Logical Reasoning for CAT 2024

Before beginning your CAT preparation on Logical Reasoning, check below the CAT exam pattern, number of questions, time duration, scoring pattern for the DILR section:

Logical Reasoning Questions in CAT 2024 are based on logical thought process and human instincts. LR questions are placed in sets of 3-4 questions for one LR problem. Logical Reasoning (LR) problems and type of questions in CAT have twisted pattern. If you can develop good logic and apply it in your approach to understand and solve a Reasoning problem, you can learn faster than those who find it difficult to logically approach a problem. LR section constitutes 50% share in the Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation Comprehension (DILR) Section in CAT which has total 20 questions. LR questions in CAT can be your score booster upto 30 core marks leading to an improvement of overall percentile by 25-30 in CAT 2024.

So, once you are aware what will be the shape of Logical Reasoning questions in CAT 2024; you will be able to finalize your CAT preparation strategy for LR.

The structure and content of the Logical Reasoning section in CAT exam is shared below. Following details on LR section in CAT will help you to take the right path on your LR CAT preparation journey:

Once you know about the Logical Reasoning type of questions in CAT exam, your next step for preparation is to scan the CAT Syllabus for DILR section. Please note that CAT exam LR syllabus is not pre-defined by IIMs and is based on latest topics that appeared in past CAT exams.

Many other CAT toppers with 99 and 100 percentile have shared that they found Logical Reasoning was their weak area while preparing for CAT. But they improved a lot in it with consistent preparation. Sharing with MBAUniverse.com, these CAT toppers spoke about their preparation strategy for Logical Reasoning:

How to Prepare Logical Reasoning for CAT: Topper Tips by Rachit Saran, (99.04% in CAT)

CAT Topper Rachit Saran explained how he cracked Logical Reasoning, “I believe that the difficulty level of this section is usually overrated. I would start with the set that I’m most comfortable with and I would just read carefully and follow the instructions word-by-word. Next, I would try to follow my instincts, use hit and trail, make cases, and eliminate the erroneous ones. Again, practice is what did wonders here. Also, do not be scared of using that on-screen calculator, just make it a friend.”

How to Prepare Logical Reasoning for CAT: Topper Tips by Rohan Joshi (99.63%) 

Sharing with MBAUniverse.com, CAT Topper Rohan Joshi (99.63 % in CAT 2017) explained how he cracked DILR section, “CAT is known to ask trickiest questions in this section. I regularly solved different puzzles and Sudoku’s to enhance my logical thinking ability. Gave many sectionals to test my preparation.”

How to Prepare Logical Reasoning for CAT: Topper Tips by Abhishek Kumar Pandey (99.63% in CAT)

Speaking to MBAUniverse.com, CAT Topper Abhishek Kumar Pandey (99.63 % in CAT 2017) explained, “I was weak at the LRDI section. I tried to improve by solving as many varieties of LRs and DIs as possible and identify the kind of sets at which I was good. This strategy helped in improving my mock scores.”

How to Prepare Logical Reasoning for CAT: Topper Tips by Rachit Gupta, (99.83% in CAT) CAT topper with 99.83 percentile, Rachit Gupta and IIM Lucknow pass out of 2017-19 batch shared with MBAUniverse.com, “For LR/DI, I again practiced questions of each type and emphasized more on wherever I was not so confident.”

The best books for Logical Reasoning for CAT are:

• Preparation Material, practice questions of Best Coaching Institutes like TIME, CL, IMS could be very helpful to prepare Logical Reasoning for CAT

Read more about the Best CAT Preparation Books 

Sample LR based questions, studying from Logical Reasoning for CAT Best Book, Attempting Logical Reasoning CAT Previous Year Questions are the best tool to prepare for Logical Reasoning in CAT. Improving on LR Questions and Answers is important because if you do well in the Logical Reasoning for CAT, you will score high in the exam. Below are shared some of the sample LR Problem sets followed by questions and answers based on latest CAT exam question papers. Check below the CAT Logical Reasoning Questions and Answers

LR Question Set-1: Sample Logical Reasoning Problem Set-1 with Questions and Answers  

The schematic diagram below shows 12 rectangular houses in a housing complex. House numbers are mentioned in the rectangles representing the houses. The houses are located in six columns – Column-A through Column-F, and two rows – Row-1 and Row-2.The houses are divided into two blocks - Block XX and Block YY. The diagram also shows two roads, one passing in front of the houses in Row-2 and another between the two blocks.

Some of the houses are occupied. The remaining ones are vacant and are the only ones available for sale.

The road adjacency value of a house is the number of its sides adjacent to a road. For example, the road adjacency values of C2, F2, and B1 are 2, 1, and 0, respectively. The neighbour count of a house is the number of sides of that house adjacent to occupied houses in the same block. For example, E1 and C1 can have the maximum possible neighbour counts of 3 and 2, respectively.

The base price of a vacant house is Rs. 10 lakhs if the house does not have a parking space, and Rs. 12 lakhs if it does. The quoted price (in lakhs of Rs.) of a vacant house is calculated as (base price) + 5 × (road adjacency value) + 3 × (neighbour count).

The following information is also known.

1. The maximum quoted price of a house in Block XX is Rs. 24 lakhs. The minimum quoted price of a house in block YY is Rs. 15 lakhs, and one such house is in Column-E.

2. Row-1 has two occupied houses, one in each block.

3. Both houses in Column-E are vacant. Each of Column-D and Column-F has at least one occupied house.

4. There is only one house with parking space in Block YY.

Q.1: How many houses are vacant in Block XX?

Answer Type: Equal

Possible Answer: --

Q.2: Which of the following houses is definitely occupied?

Ans Options

1. D2

2. A1

3. F2

4. B1

Q.3: Which of the following options best describes the number of vacant houses in Row-2?

Ans Options

1. Exactly 3

2. Either 3 or 4

3. Exactly 2

4. Either 2 or 3

Q.19: What is the maximum possible quoted price (in lakhs of Rs.) for a vacant house inColumn-E?

Case Sensitivity: No

Answer Type: Equal

Possible Answer: -- 

Q.20: Which house in Block YY has parking space?

Ans Options

1. E2

2. E1

3. F2

4. F1

Answer Grid

Check below the DILR preparation plan for 6 months, 3 months, 1 Month by experts:

180 days (6 Month) CAT DILR Preparation Plan 2024

The Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning CAT preparation plan 2024 for next 180 days beginning from March/April, include your judiciously divided preparation hours and everything related to DILR preparation with attending expert sessions on CAT preparation, your practice sessions, doubt solving sessions and all other preparation related steps.

In next 180 days, you have close to 3600 hours available with you. According to CAT experts, you are expected to spend 15 to 20% of available hours out of 24 hours per day on CAT preparation. Accordingly, you have to spend 800 hours during next 180 days on CAT preparation and divide the same on Scanning the CAT Syllabus and divide it into sections for study; Choose Time Lines to complete the task one after another as follows:

• First 90 Days: Clear the Concepts & their Applications, Go for Tests. By the end of 85 days, you will know the topics, type of questions, that are asked in CAT DILR, their key concepts, how to answer
• Next 60 Days: Devise Strategy and Take Mocks, Sectional tests
• Last 30 Days: Go for revision and frame final strategy

CAT DILR Preparation Study Plan: April, May, June, July

During March, April, May, June, July, devote 500 hours minimum to strengthen your concepts on the topics as per CAT syllabus and get complete clarity with attempting exercise questions on each concept simultaneously. This will help you to revise and understand how strong your basics have become and where you need further study of concepts.

How to Prepare for CAT 2024: 180 Days DILR Preparation Plan

Focus both on Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. Apart from clarity on concepts, you need to practice more on problems based on Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. With your judiciously planned CAT preparation you need 130 hours to prepare well for DILR in following manner

DILR Topics to Study

Overall Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Section Month-wise Preparation Plan

DILR Mocks for CAT 2024: Start Taking CAT Mocks from August

Attempting maximum number of Mocks for CAT and analysing each of them is as important as appearing in actual CAT 2024 exam. So, what should be the Mock taking strategy and how many mocks you need to attempt – all details are shared below to prepare well for CAT 2024. 

Spend Exact 2 Hours to Attempt 1 Mock Test
Each Mock is of 2 hours duration and you not only have to attempt the mock but also have to maximise your attempts with accuracy. How it can be achieved-Check below

Devote 3 hours to Analyse a Mock Test
After completing your CAT mock test in 2 hours, next 3 hours should be devoted to its analysis so that you may understand where you have gone wrong. Identifying your errors and rectifying them, will consistently improve your test taking strategy. If you take the mock at the scheduled hour, you will be ready for CAT day.

When to Start Taking Mocks? Experts explain
According to CAT experts, you should start taking Mocks and analyse each of them, beginning from August 3^rd or 4^th week

300 Hours that You Need for Different Types of Mocks:
You need to attempt 4 Types of Mocks. These four type of Mock tests that you would take in 300 hours and their time division to get ready for CAT exam day are:

75 Hours for Prime Mocks: Beginning from August, you must start taking full length prime mock tests.

• There would be 15 mock tests of 2 hours duration and each mock will be divided into 3 sections – VARC, DILR, Quant
• Each section in mock test will have sectional time limit of 40 minutes as is there in the CAT exam
• Each 2 hours Mock test should go through the 3 hours analysis to check and avoid any recurrence of similar mistake.

75 Hours for Count Down Mocks: After the first 75 hours, you need to move to full length count Down Mocks. When CAT exam gets a bit closer, you would also be increasing your CAT preparation time.

• There will be at least 15 count down mock tests of 2 hours duration
• Like Prime mock, each Count Down Mock will be divided into 3 sections – VARC, DILR, Quant.
• Each section in mock test will have sectional time limit of 40 minutes, like actual CAT exam. Each 2 hours Mock test will again go through the 3 hours analysis to avoid any future error.

Sectional Mocks in 90 Hours: Next most important thing is to attempt sectional mocks. In other words these are the sectional CAT papers.

• You need to attempt at least 15 Mock Tests on Data Interpretation
• Attempt 15 Mocks on Logical Reasoning
• Take complete 15 DILR Mock Tests 
• Each sectional mock should be of 40 minute duration
• Each Sectional Mock must be followed by 80 minutes of analysis to check your preparedness in each section.

Solve Actual CAT Papers in 60 Hours: Since 2017 IIMs have started releasing the CAT exam papers for all the slots with answers.

• There are total 18 CAT question papers available so far, that you need to go through, solve and analyse
• In 2017, 2018, 2019 CAT was conducted in two slots of 3 hours duration on same day.
• In 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 CAT was conducted in 3 slots of 2 hours duration on the same day.
• There are 6 CAT question papers of 2017, 2018 and 2019 as there were 2 slots in each CAT exam,
• There are 12 CAT papers for 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 as there were 3 slots in each CAT exam.
• It is very important that you solve and analyse these CAT papers.

Attempt Previous CAT question papers

CAT DILR 3 Months Preparation Plan

In last 3 months obviously, you will have more speed, so

• Use only 1 Month to prepare on concepts if not yet done
• Further improve your strengths
• In case you need to start some thing new, complete it latest by September
• Go for more practice sessions and taking Mocks
• Spend more time on CAT DILR practice tests

CAT DILR 1 Month Preparation Plan

• In last 1 month avoid starting anything new
• Your Mock Taking Speed will increase, so use it, taking Mocks and analysing them
• Take 4 LR Sectional Mocks and 2 Full Length Mocks every week 
• Further improve your strengths
• Spend more time on Practice & Revision

While the Quant and Verbal sections can be prepared by learning the formulae, concepts, grammar and vocabulary rules, LR preparation for CAT requires different preparation strategy. Accordingly following are the most important CAT 2023 Logical Reasoning Tips and tricks by experts reflecting key points on how to prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT Exam:

• The LR preparation for CAT is built on problem solving skills as there is no theory in this section nor there are any chapters. The more you practice on variety of LR questions the more skilled you will become.
• Preparation for Logical Reasoning questions in CAT is based on your ability to arrive at good decisions by following a systematic thought process.
• The questions are based on natural human instincts leading to arrive at right answer option by following the flow chart of Logical Reasoning.
• Begin with LOD=1 and move to LOD-2 and finally to LOD=3 Logical Reasoning Questions.
• Never be shy of practice on LR.  Once it is done, you will develop the methodology and will come to know beforehand whether you will be able to solve a particular LR question set, when it appears in the examination or should skip that. 
• Attempt more CAT Logical Reasoning Mocks and Analyse your errors after completing each one

Prior to 2015, CAT aspirants were not serious enough and did not take the CAT Logical Reasoning questions so seriously as it used to be a small part clubbed to Verbal Ability section. Many candidates made little or no attempt to it as they were able to score high percentile even without any LR preparation for CAT. This is no more the case now. No longer can you overlook the CAT Logical Reasoning question sets. You have to take LR Preparation for CAT as seriously as you do for Quant and Verbal sections. If you score 100 percentile in Quant; 99 in VARC but lag behind to 68 in DILR, despite scoring a high percentile of 99 or 98 in CAT, you will not get shortlisted by any IIM as they need a minimum of 75 to 80 percentile in each of the 3 sections.

Good number of candidates who scored 99 percentile in CAT could not get a call from any IIM only because of the reason that their score in DILR was below the minimum cut off percentile prescribed by IIMs. Their LR preparation for CAT was not upto the mark and the Logical Reasoning questions in CAT reduced their percentile instead of improving it.

Logical Reasoning in CAT, since 2010 to 2014 was clubbed with Verbal Ability section. Till 2013 the Logical Reasoning continued to be a sub part of Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section with 10 questions in MCQ format. This pattern continued in CAT logical reasoning part till 2014 with only change that the number of questions in CAT Logical Reasoning increased to 16.

In 2015, CAT Logical Reasoning section was totally revamped by IIM Ahmedabad. The CAT Logical Reasoning in IIM - Common Admission Test was separated from Verbal Ability section. A new 3^rd section in CAT exam was created by clubbing Logical reasoning and Data Interpretation.

Again in 2020, due to Covid pandemic, LR questions were reduced to 10-12 and during the last two years, Logical Reasoning for CAT has substantially changed. Not only the number of Logical Reasoning questions for CAT are placed in a separate section alongwith Data Interpretation, the section has a separate sectional cut off also.

The tricky, twisting and time consuming Logical Reasoning Practice Questions for CAT are in sets. You need to solve them quickly since one problem is followed by many questions. Even if a few questions are answered correctly, the job is considered as done.