The idea
Venn Diagrams questions test how accurately you read, summarise and compare data.
Follow these steps
- Read the title, labels, key and scale.
- Extract only the values needed.
- Apply the correct statistic or comparison and check the unit.
See the method in action
Example 1
How many pupils play the recorder, including pupils who also play another instrument?
23 pupils play at least one instrument
- The regions outside Recorder contain 5 + 6 + 2 = 13 pupils.
- Therefore 23 - 13 = 10 pupils are in the Recorder circle.
Example 2
How many pupils are in the class altogether?
- Add each disjoint region once: 6 + 4 + 5 + 2 = 17.
A useful shortcut
Read the scale before reading any bar, point or symbol.
Watch out for these
Counting symbols instead of using the key
Multiply the number of symbols, including partial symbols, by the key value.
Three fresh questions
Ready to check the method? You will get three fresh, validated questions.