What Is Caselet DI in SBI Clerk Prelims?
A caselet DI (data interpretation) gives the data as a short paragraph instead of a table or chart, followed by about 5 questions. In SBI Clerk, IBPS Clerk and PO prelims the caselet is usually arithmetic-based: percentages, ratios, averages and simple totals. The fastest way to solve one is to turn the paragraph into a small table first, then answer every question from that table.
Key takeaway: Read once, build a table, fill every cell before reading the questions. Percent of a part = (part ÷ whole) × 100. Ratio a : b of a total T gives parts T × a/(a + b). For "both / neither" caselets use: Both = A + B − (Total − Neither). Never round until the last step.
All answers on this page were computed in Python and rechecked by hand. For the arithmetic behind these steps, revise our percentage tricks for SSC CGL and simplification tricks for bank exams.
Caselet DI vs Table and Chart DI
| Point | Caselet DI | Table / bar / pie DI |
|---|---|---|
| How data is given | In sentences | In a ready-made figure |
| First job | Extract and arrange the data | Read the figure |
| Main risk | Missing one condition in the text | Misreading a scale |
| Typical calculations | %, ratio, difference, average | Same, plus growth rates |
| Time in prelims | 5 to 6 minutes per set if the table is drawn well | 4 to 5 minutes per set |
How to Solve Caselet DI Quickly: 4-Step Method
- Spot the total and the categories. Note the grand total and what it is split into (brands, account types, months, people).
- Draw an empty table. Rows = categories, columns = the sub-divisions mentioned (online / offline, men / women, and so on). Add a Total row and column.
- Fill cells in the order the text gives them, writing the working next to each cell. Leave cells that depend on others for the end.
- Check the totals (rows and columns must add up) before you look at the questions.
Shortcuts that save time in caselets
| Situation | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| x% of a number | Break it: 35% = 25% + 10%; 12.5% = 1/8 |
| Ratio split | Total ÷ (sum of ratio terms) gives one part |
| "A is n more than B" | Write A = B + n immediately |
| Both / neither | Both = A + B − (Total − Neither) |
| "What percent more" | (Difference ÷ smaller base) × 100 |
| Average of 4 values | Total ÷ 4; do not average percentages directly |
Caselet DI Set 1: Mobile Phone Sales (Percentage Based)
Caselet. A store sold 800 mobile phones in a month of four brands A, B, C and D. 35% of the phones were of brand A. Brand B sold 40 more than brand A. Of the remaining phones, brand C sold three-fifths and the rest were brand D. 40% of brand A, 25% of brand B, half of brand C and 30% of brand D phones were sold online; the rest were sold offline.
Table.
| Brand | Total | Online | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 280 | 112 | 168 |
| B | 320 | 80 | 240 |
| C | 120 | 60 | 60 |
| D | 80 | 24 | 56 |
| Total | 800 | 276 | 524 |
Working: A = 35% of 800 = 280; B = 280 + 40 = 320; remaining = 800 − 600 = 200; C = 3/5 × 200 = 120; D = 80.
Questions.
- How many phones were sold offline in all? Answer: 524.
- Ratio of offline sales of brand A to brand D? Answer: 168 : 56 = 3 : 1.
- Brand B's total sales are what percent more than brand D's? Answer: (320 − 80) ÷ 80 × 100 = 300%.
- Average number of phones sold online per brand? Answer: 276 ÷ 4 = 69.
- If each brand A phone sold online cost ₹12,000, what was the online revenue from brand A? Answer: 112 × 12,000 = ₹13,44,000.
Caselet DI Set 2: Bank Accounts (Ratio Based)
Caselet. A bank branch has 2,400 accounts of three types: savings, current and fixed deposit (FD) in the ratio 5 : 2 : 1. Women hold 40% of the savings accounts, 25% of the current accounts and 50% of the FD accounts. The rest are held by men.
Table.
| Account type | Total | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savings | 1,500 | 600 | 900 |
| Current | 600 | 150 | 450 |
| FD | 300 | 150 | 150 |
| Total | 2,400 | 900 | 1,500 |
Working: one ratio part = 2,400 ÷ 8 = 300, so savings = 1,500, current = 600, FD = 300.
Questions.
- Women hold what percent of all accounts? Answer: 900 ÷ 2,400 × 100 = 37.5%.
- Ratio of current accounts held by men to FD accounts held by women? Answer: 450 : 150 = 3 : 1.
- How many savings accounts are held by men? Answer: 900.
- If 20% of the savings accounts held by men are closed, how many accounts are left in the branch? Answer: 2,400 − 180 = 2,220.
Caselet DI Set 3: Digital Payments Survey (Both / Neither)
Caselet. In a survey of 600 people, 360 use UPI, 270 use debit or credit cards, and 90 use neither.
Working. People using at least one = 600 − 90 = 510. Both = 360 + 270 − 510 = 120. Only UPI = 360 − 120 = 240. Only cards = 270 − 120 = 150.
| Group | People |
|---|---|
| Only UPI | 240 |
| Only cards | 150 |
| Both | 120 |
| Neither | 90 |
| Total | 600 |
Questions.
- How many people use both UPI and cards? Answer: 120.
- What percent of the people surveyed use only UPI? Answer: 240 ÷ 600 × 100 = 40%.
- Ratio of people using only cards to people using neither? Answer: 150 : 90 = 5 : 3.
Caselet DI Set 4: Partnership Profit
Caselet. Amit invested ₹12,000 for 12 months, Bina ₹18,000 for 8 months and Chetan ₹9,000 for 8 months in a business. The year's profit was ₹27,000, shared in the ratio of capital × time.
Working. Amit 12,000 × 12 = 1,44,000; Bina 18,000 × 8 = 1,44,000; Chetan 9,000 × 8 = 72,000. Ratio = 2 : 2 : 1 (sum 5).
| Partner | Capital × months | Share of ₹27,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Amit | 1,44,000 | ₹10,800 |
| Bina | 1,44,000 | ₹10,800 |
| Chetan | 72,000 | ₹5,400 |
Questions.
- What is Chetan's share of the profit? Answer: ₹5,400.
- Ratio of Amit's to Chetan's share? Answer: 2 : 1.
- Amit's share is what percent of the total profit? Answer: 10,800 ÷ 27,000 × 100 = 40%.
- How much more did Bina get than Chetan? Answer: ₹5,400.
Common Mistakes in Caselet DI
- Taking a percentage of the wrong base: "half of the remaining" means the remainder, not the grand total.
- Forgetting the "neither" group in two-set caselets.
- Rounding a percentage early and then using it again; keep fractions until the end.
- Answering "percent more" with the larger value as the base. The base is the value being compared against.
- Skipping the total check: if rows do not add up to the grand total, a cell is wrong.
How Much Time to Spend on Caselet DI in SBI Clerk Prelims
Each section of SBI Clerk prelims has its own 20-minute timer, so a 5-question caselet should take about 5 to 6 minutes including the table. If the table is not complete in about 2 minutes, attempt only the questions you can answer from the filled cells and move on. Practise full sections in the SBI PO Quantitative Aptitude Sectional Mock Test 01 and IBPS PO Quantitative Aptitude Sectional Mock Test 01.
Caselet DI FAQs
What is a caselet in DI?
A caselet is a data interpretation set where the data is written as a paragraph instead of being shown in a table or chart.
Is caselet DI asked in SBI Clerk prelims?
Yes. Bank clerk and PO prelims include DI sets, and caselets are one of the formats used along with tables, bar graphs and pie charts.
How do I solve caselet DI faster?
Convert the paragraph into a table before reading the questions, fill every cell, and check that the totals add up.
What topics are used in caselet DI questions?
Mostly percentages, ratios, averages, profit and loss, partnership and two-set (both / neither) counting.
How many questions come from one caselet?
Usually about five questions per caselet set in bank prelims.
Should I attempt caselet DI first in the quant section?
Attempt it after quick topics like simplification and number series, but before long arithmetic questions, because one good table gives you five answers.
Practice Next
- Mock tests: SBI PO Quantitative Aptitude Sectional Mock Test 02 and IBPS PO Quantitative Aptitude Sectional Mock Test 02.
- Caselet-only practice: IBPS PO Caselet DI Mock Test 01 (three paragraph-based sets, 15 questions).
- Table DI practice: SBI PO Data Interpretation Practice Test 01 and IBPS PO Data Interpretation Practice Test 01.
- Mains-level caselet and table DI: SBI PO Mains Data Analysis and Interpretation Sectional Mock Test 01 and IBPS PO Mains Data Analysis and Interpretation Sectional Mock Test 01.
- New caselet, missing and arithmetic DI sets: SBI PO Quant Sectional Mock Test 07 and SBI PO Mains DI Sectional Mock Test 02.
- Arithmetic DI tables (profit and discount, simple and compound interest, trains): SBI PO Arithmetic DI Mock Test 01.
- Related notes: approximation questions for bank exams, mixture and alligation questions for bank exams, simplification tricks for bank exams, percentage tricks for SSC CGL and partnership questions for bank exams, plus pie chart data interpretation, bar graph data interpretation, plus line graph data interpretation for bank exams.
- Exam details: SBI Clerk 2026 notification.
- Browse all study notes.