CAT 2015 Score booster to DILR: Independent game changer section needs more practice

Since 2010 Data Interpretation (DI) and Logical Reasoning (LR) in CAT have remained clubbed with Quant and Verbal Ability sections. CAT 2015 is going to be the first exam having created a separate section on DILR with 32 questions of MCQ and Non-MCQ type.

You will be allotted 60 minutes to solve 32 questions in this section equally divided as 16 DI and 16 LR questions appearing in sets as well as individual questions.

DILR: Equal weightage
The new DILR section in CAT 2015 is as important as other 2 Quant and VRC sections. The sectional cut offs announced in CAT 2015 by IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow and other IIMs for DILR section are the same as applicable for Quant and VRC sections.

If you have to score 85 percentile in Quant and VRC sections, you will have to score 85 percentile minimum in CAT 2015 in DILR section also to get shortlisted by IIMs. Each question in this section gives you equal weightage of 3 marks for every right answer. However, a penalty of 1 mark (one third of the credit marks) will be imposed for every wrong answer for MCQ type questions but no-penalty will be awarded for wrong answer to Non-MCQ type questions.

Turn it into high scoring section
16 questions on Data Interpretation & 16 on Logical Reasoning wouldnt need that much effort as required for other 2 sections. But good analytical & comparative skills as well as natural human instincts need to be improved to score high in this section. If proper attention is paid to this section, it may serve as an aid to facilitate your entry to the top B-schools as it will improve your percentile tremendously.
The percentile booster guidelines in the form of Dos and donts by Prof S K Agarwal mentor on CAT 2015 preparation are shared below for your benefit-

Donts
-- Think to devote less time on DILR preparation
-- Jump to answer options without understanding the problem
-- Avoid attempting fewer questions in sets. Please remember one DILR problem is followed by many questions, if a few could be answered correctly, the job can be considered as done.
-- Leave the topics unprepared
-- Think that there is still ample time left to prepare for this section
Dos
-- Read thoroughly the tricky language of DILR problems. It would help in cracking more number of questions.
-- More time consuming questions, hence require skills to crack.
--More practice, problem analysis and speed needed to crack more questions
-- In a set of 4-5 questions on DILR problem, it is very much possible that 2 may be MCQs and other 2 are Non-MCQs.

Conceptual clarity: A must
It is suggested to have the clarity of concept before moving to attempt the questions. CAT 2015 aspirants should prepare, attempt and practice more and more exercises & Mocks on the following topics.
-- Graphs
-- Bar diagrams
-- Table
-- Comparative and analytical data charts
-- Blood Relations family tree
-- Seating Arrangements
-- Syllogism
-- Proposition based followed by either deductive or inductive argument
-- Matching puzzles
-- Constraint based arrangements
-- Sets
-- Clocks and calenders
-- Assumptions
-- Binary logic
-- Venn Diagrams
-- Statements

If you score a percentile of 97 in Quant; 96 in VRC but lag behind to 79 in DILR, despite scoring a high percentile of 97 or 98 in CAT 2015, you will not get shortlisted by IIMs as they need a minimum of 80 to 85 percentile in each of the 3 sections.

Most of the DILR questions are in a set of 4-5 questions following a problem set. The questions are expected to be based on tricky information rich problems in the form of bar diagrams, graphs, tables on Data Interpretation while questions on Logical Reasoning will need greater practice work on Seating arrangement, family tree, direction, rows, arguments, statements among others. Remember practicing the right approach to solve the questions could be the key to score high.