What does the Data Sufficiency section test?
According to FNEGE, the section draws on the same skill areas as Calculation: arithmetic, geometry, and algebra. Only the question format differs.
Each problem begins with information that is not enough to answer the question, then adds two statements, labeled (1) and (2). Decide whether they are needed and sufficient to find the solution, or irrelevant. FNEGE assesses formal reasoning, the ability to extract relevant data, and the ability to ignore irrelevant data. The subtests (opens in a new tab)
In the score
Together with Calculation, Data Sufficiency forms the Problem Solving domain: 30 questions, scored out of 60. The score out of 600 is the average of the three domains multiplied by ten. Understand your score (opens in a new tab)
The score calculation, in the TAGE MAGE guideWhat do Data Sufficiency questions look like?
Fifteen questions, each with five options and one correct answer: a prompt, two statements, and five answer choices. Overview (opens in a new tab)
Calculators are not allowed here either, according to FNEGE, and the test booklet serves as scratch paper. Use it to set up relationships, not usually to solve them. Advice (opens in a new tab)
- A promptinitial information that is not enough to answer
- A questionthe value you would need to find
- (1) and (2)two additional statements to evaluate
- Five answer choicesonly one is correct
- AL’information (1) permet à elle seule de répondre ; l’information (2) seule ne le permet pas.
- BL’information (2) permet à elle seule de répondre ; l’information (1) seule ne le permet pas.
- CLes deux informations ensemble permettent de répondre ; aucune ne le peut séparément.
- DChaque information permet séparément de répondre.
- ELes deux informations ensemble ne permettent pas de répondre.
Answer key transcribed from the FNEGE candidate booklet on September 27, 2026: choose a case, never a value. Follow the instructions in the test booklet for your session. Candidate guide (opens in a new tab)
Data Sufficiency or Calculation?
Data Sufficiency
Say whether the value can be found.
Evaluate what statements (1) and (2) allow, each on its own and then together; you are not asked to find the value itself.
Calculation
Find the value.
The same knowledge areas, according to FNEGE. Carry out the calculation, then find the result among the five choices.
The Calculation section guideA worked Data Sufficiency question
A question written by Upsilar in the section’s format; its five choices are the answer-key cases in their original order. Choose an answer, then check it: the explanation follows the method below.
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
Correct answer: E—even together, the two statements do not determine the price of a notebook.
The method in action
- Identify what must be known. Two unknowns: the price c of a notebook and the price s of a pen. The question asks only for c; we need a relation that fixes it.
- Each alone, then both. Statement (1) gives 3c + 2s = 13: one equation with two unknowns, satisfied by both c = €3 and s = €2 and c = €1 and s = €5. It is insufficient. Statement (2) gives 9c + 6s = 39; divided by three, it is the same equation. It is also insufficient, and together the statements still give only one equation.
- Conclude without calculating. No combination determines c: answer E. It was enough to see that statement (2) repeats statement (1); no system of equations had to be solved.
The pitfall
C, “(1) and (2) together are sufficient”: two equations for two unknowns seem sufficient. But statement (2) is just statement (1) multiplied by three; it adds no new information.
Key takeaways
Two proportional equations provide only one relationship between the unknowns.
What method should you use for Data Sufficiency?
For each question, use these three steps in order: the method followed in Upsilar’s Data Sufficiency curriculum.
Identify what must be determined before reading statements (1) and (2).
Name the unknowns and what the question asks for: a value, or sometimes only a relationship between them. You then know what a statement has to provide to be sufficient.
Evaluate each statement separately, then consider them together.
Evaluate (1) on its own, ignoring (2); then (2) on its own, ignoring (1); finally, combine them if neither is sufficient alone. Two statements add nothing when one repeats the other.
Conclude without calculating the value.
There are only five possibilities: (1) alone, (2) alone, each alone, both together, or neither combination. Once you establish one case, the question is settled; further calculation is unnecessary.
The pitfall to avoid
Continuing to calculate after establishing sufficiency. FNEGE asks you to evaluate the statements. Finding a value may help prove your answer, but is unnecessary once the A–E case is clear.
- (1) is sufficient aloneTest (2) again without using (1). If (2) is also sufficient alone, choose D; otherwise choose A. Succeeding with (1) does not immediately mean the answer is A.
- (1) is not sufficientTest (2) alone. If it is sufficient, choose B. If not, combine the statements to distinguish C from E.
- Neither is sufficient aloneCombine them: if they determine one answer, choose C; if multiple answers remain possible, choose E. In the notebook example, the statements repeat the same relationship, so the answer is E.
To prove a statement is insufficient, find two situations that fit the information but produce different answers. The example gives two possible notebook prices; that difference is enough to disprove sufficiency. Conversely, a failed calculation does not prove a statement is insufficient: distinguish a proven impossibility from a solution you have not found yet.
How do you identify the five answer choices A, B, C, D, and E?
Five short Upsilar examples illustrate the five answer-key cases in order. They help you understand the decision; they do not produce a score or simulate the section’s overall difficulty.
For each question, keep the initial information, test (1) alone, then (2) alone. Combine the statements only if neither is sufficient on its own. Some explanations calculate a value to make the proof clear; the A–E choice is always about sufficiency.
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
Correct answer: A—only statement (1) is sufficient.
The method in action
- Test (1) alone. The equation gives 4x = 20, then x = 5. Only one value is possible, so statement (1) is sufficient.
- Test (2) alone. Both x = 2 and x = 3 satisfy x > 1. They give different answers, so statement (2) is insufficient.
- Choose the cas. A sufficient statement (1) and an insufficient statement (2) give answer A. The statements are compatible because 5 > 1, but there is no need to combine them.
The pitfall
Choosing A after solving (1) without checking (2): if (2) were also sufficient, the correct answer would be D.
Key takeaways
A requires two findings: (1) is sufficient; (2) alone is not.
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
Correct answer: B—only statement (2) is sufficient.
The method in action
- Test (1) alone. A rectangle with side lengths 4 and 6 has an area of 24 and perimeter of 20. Side lengths of 3 and 8 give the same area but a perimeter of 22. Area alone is therefore insufficient.
- Test (2) alone. The perimeter is 2(a + b). The given sum fixes it at 20 cm, whatever the individual values of a and b.
- Choose the cas. An insufficient statement (1) and a sufficient statement (2) give answer B. You do not need to know each side length to determine the perimeter.
The pitfall
Calling (2) insufficient because the side lengths are not determined: the question asks for their sum multiplied by two.
Key takeaways
Sufficiency concerns the quantity requested, not every unknown.
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
Correct answer: C—both statements together are sufficient, but neither alone is.
The method in action
- Test each statement on its own. For (1), the pairs (n, m) = (6, 7) and (8, 5) give different values of n. For (2), the same is true of (4, 1) and (5, 2). Each statement is insufficient alone.
- Combine the statements. Adding the two equations gives 2n = 16, so n = 8. Then m = 5, an integer and strictly positive, as required.
- Choose the cas. Together, the statements remove the remaining uncertainty: answer C. Neither statement could be omitted.
The pitfall
Reusing n + m = 13 while testing (2) alone would make it seem that (2) is sufficient by itself.
Key takeaways
To prove C, first show that each statement is insufficient on its own, then show that they are sufficient together.
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
Correct answer: D—each statement is sufficient on its own.
The method in action
- Test (1) alone. That leaves 42 − 18 = 24 green badges. Their proportion is 24/42 = 4/7. Statement (1) and the total in the prompt determine the value.
- Test (2) alone. The ratio has 4 green parts and 3 gray parts, for 7 parts in total. The green proportion is therefore directly 4/7, without using the 18 badges in (1).
- Choose the cas. Each statement independently gives the requested proportion, so the answer is D. Both are also consistent with the total of 42.
The pitfall
Choosing C because both statements seem useful: both can be useful without being necessary together.
Key takeaways
D means that two independent paths each answer the question.
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
Correct answer: E—even together, the statements are insufficient.
The method in action
- Test each statement on its own. Statement (1) allows, for example, 8 or 16 minutes. Statement (2) allows 46 or 47 minutes. Each statement therefore leaves multiple possible durations.
- Combine the statements. 48 and 56 minutes are both multiples of 8 strictly between 45 and 70. Both durations meet all the conditions and are different.
- Choose the cas. These two counterexamples are enough to prove E. There is no need to list every possible duration; 64 minutes would also work.
The pitfall
Choosing the first multiple in the interval without checking whether another one is possible.
Key takeaways
Narrowing the possibilities is not enough; the information must determine a single answer.
If case E or individually insufficient statements are difficult for you, practice constructing two situations that meet the conditions but give different answers. Data Sufficiency: Use a Counterexample to Prove Insufficiency
How much time do I have per Data Sufficiency question?
Average per question
1 min 20 sec
20 minutes ÷ 15 questions, according to FNEGE figures
An average, not a rule: you can spot a statement that repeats another at a glance, while evaluating a system takes longer. FNEGE notes that each of the six sections lasts 20 minutes and advises managing your time and moving on if you cannot answer. Advice (opens in a new tab)
Errors and blank answers
No penalty: a wrong answer and a blank answer cost the same. Skipping a question does not mean you have to leave its answer blank. Understand your score (opens in a new tab)
Tage Mage scoring: should you answer every question?What concepts should I review for Data Sufficiency?
According to FNEGE, Data Sufficiency draws on the same knowledge as Calculation; only the question format changes. Upsilar’s Data Sufficiency curriculum is organized into 3 chapters, 9 themes, and 123 topics, from the test format through the math concepts it covers. The subtests (opens in a new tab)
Chapter 1 · 37 topics
Framework, sufficiency, and the A–E choices
- Official 2026 format
- Concept of sufficiency
- A consistent decision process
Chapter 2 · 28 topics
Analysis protocol and metacognition
- Structured formalization
- Quick proofs and safeguards
- Time management and accuracy
Chapter 3 · 58 topics
Standalone math toolkit for Data Sufficiency
- Numbers and basic algebra
- Proportions and common models
- Geometry and discrete structures
Recorded in the Upsilar curriculum on September 27, 2026.
Frequently asked questions about Data Sufficiency
If (1) is sufficient, why do you still need to read (2)?
Because the answer key distinguishes A from D. A means only (1) is sufficient; D means each statement is sufficient on its own. Test (2) using only the initial information in the prompt, without carrying over anything you learned from (1).
Do I need to determine every unknown?
You need to determine what the question asks for. Several unknowns can remain while the requested quantity is fixed. Name that quantity before counting equations; before concluding that information is insufficient, show that two different answers remain possible.
Do I need to calculate an answer in Data Sufficiency?
No. According to FNEGE, you decide whether statements (1) and (2) are necessary and sufficient to find the solution, or irrelevant. Calculate only when it helps you make that decision.
Are calculators allowed?
No. FNEGE says calculators are not allowed during the test; the test booklet can be used for scratch work.
How many questions are there, and how much time do you get?
Fifteen questions with five answer choices each in 20 minutes: an average of 1 minute 20 seconds per question. Data Sufficiency is the fourth of six sections.
How is Data Sufficiency different from Calculation?
According to FNEGE, the skill areas are the same; only the question format changes. In Calculation, you find the value; in Data Sufficiency, you decide whether the information is enough to find it. The Calculation section guide