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Bar Graph Solved Questions

A bar graph is Data Interpretation with each category’s value read directly off a bar’s height instead of a table cell — once you’ve read the numbers correctly, it’s the same percentage, average and ratio work as every other DI format. This page covers that core idea, grouped (multi-series) bar graphs, and the misleading-axis caution, with several fully worked examples using shared data sets.

Written by Mahesh Srivastava, Founder of Pariksha Saathi. Published: 2026-10-05. Editorial standards & corrections

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The concept, quickly

  • Each bar’s height (or length, for a horizontal bar graph) represents that category’s value on the scale shown on the axis — read it carefully against the axis markings before calculating anything.
  • A percentage change between two bars uses the same rule as any other percentage question: (new − old) / old × 100, with the EARLIER bar as the original value.
  • For "which period had the highest/lowest change" questions, calculate every period-to-period change first and write them all down, rather than trying to eyeball which bars look most different.
  • An average across several bars is just their sum divided by the count — the bar graph format doesn’t change the formula, only how you read the input values.
  • Some bar graphs show TWO or more bars per category (a "grouped" bar graph) — e.g. separate bars for Boys and Girls in each year. Keep the series separate throughout a calculation; only add or average across series if the question explicitly asks for a combined figure.
  • Watch for a y-axis that doesn’t start at zero (a "broken" or truncated axis) — bars can look dramatically different in height even when the underlying percentage difference between them is small. Always calculate from the actual labelled values on the axis, never from how tall the bars visually appear.

Worked examples

1. A bar graph shows the number of books sold by a store over five months: January 120, February 150, March 90, April 180, May 160. Find the percentage increase in books sold from January to February.

Solution

  1. Increase = 150 − 120 = 30.
  2. Percentage increase = (30/120) × 100 = 25%.

Answer: 25%

2. Using the same data (January 120, February 150, March 90, April 180, May 160), find the average number of books sold per month over the five months.

Solution

  1. Sum = 120 + 150 + 90 + 180 + 160 = 700.
  2. Average = 700 / 5 = 140.

Answer: 140 books

3. Using the same data, find the ratio of books sold in March to books sold in April.

Solution

  1. Ratio = 90 : 180.
  2. Dividing both terms by their HCF, 90: 1 : 2.

Answer: 1 : 2

4. Using the same data, in which month-to-month transition was the percentage DECREASE the highest, and what was that percentage?

Solution

  1. Check every transition: Jan→Feb is an increase. Feb→Mar: decrease of 60, (60/150)×100 = 40%. Mar→Apr is an increase. Apr→May: decrease of 20, (20/180)×100 ≈ 11.1%.
  2. The highest decrease is Feb→Mar at 40%.

Answer: February to March, a 40% decrease

5. A grouped bar graph shows runs scored by two batsmen over 3 matches: Match 1: A = 40, B = 55; Match 2: A = 65, B = 50; Match 3: A = 50, B = 70. Find the total runs scored by each batsman.

Solution

  1. A's total = 40 + 65 + 50 = 155.
  2. B's total = 55 + 50 + 70 = 175.

Answer: A = 155 runs, B = 175 runs

6. Using the same data, in which match was the difference between the two batsmen's scores the largest, and what was that difference?

Solution

  1. Match 1: |55−40| = 15. Match 2: |65−50| = 15. Match 3: |70−50| = 20.
  2. The largest difference is in Match 3, at 20 runs.

Answer: Match 3, a difference of 20 runs

7. A bar graph's y-axis starts at 80 (not 0). Two bars correspond to actual values of 92 and 96. A quick glance makes the second bar look like a huge jump because of the truncated axis. Find the actual percentage increase from the first bar to the second.

Solution

  1. Always compute from the real values, not the visual bar heights: increase = 96 − 92 = 4.
  2. Percentage increase = (4/92) × 100 ≈ 4.35%.
  3. This is a modest increase, even though a truncated axis starting at 80 can make it look dramatic.

Answer: ≈ 4.35%

Try these yourself

Read the bar values carefully, then check against the answer.

1. Using the same data (January 120, February 150, March 90, April 180, May 160 books), find the percentage increase in books sold from March to April.

Answer: 100%

2. Using the same data, find the total books sold in January, February and March combined.

Answer: 360 books

3. Using the same data, find the ratio of books sold in January to books sold in May.

Answer: 3 : 4

4. A grouped bar graph shows sales (₹ thousand) of two products over 3 quarters: Q1: X=30, Y=45; Q2: X=50, Y=40; Q3: X=45, Y=65. Find the total sales for each product.

Answer: X = 125, Y = 150 (₹ thousand).

5. Using the same data, in which quarter was the difference between X and Y sales the largest?

Answer: Q3, a difference of 20 (65−45).

6. A bar graph's y-axis starts at 50 (not 0). Two bars correspond to actual values of 61 and 64. Find the actual percentage increase from the first to the second.

Answer: ≈ 4.92%. (64−61)/61 × 100.

7. Using the product sales data (Q1: X=30,Y=45; Q2: X=50,Y=40; Q3: X=45,Y=65), find the average quarterly sales of Product Y.

Answer: ₹50 thousand. (45+40+65)/3.

All 14 practice questions on Bar Graph, with answers →

Where this comes up

Bar Graph is tested directly in the Quantitative/Numerical Aptitude section of exams Pariksha Saathi covers — SSC CGL, SSC MTS, SSC CHSL, IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI PO and SBI Clerk — as a standard Data Interpretation format alongside tables and pie charts.

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Solve the questions above before opening the answers. Explain each step in your own words, then revisit any mistakes.

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