - 5 = 10 degrees increase over 2 months. 
B) Mar to May: 25 - 15 = 10 degrees increase over 2 months. 
C) Jul to Sep: 28 - 32 = 4 degrees decrease. 
D) Oct to Dec: 8 - 22 = 14 degrees decrease. 
Both A and B show an increase of 10 degrees in 2 months. However, the question asks for the steepest rate. Looking at the month-to-month change, Feb-Mar has an increase of 7 degrees (15-8), which is the largest single-month increase in the dataset, making the Jan-Mar period have the steepest initial climb.

Question 4

A survey asked 500 people about their primary source of news. The results are in the table below. What percentage of respondents chose either 'Social Media' or 'Newspapers' as their primary source?

| Source | Number of People |
|---|---|
| Television | 175 |
| Social Media | 150 |
| Newspapers | 75 |
| Radio | 50 |
| Online News Sites | 50 |

Accepted Answer

B) 45%

Answer

First, add the number of people who chose 'Social Media' and 'Newspapers': 150 + 75 = 225. Next, to find the percentage, divide this number by the total number of respondents (500) and multiply by 100: (225 / 500) * 100 = 45%.

Question 5

The table shows the number of cars sold by a dealership from 2021 to 2024. If the sales trend from 2023 to 2024 continues, what would be the projected number of cars sold in 2025?

| Year | Cars Sold |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 320 |
| 2022 | 350 |
| 2023 | 390 |
| 2024 | 440 |

Accepted Answer

C) 500

Answer

First, identify the pattern of increase in sales. From 2021 to 2022, the increase is 30. From 2022 to 2023, the increase is 40. From 2023 to 2024, the increase is 50. The trend shows that the increase itself grows by 10 each year. Therefore, the increase from 2024 to 2025 should be 60. Projected sales for 2025 would be 440 + 60 = 500.

(NBT) National Benchmark Test Practice Test

(NBT) National Benchmark Test Practice Test

NBT - National Benchmark Quantitative Literacy Data Interpretation Questions and Answers