Tips and Tricks for Data Sufficiency | Logical Reasoning (LR) and Data Interpretation (DI) - CAT PDF Download

Data Sufficiency represents a question format frequently encountered in standardized tests, aptitude exams, and assessments designed to assess an individual's capacity to analyze information, make informed decisions, and draw conclusions from a restricted set of provided data.

Tips and Tricks and Shortcuts for Data Sufficiency

Certainly! Here's a rephrased version of the tips for solving data sufficiency questions:

• Thorough Reading: Carefully read the entire question to grasp all the information provided. Even if the question is lengthy, take your time to understand it fully.
• Verbal Reasoning: For quantitative aptitude questions, consider solving them verbally first. Try to reason through the conditions before delving into complex calculations.
• Focus on Conditions: Rather than aiming for the final answer, concentrate on identifying which conditions are necessary to solve the question. Determine if the given data is sufficient for a solution.
• Avoid Assumptions: Stick strictly to the information provided in the question. Refrain from making any assumptions or relying on external knowledge. Only use the given data to arrive at a conclusion.
• Step-by-Step Approach: Begin by attempting to solve the question using the first condition. If it proves insufficient, proceed to the second condition, and continue in a step-by-step manner until you can ascertain the sufficiency of the data.

Tips and Tricks and Shortcuts for Data Sufficiency

Step 1- Examine the Question properly
Step 2- Consider each statement individually
Step 3- Combine the two statements

Q1: Who is taller among P, Q, R, S & T? 
(l) S is shorter than Q. P is shorter than only T. 
(ll) Q is taller than only S. T is taller than P and R.
(a) If data in the statement I alone is sufficient to answer the question. 
(b) If data in the statement II alone is sufficient to answer the question. 
(c) If data either in the statement I alone or statement II alone are sufficient to answer the question. 
(d) If data given in both I & II together are not sufficient to answer the question. 
(e) If data in both statements I & II together are necessary to answer the question.
Ans: (c)
Sol: From I : P is shorter than only T, this means that P is taller than all Q, R & S, so T is tallest.
From II : Q only taller than S, so S is shortest, and Q is second shortest, Now T taller than P and R both, So tallest of all.

Q2: What is the distance between point P and point Q?
(l) Point R is 10 m west of point P and point S is 10 m north of point P.
(ll) Point Q is 10 m south-east of point R. Point S is 20 m north-west of point Q.
(a) If data in the statement I alone is sufficient to answer the question.
(b) If data in the statement II alone is sufficient to answer the question.
(c) If data either in the statement I alone or statement II alone are sufficient to answer the question.
(d) If data given in both I & II together are not sufficient to answer the question.
(e) If data in both statements I & II together are necessary to answer the question.
Ans: (d)
Sol: From I : No relation between points P and Q
From II : In this since we don’t know the angles between sides of triangle forming with points PQS and PQR, PQ cannot be determined.

Q3: How is Shubham related to Shivani?
(l) Shubham is brother of Meenal. Shivani is niece of Pooja.
(ll) Neeraj is Meenal’s uncle and Preeti’s brother
(a) If data in the statement I alone is sufficient to answer the question.
(b) If data in the statement II alone is sufficient to answer the question.
(c) If data either in the statement I alone or statement II alone are sufficient to answer the question.
(d) If data given in both I & II together are not sufficient to answer the question.
(e) If data in both statements I & II together are necessary to answer the question.
Ans: (d)
Sol: Either statement cant give the answer. From both statements we can get the relationship as Pooja is Neeraj’s sister but it cannot be clearly said that Shubham & Meenal are Pooja’s children or not & Shivani is Neeraj’s daughter, because there can be other siblings of Neeraj and Pooja also.