Read and select information
Read text, tables, graphs and timetables together, keeping units, exceptions and the actual question in view.
Original StudyForA scenarios and formative model answers; no Cambridge marks, predicted grades or certified mastery. Alternative reasoned answers may be valid. Full-length unseen papers, a wider mixed-problem bank and calibrated specialist teacher marking remain outstanding.
Before you begin
- Read tables and instructions in English
- Use arithmetic, ratios and whole-number constraints
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Before calculating, what should you identify?
What you will learn
- Extract relevant information from several representations
- Separate constraints from background detail
Read the question before collecting numbers
List the requested output and its units. Then list the facts needed to obtain it, including footnotes. A table row is not interchangeable with a column; a graph coordinate must be read against the labelled axis and scale. A timetable arrival is not a journey duration.
Fictional shuttle table: A departs 09:10, arrives 09:35 and costs 4 credits; B departs 09:20, arrives 09:40 and costs 3 credits. A meeting starts at 09:45 and requires 10 minutes to walk from the stop. Both departure times look plausible, but only A leaves enough walking time.
Combine compatible information
A timetable plus a walking requirement must be combined before checking arrival. Treat ‘at least’, ‘before’ and ‘by’ precisely: by 09:45 includes 09:45; before does not. Do not combine dates, units or populations that differ without conversion or qualification.
Cross out irrelevant facts only after checking their role. The lower fare matters when choosing among feasible options, but cannot repair a late arrival. State the source of every quantity so another person can reconstruct your decision.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
Does ‘by 09:45’ allow arrival at 09:45?
Worked example
Which shuttle reaches the meeting by 09:45?
Show the worked solution
- A reaches the venue at 09:35 + 10 minutes = 09:45.
- B reaches it at 09:40 + 10 minutes = 09:50.
- Check the deadline before comparing fares.
Answer Choose A. Its venue arrival is exactly 09:45, which satisfies ‘by 09:45’. B misses the deadline by five minutes even though its fare is lower.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Guided: Show why shuttle B fails the meeting requirement.
Give me a hint
Add the walk to the arrival time.
Compare my reasoning
- B arrives at the stop at 09:40.
- The walk takes ten minutes.
- Compare 09:50 with 09:45.
B reaches the venue at 09:50, five minutes after the inclusive 09:45 deadline. Its 3-credit fare is irrelevant to this feasibility failure.
Look for these in your work
- Uses the arrival time
- Includes the walk
- Checks the deadline
Independent: A room table gives X: 28 seats, 90 credits; Y: 35 seats, 110 credits; Z: 40 seats, 140 credits. A meeting needs 30 seats with a 120-credit budget. Select a room.
Give me a hint
Use both conditions, not just price.
Compare my reasoning
- X fails the 30-seat requirement.
- Z exceeds 120 credits.
- Y satisfies capacity and budget.
Y is the only eligible room: 35 seats is at least 30, and 110 credits is no more than 120. X is too small and Z is too expensive.
Look for these in your work
- Tests capacity
- Tests budget
- Explains rejections
Application: A graph has hours on the horizontal axis and litres on the vertical axis. The plotted points are (1, 12) and (3, 36). Calculate the average delivery rate between them.
Give me a hint
Use changes, not coordinates alone.
Compare my reasoning
- Volume rises by 36−12 = 24 litres.
- Time rises by 3−1 = 2 hours.
- Divide volume change by time change.
The average rate over the stated interval is 24 ÷ 2 = 12 litres per hour. This uses the axis units; it does not prove that the instantaneous rate was constant at every moment.
Look for these in your work
- Reads axes
- Uses differences
- Labels the rate
Common mistakes
- Reading departure as arrival
- Ignoring walking or transfer time
- Choosing the lowest price before checking feasibility
What can you explain now?
Does ‘by 09:45’ allow arrival at 09:45?
Compare with the explanation
Yes, the deadline is inclusive
‘By’ includes the stated time; ‘before’ excludes it.
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Make it stick
Does ‘by 09:45’ allow arrival at 09:45?
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.