STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Data Interpretation from Graphs Questions and Answers — 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.*
- Pioneer Ltd consistently generated higher annual profits than Innovate Corp across the entire period.
- 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. (Correct answer)
- In 2023, both companies earned the same amount of profit.
- The average annual profit of Innovate Corp over the six-year period was higher than that of Pioneer Ltd.
Correct 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.
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?
- The graph shows that more people in City B prefer cycling than in City A.
- The graph represents percentages, not absolute numbers, and the total number of commuters in each city is unknown. (Correct answer)
- Public transport usage in City A is actually four times that of cycling in City A.
- The data is from 2025 and may no longer be accurate.
Correct answer: The graph represents percentages, not absolute numbers, and the total number of commuters in each city is unknown.
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?
- $12 million
- $30 million
- $54 million
- $24 million (Correct answer)
Correct answer: $24 million
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?
- $15,000
- $35,000
- $25,000 (Correct answer)
- $40,000
Correct answer: $25,000
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?
- Sales of Product A consistently decreased throughout the year.
- Total company sales were highest in the second quarter (Q2).
- Product B was the company's best-selling product for the entire year.
- The proportion of total sales from Product C increased each quarter. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The proportion of total sales from Product C increased each quarter.
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.
Question 6: The combination chart below shows the average monthly temperature and total monthly tourist arrivals for a coastal town over one year. *Graph Description: A combination chart with months Jan-Dec on the x-axis. The left y-axis is 'Average Temperature (°C)' (0-30°C) represented by a line graph. The right y-axis is 'Tourist Arrivals' (0-50,000) represented by a bar graph. The temperature line peaks in July-August at 28°C and is lowest in Jan-Feb at 10°C. The tourist arrival bars are highest in July-August (45,000) and lowest in Nov-Dec (5,000).* A travel agency is developing a marketing campaign for tourists who prefer mild weather (15-20°C) and fewer crowds (less than 20,000 arrivals). According to the graph, which period should the agency promote?
- July - August
- April - May (Correct answer)
- January - February
- September - October
Correct answer: April - May
We need to find a period where the temperature line is between 15-20°C and the tourist arrival bars are below 20,000. In July-August, both temperature and tourists are at their peak. In Jan-Feb, the temperature is too low (around 10°C). In Sep-Oct, the temperature is still warm (above 20°C) and tourist numbers are dropping but may still be high. In April-May, the temperature line is rising into the 15-20°C range, and the tourist arrival bars are still relatively low, well under 20,000, making it the ideal period.
STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Data Interpretation from Graphs Questions and Answers
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.*