Bar Graphs
Bar graphs represent categorical data with rectangular bars with heights or lengths proportional to the values that they represent. They can be plotted vertically or horizontally.
Avg. Time: 8 minutes per set
Difficulty: 6/10
Frequency: 25% of DI questions
About Bar Graphs
Key characteristics and strategies for Bar Graphs
Key Characteristics
- Visual representation of data using rectangular bars
- Easy to compare values across different categories
- Can be simple (single bars) or complex (grouped or stacked bars)
- Often used to show trends over time or compare categories
Solving Strategies
- Identify the scale and units of measurement first
- For grouped bars, focus on patterns and relationships between groups
- For stacked bars, pay attention to both individual segments and totals
- Look for the highest and lowest values to quickly identify extremes
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Misreading the scale or units
- Confusing absolute and percentage changes
- Not accounting for different baseline values in comparisons
- Overlooking patterns across multiple categories