How to Prepare for CAT 2025 DI & LR: Ultimate Tips & Strategies

How to prepare for CAT 2025 DI & LR- CAT 2025 aspirants must have the right strategy and study plan in place to ace this IIM entrance exam with a good overall and sectional score. For many, the CAT DILR sections are quite tricky and time-consuming. It requires comparatively more attention and effort. Candidates should focus on mastering the CAT DILR syllabus and practising CAT DILR PYQ (previous year questions) to strengthen their preparation. Aspirants appearing for the exam can also work on solving diverse CAT DILR questions to improve their problem-solving abilities. Following the strategy, tips, and tricks provided here in this article can help not just crack the test but also achieve a significantly good score.

CAT 2025: Syllabus and High-Weightage Topics | CAT 2024 Official Paper

CAT 2025: VARC, DILR, and Quant: MCQs & Weightages | Chapter-wise MCQs

CAT 2025 Study Material: VARC | Quantitative Aptitude | 60 Days Study Material by Experts

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This Story also Contains

1. How to prepare for CAT 2025 DI & LR
2. Most Important MCQs for CAT Quant Syllabus 2025
3. CAT DILR: An overview
4. DILR Preparation: Important Topics for DILR Expected in CAT 2025
5. How to Begin Your Preparation for CAT DI and LR section? (Level-Wise)
6. DILR Strategy for CAT
7. How to Solve DILR Questions in CAT
8. Tips to Answer Logical Reasoning Questions in CAT 2025
9. CAT Previous Year's DILR Questions
10. Other Important Tips: How To Prepare for CAT DILR

How to prepare for CAT 2025 DI & LR

Regular and vigorous practice helps one to get an edge in this section. So how do you prepare for CAT DI and LR questions? To prepare for DILR CAT section:

• One must begin with understanding the basic concepts of CAT exam DI and LR
• The logical reasoning and data interpretation section of the CAT has a sectional time limit of 40 minutes.
• Candidates have to answer 24 questions as per the CAT exam pattern within 40 minutes.

Careers360 brings you details on all the aspects of how to prepare for LRDI CAT questions.

Most Important MCQs for CAT Quant Syllabus 2025

What is DILR in CAT?

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, viz. DILR for CAT, is very important as it accounts for almost one-third of the total CAT marks. For many candidates, this is the most challenging part of the CAT exam. The CAT DILR questions often involve a collection of data in the form of charts, graphs, or sets. To excel in this section, candidates should focus on the CAT DILR syllabus and practice extensively using CAT DILR PYQ (previous year questions). The candidate must analyse the data thoroughly and answer the following questions accurately to maximise their score.

CAT DILR: An overview

The Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) section of the CAT exam is designed to assess your ability to analyse and interpret data, as well as your logical reasoning skills. This section is crucial because it tests your problem-solving capabilities and your ability to work with complex information under time constraints. To perform well, candidates should focus on practising a variety of CAT DILR questions, revising the CAT DILR syllabus, and solving CAT DILR PYQ (previous year questions) to familiarise themselves with the types of challenges they might face in the exam.

DILR Preparation: Important Topics for DILR Expected in CAT 2025

Given below are the important CAT quantitative aptitude topics based on the previous year’s question papers and current exam trends.

Examples of CAT DILR: Graphs

1. Study the scatter graph given below which contains the sales of a firm during the first 6 months of 2023 and answer the questions that follow. Sales are measured in dollars

In which month was the greatest improvement in sales seen?

1. January

2. March

3. April

4. May

Solution:

The difference in sales is given by:

February to January: 15,000 - 10,000 = 5,000

March to February: 40,000 - 15,000 = 25,000

April to March: 25,000 - 40,000 = -15,000 (This is a drop in sales)

May to April: 35,000 - 25,000 = 10,000

June to May: 30,000 - 35,000 = -5,000 (This is a drop in sales)

The greatest improvement in sales is observed in March, where sales increased by 25,000 compared to the previous month, February. So, the greatest improvement was seen in March.

2. In which month was the greatest dip seen?

1. February

2. May

3. April

4. June

Solution:

The difference in sales is given by:

February to January: 15,000 - 10,000 = 5,000

March to February: 40,000 - 15,000 = 25,000

April to March: 25,000 - 40,000 = -15,000 (This is a drop in sales)

May to April: 35,000 - 25,000 = 10,000

June to May: 30,000 - 35,000 = -5,000 (This is a drop in sales)

Therefore, the greatest dip is observed in April, where sales decreased by 15,000 compared to the previous month, March. So, the greatest dip was seen in April.

3. What is the ratio of total sales in the first three months to total sales in the last three months?

1. 13:18

2. 18:13

3. 1:3

4. 3:1

Solution:

Total Sales in the First Three Months:

January: $10,000

February: $15,000

March: $40,000

Total Sales in the First Three Months = 10,000 + 15,000 + 40,000 = 65,000

Total Sales in the Last Three Months:

April: $25,000

May: $35,000

June: $30,000

Total Sales in the Last Three Months = 25,000 + 35,000 + 30,000 = 90,000

Ratio = Total Sales in the First Three Months / Total Sales in the Last Three Months

Ratio = 65,000 / 90,000

So, the ratio of total sales in the first three months to total sales in the last three months is 13:18.

4. Find the average sales in dollars

1. $15,000

2. $25,000

3. $20,000

4. $25,833.33

Solution:

Given,
January: 10,000
February: 15,000
March: 40,000
April: 25,000
May: 35,000
June: $30,000

Total Sales = 10,000 + 15,000 + 40,000 + 25,000 + 35,000 + 30,000 = 155,000

Number of Months = 6

Now, calculate the average sales:

Average Sales = Total Sales / Number of Months

Average Sales = 155,000 / 6

Average Sales = 25,833.33 (rounded to two decimal places)

So, the average sales in dollars is approximately 25,833.33.

5. Find the difference between the month that had the highest sales and the month that had the least.

1. $25,000

2. $40,000

3. $5,000

4. $30,000

Solution:

Given the sales in dollars:

March had the highest sales with $40,000.

January had the least sales with $10,000.

To find the difference:

Difference = Sales in March - Sales in January

Difference = 40,000 - 10,000

Difference = $30,000

So, the difference between the month with the highest sales (March) and the month with the least sales (January) is $30,000.

Examples on CAT DILR: Seating Arrangement

1. Direction: Eight individuals, Emily, Francis, George, Henry, Isabella, Jacob, Kevin, and Liam, are seated around a square table with two on each side.

Among them, three are ladies, and they are not seated next to each other.
Jacob is situated between Liam and Francis.
George is seated between Isabella and Francis.
Henry, a lady member, is seated second to the left of Jacob.
Francis, a male member, is seated opposite Emily, a lady member.
There is a lady member seated between Francis and Isabella.

Question:
Who are the immediate neighbours of Isabella?

1. Emily and George

2. George and Francis

3. Henry and Liam

4. Jacob and Isabella

Solution:

It can be seen from the above diagram that Isabella is sitting between George and Emily and hence they are the neighbours of Isabella.

2. Who sits in between George and Jacob?

1. Emily

2. Francis

3. Henry

4. Liam

Solution:

We can see from the above representation that Francis sits in between Jacob and Henry

3. How many people sit between Kevin and Francis?

1. 3

2. 1

3. 2

4. 0

Solution:

From the above square seating representation, it can be seen that three people (Emily, Isabella and George) sit between Kevin and Francis.

4. Who sits second to the left of George?

1. Emily

2. Henry

3. Jacob

4. Katherine

Solution:

The second to the left of George can be found by moving clockwise from George to two positions. It will end in Jacob and hence, he sits second to the left of George

5. What is the position of Henry?

1. To the left of George and Isabella

2. To the right of Jacob and Felicia

3. Between Kevin and Liam

4. Opposite to Emily

Solution:

Given above is the representation of the seating of all 8 members. It can be seen that Henry is seated between Kevin and Liam.

How to Begin Your Preparation for CAT DI and LR section? (Level-Wise)

To begin the preparation for the CAT exam Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning sections you must start practicing CAT study materials or any coaching modules. You must start with solving the basic concepts like ranking, seating arrangements, quantitative reasoning, Venn diagram, and so forth. Such topics will help you to build concepts strong for the CAT exam 2025.

Preparation Strategy for CAT 2025 at Different Levels

• Beginners: Students who have never solved puzzles, logical reasoning questions or sudoku must begin by solving the basic sets of questions from study materials or online websites.
• Intermediate: Students who are generally interested in solving questions can skip solving the basic sets and raise the difficulty level of sets by solving questions from rankings, arrangements, and matrices.
• Expert: Students who have earlier attempted CAT and are confident enough with the basic concepts of the LRDI can begin their preparation by solving previous year's questions of SIMCAT, AIMCATs, and CAT mock papers, and so forth.

Know more about-

• CAT preparation tips for beginners
• How to prepare for CAT without coaching

DILR Strategy for CAT

Once you are done with solving the basic sets of questions, the next step is to have a good test strategy. Some of the effective test strategies are:

• Scan the test: While you solve the practice papers or mock tests don’t start over with the first set provided. Give 4-5 minutes to read all the questions of DI LR and pick the few sets that you can solve quickly. Pick 1-2 sets that are easy to solve first and then move to difficult sets.
• Set selection: In every paper, there are easy to difficult sets of LR DI. Identify the easier sets and attempt them first. Make sure you do not leave the easy sets and get stuck to difficult sets. Regular practice from each type of set will help you identify the difficulty level. For instance, pick the sets that have few people or fewer variables in the questions and leave questions with heavy information for later.
• Move ahead: While solving the questions of CAT LRDI it is very important to leave the questions from which you are not able to derive the answer. Not all questions are meant to be solved as some are tricky questions. If you are not able to solve the question in the prescribed period move to the next question without wasting any time.

Get CAT Question Papers here.

How to Solve DILR Questions in CAT

Before solving the CAT DILR, be familiar with the time limit for each section in CAT 2025. To solve the DILR questions of CAT do not just focus on practicing more and more questions. Instead, focus on the right approach to be used for solving the questions. Some of the important steps to solve the DILR CAT questions are:

• Analyze the type of questions: Before beginning with your CAT 2025 preparation, know the important topics of the DILR sections. Knowing the complete CAT DILR syllabus will come in handy when you will solve CAT questions within the time limit of 40 minutes. With the sectional time limit, it becomes imperative to select the type of sets that can be solved with high accuracy.
• Know the tricks to solve different types: Each type of set has some trick to solve. One can find these tricks in the study materials of various publishers or coaching institutes. Take note of these tricks and ensure that while you attempt the CAT questions from any particular type you must apply the trick. Knowing the trick to solve the questions helps to save time and effort. With the frequent application of the tricks, they become automatic responses to the stimuli and maintain the pace.
• Build mental legend: The DILR section includes questions like arrangements, puzzles, Venn diagrams, and so forth. Such topics include a lot of information that becomes difficult to retain while solving the complete question. Hence, students are advised to note the keys to all the abbreviations and symbols before getting confused. Mental legends can vary from person to person. Its sole importance is to avoid any kind of silly mistake or confusion.
• Decode constraints: DILR questions for CAT say more than what appears on the surface, often tricking the students. Hence, while solving the CAT DILR section, it is important to find the hidden meaning or information. If you are unable to solve the question there might be some information that you are missing.

Related Article- Best Books for CAT Preparation

Tips to Answer Logical Reasoning Questions in CAT 2025

Check the following tips on how to tackle Logical Reasoning questions in IIM CAT 2025:

• During preparation days, candidates are advised to give equal importance to the information provided in the question and the factual data
• Before choosing the correct option, candidates should read the choices carefully
• While answering the Logical Reasoning question, candidates must understand first the information provided in the question
• Do try to utilize the provided table, graph, or chart to organize your information
• There are lots of videos available on the internet of CAT exam toppers on how to prepare for the CAT Logical Reasoning section. So, during preparation days one should watch such videos for conceptual clarity
• On D-day, if a candidate faces a problem in a Logical Reasoning question, then in such case it is good to skip that one
• When the exam date is near, try to take the CAT mock test as much as one can and also solve the previous year's CAT question paper to understand the exam structure.

CAT Previous Year's DILR Questions

The candidates can refer to a few CAT DILR questions of last year examination.

The air-conditioner (AC) in a large room can be operated either in REGULAR mode or in POWER mode to reduce the temperature.

If the AC operates in REGULAR mode, then it brings down the temperature inside the room (called inside temperature) at a constant rate to the set temperature in 1 hour. If it operates in POWER mode, then this is achieved in 30 minutes.

If the AC is switched off, then the inside temperature rises at a constant rate so as to reach the temperature outside at the time of switching off in 1 hour.

The temperature outside has been falling at a constant rate from 7 pm onward until 3 am on a particular night. The following graph shows the inside temperature between 11 pm (23:00) and 2 am (2:00) that night.


The following facts are known about the AC operation that night:

1. The AC was turned on for the first time that night at 11 pm (23:00).
2. The AC setting was changed (including turning it on/off, and setting different temperatures) only at the beginning of the hour or at 30 minutes after the hour.
3. The AC was used in POWER mode for a longer duration than in REGULAR mode during this 3-hour period.

1. Question:
How many times the AC must have been turned off between 11:01 pm and 1:59 am?

Options:

1. 2
2. cannot be determined
3. 1
4. 0

2. Question:
What was the temperature outside, in degree Celsius, at 1 am?

3. Question:
What was the temperature outside, in degree Celsius, at 9 pm?

4.Question:
What best can be concluded about the number of times the AC must have either been turned on or the AC temperature setting been altered between 11:01 pm and 1:59 am?

Options:

1. More than 3
2. Exactly 2
3. Exactly 3
4. Either 2 or 3

5. Question:
What was the maximum difference between temperature outside and inside temperature, in degree Celsius, between 11:01 pm and 1:59 am?

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Other Important Tips: How To Prepare for CAT DILR

• Brainstorming activities: Questions of Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation are all about uncovering hidden information in the question. To excel in CAT DILR, do not limit yourself to the questions provided in the study material. Instead, utilise your leisure time by solving Sudoku and puzzles. Additionally, referring to CAT DILR PYQ can provide valuable insights into the types of questions asked in previous exams. Familiarising yourself with the CAT DILR syllabus ensures comprehensive preparation. You can also enhance your skills by playing mobile games like 2048. Such activities not only help with brainstorming but also offer simpler ways to prepare for the CAT DILR questions in the LR section.
• Take Frequent Mock Test: The CAT 2025 mock test helps aspirants become familiar with the exam environment and structure. Further, mock tests will help you formulate a strategy on how to move from easy to difficult questions within the prescribed time limit. Additionally, mock tests help you provide valuable feedback which should be incorporated to score more.
• Manage time: As CAT 2025 will include a sectional time limit of 40 minutes for each section, students must formulate their strategy according to the exam pattern. For the CAT DILR questions, focus on time management and avoid spending too much time on questions you are unable to solve quickly. Understanding the CAT DILR syllabus will help in prioritising the easier topics. If a question takes longer than the time limit you have set, move to the next one and aim to solve all the easier questions first. Referring to CAT DILR PYQ can also help students familiarise themselves with the type and difficulty level of questions likely to appear in the exam.
• Previous year exam papers: Past year question papers act as an extremely good source for preparation. Solving the questions papers will help you develop the necessary skills. Not only it will help you get familiar with the types of questions and the difficulty level but also it acts as a great source of a question bank with good questions.
• Analyze your performance: After having solved a number of questions from previous years' papers or mock tests, now is the time to analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Make a category of problem types and identify which questions you are comfortable and with which you are not. By categorizing you will be able to know which topics require more attention.
• Improve your performance: After analyzing your performance now work to improve your speed and focus on mental calculations to consume less time for DI questions. Preferably students are suggested to learn the square at least 30, a cube at least 20, square roots at least 10, and conversion from fractions to percentages for quick calculations.

How to improve DILR for CAT?

Before implementing the best DILR development technique. You should know that there is no "one" best trick or method to raise DILR. Each child has a unique approach that they use. However, we will discuss the most common tactic. It focuses on two things:

• Time management: The key game in this part of the exam is time management, which involves making the best use of the time you have. If you can control your time and answer the correct questions honestly then you will succeed in the exam.
• Question Selection: The ability to choose which groups of questions to address and which to ignore is critical. The sets of the exam are divided into easy, moderate and difficult categories. As a result, set selection becomes a game changer.

Best Books for CAT DILR Preparation

• How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT - Arun Sharma
• Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT - Nishit Sinha

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