Tables & Data Lookup
Reading values from a table, totals, differences, and locating the right row/column.
This page is a sequence, not a document: try a question cold, learn the methods, drill until they’re automatic, then prove it under a clock. Skipping straight to reading is the least effective thing you can do here — that’s not opinion, it’s the testing effect.
Try one first
Before any teaching — a real question tells you honestly where you stand.
| Warehouse | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Grid | 105 | 115 | 155 | 110 |
| Highland | 130 | 190 | 110 | 80 |
| Eastern Plain | 120 | 185 | 125 | 100 |
How many units did the Highland warehouse ship in Q4?
The methods
Every tables & data lookup pattern the tests use — the method in a few lines, then a worked example.
Table lookup
Locate the exact row and column named in the question and read the single cell where they meet.
Worked example
How many units did the Bristol warehouse ship in Q3?
Answer: 130
Find the Bristol row and the Q3 column: 130 units. The other options are the neighbouring cells — Bristol Q2 (110) and Q4 (120), and Q3 for the wrong warehouses (Leeds 150, Cardiff 100).
Difference
Read both values, then subtract one from the other to get the gap — don't add them.
Worked example
How much more revenue did Division A generate than Division B in 2024?
Answer: 110
In 2024, Division A = £420m and Division B = £310m, so A generated 420 − 310 = £110m more. The 730 foil adds them; 60 uses 2023; 80 and 30 are each division's year-on-year growth, not the gap between them.
Totals
Add every value in the named row or column — include all periods, and don't average.
Worked example
What was Division A's total revenue across 2022, 2023 and 2024?
Answer: 1,060
Add Division A's three years: 300 + 340 + 420 = £1,060m. The 760 and 720 foils drop a year; 840 sums the wrong row (Division B); 353 is the average, not the total.
Derive then locate
Derive the asked-for quantity for every row first, then locate the best one — the row that wins on a raw column is the trap.
Worked example
Using the table, in which year did the company generate the largest gross profit (revenue − costs)?
Answer: 2010
Compute gross profit (revenue − costs) for each year: 2008 90, 2009 120, 2010 160, 2011 110, 2012 140. The largest is 2010 (£160m). The 2012 foil has the highest revenue but not the highest profit — the classic 'located the input, not the derived value' error.
Share of hidden total
The total isn't given — sum all the parts first, then share = part ÷ that total.
Worked example
What percentage of total sales did Product P3 account for?
Answer: 26.4%
The total isn't given — sum it first: 120 + 85 + 95 + 60 = 360. P3's share = 95/360 = 26.4%. The 35.8% foil leaves P3 out of the denominator (95/265); 79.2% divides by the largest product; 31.7% and 22.6% use a wrong total.
Timetable
Apply the deadline strictly: find the latest service that still arrives on time — arrival time, not departure time.
Worked example
A passenger must arrive in London by 10:00. Using the timetable, what is the latest train they can catch from Bath?
Answer: 08:30
Find the latest train arriving by 10:00. The 08:30 departure arrives 09:45 (the latest valid one). The 09:00 departure arrives 10:05 — just after the deadline (the trap); 07:50 is unnecessarily early; 09:45 confuses arrival with departure.
Cheapest sourcing
For each line, find the applicable price band in each supplier, take the cheaper, multiply by the quantity, and sum.
Worked example
What is the minimum total cost of buying 340 Folders, 1,150 Pens and 470 Markers, choosing the cheaper supplier for each item (see the two catalogues)?
Answer: £794.80
For each item find its quantity band in each catalogue, take the cheaper unit price, ×qty, sum: Folders 340×£0.58=£197.20, Pens 1,150×£0.16=£184.00, Markers 470×£0.88=£413.60 = £794.80.
Multi-table navigation
Pull the matching row from each exhibit, then combine them (e.g. price × units).
Worked example
Table 1 gives unit prices by region; Table 2 gives units sold by region. Using only the North figures, what was North's revenue?
Answer: £4,800
Navigate to North in each table: price £15 (Table 1), units 320 (Table 2). Revenue = 15 × 320 = £4,800. The foils read one table only or pick the wrong region's row.
Rank by column
Read the chosen column for every row, then order the rows by it — mind the direction (highest-to-lowest vs lowest-to-highest).
Drill it
Instant feedback, named mistakes when you miss. Free questions to start; the full bank with premium.
Prove it under a clock
A skill isn't test-ready until it survives time pressure, mixed with everything else.
Your mastery map on the dashboard tracks this area from every answer you give — including the ones on this page.