Table – Data Interpretation – MBA CUET PG

Notes

Tables are one of the most versatile and systematic methods of representing quantitative data. The information is arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns, making it possible to present large amounts of data in a compact form.

• Any information that can be shown on graphs/charts can also be displayed in a table.

• However, the reverse is not always true because tables can store far more detailed data than graphs can visually represent.

• The drawback: When the dataset involves many variables, a table may become harder to interpret quickly due to limited visual cues.

Categories of Table DI

Table-based Data Interpretation can be mainly classified into the following types:

1. Basic Table DI

2. Missing Table DI

(1) Basic Table DI:

In Basic Table DI, all values required to answer the questions are directly provided in the table.

• No data point is missing.

• Rows or columns represent different variables in alphabetical or chronological order.

• You simply read the data and perform the required calculations:

  • Percentages

  • Ratios

  • Differences

  • Averages

  • Growth/decline

  • Comparisons between rows/columns

Example tasks:

• “By what percentage did the sales increase from 2018 to 2019?”

• “What is the ratio of boys to girls in School A?”

(2) Missing Table DI:

Missing Table DI involves questions where some data points are not directly given in the table. Instead, you must calculate or infer the missing values using:

• The data provided in the table

• The information given in the question

• Mathematical relationships between the variables

This type tests your ability to deduce values logically before answering the actual question.

Characteristics of Missing Table DI

• One or more cells in the table are empty.

• Missing values must be computed using formulas, often including:

  • Percentages

  • Ratios

  • Totals/ subtotals

  • Profit–loss relations

  • Population distribution

  • Speed–distance–time formulas

• Sometimes extra information is included in the question, not in the table, making the deduction part essential.

Example Situations

• Total population is given, but male or female populations are missing.

• Total revenue is given, but revenue from one of the products is missing.

• Marks in two subjects are given, along with the average, and marks in the third subject must be found.

Example:

Suppose a table shows:

If the question states:
“Girls are 44% of total students,”
then:
Girls = 44% of 500 = 220
(Missing value filled)

Once missing values are found, you proceed to solve the actual question.

Practice Questions

Direction (1-6): The table below shows the number of students enrolled in four different colleges (A, B, C, and D) over four years.

Use this information to answer the following questions:

1. Find the mean number of students registered in College B across the four years.
Options:
(a) 450
(b) 400
(c) 425
(d) 475

2. In the year 2016, students in College B choose among three courses:

• 20% go for B.Sc,

• 30% opt for B.Com,

• and the remaining take BCA.

What is the difference between the number of BCA students and the combined number of B.Sc + B.Com students in that year?
Options:
(a) 200
(b) 80
(c) 100
(d) 120

3. The total enrollment in College A for 2015 and 2016 combined is what percent more or less than the enrollment in College C for 2017 and 2018 combined?
Options:
(a) 15%
(b) 25%
(c) 30%
(d) 12%

4. The ratio between girls and boys in College B during 2016 is 3 : 5, while in College C during 2017 it is 7 : 5.

Find the ratio of the number of girls in College B (2016) to boys in College C (2017).
Options:
(a) 2 : 5
(b) 3 : 5
(c) 1 : 3
(d) 2 : 3

5. The enrollment in College A in 2017 is what percent of the enrollment in College B in the same year?
Options:
(a) 120%
(b) 40%
(c) 140%
(d) 71%

6. By how much does the total number of students across all colleges in 2015 differ from the total number in 2018?
Options:
(a) 250
(b) 450
(c) 150
(d) 350