Every year, aspiring MBA students attempt CAT exams to get admitted into institutes like IIM’s, FMS, DMS and many others. It is organized by one of the IIM’s and the pattern or exam schedule keeps changing frequently.
Right now, CAT consists of three sections, namely: Quantitative Ability (QA), Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR).
The DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) section consists of 24 questions out of the total 100 questions. DILR is unarguably the most difficult section of CAT, but that doesn’t mean you cannot solve it. The key to it is understanding what topics it covers.
| Section Name | Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning |
| Types of Questions | MCQ’s and Non-MCQ’s |
| Difficulty level | Moderate to Hard |
| Time Allotted | 40 mins |
| Number of Data Interpretation Questions | 12 |
| Number of Logical Reasoning Questions | 12 |
| Total Number of Questions | 24 |
| Marks for Each Correct Answer | +3 |
| Marks for Each Wrong Answer | -1 |
| Total Marks for the Section | 72 |
Data Interpretation
Data Interpretation consists of 12 of the questions in the DILR section. It doesn’t have a fixed weightage for each topic that it covers. Accordingly, the aspiring student must thoroughly study the topics and practice as many questions as they can.
Syllabus:
- Tables
- Charts
- Venn Diagrams
- Graphs
- Bar Diagrams
- Pie Charts
Best books for CAT Data Interpretation:
- How to prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma
- Oswaal CAT 23 Years Chapter-wise and Topic-wise solved papers
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning by Nishit K. Sinha
Preparation Tips:
- Practice as many questions as you can, as all the topics bear the same weightage.
- Familiarize yourself with all kinds of Data Representation.
- Work on your analytical maths skills.
- Try to answer easy questions in bulk and then focus on solving hard questions.
- Allot your time to specific kinds of questions that are more complicated or take more time to solve.
- Try to focus on the questions that are time-consuming when practicing.
- Learn and memorize tips and tricks. This will help you solve the question more quickly.
Logical Reasoning
Logical Reasoning consists of 12 of the 24 questions in the DILR section. This section usually has more Puzzle-based and Arrangement-based than Groups and Conditionality based. Extensive problem-solving is required to excel in this section of the CAT exam.
Syllabus:
- Arrangements
- Ranking
- Team Formations
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Puzzles
- Syllogisms
- Logical Deductions
- Binary Logic
Best books for CAT Logical Reasoning:
- How to prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma
- Chapter-wise solved previous year’s questions by Arun Sharma
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning by Nishit K. Sinha
Preparation Tips:
- Read the question thoroughly and take a minute or two (but not more) to comprehend what it is actually is asking.
- A good understanding of the question is essential to solve the questions in this section.
- Do not assume or presume information that’s not already made evident in the paragraph questions. Everything required to solve the question is given in the question itself.
- Elimination rule helps you immensely in narrowing out your options. Using the Elimination rule, cross out the questions you think are irrelevant.
- In the questions asking you to choose a valid conclusion, make sure the option you choose is evidently in accordance with the information given.
- In the questions asking you to choose an invalid conclusion, make sure the option you choose doesn’t restate or meet anyone of the criteria set in the question.
- Give special attention to words like only, all, and some in the questions.
- Also, understand the difference between ‘only’ and ‘if only’ in the questions. These words play a huge role in determining the outcome of the question.
- Do not dwell on questions that are too time-consuming.
