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Data Interpretation MCQs for MDCAT Practice

Science Reasoning section, Data Interpretation chapter. Up to eight free sample questions, each with the correct answer and a worked explanation. The full chapter opens in the app.

The bank has 54 active questions on this chapter. Your first 500 practice attempts are free, and every attempt includes a worked explanation.

  1. Question 1
    A jar contains 10 red marbles and 30 green ones. How many red marbles must be added to the jar so that 60% of the marbles will be red?
    • 25
    • 30
    • 35 (correct answer)
    • 40
    Correct answer: C
    Solve probability problems by setting up algebraic equations to find the number of items needed to reach a target percentage.
  2. Question 2
    In a restaurant recently, I received the following bill:Starter $7.00Main Course $20.75Dessert 9.75Drink9.75Drink 4.50Service Charge 5.25TOTAL5.25TOTAL 47.25What percentage of the cost of the food and drink had been added to the bill as service charge?
    • 11.1%
    • 12.5% (correct answer)
    • 14.0%
    • 15.0%
    Correct answer: B
    Calculate the percentage service charge relative to food and drink costs by summing item prices, dividing the service charge by this sum, and multiplying by 100.
  3. Question 3
    A bead seller arranged some beads in a multi-layer box. The first layer of the box was square shaped with 4 rows and 6 columns. Each layer was 1 less in each dimension of the previous layer. What will be the maximum number of beads that could have been in the third layer from the first?
    • 4
    • 8 (correct answer)
    • 15
    • 24
    Correct answer: B
    Calculate bead count in layers where dimensions decrease sequentially, testing spatial reasoning and arithmetic.
  4. Question 4
    The skeleton of a mammoth was recently recovered from a permafrost mine in the United States. Analysis of the elements in the mammoth showed 1/32th of the expected levels of the carbon-14 isotope. If the half-life of carbon-14 may be considered to be 5730 years, how many years ago did this mammoth exist?
    • 5,730 years
    • 11,460 years
    • 32,300 years
    • 28,650 years (correct answer)
    Correct answer: D
    Carbon-14 dating of mammoth remains reveals its age by tracking radioactive decay through half-lives.
  5. Question 5
    There are some marbles kept in a jar. One distinct positive integer is labeled on each ball. A number divisible by 4 is written on only 6 marbles. A number divisible by 3 is written on only 10 marbles. A number divisible by 12 is written on only 4 marbles. What is the smallest possible number of marbles in the bucket?
    • 10
    • 12 (correct answer)
    • 16
    • 20
    Correct answer: B
    This problem tests set theory and the principle of inclusion-exclusion to find the minimum total number of marbles given counts of multiples of 3, 4, and 12.
  6. Question 6
    Many people were worried when they found that their photocopiers had been sometimes changing numbers on one photocopy; sometimes, although not always, changed 6 into 8.A list of prices was copied on this photocopier. The first five prices on the copy are shown below.54.8054.8060.0065.4065.4070.80$78.20In the original list, the prices had increased by the same amount each time.What was the next price on the original list?
    • $81.60 (correct answer)
    • $81.80
    • $83.60
    • $85.60
    Correct answer: A
    This question tests pattern recognition and arithmetic progression, requiring students to identify the constant difference in prices and apply it to find the next term in the sequence.
  7. Question 7
    A question-master asks each of four contestants up to 15 questions. The process is repeated again for a second round. The 'score' is the number of questions answered correctly. The scores after each round are announced in ascending numerical order.After the first round of a contest the scores were 8, 10, 11, and 14.After the second round the total scores for the contestants were 13, 18, 20, and 24.What was the largest possible score achieved in the second round of this contest?
    • 10
    • 11
    • 14 (correct answer)
    • 16
    Correct answer: C
    Maximize second-round scores by assigning them to contestants who had lower first-round scores, given total scores and ascending order constraints.
  8. Question 8
    This morning I took my three children to an internet cafe. Jay used the internet for 37 minutes and was charged $17.40, whilst Kay's 56 minutes cost $20.25 and Harry had to pay $19.05 for the 48 minutes that he spent online.Which of the following formulae does this cafe use to charge for its internet facilities?
    • $8.65 + $0.30 per minute
    • $8.15 + $0.25 per minute (correct answer)
    • $9.05 + $0.20 per minute
    • $11.85 + $0.15 per minute
    Correct answer: B
    This question tests the ability to solve a system of linear equations to determine a pricing model based on a fixed charge plus a per-minute rate.

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Read the full Data Interpretation chapter notes: Data Interpretation notes. Or browse every chapter.