Statistics: Bar Charts and Tables
Statistics: Bar Charts and Tables is the Year 3 topic covering interpreting and presenting data using bar charts, pictograms and tables, and solving one-step and two-step questions such as 'how many more' or 'how many altogether' using the information shown.
Method
- Read the title of the chart or table first to understand what data it shows.
- Look at the axes of a bar chart: the horizontal axis usually shows the categories, and the vertical axis shows the scale used to measure the value of each bar.
- Work out what each small division on the scale represents before reading any values (e.g. if the gridlines go up in 2s, each small square is worth 2).
- Read the height of each bar, or the count in a table, against the scale to find its exact value.
- For a 'how many more' or 'how many fewer' question, find the two relevant values and subtract them.
- For a 'total' question, add together all the relevant values from the chart or table.
Worked example
A bar chart shows the number of books read by four children in a month: Amy 8, Ben 5, Chloe 11, Dan 6. Work out how many more books Chloe read than Ben, and the total number of books read by all four children.
- Find Chloe's value (11) and Ben's value (5) from the chart.
- Subtract to find the difference: 11 - 5 = 6, so Chloe read 6 more books than Ben.
- Add all four values to find the total: 8 + 5 + 11 + 6.
- 8 + 5 + 11 + 6 = 30, so the four children read 30 books altogether.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1A pictogram shows that each symbol represents 2 pets. If a row has 3 symbols, how many pets does it show?Show answer
Answer: 6 pets
Q2A table shows that 14 pupils chose football as their favourite sport and 9 chose swimming. How many more chose football?Show answer
Answer: 5 more pupils
Q3A bar chart's scale has gridlines at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20. A bar reaches exactly the third gridline. What value does it show?Show answer
Answer: 15
Q4In a class survey, 12 pupils walk to school, 7 come by car and 5 cycle. How many pupils were surveyed in total?Show answer
Answer: 24 pupils
Q5A table shows rainfall of 15 mm on Monday and 9 mm on Tuesday. How much more rain fell on Monday than on Tuesday?Show answer
Answer: 6 mm
Q6A pictogram uses a full circle to mean 4 books and a half circle to mean 2 books. A row shows 2 full circles and 1 half circle. How many books does this represent?Show answer
Answer: 10 books (4 + 4 + 2)
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a KS2 Maths exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A bar chart shows the number of goals scored by a team in 4 matches: Match 1 = 2, Match 2 = 5, Match 3 = 3, Match 4 = 4. Work out the total number of goals scored across all 4 matches.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 1 available
A table shows the number of pupils who chose each lunch option: Pasta 18, Jacket Potato 11, Salad 6, Sandwiches 15. How many more pupils chose Pasta than chose Salad, and how many pupils were asked in total?
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 2 available
A pictogram shows that each full symbol represents 4 pupils, and a half symbol represents 2 pupils. Row A shows 3 full symbols and a half symbol. How many pupils does Row A represent?
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 1 available
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the statistics: bar charts and tables worksheet pack - 7 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
Next topics
Not quite what you needed?
Tell us what is missing on statistics: bar charts and tables, or which topic to write up next. Every request is read, and we reply to every one.
Build a full practice pack.
This topic is one of hundreds in the library - pick the ones a student needs and generate a printable PDF in minutes.