Integrated Reasoning: Multi-Source Reasoning and Data Interpretation
Integrated Reasoning on the Executive Assessment tests whether you can extract a decision from messy, multi-format data under time pressure. The core skills are data interpretation (tables, bar/line charts, scatterplots), two-part analysis (choosing one value from each of two columns so both statements hold), table analysis (sorting and filtering to answer a yes/no or ranking question), graphic interpretation (reading a chart with a dropdown-driven condition), and multi-source reasoning (synthesizing 2–3 tabs of text, email, or memo). The unifying habit is to read the question stem first, then hunt only for the data that answers it.
Traps to expect
- Units and scale mismatches: thousands vs. millions, per-month vs. annual, percentages of different bases.
- Distractor columns that look relevant but answer a slightly different question.
- Percent vs. percentage-point confusion in two-part analysis.
- Sorting errors in table analysis-re-sort after every filter change.
- Over-reading text tabs: the answer is usually one explicit sentence, not an inference.
Rule of thumb
Before computing, write down (1) the exact quantity asked, (2) its units, and (3) which tab/column supplies it. If a source tab is irrelevant to the stem, ignore it-IR rewards selectivity, not thoroughness.
Worked example. A table lists Region, Revenue ($M), and Growth (%). The stem asks which region had the largest absolute revenue increase. Growth % alone is a trap: you must compute Revenue × Growth for each row, then compare. A region with 40% growth on $5M adds $2M; a region with 8% growth on $50M adds $4M-the second wins despite the smaller percentage.