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Tamil Nadu (TNBSE)Class 6 Mathematics★ 5-9 marks in the TN Class 6 Term 1 exam through frequency tables, pictographs and bar graphs

Statistics (Term 1) - Data Handling

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Maths — Term 1 Chapter 5, Statistics. Collecting and organising data, making a frequency table with tally marks, and representing data using pictographs and bar graphs, with worked examples, exercises and quick revision.

⏱ 14 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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Study Guide

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Key points, glossary and the questions most likely to show up.

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Collect and organise data
2Make a frequency table with tally marks
3Read and draw a pictograph
4Read and draw a bar graph
5Interpret data from these displays

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Why this chapter matters

Organising and picturing data is a basic statistics skill used in science, sports and surveys. Frequency tables, pictographs and bar graphs are directly tested in the TN Class 6 Term 1 exam.

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Class 5 — Data Handling

Reading tables.

Statistics (Data Handling) — Class 6 Maths (Samacheer Kalvi)

TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 6 Mathematics, Term 1 — Chapter 5. Collecting, organising and picturing data.

1. About this chapter

This chapter covers collecting and organising data, making a frequency table with tally marks, and drawing pictographs and bar graphs.

2. Data and frequency

Data is a collection of information (numbers or facts) gathered for a purpose.
Frequency is how many times a value occurs. A frequency table records each value with tally marks and its frequency.
Tally marks are made in groups of five (four strokes with the fifth crossing them).

3. Pictograph

A pictograph uses a picture/symbol to stand for a number of items, with a key (e.g. ☺ = 5 students).
To read it, multiply the number of symbols by the value of one symbol.

4. Bar graph

A bar graph uses bars of equal width whose heights (or lengths) show the frequency.
The bars are equally spaced; the axes are labelled and a suitable scale is chosen.

5. Worked examples

Example 1. In a pictograph, ⚽ = 10 balls. How many balls do 4 symbols show? 4 × 10 = 40 balls.

Example 2. If a value appears with the tally |||| || , what is its frequency? 7.

Example 3. Why are bar widths kept equal in a bar graph? So that only the height shows the frequency, making the comparison fair.

6. Exercises (Samacheer Kalvi)

Make a frequency table (with tally marks) for: 2, 3, 2, 4, 3, 2, 5, 4, 3, 2.
In a pictograph, 🌳 = 20 trees. How many trees do 3½ symbols represent?
Draw a bar graph for the favourite fruits: apple 8, banana 5, mango 10, orange 4.
Read the highest and lowest frequency from a given bar graph.
Represent the data in question 1 as a pictograph using ★ = 1.

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Forgetting the key in a pictograph. Fix: Always state what one symbol represents (the key).
Mistake: Drawing bars of different widths. Fix: Keep all bars the same width and equally spaced.
Mistake: Miscounting tally marks. Fix: Group tallies in fives for easy counting.

8. Quick revision

Term 1 · Ch 5 · data handling.
Frequency = how often a value occurs; record with tally marks (in fives) in a frequency table.
Pictograph: a symbol stands for a number (use the key); multiply symbols × value.
Bar graph: equal-width, equally-spaced bars; height shows frequency.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Frequency

how many times a value occurs

Tally marks in fives.

Pictograph

value = number of symbols × value of one symbol

Needs a key.

Bar graph

equal-width bars; height shows frequency

Equally spaced.

Frequency table

value, tally, frequency

Organises data.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Forgetting the key in a pictograph

✓ Always state what one symbol represents (the key).

WATCH OUT

✗ Drawing bars of different widths

✓ Keep all bars the same width and equally spaced.

WATCH OUT

✗ Miscounting tally marks

✓ Group tallies in fives for easy counting.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Frequency tables

Make tables with tally marks.

Questions

Pictographs

Read and draw pictographs.

Questions

Bar graphs

Read and draw bar graphs.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· Pictograph

In a pictograph, ⚽ = 10 balls. How many balls do 4 symbols show?

▶ Show solution

40 balls.

Q2EASY· Tally

What frequency does the tally |||| || show?

▶ Show solution

7.

Q3MEDIUM· Pictograph

In a pictograph, 🌳 = 20 trees. How many trees do 3½ symbols represent?

▶ Show solution

3.5 × 20 = 70 trees.

Q4MEDIUM· Frequency table

Make a frequency table for: 2, 3, 2, 4, 3, 2, 5.

▶ Show solution

2 → 3; 3 → 2; 4 → 1; 5 → 1.

Q5EASY· Bar graph

Why are bar widths kept equal in a bar graph?

▶ Show solution

So that only the height shows the frequency, making the comparison fair.

Q6MEDIUM· Bar graph

From fruits apple 8, banana 5, mango 10, orange 4, which is most and least liked?

▶ Show solution

Most: mango (10); least: orange (4).

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Term 1 Chapter 5 of Samacheer Kalvi Class 6 Maths.
•Data is information collected for a purpose; frequency is how often a value occurs.
•A frequency table records each value with tally marks (in fives) and its frequency.
•A pictograph uses a symbol to stand for a number, with a key.
•A bar graph uses equal-width, equally spaced bars whose height shows frequency.
•Read a pictograph by multiplying symbols by the value of one symbol.

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 5-9 marks across data handling

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Frequency table	2	1	Tally marks and frequency
Pictograph	1-2	1-2	Reading with the key
Bar graph	2	1	Drawing/reading bars

Prep strategy

Group tallies in fives
Always note the pictograph key
Keep bars equal width and spaced
Label the axes and choose a scale

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Surveys

Results of class or school surveys are shown as graphs.

Sports

Scores and counts are compared with bar graphs.

Reports

Pictographs make data easy to read at a glance.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Tally in fives and total carefully
State the key before reading a pictograph
Draw bars of equal width with a clear scale
Label both axes

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Design a pictograph where one symbol equals 25 and represent 110.
Read a double bar graph comparing two classes.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

TN Class 6 Term 1 ExamHigh

NMMS / Foundation MathsMedium

School unit testsHigh

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

Because one symbol can stand for many items; the key tells you how many, so you can read the correct totals.

A pictograph shows data with repeated symbols, while a bar graph shows data with bars whose heights represent the frequencies.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) Class 6 mock tests

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