Data Interpretation — Practice Questions
CSAT-pattern data interpretation practice on an illustrative recruitment-test table — pass rates, growth, averages, trend counting and a data sufficiency item, fully worked.
Questions
These are original CSAT-pattern practice questions written for this site — not past UPSC papers. Target time: about 9 minutes.
Directions for questions 1–5. Study the table and answer the questions that follow.
Table. Candidates in a state recruitment test (figures in hundreds). Illustrative data — not real figures.
| Year | Appeared | Qualified |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 40 | 8 |
| 2021 | 50 | 9 |
| 2022 | 45 | 12 |
| 2023 | 60 | 15 |
| 2024 | 72 | 18 |
In which year was the pass percentage (qualified as a percentage of appeared) the highest?
Solution
| Year | Pass % |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $8/40 = 20\%$ |
| 2021 | $9/50 = 18\%$ |
| 2022 | $12/45 \approx 26.67\%$ |
| 2023 | $15/60 = 25\%$ |
| 2024 | $18/72 = 25\%$ |
2022 is highest — even though more candidates qualified in 2023 and 2024.
Answer: C
What was the percentage increase in the number of candidates who appeared from 2023 to 2024?
Solution
Increase $= 72 - 60 = 12$ (hundred). Percentage $= \dfrac{12}{60} \times 100 = 20\%$.
The base is the earlier year. (Dividing by 72 gives about 16.7%; 12% confuses the absolute change with the percentage change.)
Answer: A
What was the average number of candidates who qualified per year over 2020–2024?
Solution
Sum $= 8 + 9 + 12 + 15 + 18 = 62$ hundred. Average $= \dfrac{62}{5} = 12.4$ hundred $= 1{,}240$.
Answer: B
In how many of the years 2021 to 2024 did the number of candidates who qualified increase over the previous year while the pass percentage decreased?
Solution
| Year | Qualified vs previous | Pass % vs previous | Counts? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8 → 9 ↑ | 20 → 18 ↓ | Yes |
| 2022 | 9 → 12 ↑ | 18 → 26.67 ↑ | No |
| 2023 | 12 → 15 ↑ | 26.67 → 25 ↓ | Yes |
| 2024 | 15 → 18 ↑ | 25 → 25 (no change) | No |
Two years.
Answer: B
What was the overall pass percentage for the five years taken together?
Solution
Total appeared $= 40 + 50 + 45 + 60 + 72 = 267$. Total qualified $= 62$.
Overall pass % $= \dfrac{62}{267} \times 100 \approx 23.2\%$.
Note the method: the overall rate is weighted by the number who appeared. The simple average of the five yearly rates ($\approx 22.9\%$) happens to be close here, but it is not the correct calculation and can differ sharply in other data sets.
Answer: D
Question: What is the two-digit number?
- The sum of its digits is 9, and its tens digit is twice its units digit.
- The number is divisible by 9.
Which of the following is correct?
Solution
- Statement 1: $t + u = 9$ and $t = 2u$ → $3u = 9$ → $u = 3$, $t = 6$ → 63. A single answer — sufficient.
- Statement 2: 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90, 99 — many answers. Not sufficient.
Answer: A