How to Solve Data Sufficiency Questions Quickly

Why Data Sufficiency Questions are asked?

• Data Sufficiency Questions are been asked to test whether you know the procedure to solve the question. 
• When you are asked to complete a task, initially you will collect all the related data/ information, using which your task can be completed. 
• Here in Data Sufficiency, you are been tested whether you are aware of the data/information required to solve the question asked. 
• If you want to solve Data sufficiency questions quickly, you need not to derive the exact answer. 
• It is sufficient, if you can able to analyze the given statements and find whether data given in the statements are sufficient to answer the question. 

Let us discuss, How to solve Data Sufficiency with some Sample Questions. Each of the following questions has two statements. You have to decide whether data provided in the statements are sufficient to answer the question.

Options:

A. If the data in statement I alone are sufficient to answer the question, while the data in statement II alone is not sufficient to answer the question
B. If the data in statement II alone are sufficient to answer the question, while the data in statement I alone is not sufficient to answer the question
C. If the data either in Statement I alone or Statement II alone are sufficient to answer the question
D. I the data in both the statements I and II are not sufficient to answer the question
E. If the data in both the statement I and II are together necessary to answer the question.

Question / Answer

1. 

Who is richest among five friends (A, B, C, D and E)?
Statement I: A is richer than E and Poorer than D. E is only richer than C. Dis not the richest.
Statement II: D is poorer than B and richer than E, who is not the poorest.

Answer: Option A

Explanation:

From Statement I:

• B >D>A>E>C 
• B is Richest 
• So, here Statement I is sufficient to answer 

From Statement II:

• B>D>E ( here, the richest person can be either A or C) 
• Statement II is not sufficient to answer 
• Therefore, Statement I alone Sufficient to answer. 

2. 

What is the Perimeter of the Rectangular Plot?
Statement I: If Ratio between length and breadth is 7:3
Statement II: If Area of the plot is 525 sq.m

Answer: Option E

Explanation:
From Statement I:

• L/B = 7/3 
• 3L = 7B 
• Statement I is not sufficient to answer 

From Statement II:

• Area = L * B = 525 
• Statement II is not sufficient to answer 

Now let us combine data given in Statement I and II

• 3L = 7B 
• L= (7/3)*B 
• L*B =525 
• (7/3)*B*B = 525 
• B² = (525*3)/7 
• B² = 225 
• B = 15 
• L = 525/15 =35 
• Perimeter = 2(L+B) 
• By substituting L and B in Perimeter formula we can obtain the answer. 
• You need not to obtain the exact value. 
• So, Both Statement I and II are needed to answer the question. 

3. 

How many runs do India Scored in the Match?
Statement I: India Scored 50 runs more than Pakistan.
Statement II: Top score of India in that series is 324.

Answer: Option D

Explanation:
From Statement I:

• Score (India) – Score (Pakistan) = 50 
• Not sufficient to answer 

From Statement II:

• Top score of India in that series is 324. 
• We don’t know whether that particular match is Top score match of the series. So, Data is not sufficient. 
• From Both Statement I and II, we can’t derive the answer. 

4. 

What is the price of 5 Mangoes?
Statement I: If 10 mangoes and 20 apples are brought for Rs. 500
Statement II: If 15 mangoes and 35 apples are brought for Rs. 800

Answer: Option E

Explanation:
From statement I:

• 10 M + 20 A = 500 --- (1) 

From Statement II:

• 15 M + 35A = 800 --- (2) 
• By solving (1) and (2), we can obtain the answer 
• So, both Statement are required to find the answer 

Let us derive and check, 10 M+ 20 A = 500 => M + 2A = 50
15M +35 A = 800 => 3M + 7A = 160
3* (M +2A = 50) => 3M + 6A = 150 ------ (3)
1* (3M +7A =160) => 3M + 7A = 160 ------ (4)
By solving (3) and (4), we get
A= 10 & M=30
Therefore, Prize of 5 mangoes = 5* 30 = 150

5. 

Five friends P, Q, R, S and T are sitting in a straight line facing the North. How many are sitting to the left of Q?
Statement I: Q sits 3rd to the right of R. One who sits in the middle is neighbour of Q.
Statement II: R is sitting 2nd to the right of P and 2nd to the left of T. S is not an immediate neighbour of P.

Answer: Option C

Explanation:
From Statement I:

• R Q Facing North 
• Three members are sitting to the left of Q 
• So, Statement I alone is sufficient to answer 

From Statement II:

• P Q R S T Facing North 
• From statement II, one member is sitting to the left of Q 
• Therefore Either Statement I or II is sufficient to answer 

6. 

What is the code for ‘is’?
Statement I: ‘Sandeep is Poor’ is written as ‘#&%. ‘Rahul is Rich’ is written as ‘*%@’.
Statement II: ‘Poor and Rich’ is written as ‘&$@’. ‘Life is Simple’ is written as ‘%^!’

Answer: Option A

Explanation:
From Statement I:

• Since both sentence have common word ‘is’, code for the word ‘is’ will be % 
• So, here Statement I alone is sufficient to answer 

From Statement II:

• Here there is no common words in both the sentence, so it is not possible to find the code for the word ‘is’. 
• Statement II alone is not sufficient to answer 
• Therefore, Statement I alone Sufficient to answer. 

These are some basic type of questions which are been asked repeatedly. In our next post we will discuss new pattern data sufficiency questions asked in IBPS/SBI PO exam. Stay tuned to get more materials for Upcoming Bank Exams.