What do I read first on a chart?

Read the title, the key and what each square stands for before any figure.

When do mean and median differ?

When extreme values pull the mean away from the middle of the data.

Primary General Studies: Reading Charts and Data (Paper 3)

2026-10-31

Tutor Prep Guide · Primary General Studies

Ten original questions train pupils to read bar charts, pictograms and line graphs: totals and gaps from daily book loans, pupils from a pictogram key, and peak, trough and mean temperature from a line graph.

Direct answer　Read the title, the key and what each square stands for. Add the values for a total, subtract the smallest from the largest for a gap, and divide the total by the count for a mean.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	25
Difficulty mix	Foundation 4 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 2 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: Primary General Studies: Reading Charts and Data
Level	4 basic, 3 advanced, 2 challenge and 1 redo question

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationA school library lent 120, 150, 90 and 180 books from Monday to Thursday. How many books were lent in total?
FoundationUsing the same data, what is the difference between the largest and the smallest number of books lent?
FoundationIn a pictogram each school-bus symbol stands for 20 pupils. One route shows 3.5 symbols. How many pupils take that route?
FoundationThree year groups borrowed 228 books altogether. What is the mean number of books per year group?
IntermediateA line graph shows four daily maximum temperatures: 22, 26, 24 and 30 degrees. What is the difference between the highest and the lowest?
IntermediateUsing the same four temperatures, what is the mean maximum temperature?
IntermediateIn a pictogram each book symbol stands for 4 books. Ming read 8 books and Mei read 12 books. How many more symbols does Mei have?
ChallengeA bar chart shows potted plants grown by three classes: 4A 78, 4B 66 and 4C 84. If 4B grows 12 more, what is the mean number of pots per class?
ChallengeA line graph records library visits over two weeks: a mean of 18 people per day for the first 7 days and 25 per day for the last 7 days. What is the overall daily mean?
Error redoA pupil answers that the largest is 150 more than the smallest, taking one day total as the gap. What is the correct difference?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	540 books (120 + 150 + 90 + 180 = 540).	To find a total, add every value instead of reading only the tallest bar.
2	90 books (180 – 90 = 90).	A difference is found by subtracting the smallest value from the largest.
3	70 pupils (3.5 x 20 = 70).	Half a symbol means half of the number each symbol stands for.
4	76 books (228 / 3 = 76).	The mean equals the total divided by the number of items.
5	8 degrees (30 – 22 = 8).	On a line graph the gap is the vertical distance between the peak and the trough.
6	25.5 degrees (102 / 4 = 25.5).	The four values add up to 102; dividing by 4 gives the mean.
7	1 more symbol (12 – 8 = 4; 4 / 4 = 1).	Find the gap in books first, then divide it by the value of one symbol.
8	80 pots ((78 + 66 + 84 + 12) / 3 = 80).	The number of classes stays the same; only add the new pots to the total.
9	21.5 people ((18 x 7 + 25 x 7) / 14 = 21.5).	Find both subtotals first, add them, then divide by the total number of days.
10	90 books (180 – 90 = 90); 150 is the total for a single day.	A difference needs the largest minus the smallest; never copy a single item value.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

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Questions and answers are written originally by the TutorZone team and are not taken from any school, publisher or examination authority paper. Every value is checked by computer.