CAT DILR Syllabus 2024: Important Topics, Topic-wise Weightage

Updated By Subhashri Roy on 27 Mar, 2024 13:09

Registration Starts On August 04, 2024

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CAT DILR Syllabus 2024

The CAT DILR Syllabus 2024 assesses a candidate's ability to think logically, understand, analyze and decipher complex data presented in various forms like tables, graphs, charts, etc., and make logical conclusions on the basis of the data or information provided. The important topics for CAT DILR evaluate if a candidate is well-versed in data analysis, data sufficiency, logical reasoning, and problem-solving. Data Caselets, Seating Arrangement, Blood Relation, Graphs, Tables, Word and Letter Puzzles, and more are covered under the DILR syllabus for CAT 2024 exam. The DILR section will be divided into four sets of two questions each (two sets of six and two sets of four). The total number of questions in this section is 20 (12 MCQs & 8 TITA). Since these sets are categorized as easy, moderate, and difficult, it becomes essential for students to be able to determine which set to solve and which not. 

The DILR CAT syllabus 2024 aims to assess if an individual possesses the essential skills for management and leadership roles by evaluating his/her aptitude for handling situations that are driven by complex data and making sound and informed decisions or logical deductions while under pressure. Candidates aiming to appear for CAT 2024 must be aware of the CAT DILR syllabus 2024 and CAT DILR topic wise weightage to prepare for the exam effectively. Find the detailed CAT DILR syllabus 2024 and the important DILR topics for CAT below.

Also Read:

Tips to Answer Logical Reasoning Questions in CAT 2024

How to Approach CAT 2024 Question Paper?
How to Prepare for CAT DI & LR

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CAT DILR Syllabus 2024: Highlights

One of the most difficult and unpredictable sections among the trinity (QA, VARC, and DILR), this section encourages candidates to use logical reasoning and critical thinking skills to solve problems and draw conclusions based on given information. The ability to analyze and evaluate data accurately, identify patterns, trends, and relationships within the data enhances one’s analytical skills. The main highlights of the DILR syllabus for CAT have been provided in the table below:

Particulars

Details

Sectional Time Allotted for CAT DILR

40 minutes

Total Number of DILR Questions 

20 questions (reduced from 24)

Number of Questions Asked from Data Interpretation

8 - 10 questions

Number of Questions Asked from Logical Reasoning

8 - 12 questions

Total Number of MCQs in the CAT DILR Section

12 questions

Total Number of Non-MCQs

8 questions

Questions Without Any Negative Marking

8 questions

Total Maximum Marks of the DILR Section

60 marks

Type of Questions in the CAT DILR Section

  • MCQs (Multiple-Choice Questions)
  • Non-MCQs / TITA (Type-In The Answer)

Overall Difficulty Level of the DILR Section

Moderate to Difficult

CAT DILR Marking Scheme

  • Marks Awarded for Every Correct Response: +3 
  • Marks Deducted for Each Wrong Answer: -1
  • No negative marks for Non-MCQs

Important DILR Topics for CAT 2024

Here are some important DILR topics for CAT 2024:

Seating Arrangement

Syllogisms & Venn Diagrams

Blood Relations

Clocks & Calendars

Matching puzzles

Assumptions

Data Structures

Direction Sense

Statements

Sets

Bar Graph

Coding-Decoding

Tables & Caselets

Binary Logic

Family Tree

Data Arrangement

Data Sufficiency

Proposition

Pie Charts

Games & Tournaments

Distribution

Games Betting

Logic-based DI

Logic-based Tables

Important Topics in CAT DI 2024 

The difficulty level of the CAT DI section ranges from easy to moderate. Candidates may check the important topics for CAT DI 2024 below:

  • Tables
  • Bar Graphs
  • Line Charts
  • Pie Charts
  • Caselets
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Sufficiency
  • Combination of two or more types of graphs
  • Data Comparison of different years, groups, and classes, and ages
  • Analysis of the given data, drawing conclusions, and predicting the future
  • Comprehending the missing linkages in the information provided, solving and obtaining the data of the missing parts, and taking clues

Important Topics in CAT LR 2024

The difficulty level of the CAT LR section ranges from moderate to high. Candidates may check the important topics for CAT LR 2024 below:

  • Ranks
  • Puzzles
  • Syllogisms
  • Binary Logic
  • Venn Diagrams
  • Blood Relations
  • Direction Sense
  • Cubes and Dice
  • Coding-Decoding
  • Logical Sequence
  • Data Arrangement
  • Clocks & Calendars
  • Seating arrangement
  • Number & Letter Series
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • Types of Team Formation
  • Assumptions & Assertions
  • Arguments and Statements
  • Syllogisms/Logical Deduction

Also Read:Important Topics for CAT 2024

CAT DILR 2024 Topic-wise Weightage

Aspirants for the CAT 2024 exam must refer to the following table to know the weightage of the important topics included under the DILR section:

Important Topics

Number of Questions Asked

Weightage (in Percentile)

Difficulty Level

Good Attempts

Routes and Networks

5 questions

6.1%

Moderate to Difficult

3-4 questions

Tables

5-10 questions

10.6%

Easy to Moderate

4-5 questions

Scheduling, Optimization, and Allocation

5-10 questions

15.8%

Moderate to Difficult

3-4 questions

Bar Graphs

4-5 questions

5.6%

Easy to Moderate

4-5 questions

Grids

5-10 questions

17.6%

Moderate to Difficult

3-4 questions

Arrangements

5-6 questions

7%

Moderate to Difficult

3-4 questions

Word Puzzle

4-6 questions

5.9%

Moderate to Difficult

3-4 questions

Math Puzzles

4-5 questions

12.6%

Moderate to Difficult

3-4 questions

Venn Diagrams

4-8 questions

7.7%

Easy to Moderate

4-5 questions

Scatter Plot

5 questions

2.9%

Easy to Moderate

4-5 questions

Gantt Chart

4-5 questions

2%

Easy to Moderate

4-5 questions

Radar Chart

3-4 questions

1.8%

Easy to Moderate

4-5 questions

Smoothies (DI)

4 questions

5.9%

Moderate

2-3 questions

Researchers and Publishing

6 questions

5.9%

Moderate to Difficult

3-4 questions

Friends, Strangers, and Acquaintances

6 questions

5.9%

Easy to Moderate

4-5 questions

Horizontally stacked column graph (product, shipment days)

4 questions

5.9%

Moderate

2-3 questions

Games and tournament-based

6 questions

5.9%

Moderate to Difficult

3-4 questions

Online food delivery rating parameters

6 questions

5.9%

Moderate

4-5 questions

Graph-based – easy to solve

4 questions

5.9%

Easy to Moderate

3-4 questions

Javelin Tournament

6 questions

5.9%

Moderate

3-4 questions

Pure and Impure Solutions

4 questions

5.9%

Moderate to Difficult

2-3 questions

Review of Academic Questions

6 questions

5.9%

Easy to Moderate

4-5 questions

Weightage of Important Topics in CAT DILR Syllabus Over the Years

The weightage of each topic in the CAT previous year question papers have been provided in the table below.

Name of the Topic

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Arrangements

18%

10%

14%

13%

19%

25%

Grouping & Conditionality

20%

10%

25%

6%

6%

0%

Games & Tournaments

17%

17%

8%

13%

0%

0%

Puzzles

5%

10%

14%

19%

19%

25%

Scheduling

0%

7%

0%

6%

0%

0%

Miscellaneous

10%

7%

0%

6%

6%

0%

DI - Reasoning Based

10%

10%

17%

19%

19%

31%

DI - Calculation Based

10%

10%

14%

13%

31%

19%

DI - Observation Based

10%

19%

8%

6%

0%

0%

Top Management Colleges :

Best Books to Cover CAT DILR Syllabus 2024

In order to prepare effectively for the DILR section of the CAT 2024 exam candidates must refer to the CAT best books 2024 mentioned below. The most important feature of these books is that all the topics of data interpretation and logical reasoning have been covered exhaustively and after each topic has been explained, sample questions of varying difficulty levels are provided that will enable the candidates to assess their level of preparation. The best books to cover the important topics in the CAT DILR syllabus 2024 are:

  • A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning by RS Agarwal
  • CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri
  • How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma
  • How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma
  • Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency for CAT by Ananta Ashish
  • Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT by Nishit Sinha

Also Read:How Much Time is Required to Prepare for CAT 2024?

DILR Syllabus for CAT 2024: Important Points

A candidate's ability to interpret data, understand patterns, and draw logical conclusions is evaluated in the DILR section of CAT. Here are some of the important points about the important DILR topics for CAT:

  • For the questions on Tabular Data Interpretation, candidates are required to interpret the data provided in tables and answer questions on the basis of the information provided.
  • Candidates are required to analyze and interpret the data represented in bar graphs and line graphs and answer the questions asked based on them.
  • Candidates must carefully analyze the data represented in pie charts to answer questions on the basis of the information provided.
  • Questions are also asked from Combination Graphs in which different types of graphs are combined, and candidates are required to integrate information from multiple sources.
  • In the Caselet DI, short passages will be given followed by a set of related questions that must be answered by analyzing the information provided in the passage.
  • In Data Sufficiency questions, a set of data will be given and candidates must determine whether the data provided in the set is sufficient to answer the questions asked.
  • In the questions related to Seating Arrangements, problems will be based on Linear, Circular, Rectangular seating arrangements from which individuals/objects will be arranged based on given conditions.
  • In the questions related to Blood Relations the relationships between individuals must be determined based on the information provided.
  • In the Syllogism questions, candidates are required to draw logical conclusions using standard syllogistic reasoning based on the information provided.
  • In some questions, the logical sequence of events or items must be determined on the basis of given conditions.
  • In Coding-Decoding questions, candidates are required to follow certain rules to decode a given code or encode a given word.
  • Directions or positions must be determined in the Questions based on Direction Sense by analyzing the given information.
  • Problems related to time, such as calculating angles between clock hands or determining the day of the week for a given date are observed from Clocks and Calendars.
  • Candidates are required to determine the relationships between various sets using Venn diagrams.
  • In questions based on Binary Logic, the given statements must be analyzed to determine their logical implications by employing binary logic principles.

How to Prepare for the CAT DILR Syllabus 2024

Candidates should develop their ability to quickly understand and interpret large amounts of data to solve the DI questions. Candidates should devote enough time to understand various types of charts, including bar charts, pie charts, etc. and try to understand the patterns, trends, and relationships between different variables. They must enhance their problem-solving approach to solve questions involving arrangements, comparisons, puzzles, etc. It is crucial to improve one’s ability to do mental calculations using techniques such as approximation, estimation, and simplification. Usage of shortcuts is necessary to prevent wastage of time in the CAT DILR section. Candidates should strengthen their analytical math handling abilities and increase their problem-solving speed.

Before selecting the appropriate option, it is important that candidates thoroughly read all of the available options and learn to eliminate the obviously incorrect options to narrow down their choices. In order to improve their speed and accuracy, aspirants are suggested to attempt at least one CAT mock test per week after which they must evaluate their performance, identify their weak areas, and make efforts to strengthen them. Candidates must avoid over-approximating or making assumptions while answering the questions since it may result in inaccuracy.

Related Links: 

How to Prepare for CAT VARC

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FAQs about CAT Syllabus

What is the weightage for different topics in the CAT DILR Syllabus 2024?

The weightage for different topics in the CAT DILR Syllabus 2024 are as follows:

  • Math Puzzles (4-5 questions): 12.6%
  • Routes and Networks (5 questions): 6.1%
  • Tables (5-10 questions): 10.6%
  • Scheduling, Optimization, and Allocation (5-10 questions): 15.8%
  • Grids (5-10 questions): 17.6%
  • Venn Diagrams (4-8 questions): 7.7%

What is the difficulty level of the CAT DILR section?

The overall difficulty level of the CAT DILR section ranges from moderate to high. The questions on Data Interpretation are usually easy to moderate. However, the difficulty level of the questions on Logical Reasoning varies from moderate to high.

When should I start preparing for the CAT DILR syllabus 2024?

You should start preparing for the CAT DILR syllabus 2024 at least 9 months before the exam is scheduled to be conducted. Since data analysis is the focus of data interpretation, candidates should develop their ability to quickly interpret large amounts of data, and become familiar with various types of charts, including bar charts, pie charts, etc.

What are the different types of questions I will be asked in CAT DILR?

There are primarily two types of questions asked in CAT DILR sections, viz, MCQs and Type in the Answers. While the MCQ questions may seem easy to attempt, it is also easy to make mistakes in these questions. As there is negative marking for incorrect answers, it is important to ensure that your accuracy and speed in answering the questions is on-point to ensure the best score possible.

How many questions are asked in CAT DILR?

Candidates attempting the CAT DILR section will be asked to attempt 2 questions that have been divided into 5 sets. With only 45 minutes to complete the section, candidates must hone their critical and analytical thinking capabilities to ensure that they are able to correctly and accurately answer all the questions in the section, subsequently, allowing them to score high in this year’s exam.

Is CAT DILR syllabus considered tough?

Requiring a high level of accuracy in answering the different questions correctly, the CAT DILR syllabus can be considered tough, however, this will be subjective to each candidate. To easily score high in the section, candidates must focus on improving their quick thinking and fact-checking skills as these will save you valuable time while ensuring accuracy.

What are the preparation tips for CAT DILR Syllabus?

Regardless of the preparation strategy you have adopted for the CAT DILR section, it is important to ensure that you enhance your data interpretation skills for large data, as well as their mathematical reasoning skills as well for the CAT DI section. Meanwhile, candidates should focus on quickly but thoroughly reading passages, and making accurate and correct assumptions for the CAT LR section.

Which are the best books for CAT DILR syllabus?

There are a number of different books that should be used when preparing for the CAT DILR syllabus 2023, some of which include Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT by Nishit Sinha, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit Sinha, CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri, How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma and much more.

What topics are important in the CAT Logical Reasoning syllabus?

As the name suggests, the important topics in CAT Logical Reasoning syllabus will include topics evaluating the candidate's logical and analytical thinking capabilities. Some of the important topics include Syllogisms/Logical Deduction, Quantitative Reasoning/Puzzles, Arrangements/Rankings/Team Formation, and Venn Diagrams/Binary Logic among many other similar topics related to Logical Reasoning for the CAT exam.

How should I prepare for the CAT Data Interpretation questions?

Out of the two parts of the sections, candidates preparing for the CAT Data Interpretation should focus on honing their interpretation skills. Here, candidates will be asked to read different infographic charts and tables including Graphs/Bar Diagrams, Tables and Pie Charts, Charts and Graphs, and much more. Candidates should be able to read, analyse and interpret the data given through these mediums.

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