Comparison & Ranking
Comparing values and identifying which is larger, smaller, or closest to a target.
Practice This ConceptUnderstanding Comparison & Ranking
EPSO questions frequently ask you to compare: "which country had the highest growth?", "in which year was the difference smallest?". This requires scanning data quickly, computing differences or ratios, and ranking results. The skill is extracting the right numbers before comparing.
Formula
$difference = A - B \quad or \quad ratio = \frac{A}{B}$
Key Rules
- Always compare like with like (same units, same time period)
- Absolute difference ≠ percentage difference (a country can have the biggest absolute change but not the biggest percentage change)
- When ranking, double-check the top 2-3 candidates — EPSO places them close together deliberately
- Read the question carefully: "highest increase" vs "highest value" are different questions
Examples in Action
1
Spain grew from 1208 to 1329 (+121)
=
+10.0%
Large % change
2
Germany grew from 3356 to 3877 (+521)
=
+15.5%
Bigger absolute change AND bigger % change
3
France grew from 2354 to 2639 (+285)
=
+12.1%
Bigger absolute than Spain, bigger % too
Common Errors
- Comparing absolute changes when percentage changes are asked
- Reading the wrong row from the table
- Comparing values from different years or different indicators
Pro Tip
Before comparing, underline the exact column and row for each value. Table misreads are the #1 source of errors in EPSO.