CAT Prep (DI & LR): Last Minute Tips from IIM Raipur

Data interpretation and Logical reasoning forming an altogether new section in CAT-2015 has gained a lot of attention this year and the students are quite concerned about this. Although the aspirants hardly give heed to this section pre-CAT, but this can be the deciding factor to your journey to IIM.

So we bring to you a few strategies to attack and conquer this section.

 

First and foremost tip, Stop thinking of the result/marks/cutoffs etc. while solving the paper.

 

Use common sense wherever possible and don’t assume anything apart from what is given in the question.

 

Be familiar with caselets- The questions will be in the form of caselets, where each case will be followed by 3 to 4 questions. For DI, the questions will be in the form of line and bar graphs, pie charts etc. The LR questions will be mainly on arrangements, blood relations, family tree, venn diagrams etc.

 

Time Management - It is expected that there would be 16 questions each of DI and LR. Also, these 16 questions could be given in four sets each. The recommend strategy for DI and LR is simple. Give 7 minutes to each set of questions (assuming there are 4 questions). If for any reason you are not able to finish the set in 7 minutes, leave the set and come back to the same in the buffer time of 4 minutes available. There will always be a set or two that you may not be able to solve. In such cases, you will spend only about 2 to 3 minutes for such a set and save 4 minutes. So you will get another 4 to 8 minutes to give to the 6 odd sets that you decide to solve.

 

Be ready for calculation intensive questions- The DI questions for CAT are known for being calculation intensive. Utilize the on screen calculator to the fullest in this section. So hold your nerves till the time you get the solution and don’t get exhausted by too much of numbers and calculations.

 

Solve crossword puzzles, Sudoku, riddles on blood relations, family tree daily to keep your mind fresh as well as active as Logical Reasoning is all about understanding the trick hidden in the question

 

Answer all non-MCQs as there are NO Negative marks for non-MCQ questions.

 

Don’t waste your time in re-calculating an answer by using the On-screen Calculator if you have already solved a question. The urge to verify will slow you down.

 

Keep track of the time within the section time limit and strictly stick to the plan you have made.

 

Read the options carefully - One should go through the choices and understand them clearly. Sometimes options given in the data set can become a perennial source of problem.

 

Do not use General awareness/assumption while answering questions - The element of general awareness can’t be used to solve any of the questions in LR/DI and other sections also. However, universal facts like mathematical principles are not the general awareness stuff, and hence can be used.

 

Look for the obvious, but don’t miss the hidden - Looking at any of the statements gives us an idea of the facts given, and sometimes we get so enamored with these obvious facts that we fail to see something hidden. We can reduce the incidences of the silly mistakes or missing some hidden information

 

Don’t go by the shape of a geometrical figure - Any geometrical figure should not be taken as accurate unless it is given. For example, the below given triangle ABC can’t be taken as a right-angles triangle even though it appears to be so. Hence, no conclusion should be drawn by finding proportionate value of length or the angle in any geometrical figure unless such are clearly stated.

There will be enough easy questions in the CAT exam. It is very important to keep your calm and not panic if some of the questions appear very difficult. You have to be smart enough to know which question is to be attempted and more importantly which is not to be. Use your wits and be careful not to commit minor errors.

 

All the best!