2.2 Graphics Interpretation

The Graphics Interpretation format in the Executive Assessment requires you to analyze a chart, graph, or other visual representation of data. You are then presented with a short text containing two fill-in-the-blank statements. You must select the correct option from a drop-down menu for each blank to make the statement accurate based on the graphic. Like Table Analysis, you must get both drop-downs correct to earn a point; there is no partial credit.

Deciphering the Graphic

The EA uses a wide variety of graphic formats. While you may encounter familiar pie charts and line graphs, you are just as likely to see complex scatter plots, bubble charts, or stacked bar graphs.

The first step is always to aggressively deconstruct the graphic:

1. Read the Title and Introductory Text: This provides the context and often explains the variables.
2. Analyze the Axes: What does the X-axis represent? What does the Y-axis represent? Most importantly, check the scales. Is the scale linear or logarithmic? Does it start at zero? Are the units in thousands, millions, or percentages?
3. Examine the Legend: If there are multiple colors, shapes, or line types, the legend is the key. Ensure you know exactly what each visual element signifies.
4. Identify Trends and Outliers: Is there a general upward or downward trend? Are there data points that deviate significantly from the rest?

Common Graphic Types and Strategies

1. Scatter Plots: Scatter plots show the relationship between two variables. Each point represents an observation.

• Correlation: Look for the general direction of the points. If they slope upward from left to right, it's a positive correlation (as X increases, Y increases). If they slope downward, it's a negative correlation.
• Trendlines: Sometimes a line of best fit is included. Use this to estimate expected values or assess the strength of the correlation (how closely the points cluster around the line).

2. Bubble Charts: A bubble chart is a scatter plot with a third dimension: the size of the bubble.

• Strategy: You must track three variables simultaneously. The X-axis, the Y-axis, and the area of the bubble. Pay close attention to the legend to understand what the bubble size represents (e.g., market share, population).

3. Stacked Bar Graphs: These show total totals segmented into categories.

• Strategy: To find the value of a middle segment, you cannot just read the axis. You must subtract the value at the bottom of the segment from the value at the top of the segment.

Executing the Drop-Down Statements

The statements are designed as fill-in-the-blank sentences.

• Read the entire sentence first: Before looking at the drop-down options, read the sentence to understand the logical relationship it's trying to establish.
• Estimate before you select: Often, the options in the drop-down will be spaced far enough apart that precise calculation isn't necessary. Estimate the value from the graph, then find the option that matches your estimate.
• Verify logical flow: Once you select an option, re-read the entire sentence to ensure it makes logical sense in the context of the data.

A Worked Example

Imagine a scatter plot titled "Company Fleet Vehicles: Age vs. Maintenance Cost."

• X-axis: Age of Vehicle (Years), from 0 to 10.
• Y-axis: Annual Maintenance Cost ($), from $0 to $5,000.
• Data: There is a clear positive correlation; as vehicles get older, maintenance costs rise. A trendline is drawn through the center of the cluster.
• Outlier: One point is at Age 2, Cost $4,500.

Sentence 1: The relationship between vehicle age and annual maintenance cost is generally [Drop-down 1], indicating that older vehicles tend to be [Drop-down 2] to maintain.

Drop-down 1 Options: [positive, negative, non-existent] Drop-down 2 Options: [less expensive, more expensive, equally expensive]

Evaluation: The trendline goes up and to the right, which is a positive correlation. As age increases, cost increases, meaning older vehicles are more expensive. Correct Selections: positive and more expensive.

Sentence 2: The vehicle represented by the outlier at Age 2 experienced an annual maintenance cost that was approximately [Drop-down 3] the expected cost for a vehicle of that age based on the trendline.

Drop-down 3 Options: [half, double, triple, quadruple]

Evaluation: We look at the outlier (Age 2, Cost $4,500). Now we look at the trendline at Age 2. Let's say the trendline crosses Age 2 at exactly $1,500 on the Y-axis. The expected cost is $1,500. The actual cost is $4,500. $4,500 is three times $1,500. Correct Selection: triple.

Essential Skills: Rates of Change and Proportions

Graphics Interpretation frequently tests your ability to read rates of change (slope) and proportions directly from the visual.

• Slope as Rate: On a line graph showing Distance (Y) over Time (X), the slope of the line is the speed (Distance/Time). A steeper slope means a faster rate.
• Estimating Proportions: In a pie chart, a 90-degree slice is exactly 25%. A slice slightly larger than a right angle might be 30%. Use these visual anchors to quickly eliminate incorrect drop-down options without doing any math.