Read the axis first. Identify chart type. Locate the data point. Fill the blank with the most precise answer available. Never skip the scale.
Graphics Interpretation (GI) presents a visual — a bar chart, line graph, scatter plot, or pie chart — with a passage and 2-3 statements to complete. You select from a dropdown to fill in each blank. The skill: extract precise data from imprecise-looking visuals.
Compares categories. Bars = quantities. Read the y-axis scale carefully (starts at 0? truncated?).
Shows trends over time. The slope = rate of change. Crossing lines = same value at that point.
Shows relationship between two variables. Cluster direction = correlation. Outliers = lone dots.
Shows proportions of a whole. Sectors = percentages. Always sum to 100%.
Check: What are the units? Does the scale start at zero or is it truncated? What are the intervals? A bar that looks 3× taller may only represent a 20% difference on a truncated axis.
When a bar or point doesn't land exactly on a grid line, interpolate:
A bar chart with y-axis starting at 80 makes a 85 vs 90 difference look enormous. Always check the baseline.
Between 40 and 50, each grid line might represent 2 units. Count carefully before interpolating.
A pie chart shows percentages, not absolute values. Without the total, you can't find actual counts.
Some bar+line combo charts use two different y-axes. Check which axis applies to which series.
A steep slope means rapid change, not necessarily a large absolute value. Don't confuse rate with level.
A scatter plot showing two variables moving together does NOT mean one causes the other.
GI often asks for approximations. Don't waste time on exact arithmetic — choose the closest answer.
Charts with multiple data series require careful legend-reading. Mixing up which line/bar is which is a common error.
Revenue grew from 20% to 25% — that's a 5 percentage-point increase, but a 25% relative increase. Different things.
In a stacked bar chart, to find the value of a segment, subtract the lower boundary from the upper boundary of that segment.
A bar chart shows quarterly revenue for 5 divisions. Tech division bar reaches $68M. The total of all bars is $231M. According to the chart, Tech's revenue as a percentage of total is approximately:
A line graph shows Company A's stock price from January to June: Jan $40, Feb $44, Mar $42, Apr $50, May $48, Jun $55. The statement says: "The largest month-over-month increase occurred in ___."
A pie chart shows market share: Company A 35%, Company B 28%, Company C 22%, Others 15%. Total market size is $800M. Company B's absolute revenue is approximately:
A scatter plot shows Advertising Spend (x-axis) vs. Sales (y-axis) for 20 companies. The points cluster in an upward-sloping band from lower-left to upper-right. This pattern indicates:
A bar chart has a truncated y-axis starting at 200 (not 0). Bar A reaches 220, Bar B reaches 240. A student says "Bar B is twice as tall as Bar A, so B has twice the revenue." This reasoning is:
A stacked bar chart shows Q1 and Q2 totals for three product lines. In Q1: Product 1 = 30%, Product 2 = 45%, Product 3 = 25% of $100M. In Q2: the total grew to $120M with the same proportions. Product 2's absolute revenue INCREASE from Q1 to Q2 is:
A line graph shows two companies' cumulative growth from Year 1 to Year 5. Company X starts at $50M and ends at $80M. Company Y starts at $20M and ends at $40M. Which company had a higher percentage growth?
A scatter plot has a line of best fit running through it. A specific data point sits well ABOVE the line of best fit. This means:
A dual-axis chart shows: bars (left axis) for monthly sales volume; a line (right axis) for average selling price. In March, the bar is at 500 units (left axis) and the line is at $120 (right axis). Total March revenue is:
A pie chart shows 5 categories. Category C has the largest slice at approximately 40%. The total sample is 250 respondents. If a statement says "Category C has at least 90 respondents," this statement is:
Truncated axes distort visual comparisons. Always check where the scale starts.
Use proportional estimation: 60% of the way between 40 and 50 = 46.
Percentages are relative. Multiply by the total to get absolute counts.
Up-right slope = positive correlation. Down-right = negative. No pattern = no correlation.