There are three sections in CAT: Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal ability and Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. DILR section is considered to be the most time-consuming. Though the questions seem tricky, if the correct methodology is applied, it can help you to score high. CAT is an online entrance exam taken up by more than two Lakhs candidates every year to secure a seat in top-level management colleges of India. 

Given below are some points to contemplate before moving to How to Prepare Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT?

• There are a total of 100 questions to be attempted in 3 hours duration. Check CAT Exam Pattern 
• DILR section was considered to be the trickiest section in 2019 exam though the level of difficulty was similar to 2018. 
• Candidates who can solve about 15 – 18 questions with an accuracy of 80% will likely clear the sectional cut off.

CAT SyllabusCAT Percentile Predictor CAT Paper AnalysisCAT Cutoff

Question Pattern of DILR

This section consists of about 32 questions, 16 each for LR and DI. The ratio of MCQ to Non-MCQ questions is 3:1. Questions asked in this section are usually formulated into sets. In CAT 2018 and 2017, questions were asked in sets of 4. There were about 6 – 8 TITA questions equally distributed among 2 parts.

Difficulty level of this section is moderate to high as some problems require a lot of calculation. Aspirants have to handle a large number of data, interpret diagrams, and solve complex puzzles which are quite a daunting task. Even well-prepared aspirants are perplexed on seeing the question paper.

Must Read How to Prepare Quantitative Aptitude for CAT?

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Basic Tricks to crack DILR

Basic Preparation Tips and Tricks to crack DILR

We have formulated certain tips and tricks to solve questions on topics which are mostly asked in the exams over the past few years. 

Steps to Solve Data Sufficiency Questions:

1. Take the first statement and combine it with the main statement and try to find the answer.
2. Next, combine the 2^nd statement with the primary statement to find the answer.
3. If you still do not arrive at an answer using the 2^nd statement then add both statements with the main statement. 
4. If you do not arrive at the answer, tick both statements are insufficient.

Inequality Trick:

To solve questions based on inequality, we shall use the King, Soldier and Public technique. While doing so, we should remember the following points-

1. King is more powerful than Soldiers.
2. Soldiers are more potent than Public.
3. In case of a conflict between two Kings, then there will be no conclusion.
4. In case of a conflict between two soldiers, then there will be no conclusion.
5. King should have the highest priority, then the soldiers and lastly public.

Applicants can use this table to put the above rules into use for Inequality questions-

• Data Interpretation: Students must read the question properly. They must pay attention to the proper unit present and use approximation techniques wherever possible.
• Syllogisms: It is a very scoring topic, and the accuracy level is high. Candidates must use Venn diagrams to solve these kinds of questions.
• Blood Relations Concepts: These questions might appear long and complicated. However, they are quite easy to solve. Use diagrammatic representation to solve these questions. Applicants must know the general blood relations well to attempt these questions. Another essential thing to remember is that participants should not assume the gender in such questions.
• Seating Arrangements: The necessary steps to be followed for circular seating questions are-

1. Draw the circle and decide the clockwise or anti-clockwise rotation as per the instructions.
2. Follow the statements in proper order.
3. Choose the 1^st character such that it is related to at least 2 characters. The co-element should be one that fills maximum seats and whose exact location is known.
4. At a point with dual possibilities, students must draw 2 figures and see which diagram satisfies all the conditions.

General Preparation Tips

• For questions on arrangements, first, solve questions having only 5 variables. With ample practice move steadily towards 7-8 elements.
• Students should wisely choose the sets of questions to be attempted. Quickly scan the sets and then decide to solve the more comfortable lot. Do not waste time on the hard questions.
• Individuals must solve mock papers and previous years’ papers. This will help them to understand CAT Paper Pattern better.
• The key is to read every statement in order and find links between them.

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Important Topics for DI LR

Important Topics to Prepare for DI LR

Aim of this section is to derive information from a given set of data and answer the given questions correctly. It is a very time-consuming section hence, students require a lot of practice in order to ace this section. The important topics from the syllabus are given below:

• Seating Arrangement
• Blood Relations
• Propositions
• Syllogism
• Data Arrangement
• Puzzles
• Statements and Assumptions
• Clocks and Calendars
• Sets

These were some important topics that have been favorite for the examiners and repeatedly asked over the past few years. 

Previous Year Paper Analysis of DILR

Previous Year Paper Analysis of DILR

Complete paper analysis of CAT exam is done after the conclusion of exam. Candidates can go through the previous year exam analysis to get an idea about the difficulty level of the questions asked in DILR section. 

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Reference Books for DILR

Reference Books for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

There are plenty of preparation books and other resources available for CAT Exam. However, the major problem is faced while selecting the perfect book for CAT preparation. Here, we have enlisted some preparation books for DI LR that students must follow-

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Online Study Material for DILR

Online Study Material for DILR Section

Online study materials are the best and convenient source of preparation for any of the exam. CAT features to be the toughest exam with pretty tough questions. Though the exam is highly standardized, candidates with proper guidance and better study material will succeed in the test, online study material is one of them. There are two major types of online preparation materials i.e. Online Mock Tests Series and Online Coaching Programs. 

Must Read Online CAT Preparation Tips and Resources

Online  Mock Test Series

Since the exam is conducted in computer-based mode, solving online mock tests is really helpful as it enhances the efficiency to solve questions in online mode. Given below are the top 5 CAT test series that candidates may consider for their preparation. 

1. TIME AIMCATs
2. Career Launcher’s Mock Test Series
3. IMS SIMCATs
4. Testfunda CAT Test Series
5. Hitbullseye CAT Test Series

Online Coaching Programs

Along with the online mock tests series, online coaching programs are also convenient source of preparation. Usually, online coachings are cheaper than that of offline one. Different coachings offer different features. Online solution to the query of students, all-time availability of study materials are few features offered by every online coaching programs. Below given are few renowned online coaching programs that students may consider. 

1. 2IIM CAT Online Course
2. Career Launcher Online CAT Coaching Program
3. Byju’s Online CAT Course
4. Hitbullseye’s Online CAT Course
5. Other Newer Institutes like Elitesgrid, iQuanta, Bodheeprep, Topmytest etc.