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CSAT · 58 questions

Data interpretation & sufficiency

Every UPSC CSAT question on this topic, 2016–2026, newest first. Tap an option to check yourself; the answer and explanation open below it.

Data interpretation & sufficiency questions per year: 2016: 0, 2017: 1, 2018: 13, 2019: 0, 2020: 6, 2021: 5, 2022: 7, 2023: 5, 2024: 10, 2025: 5, 2026: 6 Asked in 9 of 11 years · most in 2018 (13)

UPSC syllabus: “Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level);” See the full syllabus →

CSAT 2023 · Q56

Medium

Question: Is p greater than q?

  1. Statement-1: p × q is greater than zero.
  2. Statement-2: p² is greater than q².

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) The Question cannot be answered even by using both the Statements together.

Statement 1 says p and q have the same sign; Statement 2 says p is larger than q in size. Even together, p = 3, q = 1 gives 'yes' while p = −3, q = −1 gives 'no', so the Question cannot be answered.

  1. Statement 1 alone: p × q > 0 means p and q have the same sign. p = 3, q = 1 (yes) and p = 1, q = 3 (no) — not sufficient.
  2. Statement 2 alone: p² > q² means p is larger in size than q. p = 3, q = 1 (yes) and p = −3, q = 1 (no) — not sufficient.
  3. Both together: same sign and larger size. p = 3, q = 1 gives p > q, but p = −3, q = −1 gives p < q.
  4. So the Question cannot be answered even with both Statements.

Remember · In inequality data sufficiency, always test negative numbers; products and squares hide signs.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

CSAT 2023 · Q57

Medium

Question: Is (p + q − r) greater than (p − q + r), where p, q and r are integers?

  1. Statement-1: (p − q) is positive.
  2. Statement-2: (p − r) is negative.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) The Question can be answered by using both the Statements together, but cannot be answered using either Statement alone.

(p + q − r) > (p − q + r) simplifies to q > r. Statement 1 gives q < p and Statement 2 gives p < r; neither alone compares q with r, but together q < p < r, so q < r and the answer is a definite 'no'.

  1. (p + q − r) − (p − q + r) = 2q − 2r, so the Question is simply: is q > r?
  2. Statement 1: p − q > 0, i.e. q < p. Nothing about r — not sufficient.
  3. Statement 2: p − r < 0, i.e. p < r. Nothing about q — not sufficient.
  4. Together: q < p < r, so q < r and the expression is not greater — a definite answer.
  5. So both Statements together are needed and are sufficient.

Remember · Simplify the question first; in data sufficiency a firm 'no' answers the question just as well as a firm 'yes'.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

CSAT 2023 · Q58

Medium

In a party, 75 persons took tea, 60 persons took coffee and 15 persons took both tea and coffee. No one taking milk takes tea. Each person takes at least one drink.

Question: How many persons attended the party?

  1. Statement-1: 50 persons took milk.
  2. Statement-2: Number of persons who attended the party is five times the number of persons who took milk only.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) The Question can be answered by using one of the Statements alone, but cannot be answered using the other Statement alone.

People taking tea or coffee number 75 + 60 − 15 = 120; everyone else took milk only. Statement 2 gives 120 + m = 5m, so m = 30 and 150 attended. Statement 1 does not say how many of the 50 milk drinkers also took coffee, so it cannot fix the total.

  1. Persons taking tea or coffee = 75 + 60 − 15 = 120.
  2. Everyone else takes milk only (milk drinkers never take tea). Let m = number taking milk only; total = 120 + m.
  3. Statement 1: 50 took milk, but some of them may also have taken coffee, so m is not fixed — not sufficient.
  4. Statement 2: 120 + m = 5m gives m = 30, so total = 150 — sufficient.
  5. So one Statement alone answers the Question and the other does not.

Remember · In set-based sufficiency, write the total as 'known union + unknown only-group' and see which statement pins down that group.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

CSAT 2023 · Q59

Medium

Consider a 3-digit number.

Question: What is the number?

  1. Statement-1: The sum of the digits of the number is equal to the product of the digits.
  2. Statement-2: The number is divisible by the sum of the digits of the number.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) The Question cannot be answered even by using both the Statements together.

Digits whose sum equals their product can only be 1, 2 and 3, so Statement 1 leaves six numbers. Adding Statement 2, the number must be divisible by 6, but both 132 and 312 qualify, so the number still cannot be fixed.

  1. Statement 1: for the digits of a 3-digit number, sum = product only for 1, 2, 3 (1 + 2 + 3 = 6 = 1 × 2 × 3).
  2. So the number is one of 123, 132, 213, 231, 312, 321 — not unique.
  3. Statement 2 alone: many numbers are divisible by their digit sum (for example 100, 102, 108) — not sufficient.
  4. Together: the digit sum is 6, so the number must be even and divisible by 3; both 132 and 312 work.
  5. Two answers remain, so the Question cannot be answered even with both Statements.

Remember · Data sufficiency needs one unique answer; two cases surviving both statements prove insufficiency.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

CSAT 2023 · Q60

Easy

For five children with ages a < b < c < d < e; any two successive ages differ by 2 years.

Question: What is the age of the youngest child?

  1. Statement-1: The age of the eldest is 3 times the youngest.
  2. Statement-2: The average age of the children is 8 years.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) The Question can be answered by using either Statement alone.

The ages are a, a + 2, a + 4, a + 6 and a + 8. Statement 1 gives a + 8 = 3a, so a = 4; Statement 2 gives an average (the middle age) of a + 4 = 8, so a = 4. Each Statement alone answers the Question.

  1. Ages: a, a + 2, a + 4, a + 6, a + 8.
  2. Statement 1: eldest = 3 × youngest → a + 8 = 3a → a = 4. Sufficient.
  3. Statement 2: the average of five equally spaced ages is the middle age: a + 4 = 8 → a = 4. Sufficient.
  4. So either Statement alone is enough.

Remember · For equally spaced values, the average equals the middle term — a quick route to the unknown.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

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