The aim of this field study was to investigate the relationship between visual information processing skills of Australian Capital Territory Year 1 1 and 12 T mathematics students and their capabilities in interpreting information presented in graphical form. A random sample of 37 T mathematics classes, comprising 621 Year 11 and 12 students were tested for their ability to interpret graphical information presented in two contexts. The first entailed the context provided by standard mathematics questions as seen in recent Australian mathematics student texts; the second context required students to transfer their visual information processing skills to situations unfamiliar to them, but requiring similar interpretive skills to the first context.