Table Data Interpretation for Bank Exams: The Short Answer
A table DI set gives numbers in rows and columns and asks five questions on totals, averages, ratios, percentages and percentage change. The hardest bank-exam version is the percentage-of-percentage table: one column gives a total, the next gives a percentage of that total, and the last gives a percentage of the previous result. The trick that saves the most time is to build a derived table first (actual numbers for every column), then answer every question from it.
Key takeaway: Convert percentages into actual numbers once, row by row, before reading the questions. Every value in the two solved sets below was computed in Python and checked.
Table DI Formulas (Quick Table)
| Find | Formula |
|---|---|
| Part from a percentage | Total × % ÷ 100 |
| Percentage of a percentage | Total × p1% × p2% |
| Remaining part | Total − part (e.g. rejected = applications − approved) |
| A is what % more than B | (A − B) ÷ B × 100 |
| A as % of B | A ÷ B × 100 |
| Percentage change | (New − Old) ÷ Old × 100 |
| Average | Sum ÷ number of entries |
Solved Set 1: Percentage-of-Percentage Table
Data: The table shows loan applications received by five bank branches in a month, the percentage approved, and the percentage of approved loans that were home loans.
| Branch | Applications | % approved | % of approved that were home loans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branch P | 1,200 | 75% | 40% |
| Branch Q | 800 | 60% | 25% |
| Branch R | 1,500 | 80% | 35% |
| Branch S | 640 | 75% | 50% |
| Branch T | 1,000 | 70% | 20% |
Step 1 – derived table (approved = applications × % approved; home loans = approved × %):
| Branch | Approved | Rejected | Home loans | Other approved loans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branch P | 900 | 300 | 360 | 540 |
| Branch Q | 480 | 320 | 120 | 360 |
| Branch R | 1,200 | 300 | 420 | 780 |
| Branch S | 480 | 160 | 240 | 240 |
| Branch T | 700 | 300 | 140 | 560 |
Q1. What is the total number of home loans approved at all five branches? 360 + 120 + 420 + 240 + 140 = 1,280.
Q2. How many applications were rejected at Branch P and Branch R together? 300 + 300 = 600.
Q3. Which branch approved the most home loans? Branch R (420).
Q4. Approved applications at Branch R are what percent more than at Branch P? (1,200 − 900) ÷ 900 × 100 = 33.33%.
Q5. At Branch S, home loans are what percent of approved applications? This is read straight from the table: 50% (check: 240 ÷ 480 × 100).
Q6. What is the average number of home loans at Branch P and Branch R? (360 + 420) ÷ 2 = 390.
Q7. What is the ratio of approved applications at Branch Q to home loans at Branch T? 480 : 140 = 24 : 7.
Q8. How many approved loans other than home loans were there at Branch S and Branch T together? (700 − 140) + (480 − 240) = 800.
Q9. What percentage of all applications were approved, taking the five branches together? 3,760 ÷ 5,140 × 100 = 73.15% (approx.). Note that this is not the simple average of the five percentages, because the branches have different totals.
Solved Set 2: Year-Wise Table
Data: The table shows the number of units (in thousands) produced by two plants from 2021 to 2025.
| Year | Plant X | Plant Y |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 240 | 200 |
| 2022 | 300 | 250 |
| 2023 | 270 | 300 |
| 2024 | 360 | 280 |
| 2025 | 420 | 360 |
Q1. What is the average production of Plant Y over the five years? 200 + 250 + 300 + 280 + 360 = 1,390; 1,390 ÷ 5 = 278 thousand.
Q2. What is the percentage increase in Plant X's production from 2023 to 2024? (360 − 270) ÷ 270 × 100 = 33.33%.
Q3. In which year was the difference between the two plants the largest? Differences: 2021: 40, 2022: 50, 2023: 30, 2024: 80, 2025: 60. Answer: 2024.
Q4. Plant X's production in 2021–2023 is what percent of Plant Y's in the same years? 810 ÷ 750 × 100 = 108% (approx.).
Q5. In which year did Plant Y grow the most over the previous year? 2022: 25%; 2023: 20%; 2024: -6.67%; 2025: 28.57% (approx.). Answer: 2025.
Table DI Tricks for IBPS RRB and SBI Clerk
- Write the derived table in the margin. Five rows × two columns of multiplication take under a minute and remove all repeated work.
- Use friendly percentages. 25% = ÷4, 75% = 3 ÷ 4, 20% = ÷5, 40% = 2 ÷ 5, 60% = 3 ÷ 5.
- Percent more vs percent of. "A is what % more than B" subtracts first; "A is what % of B" does not.
- Overall percentage needs totals. Add the parts and the totals, then divide; never average the row percentages.
- Ratios: cancel before you divide. Reduce both numbers by their HCF to match the options.
- "Highest" questions need no exact values. Compare products roughly, then compute only the top two.
Common Mistakes in Table DI
- Taking the second percentage of the total instead of the first result (home loans are a percentage of approved loans, not of applications).
- Mixing units: a table "in thousands" or "in lakh" must keep the unit in the answer.
- Reading the wrong row after building the derived table; tick each row as you use it.
- Rounding too early in percentage questions; keep fractions until the last step.
Table Data Interpretation FAQs
How do you solve table DI questions quickly?
Convert every percentage column into actual numbers first, then answer each question from that derived table using the formulas above.
What is a percentage-of-percentage table?
A table where one percentage applies to a total and the next percentage applies to that result, for example approved loans as a percentage of applications and home loans as a percentage of approved loans.
How do you find the overall percentage for several rows?
Add the parts for all rows and divide by the sum of the totals. The simple average of the row percentages gives the wrong answer when the totals differ.
Is table DI asked in IBPS RRB Clerk?
Yes. Tabular sets are one of the regular DI types in bank prelims, along with bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts and caselets.
Practice Next
- Tests: IBPS RRB PO Data Interpretation Mock Test 04, IBPS RRB Clerk Data Interpretation Mock Test 02, IBPS RRB PO Data Interpretation Mock Test 03, SBI Clerk Data Interpretation Practice Test 01.
- Related notes: bar graph data interpretation, line graph data interpretation, pie chart data interpretation, caselet DI for SBI Clerk. Browse all study notes.