Bank Exams · Subject-wise preparation

Data interpretation for bank exams

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 8 Oct 2026 · 7 min read

Data interpretation (DI) for bank exams means answering questions from tables, charts or a paragraph of data. In IBPS PO and SBI PO mains it is a stand-alone section called Data Analysis & Interpretation, worth 60 marks each. In every other bank exam it sits inside the Quant or Numerical Ability section. DI is mostly arithmetic done in sets of about five questions, so it rewards calculation speed and a reliable routine for reading the data. This page covers where DI appears, the set types, the shortcuts, and three fully worked examples.

Where DI appears in each bank exam

Figures are from the 2026 IBPS and SBI notifications and the RBI Assistant 2025 handout. The notifications do not say how many questions in a Quant section are DI, so treat any figure you read as an approximation. The time per question in the two stand-alone sections is about 68 seconds in IBPS PO mains (45 minutes for 40) and 90 seconds in SBI PO mains (45 minutes for 30), which makes a five-question set a 5.5 to 7.5 minute job. The other arithmetic chapters are in quantitative aptitude for bank exams.

The set types you will meet

Mains also uses arithmetic DI (a word problem built on a chart), data sufficiency and quantity comparison. IBPS and SBI list only the section name, so none of these is an official syllabus list.

Calculation tools

• Percentage change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100. A value rising from 80 to 100 is up 25%, but falling from 100 to 80 is down 20%.
• Percentage points vs percent. A share moving from 20% to 25% is up 5 percentage points, which is a 25% relative increase.
• Pie chart angle = percentage × 3.6, and percentage = angle ÷ 360 × 100.
• Average = total ÷ count. Weighted average = sum of (weight × value) ÷ sum of weights.
• Compare fractions by cross-multiplying, and simplify first: 156/192 reduces to 13/16.
• Estimate when options are far apart; compute exactly when they are close. Read the question first, then check units (₹ crore, ₹ lakh, thousands) before you touch the numbers.

Worked example 1: a table

Which branch had the highest percentage growth in deposits? The increases are 30, 30, 50 and 32. Percentages: Salem 30/120 = 25%, Madurai 30/200 = 15%, Coimbatore 50/250 = 20%, Trichy 32/160 = 20%. The answer is Salem. Coimbatore had the largest rupee increase, a deliberate trap.

Which branch has the highest loan-to-deposit ratio in 2025? Simplify: Salem 90/150 = 3/5 = 60%, Madurai 161/230 = 7/10 = 70%, Coimbatore 225/300 = 3/4 = 75%, Trichy 156/192 = 13/16 = 81.25%. The answer is Trichy.

What was the overall deposit growth? Total 2024 = 120 + 200 + 250 + 160 = 730. Total 2025 = 150 + 230 + 300 + 192 = 872. Growth = 142/730, about 19.5%.

Worked example 2: a pie chart

A bank's loan book of ₹4,800 crore splits as Home 35%, Education 15%, Agriculture 20%, Vehicle 10%, Personal 20%.

• Central angle for Agriculture: 20 × 3.6 = 72°.
• Home minus Personal: 15% of 4,800 = ₹720 crore.
• Vehicle : Education = 10 : 15 = 2 : 3.
• Mains-style twist: home loans grow 10% and every other category stays unchanged. Home was 35% of 4,800 = 1,680, so it becomes 1,848. The total becomes 4,800 + 168 = 4,968. The new home share is 1,848/4,968, about 37.2%. The trap is dividing by the old total.

Worked example 3: a caselet

A bank receives 1,200 loan applications in a month. 60% come from urban areas and the rest from rural areas. 70% of urban applications are approved, and 50% of rural ones. Overall approval?

Build a tree. Urban: 1,200 × 0.6 = 720, and 720 × 0.7 = 504 approved. Rural: 1,200 − 720 = 480, and 480 × 0.5 = 240 approved. Total approved is 744, and 744/1,200 = 62%. As a check, the weighted average is 0.6 × 70 + 0.4 × 50 = 42 + 20 = 62%.

Data sufficiency and missing-data sets

For data sufficiency, decide only whether the data is enough, not what the answer is. Example: "What is the speed of the train? I. It crosses a 300 m platform in 30 seconds. II. Its length is 200 m." Statement I alone leaves the train's length unknown, and II alone gives no time. Together, speed = (300 + 200) ÷ 30, about 16.7 m/s, so both statements are needed. For missing-data tables, start with the row or column that has exactly one blank, fill it from the total, and keep going until ratio clues unlock the rest.

Picking sets and building speed

• In prelims, take table, bar and pie sets first. A caselet or a missing-data set can cost twice as long for the same five marks. IBPS PO prelims sections are separately timed, so spend all 20 minutes on Quant and do the most time-consuming set last.
• In mains, scan all sets in the first minute and rank them. With 45 minutes for the section, a set that eats eight minutes is a loss you cannot recover.
• Write intermediate values beside the chart (totals, percentages) so later questions reuse them.
• Practise in four weeks. Week 1: tables and bar graphs with a calculation drill. Week 2: line, pie and mixed. Week 3: caselets and missing data. Week 4: arithmetic DI, data sufficiency and quantity comparison, in timed sets.

For how DI fits in a full plan, see the IBPS PO preparation strategy and SBI PO preparation strategy, and reasoning ability for the other mains section it sits beside. Start from the bank exam guide for the whole exam.

Practising DI with PrepMatic

In PrepMatic's IBPS PO mains and SBI PO mains setups, Data Analysis & Interpretation is its own subject, so you can build a DI-only custom mock by choosing the number of questions, duration and difficulty. In the prelims and clerk-level setups DI sits inside Quantitative Aptitude, and the free assessment (about 15 untimed questions) shows Quant as a whole. Results give a subject-wise breakdown, accuracy over time and speed per question, which is the metric that matters in DI. Practice questions are AI-generated rather than official past papers.

Frequently asked questions

Is DI asked in bank exam prelims?

Yes, inside the Quant or Numerical Ability section. The notifications do not state how many DI questions there are, but sets of about five questions are common.

What is the difference between Data Analysis & Interpretation and DI?

It is the official section name in IBPS PO and SBI PO mains. It covers DI sets and also data sufficiency and related data-based questions, so it is wider than plain chart reading.

Does SBI JA or IBPS CSA have a separate DI section?

No. DI appears inside Numerical Ability or Quantitative Aptitude in both.

How do I get faster at DI calculations?

Memorise squares, fraction-percentage pairs and tables, simplify fractions before dividing, and estimate when the options are far apart. Time every set you practise.

Should I attempt DI first in the prelims Quant section?

Only if the sets are table, bar or pie. If the DI is a caselet or missing-data set, do the quick simplification and series questions first and return to it.

Official sources

• IBPS: notifications and information handouts.
• SBI careers: PO and Junior Associate advertisements.
• RBI opportunities: Grade B and Assistant notices.

IBPS and SBI do not publish past papers, so question sets online are memory-based or modelled on the pattern. Confirm the pattern in the latest notification.

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