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Data sufficiency practice questions for bank exams

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 9 Oct 2026 · 4 min read

In a data sufficiency question you are given a question and two statements. You do not have to find the answer. You decide whether the statements contain enough information to find it. Data sufficiency is a commonly tested topic in the mains-level data analysis and interpretation papers of IBPS and SBI exams, and it rewards a fixed routine more than raw calculation speed.

The five standard options

Every question comes with the same five answer options, shown in short form below.

Use this routine: test I alone, test II alone, and combine them only if neither works.

Five practice questions

Each question below has the same five options as the table above.

Question 1

What is the speed of the train? I. The train crosses a platform 200 m long in 20 seconds. II. The length of the train is 100 m.

• A. Only I is sufficient
• B. Only II is sufficient
• C. Either I or II alone is sufficient
• D. Both together are not sufficient
• E. Both together are necessary

Question 2

What is the cost price of the article? I. The marked price is ₹800, the discount is 20% and the profit is 28%. II. The selling price is ₹640 and the profit is 28%.

• A. Only I is sufficient
• B. Only II is sufficient
• C. Either I or II alone is sufficient
• D. Both together are not sufficient
• E. Both together are necessary

Question 3

What is the length of the diagonal of a rectangle? I. The length is 12 cm and the breadth is 5 cm. II. The perimeter is 34 cm.

• A. Only I is sufficient
• B. Only II is sufficient
• C. Either I or II alone is sufficient
• D. Both together are not sufficient
• E. Both together are necessary

Question 4

What is the sum invested? I. The simple interest earned in 2 years is ₹1,200. II. The simple interest at 6% per annum for 2 years is ₹1,200.

• A. Only I is sufficient
• B. Only II is sufficient
• C. Either I or II alone is sufficient
• D. Both together are not sufficient
• E. Both together are necessary

Question 5

What is the price of one pen? I. 5 pens and 3 pencils together cost ₹60. II. 10 pens and 6 pencils together cost ₹120.

• A. Only I is sufficient
• B. Only II is sufficient
• C. Either I or II alone is sufficient
• D. Both together are not sufficient
• E. Both together are necessary

Answers and explanations

1. E. Speed = (train length + platform length) ÷ time. Statement I gives the platform and the time but not the train's length. Statement II gives only the length. Together: (100 + 200) ÷ 20 = 15 m/s.
2. C. Statement I gives the selling price as 800 × 0.8 = 640, and with the 28% profit the cost price is 640 ÷ 1.28 = 500. Statement II gives the same selling price and profit, so it also yields 500. Each is sufficient alone.
3. A. Statement I gives both sides, so the diagonal is √(144 + 25) = 13 cm. Statement II gives only the sum l + b = 17, and many rectangles fit it.
4. B. Statement I has no rate, so the sum cannot be found. Statement II gives the rate and the interest: P = 1,200 × 100 ÷ (6 × 2) = ₹10,000.
5. D. Statement II is exactly double statement I, so it adds no new equation. There is one equation in two unknowns, and the price of a pen cannot be fixed even with both statements.

How to prepare data sufficiency

• Never solve the whole problem. Decide whether a unique value can be found, and stop. Solving fully wastes the time you saved.
• Count unknowns and independent equations. Two unknowns need two independent equations. Statement II in Question 5 is a repeat of I, so it counts as one equation.
• Test the statements separately first. Do not let the information from I leak into your thinking about II, or you will confuse option C with option E.
• Check that the information is complete. In Question 1, the time is given but the train's length is missing. Always ask what the formula needs.
• Watch for the same fact given twice. If the second statement only restates the first, as in Question 5, it adds nothing and the answer is D, not E.
• Revise formulas from Quant. You need them to know what is required, even when you do not calculate.

Practise 10 questions a day for a week. Aim for 60 seconds each, because the routine, not the arithmetic, takes the time.

The full data sufficiency topic test is on PrepMatic (about 15 questions, 30 minutes). The Quantitative Aptitude guide and the data interpretation guide show where this topic sits, and the bank exam hub links each exam's pattern.

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