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Interpreting
Data Displays

Master the art of reading tables, graphs, and charts to extract key information quickly and accurately on the ISEE.

ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Reasoning

What Are Data Displays?

A data display is any visual representation of numerical information. On the ISEE, you will encounter tables, bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, and more. Each type organizes data differently, but they all answer one question: what story does the data tell?

Common Display Types

Bar Graph
Uses rectangular bars to compare quantities across categories
Line Graph
Connects data points to show trends and changes over time
Pie Chart
Shows parts of a whole as wedge-shaped sectors of a circle
Table
Organizes exact values in rows and columns for precise lookup

Why Data Literacy Matters

Data display questions appear frequently on the ISEE Quantitative Reasoning section. They test your ability to quickly extract specific values, perform calculations using those values, and identify trends or relationships in the data.

Reading a Bar Graph

0 10 20 30 40 50 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri 25 40 15 35 45 Books Sold Per Day Number

Reading a Line Graph

0 20 40 60 80 100 Jan Feb Mar Apr May 30 50 45 70 85 Monthly Website Visitors (thousands)

Reading vs. Interpreting

Reading Data Interpreting Data
What you do Find a specific value on the display Draw a conclusion from the data
Example question "How many books were sold on Tuesday?" "On which day was the increase greatest?"
Skill needed Locate and read axis values Compare, calculate, and reason
Difficulty Lower Higher

Pie Charts and Percentages

35% 25% 20% 20% Math: 35% Science: 25% English: 20% History: 20% Favorite Subjects (200 students)

Reading Tables Accurately

Student Quiz 1 Quiz 2 Quiz 3 Average
Alice88928588.3
Ben76849083.3
Clara95899191.7
David82788682.0

How to Approach Any Data Question

1
Read the title and labels. Understand what the display measures and the units used.
2
Identify the axes or categories. Know what the x-axis (horizontal) and y-axis (vertical) represent.
3
Read the question carefully. Determine if you need a single value, a comparison, or a calculation.
4
Extract the needed data. Locate the specific bars, points, or cells the question asks about.
5
Compute and check. Perform any arithmetic, then verify your answer makes sense in context.

Example 1: Bar Graph

0 5 10 15 20 25 Vanilla Choc. Straw. Mint 18 22 12 8 Ice Cream Votes

Example 2: Pie Chart Calculation

40% 30% 20% 10% Bus: 40% Car: 30% Walk: 20% Bike: 10% How 500 Students Travel to School

Example 3: Trend Analysis

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Store A Store B

Computing Statistics from Displays

Mean
\(\text{Mean} = \frac{\text{Sum of all values}}{\text{Number of values}}\). Add all data points, divide by the count.
Median
The middle value when data is sorted. If even count, average the two middle values.
Range
\(\text{Range} = \text{Max} - \text{Min}\). Measures the spread of the data set.

Common Mistakes

✕ Ignoring Axis Scale
If the y-axis starts at 50 instead of 0, a bar reaching 70 represents 70: not the bar height in pixels.
✕ Misreading Between Lines
A data point halfway between 20 and 30 is 25. Estimate carefully when values fall between grid lines.
✕ Wrong Sector in Pie Charts
Confusing which sector matches which category. Always check the legend or labels: never guess by color alone.

Summary: Display Types

Display Best For Key Skill Watch Out
Bar Graph Comparing categories Read bar heights Axis scale
Line Graph Trends over time Identify slope changes Interpolation
Pie Chart Parts of a whole Percentage to value Sector mismatch
Table Exact values Row/column lookup Wrong cell

Question 1 of 5

How many more students are in Art than in Chess?

Question 2 of 5

How many people chose Reading?

Question 3 of 5

What is the range of temperatures for the week?

Question 4 of 5

What is the mean (average) test score?

Question 5 of 5

From March to April, by how many more units did Store X's sales increase compared to Store Y's change?