CAT DILR Preparation Highlights

What is the DILR section in CAT?

CAT Examination consists of three sections: Verbal and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning covers 32% part of the CAT question paper. It tests candidates’ ability to answer the questions with speed and accuracy.

There are two types of questions that are asked in the DILR section of CAT: MCQs and TITA (type in the answer). In TITA questions, the options may or may not be available; you have to type your answer in the blank space given after the question. The exam pattern for this section is tabulated below:

How to Prepare for CAT Data Interpretation?

There is no theory, no property, and no formula in Data Interpretation. One needs the skill to solve the Data Interpretation question. Data Interpretation sets in CAT can be further classified into four types.

1. Calculation Based: These are sets that require a good command over basic calculation and approximation. It includes a question that deals with percentage increase/decrease or nominal increase/decrease.
2. Counting Based: These types of questions require patience and focus to ensure that not a single mistake happens. Counting based DI questions is generally large data sets in which candidates are supposed to count the instances which meet the questions’ needs.
3. Logic Based: These are logic based questions. Sometimes a chart gives you data in ranges or with conditions where it’s not possible to find the exact data directly, but logic based questions can be asked. For example, how many of the employees of the range 35 to 45 years would be above 40 years if the average age of employees of this age group is 42 years?
4. Structure Based: These DILR questions of CAT include some special sets such as Goals of various teams in a tournament, sales-disposal data of a particular product in the market, etc. These types of questions are very time consuming and are rarely asked.

Some important tips for preparing for the DI CAT section are given below:

• Get familiar with each and every important topic.
• Work on improving your ability to comprehend voluminous data. Do not leave out DI sets that seem big on data volume. More data does not automatically mean a difficult set.
• Charts or Graphs talk more than numbers. So, familiarize yourself with different forms of charts and graphs.
• Improve your skills in analytical maths.
• Learn to calculate the percentage increase or decrease or the comparison ratio as it will be an effective time-saving skill.
• Mental calculation is a very good advantage when attempting the CAT exam. Develop the skill of mental calculation during CAT preparation. It includes Tables till 20, knowledge of Fractions from 1/1, 1/2, 1/3 till 1/20, basic Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, etc.
• One more new concept in CAT is Caselets. These are sets of paragraphs that include numerical data in them, which needs to be put in a structure to be understood easily.
• Solve DI sets that require reasoning skills and grow your knowledge for these sets.
• Avoid trying to solve all the problems at once. Try to answer a bulk of easy questions and then a few difficult ones.

Also Check CAT Mock Test

How to Prepare for CAT Logical Reasoning?

A logical Reasoning question in the CAT exam requires basic common sense and a lot of practice. There are two stages in preparation for LR CAT:

1. Getting correct answers for the LR questions
2. Getting correct answers for the LR questions with optimum time and accuracy

Reaching the second stage from the first one is only possible by practice. Logical Reasoning questions in CAT can be quite time-consuming. Below given tips will help you to prepare for this section.

• Prepare as per the latest trends on Logical Reasoning questions.
• Practice using the process of elimination while solving previous years’ question papers or giving mock tests.
• Practice more questions and mock tests in the last few days.
• Try to play games such as Sudoku or puzzles to utilize your time. It will help you with the varying difficulty level and time constraints.
• Give extra focus to frequently asked topics such as LR sets involving the arrangement of data in a tabular structure.
• candidates are advised to give equal importance to the information provided in the question and the factual data and Get conceptual clarity. There are lots of videos of CAT toppers and other experts available on the internet on how to prepare for the CAT Logical Reasoning section.
• Give approximately 5 hours to Logical Reasoning solving every week.

Time Table for CAT DILR Preparation

Aspirants should make their own timetable according to their schedule. Here are some tips that you can follow while making the study schedule:

• Divide the week evenly between all topics of DI and LR. Devote equal time to both DI and LR as all the important topics contain the same weightage.
• Attempt two sets of DILR on a daily basis.
• Invest one hour in revision to clear your concepts for DI/LR basics.

As per the DILR topics in the CAT syllabus, the time required for each important topic is given below:

Best books for CAT DILR Preparation

There are many books available in the market for CAT exam preparation. Some of the best books that are suggested by toppers to prepare well for the DILR section of CAT are given below:

CAT DILR Preparation: Online Resources

Besides the books, there are tons of other various online resources available on the internet such as journals, PDFs, videos, etc, to prepare for the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section in CAT. Some of the good resources are tabulated below:

Steps to Solve CAT DILR Questions

Steps to solve Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning questions in CAT are given below:

1. Scan the test: Do not start solving questions as soon as you see the paper because you may end up with difficult questions while the easy questions are later in the paper. Read all the questions properly for 4-5 minutes and select a few sets that are easy for you to solve quickly. Select the easy set which takes less time and calculation first and then move to the difficult one.
2. Read the question: Read the question very carefully and understand the need before starting to solve the question. Do not use any information which is not provided to you in the given question as it is not an assessment of how much you generally know about a particular topic.
3. Take a look at the given options: Before jumping into the calculation part or eliminating the options, consider all the given options carefully and understand how accurately the answer needs to be found.
4. Organize the information: Utilize the provided tables, charts, or graphs and fetch the required data.
5. Choose the correct option: Try to find the correct option and note the exact answer. For example, if the options have an acceptable gap between them, there is no need to find the exact answer; simple approximation and elimination will get you the answer.
6. Move Ahead: If you are not able to derive the answer while solving the DILR questions, leave the question for the later and move on with the next one. Some of the questions are very tricky and it is okay to not answer them as it will consume your time.