STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Data Interpretation from Graphs Questions and Answers

Question 1

The line graph below shows the annual profit for two companies, 'Innovate Corp' and 'Pioneer Ltd', from 2020 to 2025. Which of the following statements is best supported by the data presented in the graph?

*Graph Description: A line graph with years 2020 to 2025 on the x-axis and Profit (in millions of AUD) from $0M to $10M on the y-axis. Innovate Corp's line starts at $4M, dips to $2M in 2022, then rises sharply to $9M by 2025. Pioneer Ltd's line starts at $5M and shows a steady, consistent increase to $8M by 2025.*

Accepted Answer

Innovate Corp's profit showed a greater percentage increase from its lowest point to its highest point than Pioneer Ltd's did over the same period.

Answer

Innovate Corp's profit went from a low of $2M (2022) to a high of $9M (2025), which is a 350% increase (($9M - $2M) / $2M). Pioneer Ltd's profit went from $5M to $8M, a 60% increase. Therefore, Innovate Corp's percentage growth from its lowest to highest point was significantly greater. The other options are incorrect: Pioneer was not always higher (Innovate was higher in 2025), they did not earn the same in 2023 (Pioneer was higher), and a visual estimation of the average shows Pioneer's is likely higher due to Innovate's significant dip.

Question 2

The grouped bar chart below displays the preferred methods of commuting to work for employees in City A and City B in 2025.

*Graph Description: A grouped bar chart comparing City A and City B. The y-axis shows the percentage of commuters (0% to 60%). The x-axis has four categories: 'Private Car', 'Public Transport', 'Cycling', and 'Walking'. For 'Public Transport', City A's bar is at 50% and City B's bar is at 25%. For 'Cycling', City A's bar is at 10% and City B's is at 20%.*

A city planner claims that the number of people using public transport in City A is double the number of people cycling in City B. Why is this conclusion potentially flawed based on the graph?

Accepted Answer

The graph represents percentages, not absolute numbers, and the total number of commuters in each city is unknown.

Answer

The graph shows percentages of commuters, not the actual number of people. City A's public transport use is 50% and City B's cycling use is 20%. While 50 is more than double 20, we cannot compare the absolute numbers of people without knowing the total commuter populations of City A and City B. If City B has a much larger population than City A, it's possible that the number of cyclists in City B is greater than the number of public transport users in City A.

Question 3

The pie chart below shows the distribution of a university's total annual expenditure of $120 million.

*Graph Description: A pie chart titled 'University Annual Expenditure'. The slices are: 'Academic Salaries' (45%), 'Research Grants' (25%), 'Infrastructure & Maintenance' (15%), 'Student Services' (10%), and 'Administration' (5%).*

How much more money was spent on Academic Salaries than on the combined total of Infrastructure & Maintenance and Student Services?

Accepted Answer

$24 million

Answer

First, calculate the combined percentage for Infrastructure & Maintenance and Student Services: 15% + 10% = 25%. Next, find the difference in percentage between Academic Salaries and this combined figure: 45% - 25% = 20%. Finally, calculate 20% of the total budget: 0.20 * $120 million = $24 million.

Question 4

A scatter plot below shows the relationship between the age of a used car (in years) and its resale value (in thousands of AUD). A line of best fit is drawn on the plot.

*Graph Description: A scatter plot with 'Age of Car (Years)' on the x-axis (0 to 10) and 'Resale Value ($000s)' on the y-axis (0 to 50). The data points show a negative correlation, starting high on the left and moving lower to the right. A straight line of best fit passes through approximately (2 years, $35k) and (8 years, $15k).*

Based on the line of best fit, what is the most reasonable estimated resale value for a car that is 5 years old?

Accepted Answer

$25,000

Answer

The line of best fit represents the general trend of the data. By locating '5 years' on the x-axis (which is exactly in the middle of 2 and 8), and moving up to the line of best fit, the corresponding value on the y-axis is approximately halfway between $35k and $15k. The midpoint is ($35k + $15k) / 2 = $25k. Therefore, $25,000 is the most reasonable estimate.

Question 5

The stacked area chart below illustrates the quarterly sales (in units) for a company's three main products (Product A, Product B, Product C) over the course of a year.

*Graph Description: A stacked area chart for one year, with Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 on the x-axis. The y-axis is 'Units Sold'. In Q1, the total is 1000 (A=500, B=300, C=200). In Q2, the total is 1200 (A=400, B=500, C=300). In Q3, the total is 1100 (A=300, B=400, C=400). In Q4, the total is 1500 (A=300, B=500, C=700).*

Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the chart?

Accepted Answer

The proportion of total sales from Product C increased each quarter.

Answer

Let's check the proportion of Product C sales: Q1 is 200/1000=20%; Q2 is 300/1200=25%; Q3 is 400/1100≈36%; Q4 is 700/1500≈47%. The proportion of total sales from Product C clearly increased each quarter. Option A is incorrect as sales of Product A were flat from Q3 to Q4. Option B is incorrect as total sales were highest in Q4 (1500 units). Option C is incorrect because summing the units for the year (A=1500, B=1700, C=1600) shows Product B was the bestseller, but the statement implies this was true in every quarter, which is not the case.

STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Test Practice Test

STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Test Practice Test

STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Data Interpretation from Graphs Questions and Answers