This chapter covers line graphs, scatterplot graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, area graphs, and bubble graphs. It isn’t comprehensive, because graphics come in many forms. They can look intimidating at first, but they all do the same basic job: they show a whole and how it’s divided into parts. You can “read” a graphic using many of the same skills you use to read test passages.
Always read all the information on the graphic carefully, starting with the title and what’s being represented. Notice what the x-axis and y-axis measure, the overall shape of the trends or quantities being tracked, and whether there are any outlying points. Some test questions try to trick you by switching numbers for percentiles, and others mix up names and dates to create incorrect answers.
A graphic can look especially difficult when the data it presents is unfamiliar. However, you don’t need background knowledge about the topic to answer most questions. Focus on what’s being measured and how it changes over time. For example, it doesn’t matter that a joule is a unit of energy - what matters is whether the number of joules increases, decreases, or stays the same.
Graphics paired with passages can seem even more intimidating, but they’re often easier than they look if you take a moment to identify the main point of each one.
Questions that ask you to use both the passage and the graphic usually fall into two groups: those you can answer using information from either the graphic or the passage, and those you can answer only by combining information from both. Sentence completion and inference questions often fall into this second group.
Careful reading is still the key. Take the time to verify that each part of an answer choice is correct and that no details have been changed or misstated.