DI/Reasoning
Data & Reasoning
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DATA & REASONING
This variety is appearing in different MBA exams quite
frequently these days. In this form of Data Interpretation,
the data would be provided in the form of Table, Bar
Graph, Line Graph or Data Paragraph and then you have
to apply different level of reasoning to crack the set or to
solve the questions. This form of data requires a
thorough understanding of the data given.
In these kinds of sets, the questions require the thorough
knowledge of the concept of Sets and Venn diagram,
Logical Connectives, Logical Deductions (Syllogism) etc.
Some of the major types of questions asked in Data and
Reasoning are Maxima & Minima, Games & Tournaments
questions etc.
The basic understanding of all the types of graphs and a
deep understanding of the various logics needed in
reasoning are pre-requisites to solve these kinds of
questions. The examples given below would help you to
get the idea about the kind of graph, which may appear
under this category and the approach to solve these
kinds of questions.
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Illustration 1: Read the information given below and answer
the questions that follow.
A team of 5 players A, B, C, D and E participated in a
tournament and played four matches (1 to 4). The
following table gives partial information about their
individual scores and the total runs scored by the team in
each match.
Each column has two values missing. These are the runs
scored by the two lowest scorers in that match. None of
the two missing values is more than 10% of the total runs
scored in that match.
Match-1 Match-2 Match-3 Match-4
Runs A 100 53
scored by B 88 65 52
player C 110
D 72 75 20 56
E 60 78
Total 270 300 240 200
1. What is the maximum possible percentage
contribution of A in the total runs scored in the four
matches, approximately?
1. 19.7% 2. 19.9%
3. 21.2% 4. 20.2%
2
Sol. As the score of A is already given in two of the
matches i.e. match number 2 & 4, it means we only
need to guess the score in the remaining two
matches.
Now his maximum possible score in Match 1 = 27
(i.e. 10% of the total of 270)
Similarly his maximum score in the Match 3 = 24
(i.e. 10% of 240). But if we carefully go through the
details of Match 3, we can say that, since A and B
are the two lowest scorers, so each one of them
cannot score more than 19. So maximum score
that A can contribute in Match 3 is 19.
Hence Maximum possible percentage contribution:
100 × (27 +100 + 19 + 53)/(270+ 300 +240+200) %
= 100 × 199/1010 = 19.7%. So the answer is 1st
option.
2. If the absolute difference between the total runs
scored by B and D in the four matches is minimum
possible, then what is the highest possible total
score of A in the four matches?
1. 192 2. 194
3. 217 4. 198
3
Sol. Total score of D in the four matches is = 72 + 75 +
20 + 56 = 223.
Now as want to minimize the difference in D and B,
we should try to make the total score of B as close
as possible to D.
The given score of B in three matches is = 88 + 65
+ 52 = 205.
Now in the Match 3, the score of B can be taken as
18, so as to make the difference as 0.
Now the score of A in Match 3 will be = 240 – (18 +
110 + 20 + 78) = 14.
The maximum score of A in Match1 can be taken
as 27 (10% of 270).
The total score of A now is = 14 + 27 + 100 + 53 =
194.
3. The players are ranked 1 to 5 on the basis of the
total runs scored by them in the four matches, with
the highest scorer getting Rank 1. If it is known
that no two players scored the same number of
total runs, then how many players are there for
whom ranks can be exactly determined?
1. 0 2. 1 3. 3 4. 5
4
Sol. The sum of three scores given in Match 1 is 88 +
72 + 60 = 220. The total of Match 1 is 270. The
remaining score is 270 – 220 = 50. As per the
question 10% of the total i.e. 27 is the maximum
score one player can get. This means the minimum
that the fifth player can get is 50- 27 = 23. This
implies that the score of A and C in Match 1 will be
in between 23 – 27, inclusive.
The sum of three scores given in Match 2 is 100 +
65 + 75 = 240. The total of Match 2 is 300. The
remaining score is 300 – 240 = 60. As per the
question 10% of the total i.e. 30 is the maximum
score one player can get. This means both the
players C and E, will have a score of 30 each in the
second match.
The sum of three scores given in Match 3 is 110 +
20 + 78 = 208. The total of Match 3 is 240. The
remaining score is 240 – 208 = 32. As per the
question 10% of the total i.e. 24 is the maximum
score one player can get. But since these two
people are the two lowest scorers, so each one of
them cannot score more than 19. This implies that
the score of A and B in Match 3 will be in between
13 – 19, inclusive.
5
The sum of three scores given in Match 4 is 53 +
52 + 56 = 161. The total of Match 4 is 200. The
remaining score is 200 – 161 = 39. As per the
question 10% of the total i.e. 20 is the maximum
score one player can get. This means the minimum
that the fifth player can get is 39 - 20 = 19. This
implies that the score of C and E in Match 4 will be
in between 19 – 20, inclusive.
As discussed above, Individual ranges for total
score now will be:
A = 23 – 27, 100, 13 – 19, 53 = 189 – 199
B = 88, 65, 13 – 19, 52 = 218 – 224.
C = 23 – 27, 30, 110, 19 – 20 = 182 – 187.
D = 72, 75, 20, 56 = 223.
E = 60, 30, 78, 19 – 20 = 187 – 188.
C and E can have the same total score. As per the
question, two players cannot have the same total
score, as the minimum of E is the same as the
maximum of C that implies C will the total lesser
than E. Hence C will have rank 5, E will have rank 4.
A will have rank 3. Also we cannot determine the
exact ranks of B and D. Thus the rank of three
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persons can be found and two persons cannot be
found.
Illustration 2: Read the information given below and answer
the questions that follow.
There are 140 employees in an organization across five
departments. The following table gives the department-
wise distribution of average age, average basic pay and
allowances. The gross pay of an employee is the sum of
his/her basic pay and allowances.
Department Number of Average Average Allowances
Employees Age Basic Pay (% of Basic
(Years) (Rs.) Pay)
HR 9 50 10000 80
Marketing 40 40 12000 80
Finance 30 35 13000 70
Business 35 47 15000 70
Development
Maintenance 26 40 11000 60
There are limited numbers of employees which are
considered for transfer/ promotion across departments.
Whenever a person is transferred/promoted from a
department of lower average age to a department of
higher average age, he/she will get an additional
allowance of 10 of basic pay over and above his/her
current allowance. There will not be any change in pay if
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a person is transferred/ promoted from a department
with higher average age to a department with lower
average age.
1. There was a mutual transfer of an employee
between Marketing and Finance departments and
transfer of one employee from Marketing to HR. As
a result, the average age of Finance department
increased by one year and that of Marketing
department remained the same.
What is the new average age of HR department?
Sol: As the average age of the finance department has
increased by one year that means the total
increase in the finance department is 30 years as
there are 30 persons. This increase of 30 years in
the finance department implies a decrease of 30
years in the marketing department.
Now one person from marketing has been
transferred to HR department. After this the
average of marketing department remains the
same, this means the total decrease in marketing
should be equal to the original average age, which
was 40 years.
8
There is a decrease of 30 years due to mutual
transfer between finance and marketing. This
means the person transferred from marketing to
HR must have an age of 10 years.
The total of HR without this person is 50 × 9 = 450.
The total of 10 persons, after this person is added
will be 450 + 10 = 460. The final average age of the
10 persons is 460/10 = 46 years.
2. What is the approximate percentage change in the
average gross pay of the HR department due to
transfer of a 50-year old person with basic pay of
Rs.15000 from the Marketing department?
Sol: Total pay of employee working in Marketing having
age 50 years when he is transferred to HR
department will be equal to 15000 + 90% of 15000
= Rs. 28500.
Total pay of HR Department will be (10000 + 80%
of 10000) × 9 = Rs. 162000.
Total pay of HR Department after inclusion of
employee from Marketing = 162000 + 28500 = Rs.
190500.
Average gross salary of HR Department =
190500/10 = 19050.
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Change in average salary = 19050 – 18000 = Rs.
1050 5
1050. Hence percentage change = 100 5 % .
18000 6
3. If two employees (each with a basic pay of Rs.
10000) are transferred from Maintenance
department to HR department and three
employees (with a basic pay of Rs. 12000) are
transferred from Marketing department to HR
department, what will be the change in average
basic pay of HR department?
Sol: 2 persons transferred from Maintenance
department to HR department will contribute 2 ×
10000 = Rs. 20000.
Three persons transferred from Marketing
department will contribute = Rs. 36000.
Total basic salary of HR department = 10000 × 9 +
20000 + 36000 = Rs. 146000.
Average basic salary of HR department =
146000/14 = Rs. 10428.
Change in average salary is = Rs. 10428 – 10000 =
Rs. 428.
428
Hence the percentage change = 100 4.28%.
10000
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