GCSE · Data representation

Misleading graphs and chartsExam-style questions

How a chart with correct numbers can still tell a false story, and how to say exactly what is wrong with it: a vertical axis that does not start at zero, uneven scales, pictures and 3D bars that grow two ways, missing labels and keys, overlapping classes, the wrong chart for the data, and totals compared across groups of different sizes. How to work out how much a chart exaggerates, and what a fair version looks like.

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16 questions · GCSE (Higher) level · mark scheme and worked solution on each · no sign-up to try

DifficultyAllLevel 2Level 3Level 4
  1. 1
    Lena asks some students how long they spent on their homework last night. She draws this bar chart of her results.0–2020–4040–6060–80024681012Time (minutes)Number of studentsMake one criticism of Lena's bar chart.

    (1 mark)
    Level 2 · 1 markTry it
  2. 2
    The bar chart shows the number of people who visited a castle in 2024 and in 2025.202420252224262830YearVisitors (thousands)(a) On the chart, how many times as tall as the 2024 bar is the 2025 bar?

    (1 mark)
    (b) Work out how many times as many people visited the castle in 2025 as in 2024.

    (2 marks)
    Level 2 · 3 marksTry it
  3. 3
    A farm shop sold 33 times as many boxes of eggs in 2025 as in 2015. Its advert shows a picture of an egg box for each year, drawn below as rectangles. The 2025 picture is 33 times as tall and 33 times as wide as the 2015 picture.wh3w3h20152025(a) How many times as much space does the 2025 picture take up as the 2015 picture?

    (2 marks)
    (b) Explain why the advert is misleading.

    (1 mark)
    Level 2 · 3 marksTry it
  4. 4
    Amir draws this bar chart to show the number of goals each of four netball players scored this season.AdaBeaCaraDee010203050100PlayerNumber of goals(a) Explain what is wrong with the scale on the vertical axis.

    (1 mark)

    Cara scored 4545 goals and Dee scored 2020 goals.

    Amir says, "Cara's bar is less than twice as tall as Dee's bar, so Cara scored less than twice as many goals as Dee."
    (b) Is Amir correct? Give a reason for your answer.

    (1 mark)
    Level 2 · 2 marksTry it