Questions which involve interpreting data

Finally, here are some examples of the kinds of question which can come up on numerical aptitude tests. You need to be able to extract the right information to answer the question which you are asked. Also, you need to be quick and accurate in doing this as these tests are timed. Of course, these abilities are also necessary in real-life situations.
Some questions will involve using percentages. Also, some questions can't be answered from the data you have been given. Again, this is sometimes the case both in aptitude tests and in real life! It is always important to collect the right data in the first place if you need to answer specific questions concerned with managing your company.
Example (1)

Sales of KUDOS cars in the year 1999 at the Grizwold garage
Model Price excl. VAT Number sold Cost price to garage Total cost from faults Number of faults
Kuddly £6 500 846 £5 000 £16 560 218
Knight £11 000 612 £8 000 £11 800 165
Kaptain £16 000 402 £12 000 £9 720 112
Korker £14 600 298 £10 500 £5 500 62

(1) Which model of car gives the greatest % gross profit on each sale?
... (A)Kuddly . (B)Knight . (C)Kaptain . (D)Korker . (E)Can't say

(2) On which model of car does the garage make the greatest gross profit on its total sales?
... (A)Kuddly . (B)Knight . (C)Kaptain . (D)Korker . (E)Can't say

(3) Some cars have faults which have to be put right under the Kudos guarantee.
... Which model of car costs the garage the greatest average amount per fault?
... (A)Kuddly . (B)Knight . (C)Kaptain . (D)Korker . (E)Can't say

(4) Which model of car has the greatest proportion of cars brought back to rectify faults?
... (A)Kuddly . (B)Knight . (C)Kaptain . (D)Korker . (E)Can't say

Example (2)

It is not always easy to interpret what is meant when percentage changes are quoted in newspaper articles. Here is an example of the kind of thing which you might meet.

Research has revealed that air quality in Britain deteriorated in 1998 to its worst level for a decade. The number of days on which pollution became harmful to human health rose by 20% in towns and 50% in rural areas.
One of the worst affected areas saw a rise from 23 such days in 1997 to 60 days in 1998.
Decide which of the following statements is true, based on the data given above.

(1) The % increase in the number of days with high pollution in the area quoted was
... (A)38.3% . (B)260.9% . (C)61.7% . (D)160.9%

(2) Rural areas were becoming increasingly polluted faster than urban areas.
... (A)True . (B)False . (C)Can't say

(3) Rural areas were more likely than urban areas to have dangerous levels of pollution.
... (A)True . (B)False . (C)Can't say.

Example (3)
This one is similar to the previous example.
Suppose you read the following statement in a newspaper.
Teenage smoking rates are still lower than in the 1970's. However, a recent survey in a large city has revealed that the proportion of 16 year-olds who smoke daily has jumped 8% since 1992 to 22% in 1999. Tragically, in this city alone, this means that in 1999 there were an estimated 3 300 daily smokers in this age group.
Decide which of the following statements are true based on the above information.

(1) The number of 16 year-olds in this city in 1999 was about
... (A)15 000 . (B)12 000 . (C)18 000

(2) The proportion of 16 year-olds who smoked daily in this city in 1992 was
... (A)14% . (B)36.4% . (C)63.6% . (D)20.4%

Example (4)
Chocblox plc have recently brought out two new sorts of chocolate bar, the Nutchox and the Frutichox.
They sell Nutchox bars wholesale in boxes of 100 bars at £24 a box, and Frutichox bars wholesale in boxes of 120 bars at £32 a box.
The launch was at the beginning of January 1999 and the sales figures for the first 6 months are shown on the graph below. Use this graph to answer the questions below it about the sales. (I've put the graph in again at the end of the questions to save you some scrolling.)


(1) During how many months were an equal number of boxes of Nutchox and Frutichox sold?
... (A)None . (B)One . (C)Two . (D)Three

(2) What percentage of the total number of boxes sold in May contained Nutchox?
... (A)60% . (B)166.6% . (C)62.5% . (D)37.5%

(3) What percentage of the total number of individual bars sold in February were Frutichox?
... (A)33.3% . (B)37.5% . (C)50% . (D)60%

(4) In which month were equal numbers of individual bars sold wholesale?
... (A)March . (B)April . (C)May . (D)June

(5) During how many months was more money received from Frutichox sales than from Nutchox sales?
... (A)None . (B)One . (C)Two . (D)Three

The next page will give you the answers to these questions so that you can check yours.

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