Data Sufficiency

Tips and Tricks

Data sufficiency questions test your knowledge of basic math facts and skills along with reasoning, analytical, and problem-solving abilities. Learn Tips and Tricks for Data Sufficiency through this page.

In Data sufficiency problems, a question consists of two statements labeled I and II, in which a piece of certain information is given. You have to decide whether the information given in the statements is sufficient to answer the question or not. Using the information given in the statements plus your knowledge of mathematics and well-known facts

Note: In data sufficiency problems, the information given in the statements is sufficient, when it is possible to determine exactly one numerical value as an answer for the problem.

Tips and Tricks for Data Sufficiency :-

Step 1-Examine the Question properly

Step 2-Consider each statement individually

Step 3-Combine the two statements

Directions for data sufficiency questions (1-3):

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.

Question 1

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.

Solution :

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.

Correct Option: C

Question 2

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.

Solution :

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.

Correct Option: D

Question 3

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

Solution :

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.

Correct Option: D