CAT Preparation of Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning: Check Topic Wise Preparation Plan, Books, & Online Materials
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Content Writer | Updated On - Jan 9, 2023
CAT Preparation of DILR section should start 5-6 months before the exam date with all the important topics like Bar Graphs, Seating Arrangement, etc. CAT Preparation of DILR should be focused on improving the calculation speed. CAT DILR Question Paper will have questions in the form of Sets and solving one set accurately can get you around 12-15 marks. To obtain a 95+ percentile, you will have to obtain 35-40 raw marks. By attempting 13-14 questions with 95% accuracy, you can achieve that score. Check CAT Exam Pattern
- CAT DILR section is considered one of the lengthy sections of CAT and rated moderate in terms of difficulty level by test takers of previous years.
- CAT Logical Reasoning Preparation primarily includes speed & accuracy of your reasoning skills, filtering unimportant information, etc.
- Last year, 15 MCQ and 5 Non MCQ type questions were asked from CAT DILR. Check CAT DILR Syllabus
Read the article to know more about how to prepare for CAT DILR, what are the important topics and much more.
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CAT DILR Preparation Highlights
| Section Name | Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning |
|---|---|
| Allotted Time | 40 minutes |
| Total Number of Questions | 20 |
| Number of Data Interpretation Questions | 10 |
| Number of Logical Reasoning Questions | 10 |
| Total Marks | 60 |
| Type of Questions | MCQs (15 questions); Non-MCQs (5 questions) |
| Marks Awarded for Each Correct Answer | + 3 |
| Negative Marks for Each Wrong Answer | -1 |
| Difficulty Level of Questions | Moderate to Difficult |
Hourly Time Table for CAT DILR Preparation
Time Table for Data Interpretation:
| Topic | Time Required in Hours |
|---|---|
| Data Interpretation Basic | 3 |
| Pie Charts | 3 |
| Word Problems | 3 |
| Data Interpretation Tables Problems | 3 |
| Data Interpretation Advanced Questions | 3 |
Time Table for Logical Reasoning:
| Topic | Time Required in Hours |
|---|---|
| Questions on Tournaments & Visualizations | 3 |
| Grids and Tables | 3 |
| Math based Puzzles | 3 |
| Questions on Sequence and Selection | 3 |
| Logical Reasoning Advanced Questions | 3 |
Must Read:
How to Prepare for CAT Data Interpretation?
- Work to improve your ability to comprehend voluminous data.
- Familiarize yourself with different forms of charts.
- Improve your skills in analytical maths.
- Practice increasing your pace while solving problems in CAT Exam.
- Learn to calculate the percentage increase or decrease or the comparison ratio. This will be an effective time-saving skill.
- Regularly solve DI sets that require reasoning skills and grow your knowledge of these sets.
- Have a good understanding of the DI sets by answering as many questions as possible well in advance.
- Do not leave out DI sets that seem big on data volume. More data does not automatically mean a difficult set.
- Do not try to solve all the problems at once. Try to answer a bulk of easy questions and a few difficult ones at a time.
- Attempt questions that you can answer confidently in 1 to 1.5 minutes. This would help you score better.
- Most importantly, practice as many DI problems as you can.
CAT Data Interpretation Important Topics
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Tables and Charts | Comparison of data for various years and ages |
| Graph, Bar diagram | Data analysis, comparison of various years, groups, and classes |
| Tables, Pie chart | Decoding and determining the data of missing period, taking clues, and interpreting the missing links |
| Graphs, Charts | Data analysis and finding conclusions, making future projections |
How to Prepare for CAT Logical Reasoning?
Invest a few seconds and carefully study each question in CAT 2022 paper. A quick clarification of why any option is right or wrong would go through your mind. If you are willing to practice this tip in sample questions of logical reasoning, you can do well in the actual examination.
- Do not presume or use any information which is not provided to you by the question. This is not an assessment of how much you generally know about a topic. Consider only the information given when choosing among the alternative answers to each reading passage.
- Carefully read the factual passage and the instruction for sentence completion. Both have to be taken into account when making your choice.
- Be sure to carefully read all answer options before eliminating or choosing one of them.
- In questions that ask you to choose a valid conclusion, always choose the one conclusion that certainly follows from the information given to you. In questions that ask you to find the incorrect alternative, select the one conclusion that definitely does not fit the Information given to you.
| CAT Preparation Tips | |
|---|---|
| Pay attention to words like "all", "none", and "some", "other than," "only" or "unless" as these terms are critical in reasoning questions. | Negative prefixes like non—, un-, or dis-. are also critical in defining the basic facts of the paragraph. |
| Be careful whether "all" or "zero" is mentioned in the questions. | Also be vigilant about the word "only" and the expression "if and only if". |
CAT 2022 Logical Reasoning Important Topics
| Topic | Description |
| Arrangements/Rankings/Team Formation | Seating arrangement, ranks, types of team formation |
| Quantitative Reasoning/Puzzles | Arithmetic, geometrical data, puzzles on words, letters, arrangements, seating |
| Syllogisms/Logical Deduction | Questions based on statements and arguments |
| Venn Diagrams/Binary Logic | Questions on set theory and network diagrams |
Must Read:
- CAT Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Important Topics and Syllabus
- CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Important Topics and Syllabus
Weightage of Important Topics in CAT DILR
| Important Topics | Weightage (in percentile) |
|---|---|
| Tables and Charts | 12.5 |
| Graph, Bar diagram | 12.5 |
| Tables, Pie chart | 12.5 |
| Graphs, Charts | 12.5 |
| Arrangements/Rankings/Team Formation | 12.5 |
| Quantitative Reasoning/Puzzles | 12.5 |
| Syllogisms/Logical Deduction | 12.5 |
| Venn Diagrams/Binary Logic | 12.5 |
CAT DILR Study Material
Best Books for CAT DILR Preparation
| CAT DILR Reference Books | ||
| Name of Book | Publisher/Author | Description |
|---|---|---|
| How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT | Arun Sharma/McGraw Hill | This new comprehensive book by Arun Sharma on Data Interpretation is aimed at effectively equipping aspirants to answer all possible types of questions that may be asked on this subject. |
| How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT | Arun Sharma/McGraw Hill | Designed and written by Arun Sharma, ‘How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT’ is a detailed text dedicated exclusively to equipping students to answer all kinds of questions that can be asked in CAT on Logical Reasoning. |
| Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT | Nishit K. Sinha/ Pearson Education | This book has fundamental and advanced topics of DILR along with examples for a better explanation. The levels of preparation in this book are - foundation, moderate, and advance. |
CAT DILR Online Resources
| Resource | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| The Economist | This is a great online journal that reports on different issues including business and economics. The style of data interpretation and logical reasoning in this journal can help in preparing for the CAT DILR section. | |
| Cracku Video | This is a one-hour long video that can help you master CAT DILR. It is recommended that you watch it in multiple sittings and absorb as much information as you can while making notes of important points. To access the Cracku Video. | |
| Academy of Management Journal | Published by Academy of Management, this online journal contains empirical work in the field of management. It particularly focuses on findings that directly apply to the practice of management. | |
Common Mistakes to Avoid while attempting CAT DILR Section
- Not formulating a proper study strategy
Students often tend to jump into the preparation of random topics without establishing a proper study plan. It is important to go through the syllabus and understand the weightage of the most important topics. In the CAT DILR section, all topics have an equal weightage. Therefore, plan to study your strong areas before moving on to the weak areas. This will give a confident start in preparation.
- Not attempting a sufficient number of practice questions
Students usually solve one mock test in one month. However, to prepare intensely and score well in the CAT DILR section, you have to attempt at least one mock test every week. Continuously solve problems relating to CAT DILR. This will give you the practice to increase the speed and accuracy required for solving questions from this section.
- Not analyzing the results of practice questions
While attempting practice questions for CAT DILR, make sure that you analyze your performance. This will help you identify your weak areas so that you can work on them.
Topper Tips to Attempt DILR in CAT
- CAT 2021 Topper Sarthak advises CAT aspirants to practice more mock tests for DILR. Read Full Interview
- CAT 2021 Topper Aakash Chaudhary (99.72 percentile in DILR) solved 700+ LRDI sets before the exam. This gave him an upper hand in managing time for this section. Read Full Interview
Read DILR Preparation Tips by more CAT Toppers 2021:
CAT DILR Preparation FAQs
Question: Which books to buy for CAT preparation of DILR?
Ans: Some of the best-recommended books for CAT preparation include:
- How to prepare for CAT- Arun Sharma for Quantitative Ability, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation,
- High School Grammer- Wren and Martin for Verbal Ability.
Question: Do the coaching centers provide study material to the students?
Ans: Yes, the study material is provided by the coaching centers but you need to refer to other books as well while doing your preparations. One must purchase the mock test series by any coaching or any test provided as mock tests are very helpful while preparing for the test.
Question: What are the other sources, apart from the study material provided by the coaching centers while preparing for CAT?
Ans: There are many sources apart from books that are referred to the students. One can check online study material that is available for free on the internet, also many coaching centers provide the test series that are helpful in the preparations.
Question- What are the expected topics in DI CAT 2022?
Ans: The questions in MCQ and Non-MCQ format in DI in CAT 2022 are anticipated on beneath topics:
- Data Tables;
- Data charts
- Bar diagrams
- Pie charts
- Graphs
- Data analysis and comparison
- Caselet Data Interpretation
- Analysis of data based on text, tables, graphs, etc.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.
Ask your question
Answered Questions
If you are aiming for old IIMs such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, you will need to score above 99 percentile in CAT. For IIMs and other top-tier B-Schools in India, the CAT cutoff stays above 90 percentile.
If you have a good profile, and 99+ CAT score, you can expect to get calls from old IIMs, XLRI, JBIMS, IIFT, FMS, etc.
Here are some of the things that you will realize after appearing for the CAT examination.
- Spend the first few minutes going over the papers before diving in. Browse through the problems and start with the ones that you know you can solve in one go. CAT prioritizes solving not sequence.
- If you aren’t sure about an answer, leave it. Concentrate on other problems. You shouldn’t spend more than 2-3 minutes on a single problem.
- Don’t use the elimination method, if you can solve the problem in less than 1 minute. Do rough work thoroughly. Don’t answer any questions, just by guessing.
- There will be a few lengthy questions. Try to ignore these. Even CAT toppers don’t score the full marks.
CAT doesn’t test your knowledge. The only thing matters are how much you score. So, try to attempt as many questions as you can correctly.
Take a look at the below table to know what CAT score will fetch what CAT percentile, for 2022.
| Percentile | Score VA-RC | Score DI-LR | Score QA | Overall Score |
| 90% | 29 | 1 | 26 | 72 |
| 95% | 32 | 20 | 29 | 81 |
In 2021, for 90 percentile the required score was 59 and for 95 percentile the required score was 72.
