CAT 2025 DILR: Must-Do Topics for Exam Day

CAT 2025 DILR: Must-Do Topics for Exam Day

Komal MiglaniUpdated on 19 Nov 2025, 12:51 PM IST

The Common Aptitude Test for admission in the most prestigious B-schools of India is set to be held on Sunday, 30 November 2025, across different cities of India in three shifts. This is the right time for a candidate to revise all the topics in three different sections. This article is mainly focused on must-do topics in DILR. The DILR section of CAT 2025 is the most unpredictable yet high-scoring segment for well-prepared candidates. DILR section will likely have 22 questions, a mix of moderate to highly challenging sets. The key factor to do well in this section is “selecting the right sets” and focusing on “CAT high-yield topics”. In this article, you will be familiar with the most important topics of the CAT 2025 DILR, exam day strategies and recommended ebooks and study materials which will help you in your preparation.

This Story also Contains

  1. Why DILR Matters in CAT 2025
  2. Must-do DILR topics for CAT 2025
  3. How to prepare these topics for exam day?
  4. On Exam Day: How to Attempt DILR Smartly
  5. CAT 2025 DILR Study Materials
CAT 2025 DILR: Must-Do Topics for Exam Day
CAT 2025 DILR: Must-Do Topics for Exam Day

Why DILR Matters in CAT 2025

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) becomes more important for CAT due to

  • Its difficulty level influences the overall percentile

  • It’s a logical approach rather than mugging up any concept

  • Smart selection that can boost your score even by solving just 2 or 3 sets.

Must-do DILR topics for CAT 2025

Below are the high-frequency, must-practice topics observed across CAT 2017–2024 papers and most likely to appear in CAT 2025.

S. No.

Topic

Variants of questions

Why is it important?

1

Arrangements & Puzzles

  • Linear arrangement

  • Circular arrangement

  • Mixed arrangements

  • Seating with multiple attributes (age, profession, position, blood relation, direction)

  • Logical ranking and ordering puzzles


It is the backbone of DILR, and every year you may find 1 to 2 sets from it

2

Games and Tournaments

  • Round robin tournaments

  • Knockout tournaments

  • Points Table

  • Matches won/loss constraints

In recent years, the sets from Games and Tournaments are always there.

1 set is expected

3

Data Interpretation: Charts & Graphs

  • Bar charts

  • Line charts

  • Pie charts

  • Tables & combination graphs

  • Data comparison and trend analysis

These sets are usually easier and calculation based. Take lesser time to solve.

4

LR DI Hybrid sets (Modern CAT Style)

  • Caselets

  • Puzzles with tabulated data

  • DI with constraints

In previous 3 -4 years, 1 -2 sets are from LR DI Hybrid sets.

5

Venn diagram

  • Venn diagram

  • Set theory

Easier and faster

6

Matrix based Reasoning

  • Category based grid

  • Assigning values

Sets are with clear logic and time efficient

7

Routes and Networks

  • Path based problems

  • Flow distribution based

  • Network optimization based

Logical and moderate, also it is emerging topic in CAT.

How to prepare these topics for exam day?

You may find DILR topics difficult to solve and sometimes may get frustrated while solving the DILR sets for CAT. Here are few key points that will certainly help you to get rid of fear of DILR for CAT:

  • Solve 8 -10 high quality sets per week based on past CAT.

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You can also read: CAT DILR practice sets

  • Select appropriate sets to practice

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On exam day: Pick sets with clear logic and avoid over conditioned logic puzzles.

  • You have to build a structured notation style while solving DILR puzzles.

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You can use tables, flow charts, short naming, symbols while interpreting the question.

  • Consistent practice and mock tests are required.

  • Do not use a calculator during practice DI questions.

Last week's strategy for CAT 2025 DILR

Provided below is the last week's strategy of what to do and what to avoid. This will help you use most of your time for preparation effectively.

Do

Don’t

Solve last 8 to 1o years CAT DILR sets

Start new topics

Solve 2 -3 sets every day

Solve random puzzles unrelated to CAT

Focus on the must do topics only

Spending too much time on a single set

On Exam Day: How to Attempt DILR Smartly

This section will help you understand the stepwise strategies to approach the DILR sets with strong clarity and confidence, to pick the right questions and manage your time while giving the exam.

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CAT 2025 DILR Study Materials

In this section, we have provided you a comprehensive list of CAT 2025 ebooks related to DILR aligned with CAT 2025 syllabus to boost your confidence while preparing and practicing for the exam.

Title

eBook

CAT DILR Questions with Solution, Download LRDI Questions for CAT PDF

Download Now

CAT 2025 Mastery: Chapter-wise MCQs for Success for VARC, DILR, Quant

Download Now

Mastering CAT Exam: VARC, DILR, and Quant MCQs & Weightages

Download Now

CAT 2025 DILR Masterbook - Practice 100 DILR Sets to score 90+ Percentile

Download Now

Ultimate DILR CAT 2025 Guide: Concepts, Practice Sets and Detailed Solutions

Download Now

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Should I attempt DI sets first or LR sets first?
A:

There’s no fixed rule. Start with whichever set looks clearer and less time-consuming at first. A quick 30 - 40 second scan usually helps you identify your easiest starting point.

Q: What are the most important DILR topics to revise on the day before CAT?
A:

Focus on Sets & Venn Diagrams, Games & Tournaments, Arrangements, Puzzles, Cube/Matrix-based sets, and basic Data Interpretation calculations. These areas show up almost every year and usually form the core of the section.

Q: How much time should I give per set?
A:

In my opinion, you should not spend more than 12 minutes on a single set.

Q: How many questions should I attempt to score around 99 percentile in DILR?
A:

3 sets with 100 per cent accuracy are sufficient to score 99 percentiles.

Q: How many DILR questions can I expect in CAT 2025?
A:

Based on the previous 3-4 years' trends, CAT ‘DILR generally has 22 questions spread in 4 sets.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

HELLO,

With a 74 percentile in CAT ,EWS category and 8/8/7 academics , you are in good spot for many non IIM colleges like :-

1.BIMTECH

2.AIM DELHI

3.AMITY GROUP

4.IMT

5.IMT NAGPUR

6.SDM IMD

7.Great Lakes (GLIM) Institute of Management

8.Alliance University

9.IBS Business School

10. Institute of Management,

Hello there,

Yes, you should surely give a try. Your score and being Non-Engineer gives you an edge. The previous trends shows that cutoff typically hovers around 75-84 for EWS category. Therefore you must give a try.

NIBM  gives proper weightage to academics as well, therefore your 8\8\8 would work

HELLO,

With an overall 98.54 percentile ( QA/DILR 97.55, VARC 94.89) and strong academics 9/9/0, you have a good profile. As a B.Tech candidate you can expect calls from :-

  • IIM Shillong
  • IIM Udaipur
  • IIM Trichy
  • IIM Ranchi
  • IIM Raipur
  • IIM Kashipur
  • IIM Nagpur
  • IIM Indore is Boderline

Hope this

Hello there,

The IIMs you should expect are listed below:

  • A 90-100% chance: IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, IIM Mumbai, and all CAP IIMs( Udaipur, Trichy, Ranchi, etc.).
  • A 50-70% CHANCE: IIM Calcutta and SPJIMR.
  • A very competitive chance, IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore

Your biotech background

Hello there,

With a 70 percentile it is not easy to make it in the IMT Hyderabad because the cutoff usually reaches 85-90+ for general category, even IMT Nagpur has low chances since the cutoff usually reaches 75-85. However, IMI Kolkata, is your safe option, since the cutoff is around