Bar and line graph DI for SBI PO

Bar and line graphs carry the same kind of data as a table, but you must read the values off a chart first. That extra step is where marks go missing. A candidate who misreads one gridline gets every question in the set wrong while doing the arithmetic perfectly.

The good news is that graphs also let you answer some questions by looking. "In which year did vehicle loans overtake home loans?" is a question about where two bars swap order, not a calculation. This guide covers how to read graphs reliably, which questions the picture answers for you, and the percentage-growth line graph, which is the most common trap in bank PO DI.

Since there are no images here, each chart is described as a table of the values you would read off it.

Reading a graph without errors

1. Scale first. What is each gridline worth, and does the axis start at zero? A bar axis starting at 100 makes small differences look huge.
2. Legend next. In a grouped bar chart, confirm which colour is which series before reading a single value.
3. Read, then write. Note the values you need in a small table in your rough sheet. Reading the same bar three times for three questions wastes time and invites three different readings.
4. Stacked bars. Each segment's value is its own height, not the height of its top edge.
5. Between gridlines. Values that fall between lines are usually meant to be estimated. The options are then far enough apart for an estimate to be safe.

What the picture tells you

The third row matters. A rise of 80 on 360 is a smaller percentage than a rise of 75 on 250. The eye picks the bigger step; the question may want the bigger ratio.

Worked set A: a grouped bar chart

A grouped bar chart shows the number of home loans and vehicle loans sanctioned by a bank branch each year. The values read from the chart are below. These are made-up figures for practice.

Q1. In which year did the branch sanction more vehicle loans than home loans?

• On the chart, 2022 is the only year where the vehicle bar is taller. 2022 (330 against 300).

Q2. By what percentage did the total number of loans rise from 2020 to 2025?

• 2020: 250 + 170 = 420. 2025: 500 + 340 = 840.
• The total doubled, so the rise is 100%.

Q3. What was the average number of home loans a year over the six years?

• 250 + 325 + 300 + 360 + 440 + 500 = 2,175.
• 2,175 ÷ 6 = 362.5.

Q4. In which year was the percentage increase in home loans over the previous year the highest? In which year was the absolute increase the highest?

• Rises: 2021 +75 on 250 = 30%. 2022 fell. 2023 +60 on 300 = 20%. 2024 +80 on 360 ≈ 22.2%. 2025 +60 on 440 ≈ 13.6%.
• Highest percentage increase: 2021. Highest absolute increase: 2024.

Q5. Vehicle loans in 2022 are what percentage more than vehicle loans in 2021?

• (330 − 200) ÷ 200 × 100 = 65%.

The percentage-growth line graph

This is where SBI PO-style sets get harder. The line does not show the value. It shows the percentage growth over the previous year. You are given one base value and must build the rest.

Two rules follow:

• A falling line does not mean the value fell. If growth drops from 20% to 5%, the value still rose, just more slowly.
• The value falls only when the line goes below zero.

Worked set B: a growth-rate line graph

A line graph shows the percentage growth in net profit over the previous year for two companies, X and Y. In 2021, X earned ₹200 crore and Y earned ₹250 crore. Made-up figures.

Build the profit table first, one year at a time.

Q6. In 2023, Y's line drops from 20% to 0%. Did Y's profit fall in 2023?

• No. Zero growth means the profit stayed at ₹300 crore. Only X in 2024, with −10%, shows an actual fall.

Q7. By how much did Y's profit exceed X's profit in 2025?

• 379.5 − 297 = ₹82.5 crore.

Practice set

Questions 1–3 use set A. Questions 4–6 use set B.

1. What was the total number of loans sanctioned in 2023?
2. By what percentage did vehicle loans rise from 2020 to 2025?
3. In how many years were home loans more than 1.5 times vehicle loans?
4. What was Y's profit in 2024?
5. X's profit in 2025 is what percentage more than its profit in 2021?
6. In how many years from 2022 to 2025 was X's profit higher than in the year before?

Answers:

1. 660. 360 + 300.
2. 100%. 170 to 340 is a doubling.
3. One. Only 2021 (325 ÷ 200 = 1.625). 2020 and 2025 are close at about 1.47 but below 1.5.
4. ₹345 crore. 300 × 1.15.
5. 48.5%. 297 ÷ 200 = 1.485. You can also chain the factors: 1.1 × 1.2 × 0.9 × 1.25 = 1.485.
6. Three. 2022, 2023 and 2025. Only 2024, with negative growth, was lower.

What to do next

• For your next five graph sets, write the values into a small table before answering. Check that none of your readings change.
• Practise at least three percentage-growth line graphs, because they reward building the table first.
• Next, work on pie chart DI, then missing data DI.
• If the arithmetic is slowing you down, see table DI for the fraction and ratio methods.