Reading Graphs

The purpose of graphs is to convey information, usually quantitative information.

There are different types of graphs such as:

• Pie
• Bar
• Line

Graphs have information that is plotted (2 dimensions) on a y-axis and on a x-axis. Some of the more difficult questions may have graphs with 2 y-axes (one on the left and the other on the right side).

Therefore, when dealing with questions involving graphs, you are generally looking to:

• Locate information from within the graph
• Work with that information to answer a question. The question may require further calculations in order to answer the question.

Common mistakes

The common mistakes made by students when reading graphs are:

• Not paying attention to the units. Sometimes, figures are expressed in thousands, hundreds etc… this affects the selection of the answer option.
• Confusing the x and y axis information.

How to deal with questions involving graphs

1. Read the question and clarify the requirement. What do you need to find in the graph? This way you focus your efforts when looking at the graph.
2. Read the graph – look at the heading, legend and labels on any axes. Noting down any key information e.g. units, what the graph is about. Does the graph have different layers of information? For example, there is often ‘general’ information (like trends) to be obtained from the graph and you can also find specific information. Are there any ‘outliers’? Always work starting with broader information and then ‘zoom in’ for the details.
3. Locate the 1st axis where your information should be found, and then look at any subsequent axes, one by one. You can trace your finger on the axis to visually confirm that you are looking at the correct corresponding data for the axis (as confusion between axis and data can occur).
4. Once located, do any required calculations and then, select your answer.

We're going to look at some graphs now and discuss the information that can be obtained for the following graphs. Please watch video.

Example Question/s

Watch video for explanation of the following question/s:

Use the following graph to answer the next 2 questions.

The graph shows the number of hours a year 8 group spent doing their household chores for one week.

How many students did household chores for more than 7 hours per week?

A 16 B 22 C 18 D 26 E None of these

How many students did household chores for less than 10 hours in the week?

A 18 B 24 C 30 D 16 E None of these

Use the graph to answer the next 3 questions.

The graph shows the price per piece of bath towel in different shops

Which shop provided the least value for money?

A Shop B B Shop C C Shop D D Shop E E Shop A

Which two shops charged the same price per piece?

A Shops B and C B Shops A and B C Shops A and D D Shops A and C E Shops B and E

At which shop would you get three times the price of bath towel for the same piece as shop A?

A Shop C B Shop D C Shop A D Shop B E None of these

Key Rules to remember

• Know the requirement of the question first to focus your efforts when looking at a chart or graph.
• The labels, legend and headings are important to understand the information being presented.
• Ensure you deal with one axis at a time to avoid confusion with data.
• Work at a high level and then ‘zoom in’ for more details.

Practice time!

Now, it's your turn to practice.

Click on the button below and start your practice questions. We recommend doing untimed mode first, and then, when you're ready, do timed mode.

Every question has two solutions videos after you complete the question. The first is a quick 60 second video that shows you how our expert answers the question quickly. The second video is a more in-depth 5-steps or less explainer video that shows you the steps to take to answer the question. It's really important that you review the second video because that's where you'll learn additional tips and tricks.

Once you're done with the practice questions, move on to the next checkpoint.

Now, let’s get started on your practice questions.

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