BCAT Data Interpretation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A scatter graph plots law school GPA against BCAT score. A student scores 78 on the BCAT. Based on a trend line showing score = 0.5 × BCAT + 30, what GPA does the trend line predict?
- 69 (Correct answer)
- 72
- 65
- 75
Correct answer: 69
GPA = 0.5 × 78 + 30 = 39 + 30 = 69.
Question 2: A frequency table shows BCAT scores: 50-59 (8 students), 60-69 (15 students), 70-79 (22 students), 80-89 (10 students). What proportion of students scored 70 or above?
- 58.2% (Correct answer)
- 63.6%
- 50%
- 55%
Correct answer: 58.2%
Total students = 55; students scoring 70+ = 22+10 = 32; proportion = 32/55 × 100 ≈ 58.2%.
Question 3: A stacked bar shows court outcomes: Guilty 60%, Not Guilty 25%, Dismissed 15%. If the Not Guilty verdicts increased by 40% next year while total cases stayed at 400, how many Not Guilty verdicts would there be?
- 140 (Correct answer)
- 100
- 120
- 160
Correct answer: 140
Current Not Guilty = 25% of 400 = 100; 40% increase = 100 × 1.4 = 140.
Question 4: A table compares two law schools' admission rates over 3 years. School A: 22%, 18%, 25%. School B: 30%, 28%, 26%. What is School A's average admission rate?
- 21.7% (Correct answer)
- 23%
- 20%
- 22.5%
Correct answer: 21.7%
School A average = (22+18+25)/3 = 65/3 ≈ 21.7%.
Question 5: A line graph shows a firm's monthly costs: Month 1=$8,000, Month 2=$9,500, Month 3=$7,200, Month 4=$10,800. Which month had the highest cost relative to the preceding month's cost?
- Month 4 (Correct answer)
- Month 2
- Month 3
- Month 1
Correct answer: Month 4
Month 4 increase = (10,800−7,200)/7,200 ≈ 50%, which exceeds Month 2's increase of ~18.75%.
Question 6: A histogram shows the number of appeals filed per year over 6 years: 45, 60, 55, 70, 65, 80. What is the median number of appeals?
- 62.5 (Correct answer)
- 60
- 65
- 67
Correct answer: 62.5
Arranged in order: 45,55,60,65,70,80; median = (60+65)/2 = 62.5.
Question 7: A table shows billable hours per lawyer: Lawyer 1=180h, Lawyer 2=210h, Lawyer 3=150h, Lawyer 4=240h, Lawyer 5=220h. What is the range of billable hours?
- 90h (Correct answer)
- 80h
- 70h
- 100h
Correct answer: 90h
Range = maximum − minimum = 240 − 150 = 90 hours.
BCAT Data Interpretation 2
A scatter graph plots law school GPA against BCAT score.
A student scores 78 on the BCAT.
Based on a trend line showing score = 0.5 × BCAT + 30, what GPA does the trend line predict?