Clerical Aptitude and Data Interpretation
Clerical Aptitude and Data Interpretation tests speed, accuracy and careful reading of records and numerical displays. Clerical aptitude includes matching, sorting, filing, number and alphabet sequences, and spotting differences. Data interpretation uses tables, bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs and caselets.
Core rules
- In matching and sorting, compare one field at a time: name, code, date or amount. Do not let a similar spelling override an exact code difference.
- For tables, read the title, units and total row first. Percentage share = part/total x 100.
- For pie charts, each sector's angle is proportional to its value; 1% equals 3.6 degrees.
- Percentage increase = (new - old)/old x 100. Percentage point difference is not the same as percentage difference.
- In caselets, write down given values and the asked quantity before calculating.
Worked example
Three branches report deposits: A ₹200 crore, B ₹250 crore, C ₹300 crore. Total = ₹750 crore. B's share = 250/750 x 100 = 33.33%. If asked how much more C has than A, the difference is ₹100 crore, and the percentage more than A is 100/200 x 100 = 50%.
Traps
Using the total as the denominator when the question asks "more than A"; confusing percentage points with percent; missing units such as lakh or crore; averaging percentages without weighting; in clerical matching, overlooking a single changed digit or transposed letter.