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The dictionary definition of a table is "a chart of facts and figures shown in horizontal rows and vertical columns."
Tables are one of the most versatile ways to present quantitative data in a systematic manner. In the context of classifying variables as continuous or discrete, tables allow for the presentation of the maximum number of continuous variables relative to a set of values for one discrete variable. The quantity of information that can be displayed on a table is significantly greater than that which can be displayed on any type of graph or chart.
The data that can be depicted on any chart type (pie/bar/xy) can also be represented in a table.
If additional information is to be presented on a table, it is simply a matter of adding one more column/row and describing the continuous variable to be displayed in the heading of the column/row. This is in contrast to the standard charts, which are not as flexible.
Typically, the discrete variable/s used in a table are:
(a) Geographical or location-based (city, state, country, etc.);
(b) Duration expressed in months, quarters, or years
(c) Individual or business-based
(d) Miscellaneous classifications.
The first three terms are the most common.
The following questions will aid in your understanding of tables and the types of queries that can be generated using tables.
Every Year there is a guaranteed question on CAT from this section. It is one of the favourite topics for all entrance exams including CAT/XAT/NMAT/GMAT and all the competitive exams.
This chapter requires you to dive in directly into the questions and start solving then only you are going to get a an understanding about the questions. Let us try and solve some CAT questions.
Topics that will be covered in this article are:-
- CAT Previous year questions on tables
- How to approach Tables question in Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) in CAT
CAT Previous year questions on Tables
Answer the questions based on the following information Question nos. (1 – 4)
King Amitabh of Bollysteel organised initials to decide the groom for his daughter in two steps–The preliminary stage and the final stage. The preliminary stage comprised of a written test whereas in the final stage there was an archery competition. The archery competition consisted of five rounds wherein the contestants could score from 2 to 9 points in each round. The prince who scored the maximum points in these five rounds would be considered the winner in the overall standing and would marry the princess.
When the results of the preliminary stage were announced, it was found that only five princes – A, B, C, D and E qualified the preliminary stage and hence these were the only contestants left to complete in the final stage.
During the final stage, however, the judge who was tabulating the scores of the princes started taking sporadic short naps and so at the end, when King Amitabh asked for the score card to find out final the winner, he was presented the following table
| Prince | 1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 9 | 8 | |||
| B | 2 | 3 | |||
| C | 2 | 9 | 4 | 8 | |
| D | 4 | 6 | 5 | 8 | |
| E | 3 | 9 |
However, the judges has made the following observations too
(i) No two princes had scored equally in any round.
(ii) The difference between the total points scored by
Prince A and Prince D was 6 points.
(iii) Prince B ’s total points were always greater than
that of Prince C ’s total points.
(iv) Princes A scored an even number of points both in the 2nd and the 4th rounds.
(v) Each of the five princes scored greater than or equal to 24 points in the five rounds.
(vi) There was tie between any two princes in their overall points.
Ques 1. Prince D won the competition and married the Princess. Also, Prince B scored 28 points from the five rounds. Then, which of the following could be false?
(a) Prince C scores more points than Prince E in round 4
(b) Prince A scores more points than Princes E in
round 2
(c) Prince B scores more points than Prince E in round 1
(d) Prince D scores more than Prince A in round 3
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (c)
| Prince | 1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 9 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 26 |
| B | 7 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 28 |
| C | 2 | 9 | 4 | 8 | ||
| D | 4 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 32 |
| E | 3 | 9 |
If Prince D wins the competition and marries the bride, and Prince B scores 28 points over the course of the five rounds, then the table will look as follows:
Ques 2. If Prince D scores 5 points in the 3rd round and Prince C scores 4 points in the 5th round, then which of the following will definitely be false?
(a) Prince A is 1st in the overall standing
(b) Prince E is 2nd in the overall standing
(c) Prince C is 3rd in the overall standing
(d) Prince D is 4th in the overall standing
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (c)
| Prince | 1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 34 |
| B | 7 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 29 |
| C | 2 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 27 |
| D | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 28 |
| E | 3 | 9 |
A will achieve a total of 34 points since D scored a total of 28 points. Accordingly, he must have scored 8 points in the second round and 6 points in the fourth round. Additionally, Prince C has accumulated 27 points. Therefore, Prince B must score 29 points (since there are no ties), so in the first, fourth, and fifth rounds he receives 8, 9, and 7 points, respectively. Even though we do not know E's score, it is evident from the table that C is either fourth or fifth.
Ques 3. If Prince E scores 2 points in the 3rd round. Then, which of the following statements is sufficient to decide the winner?
- Prince C scores the maximum possible points in the 5th round.
- Prince D scores the maximum possible points in the 3rd round.
(a) Only I
(b) Only II
(c) I and II
(d) Even I and II together are not sufficient to decided the winner
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (b)
According to Statement I, Prince C can earn a maximum of five points in the fifth round, bringing his total to twenty-eight. As Prince B can achieve a maximum of 29 points and C's score is always lower than B's, we obtain the following table:
| Prince | 1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 9 | 8 | 6 | |||
| B | 8 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 29 |
| C | 2 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 28 |
| D | 4 | 6 | 5 | 8 | ||
| E | 3 | 2 | 9 |
According to Statement II, D receives the highest potential total of nine points in the third round. His total will then be 32. In addition, E's maximum tally is 28 points if he achieves 7 points in both the first and fourth rounds. A cannot achieve 38 points as to score 18 more points is inconceivable. Therefore, D will always be the victor with 32 total points.
| Prince | 1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 9 | 8 | 3 | 26 | ||
| B | 8 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 29(max) |
| C | 2 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 28(max) |
| D | 4 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 32 |
| E | 7 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 28 |
Statement II alone is sufficient to answer the question.
Ques 4. If Prince C scores 5 points in the 5th round but Prince E becomes the winner with the least possible total points, then what is the least possible points scored by Prince E in the 3rd round?
(a) 5 (b) 6 (c) 8 (d) 7
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (d)
| Prince | 1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 9 | 8 | 3 | 26 | ||
| B | 8 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 29(max) |
| C | 2 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 28(max) |
| D | 4 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 32 | |
| E | 7 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 28 |
Minimum required total for E to win is 33 points. When Prince C scores five points in the fifth round, his total score will be 28. Therefore, Prince B must achieve over 28 points. Prince B can earn a maximum of 29 points, according to the provided schedule, if he scores 8, 9, and 7 points in the first, fourth, and fifth phases, respectively. However, at least one of D and A will score 32. In the first and fourth rounds, E can score a maximum of 7 points (minimum for the third round). Therefore, Prince E's cumulative score for the third round is 33 (7 + 3 + 7 + 9) = 7, giving him a total score of 33.
Answer the questions based on the following information Question nos. (5 - 7)
A tournament was organised among five teams, Red backs, Warriors, Royals, Dare devils and Chargers. This was a round robin league tournament where each team has to play every other team exactly once. For any team, three points are awarded for a win, one point for a draw and no point for a loss.
The following table was still incomplete even after the end of tournament
| Team | W | D | L | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red backs | 7 | |||
| Warriors | 2 | |||
| Royals | 1 | |||
| Dare devils | 10 | |||
| Chargers | 7 |
where,
W = Number of matches won D = Number of matches drawn L = Number of matches lost
P = Total point
Ques 5. Which teams did Red backs beat?
(a) Only Dare devils and Chargers (b) Only Dare devils
(c) Only Warriors and Royals (d) Only Warriors and Chargers
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (c)
| Team | W | D | L | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red backs | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Warriors | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Royals | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Dare devils | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Chargers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Warriors and Royals have lost two or more matches whereas the Red Backs have won two matches and the Dare Devils haven't lost a match, hence options (a) and (b) are not possible. Warrior and Royal defeats at the hands of the Red Backs.
Ques 6. Which team/s drew the match with Warriors?
(a) Only Red backs (b) Only Royals and Dare devils
(c) Only Dare devils and Chargers (d) Only Chargers
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (b)
| Team | W | D | L | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red backs | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Warriors | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Royals | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Dare devils | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Chargers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Due to their loss against the Red Backs, the Warriors were forced to settle for a pair of draws against the Royals and the Daredevils.
Ques 7. Which team has the highest number of draws?
(a) Warriors (b) Red backs
(c) Royals (d) Dare devils
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (a)
| Team | W | D | L | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red backs | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Warriors | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Royals | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Dare devils | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Chargers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Warriors has the highest number of draws.
Answer the questions based on the following information (8-10)
When Munna Bhai joined the university of South Ghatkopar for his M.S., Mr. Irani, his professor, asked him to prove his calibre in a test conducted for the entire class. The class comprised of exactly 10 students. The test contain exactly 10 multiple choice type questions. However, Munna as is always the case, managed to get the correct answer-key for all the 10 questions well before the exam. But in the exam, he wrongly marked exactly one question, on purpose, to avoid raising any suspicion. All the other nine students of the class also formed their respectively answer-keys in the following manner. They first obtained the answer-key from one or two of the students, who are called his/her jigris, who already have their answer-keys. If a student has two jigris, then he/she first compares the answer keys from both the jigris. If the key to any question from both the jigris is identical, it is copied, otherwise it is left blank. If a student has only one jigri, then he/she copies the jigri’s keys into his/her copy. However, in the exam, each student intentionally replaced exactly one of the answers, other than a blank, with a wrong answer. It is known that no two students replaced the answers to the same question. When Mr. Irani finally assessed all the answer-keys, he formulated the following table, which gives the answer-keys that each of the ten students marked for the 10 questions-I through X.
| Question No. Student | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arun | b | a | - | b | c | - | - | a | c | b |
| Chinky | a | a | - | d | c | - | - | - | c | b |
| Jassi | b | - | d | d | c | b | d | a | d | b |
| Lucky | b | a | - | d | c | b | - | b | c | b |
| Munna | b | a | b | d | c | b | d | a | c | b |
| Niran | b | a | d | d | c | b | d | a | c | b |
| Praveen | b | a | b | d | c | b | c | a | c | b |
| Rahul | b | c | d | d | c | b | d | a | c | b |
| Ritesh | b | a | - | d | s | b | - | - | c | b |
| Sastry | b | a | d | d | c | a | d | a | c | b |
Ques 8. Munna is the jigri of
(a) Sastry and Ritesh (c) Lucky and Rahul
(b) Niran and Praveen (d) Jassi and Lucky
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (b)
The persons who copied from Muna cannot leave any answer options vacant.
The persons that copied from Munna must be among Niran, Praveen, Rahul and Sastry.
The individuals who copied from Munna must have only one answer that differs from Munna's, but Rahul's answers to questions III and IV differ from Munna's. Similarly, Sastry has two distinct responses compared to Munna, so Niran and Praveen are the only individuals who have copied Munna.
Only Chinky marked a distinct answer for the I query when all other participants' responses are compared. Therefore, we can conclude that nobody has replicated Chinky's answer key.
Similarly, Arun, Ritesh, and Jassi all answered the same question for the fourth section.
∴ No one copied Arun, Chinky, Ritesh, or Jassi's answer choices. Praveen introduced the incorrect answer choice 'C' for question nine, but neither Rahul, Sastry, nor Jassi left it vacant or marked it as C. ∴ These individuals did not copy from Praveen, nor did they copy from someone who copied from Praveen. Therefore, all three of them copied from Niran or someone who copied from Niran.
When comparing the answer selections of Rahul and Niran, only one differs.
Jassi left the answer to the second question open, which is marked as 'A' by everyone else except Rahul, who marked it as 'C'.
∴ Jassi copied from Rahul, and one additional query matches these two individuals.
The two individuals must be named Niran and Rahul. Only two questions were left unanswered by Lucky, indicating that both individuals selected the same answer for all other questions. This only occurred for Niran and Praveen.
Chinky and Arun should have Sastry as one of the people they copied from, or they would not have left question VII blank. Chinky left question VIII vacant, so the other person he copied from must be Lucky.
Arun left question IX vacant; he should have replicated questions from (Sastry and Praveen) or (Sastry and Lucky), i.e. (Sastry and Praveen) or (Sastry and Lucky).
∴ He could not have chosen 'a' for question X if he had copied from Sastry and Lucky. Therefore, he copied Sastry and Praveen.
The final diagram is as given below:-
Munna is the Jigri of Niran and Praveen.
Ques 9. Who among the following is not the jigri of any of the ten students?
(a) Jassi (b) Praveen (c) Lucky (d) Rahul
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (a)
No body has Jassi as Jigri.
Ques 10. Who are the jigris of Chinky?
(a) Niran and Rahul (b) Rahul and Sastry
(c) Sastry and Lucky (d) Cannot be determined
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (c)
Chinky has Sastry and Lucky as Jigris.
Answer the questions based on the following information (11-14)
A study was conducted to ascertain the relative importance that employees in five different countries assigned to five different traits in their Chief Executive Officers. The traits were compassion (C),
decisiveness (D), negotiation skills (N), public visibility (P) and Vision (V). The level of dissimilarity between two countries is the maximum difference in the ranks allotted by the two countries to any of the five traits. The following table indicates the rank order of the five traits for each country.
| Country | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | India | China | Japan | Malaysia | Thailand |
| 1 | C | N | D | V | V |
| 2 | P | C | N | D | C |
| 3 | N | P | C | P | N |
| 4 | V | D | V | C | P |
| 5 | D | V | P | N | D |
Ques 11. Which amongst the following countries is most dissimilar to India?
(a) China (c) Malaysia
(b) Japan (d) Thailand
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (b)
Level of Dissimilarity = Maximum ranking difference between any two countries on any of the five characteristics. Examples: differences between India and China
| Trait | India’s Rank | Japan’s Rank | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| P | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| N | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| V | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| D | 5 | 1 | 4 |
According to the above calculations, Japan has the greatest measure of dissimilarity at 4.
Ques 12. Which of the following pairs of countries are most dissimilar?
(a) China and Japan (b) India and China
(c) Malaysia and Japan (d) Thailand and Japan
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (d)
D(4-1) = 3 corresponds to the degree of dissimilarity between China and Japan.
India and China corresponds to the parameter N(3-1) = 2
Malaysia and Japan has a parameter value of V (4-1) = 3
Thailand and Japan corresponds to parameter D (5-1) = 4
Ques 13. Three of the following four pairs of countries have identical levels of dissimilarity. Which pair is the odd one out?
(a) Malaysia and China (b)China and Thailand
(c) Thailand and Japan (d)Japan and Malaysia
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (d)
The degree of dissimilarity between Malaysia and China is N(5-1) = 4.
The parameter D(5-1) = 4 corresponds to China and Thailand.
Thailand and Japan corresponds to parameter D(5-1) = 4
Japan and Malaysia has a parameter value of V (4-1) = 3
Ques 14. Which of the following countries is least dissimilar to India?
(a) China (b) Japan
(c) Malaysia (d) Thailand
Click here for the answer
Solution:- (a)
the level of dissimilarity for India Vs remaining countries
China: For the parameter N(3 − 1) = 2
Japan: For the parameter D(5 − 1) = 4
Malaysia: For the parameter C(4 − 1) = 3
Thailand: For the parameter V (4 − 1) = 3
∴The least level of dissimilarity is 2 which is for China.
How to approach Tables question in Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) in CAT
- Read the table carefully for all the information and jot down the main points.
- Try to compile the points and connect with all the point with a plausible solution based on the questions asked.
- It becomes quite easy when one has figured out all the constraints based on the questions.
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