To crack a competitive exam like the Common Admission Test (CAT), you need to follow an impactful strategy for preparation and follow some smart tips to cover every section. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) in the CAT syllabus is considered as one of the toughest sections and holds a good weightage in the exam.
The DILR section is all about testing logical skills, critical thinking, and the ability to solve problems. To score full marks in DILR, you need regular and consistent practice and learn all the concepts of the CAT data interpretation and logical reasoning. But how to do that? What strategy should be followed to answer the maximum questions correctly well within time?

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Syllabus for CAT
Before diving into the strategy and tips, let’s first go through this section’s syllabus quickly.
Although LRDI doesn’t have a specified syllabus, it is important to cover the topics based on the previous year papers and the templates of the CAT exam. You must practice and learn coding-decoding, number series, letter series, symbol series, number and alphabet analogies, odd one out, direction sense, data sufficiency, blood relation, family tree, and other important topics. Choose right study material
Choosing the right study material and the best books for CAT preparation is the first step towards success. However, MBA aspirants are often confused about the books to study while preparing for the exam. However, in order to crack the CAT 2021 exam, you need to not only choose the right books but also understand how to study them.
Some of the best books for LRDI CAT are:
- How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT book by Arun Sharma
- Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit Sinha
Arun Sharma has done an excellent job for CAT aspirants with his book covering all the essential logical reasoning chapters and topics thoroughly. Nishit Sinha’s CAT logical reasoning book comprises topics from basic to advanced level under several chapters.Solve Quizzes
If you are new to CAT preparation, it would be better to start with solving the logical reasoning questions and puzzles. You can find several types of quizzes and puzzles online. Then take a step ahead with putting your efforts into solving questions from subject-wise topics, like rankings, matrices, arrangements, etc.
Once you become confident about your basics, you can start working on previous year papers of CAT, SIMCAT, AIMCAT, etc. You will get plenty of challenging LRDI questions for practice. Practice as many mock tests as you can
You need to regularly test your preparation level for CAT to understand where you stand. This can be done by attempting mock tests. Along with regular mock test practice, you also need to analyze the results to find what went right and what went wrong. You need to identify your weak areas so that you can improve and put in your hard work accordingly.
Toppers suggest that practicing as many mock tests as you can is the most significant part of your LRDI preparation in CAT. You need to be thorough with the data interpretation part and make it your area of strength. No topic should remain a weak area for you. Right Approach to Solving LRDI Questions
The typical approach of solving the question is the most efficient for the LRDI section. You need to follow a smart and unique approach to it.
Before solving the questions, first, analyze the set of questions according to the level of difficulty and your area of strength. Divide the questions according to their type because you need to use specific tricks for solving the questions. Start with answering the easy questions first so that you can save time for complex questions and gain some confidence.
It is important because if you start with difficult questions and spend more time on them, you may run short of time for easy questions that you could answer easily. This can hamper your overall score.Wrapping Up:
To prepare for the LRDI section for the CAT exam, having a robust strategy and enrolling in the best online CAT coaching plays a vital role. Mock tests, quizzes, study material, and the right approach to solving questions during exams are keys to scoring high marks in LRDI.