Maximize CAT 2025 DILR Score: Proven Sectional Test Strategies That Work

If you are trying to figure out what are the Effective Sectional Test Strategies to Maximize CAT DILR Score , they involve selecting the sets smartly, mastering basics and recognizing patterns, effective time management, effective use of Venn Diagrams and tables, increasing accuracy and problem-solving speed, and solving mock tests and sample papers regularly. Do not panic and start answering questions impulsively if you want to maintain 70-80% accuracy. Read the article below to enhance your time management, reasoning, and interpretation skills to score maximum marks in the CAT DILR section.

Also Read: CAT 2025: Final 30-Day Study Plan and Strategy to Crack the Exam

What are the Effective Sectional Test Strategies to Maximize CAT DILR Score?

Some of the effective strategies to develop mastery over the CAT DILR section and maximize your sectional scores have been provided below.

• Allot the first 2-3 minutes to go through all the sets to identify which ones have an identical pattern to the ones you have practised during the preparation phase. The sets must have clear data and their difficulty level must be at par with your strengths.
• If you find any set manageable and familiar and feel that you can solve it effectively in as less time as possible, pick it first. Allocate 8–10 minutes per set to solve the maximum number of questions with 80-90% accuracy. If there are 2-3 sets in the problem, it can be solved in a total of 16 to 25 minutes.
• Even if any single set appears tough, you should not spend more than 12 minutes solving it. If you cannot solve it in 10 minutes, move on to the easier sets and come back to it later if time permits.
• The first 25 to 30 minutes must be dedicated to fully solving 2-3 sets with the highest accuracy and the last 5–10 minutes must be saved either for revisiting the sets you got stuck in or re-evaluating your answers.
• You must gain expertise in the foundational DILR topics like puzzles, games & tournaments, arrangements, Venn diagrams, and tables.
• Make it a habit to practise a wide range of sets regularly to be able to recognize the different patterns in which the sets are asked in the CAT exam and establish logical connections between different attributes.
• If you feel that a set has complex relationships, use diagrams, arrangements, and graphs to solve it effectively.
• Draw tables to find missing values and arrange data in a systematic manner without taking recourse to guesswork.
• Since there is negative marking in MCQs, your aim should not be to attempt all the questions, but a lesser number of questions with maximum accuracy.
• Solve as many number of sectional mock tests as possible to analyze your performance, identify your strengths and weaknesses, increase your problem-solving speed, and understand where you are making maximum mistakes in developing effective strategies to strengthen them.
• You will encounter many DI questions that require fast arithmetic and hence you must be able to make quick calculations in problems involving averages, ratios, percentages, etc. Mental math and shortcuts must be mastered in this regard to visualize data for questions that are logic-heavy.
• During for 40-minute sectional DILR practice, solve 4 Tables of moderate difficulty level, 6 Circular Arrangement questions with moderate to tough difficulty level, 4 tough Venn Diagram (3-set), 4 questions on Games & Tournaments of moderate level, and 4 moderate Network Mapping problems.