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CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Syllabus includes topics like puzzles on words & letters, seating arrangements, blood relations, etc. As per CAT test-takers, the difficulty level of questions asked from CAT DILR syllabus is moderate to high.
- As per CAT Exam Pattern 2022, a total of 20 questions worth 60 marks will be asked from CAT 2022 Syllabus for DILR.
- CAT DILR Question Paper has questions in the form of sets. Last year, there were 4 DILR sets- 2 with 6 questions each, and 2 with 4 questions each. Check CAT DIRL Exam Analysis
- Questions from CAT Logical Reasoning Syllabus are asked from topics like blood relations, seating arrangements, puzzles, etc., and in CAT DI, questions are based on data represented in tables, charts, etc. Also Check CAT Cut off
- CAT Quantitative Aptitude Preparation should primarily be focused on solving mock tests, sample papers, and questions of varying levels of difficulty from CAT DILR preparation books.
Read the article to know more about CAT DILR syllabus, the weightage of important topics, and much more.
Quick Links:
- CAT 2021 Question Paper with Solution PDFs
- CAT 2020 Question Paper with Solution PDFs
- CAT 2019 Question Paper with Solution PDFs
- CAT 2018 Question Paper with Solution PDFs
- CAT 2017 Question Paper with Solution PDFs
CAT DILR Exam Pattern (Updated)
| Section Name | Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning |
| Allotted Time | 40 minutes |
| Total Number of Questions | 20 |
| Number of Data Interpretation Questions | 8-10 |
| Number of Logical Reasoning Questions | 8-12 |
| Total Marks | 60 |
| Type of Questions | MCQs, Non-MCQs |
| Marks Awarded for Each Correct Answer | + 3 |
| Negative Marks for Each Wrong Answer | -1 |
| Difficulty Level of Questions | Moderate to Difficult |
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CAT DILR Syllabus 2022
Candidates can check the sectional syllabus of CAT DILR provided in the tables below:
CAT Data Interpretation Syllabus
| 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 |
CAT Logical Reasoning Syllabus
| 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 |
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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 2022
Books for CAT 2022 preparation are mentioned in the table below:
| 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 advanced. |
Preparation Tips from CAT Toppers
CAT Exam Pattern 2022
Candidates must check CAT exam pattern 2022 for all sections including DILR:
| CAT exam section | Total number of questions | Total MCQs (Negative marking) | Total Non-MCQs (No negative marking) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 19 | 5 |
| Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 20 | 12/ 15 | 8/ 5 |
| Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA) | 22 | 14 | 8 |
| Total | 66 | 45 | 21 |
Difficulty Level of CAT DILR Question Paper
Candidates can check CAT DILR Paper Analysis of 2021 to get an idea about the difficulty level of VARC question papers.
- Total questions from DILR: 20
- Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
- Good Attempt: 14-15 questions
CAT DILR Slot 1 Analysis
| Set | Description of DILR Set | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bar Graph | 4 | Moderate | 2-3 |
| 2 | Smoothies (DI) | 4 | Moderate | 2-3 |
| 3 | Researchers and Publishing | 6 | Moderate to difficult | 3-4 |
| 4 | Friends, Strangers, and Acquaintances | 6 | Easy to Moderate | 4-5 |
CAT DILR Slot 2 Analysis
| Sets | Description of DILR Set | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set 1 | Horizontally stacked column graph (product, shipment days) | 4 | Moderate | 2-3 |
| Set 2 | Games and tournament-based | 6 | Moderate to Difficult | 3-4 |
| Set 3 | Online food delivery rating parameters | 6 | Moderate | 4-5 |
| Set 4 | Graph-based – easy to solve | 4 | Easy to Moderate | 3-4 |
CAT DILR Slot 3 Analysis
| Set | Description of DILR Set | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bar Graph | 4 | Moderate | 2-3 |
| 2 | Javelin Tournament | 6 | Moderate | 3-4 |
| 3 | Pure and Impure Solutions | 4 | Moderate to difficult | 2-3 |
| 4 | Review of Academic Questions | 6 | Easy to Moderate | 4-5 |
Download CAT DILR Question Papers
| Slot Number | CAT Question Paper with Solutions |
|---|---|
| CAT Question Paper & Answer Keys 2021 | |
| CAT DILR Slot 1 | Download |
| CAT DILR Slot 2 | Download |
| CAT DILR Slot 3 | Download |
| CAT Question Paper & Answer Keys 2020 | |
| CAT DILR Slot 1 | Download |
| CAT DILR Slot 2 | Download |
| CAT DILR Slot 3 | Download |
| CAT Question Paper & Answer Keys 2019 | |
| CAT DILR Slot 1 | Download |
| CAT DILR Slot 2 | Download |
| CAT Question Paper & Answer Keys 2018 | |
| CAT DILR Slot 1 | Download |
| CAT DILR Slot 2 | Download |
| CAT Question Paper & Answer Keys 2017 | |
| CAT DILR Slot 1 | Download |
| CAT DILR Slot 2 | Download |
CAT DILR Preparation Tips 2022
CAT Data Interpretation Preparation Tips
- 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.
- 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 2 to 2.5 minutes. This would help you score better.
- Most importantly, practice as many DI problems as you can.
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CAT Logical Reasoning Preparation Tips
- Invest a few seconds and carefully study the question. 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.
- Once you read the factual details each question gives, pay particular attention to words like "all", "none", and "some". Other terms like "other than," "only" or "unless" are also relevant. These terms will play a critical role in deciding exactly the facts to be used in your reasoning.
- Please pay attention to negative prefixes like non—, un-, or dis-. These may be critical in defining the basic facts of the paragraph.
- You should also be very cautious of any answer choices containing the "all" or "zero" quantifiers. In general, these terms are not indicators of incorrect answer choices in the sample practice questions and the real CAT evaluation. They will appear in choices for both correct and incorrect answers.
- Be vigilant about the word "only" and the expression "if and only if".
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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.
Sample Questions of CAT DILR
Direction for questions 1 – 4: Read the information given below and solve the questions based on it.
The following table gives the result of the due north soccer competition. Matches were played round-robin (each team playing against another once) and the teams that participated were Bihar, Punjab, and Haryana. The table has some data missing
| - | Match played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals for | Goals against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bihar | 2 | - | 1 | - | 2 | 4 |
| Punjab | 2 | - | - | - | 3 | 7 |
| Haryana | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
Q1. What is the total number of matches played in the competition?
- 3
- 6
- 9
- None of these
Q2. What did the scorecard read in favor of Punjab in the Punjab-Haryana match?
- 1. 2-5
- 1-5
- 1-4
- 1-6
Q3. How many matches did Punjab lose?
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 0 or 1
Q4. How many goals did Haryana score?
- 5
- 1
- 3
- 7
CAT DILR FAQs
Ques: What is CAT data interpretation and logical reasoning?
Ans. CAT Data interpretation and logical reasoning is one of the 3 sections in CAT exam. It is designed to test the analytical skills, decision-making, and data interpretation ability using limited information. Data interpretation involves analyzing given data while logical reasoning involves the use of logic to arrive at a conclusion.
Ques. How much time is required to prepare for CAT DILR?
Ans. CAT DILR preparation should ideally begin at least 3-4 months before the exam date. Candidates have to give in at least 3-4 hours every day. It is essential to solve mock tests and sample papers to check the level of preparedness.
Ques: What is the most important topic in DILR?
Ans. All the topics in DILR are equally important because they carry equal weightage. The topics are - Tables and Charts, Graph, Bar diagram, Pie chart, Arrangements/Rankings/Team Formation, Quantitative Reasoning/Puzzles, Syllogisms/Logical Deduction, and Venn Diagrams/Binary Logic.
Question: How to prepare for CAT Logical Reasoning?
Ans. To prepare well for CAT LR, one should follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Solve previous year question papers to get an idea of the type of questions asked in CAT exam.
- Refer to 1-2 good books by Arun Sharma or Nishit K Sinha for practicing questions.
- Solve sectional and overall mock tests and sample papers
Ques: What are the best books to prepare for CAT DILR?
Ans. The best books to prepare for CAT DILR are -
- ‘How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT’ by Arun Sharma
- ‘How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT’ by Arun Sharma
- ‘Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT’ by Nishit K. Sinha
- Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R S Aggarwal
Ques: Is ‘How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT’ good for CAT DILR preparation?
Ans. Yes, ‘How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT’ by Arun Sharma is good for DILR. It explains Data Interpretation tricks and concepts adequately along with offering practice questions for students.
Ques: How many questions should I attempt to get a 95+ percentile in DILR?
Ans. Although it depends on the level of difficulty of CAT exam; based on the previous year's exam analysis, to get a 95+ percentile in DILR, you need to attempt 14-15 questions with 95% accuracy.
Ques: Where can I find the best DILR preparation resources online?
Ans. The best online resources for CAT DILR preparation include online study channels and coaching institutes like BYJUs, Career Launcher, T.I.M.E, Unacademy, Hitbullseye, IMS India, and more. Apart from these, you can also refer to online youtube videos to learn short tricks to solve di sets in less time.
Ques. Is there any sectional time limit for the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section in CAT 2022?
Ans. Yes, the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section in CAT 2022 exam has a sectional time limit of 40 minutes. In fact, each of the sections of CAT exam- DILR, VARC, and QA has a sectional time limit of 40 minutes.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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