Hey folks! With just 57 days to go till the CAT, tensions are understandably at an all time high. But fear not, for I am back with another blog to ease your woes and soothe your nerves!
DILR is perhaps the most feared section in CAT. It’s definitely the most unpredictable, and coupled with a lack of defined syllabus, this adds to the candidates’ worries. It doesn’t help that set selection can literally make or break your exam.
On the bright side, selecting the right set is half the battle won. In this blog, we’ll look at the two concerns that most aspirants have:
- With just 8 weeks to go, is there still enough time to ace DILR?
- How to ace DILR in time for CAT 2023?
So without further ado, let’s get started!
1. Is there still enough time to ace DILR?
YES! There is absolutely enough time to prepare for DILR starting now. I won’t say that you will be able to get the 99th percentile here, but I also won’t say that you will not get it, because all of that depends on your mindset and preparation.
Rajesh sir (the one and only) has made a video here on tips to score 99%ile in DILR.
The following table gives an idea about the scores vs percentiles for CAT 2022:
| SCALED SCORE | PERCENTILE |
| 48 | 100 |
| 39 | 99.9 |
| 29 | 99 |
| 19 | 95 |
| 15 | 90 |
| 13 | 85 |
As you can see, to get to the 90th percentile, you require a net 15 marks, and two correct sets will get you to the 99th percentile!
Now you tell me, with enough practice, is it or is it not possible for any candidate to get 1 set correct? Of course it is!
(This cut-off might vary depending on the difficulty of the exam, so it’s important that you don’t go into the exam hall with the mindset of getting just one set correct. If it ends up being easier, then the cutoffs will definitely rise. So in the exam, try to maximize your score!)
2. How to ace DILR in time for CAT 2023?
Now onto the second question: I am motivated, but what do I actually need to do?
Honestly, with only 8 weeks to go for CAT, DILR will require a lot of effort on your part.
Previous Year Papers
First things first; you need to get comfortable with the section. If you are just starting out, then the absolute best way to do that is through the past year papers, especially of the last few years. These will give you an insight into the actual difficulty level of CAT.
2IIM has a wonderful question bank here, where you will find not only the past year papers, but also practice questions at the CAT level, for all the three sections.
Mock Tests
Mock tests are essential to get you accustomed to the paper pattern and time constraints. These will expose you to templates aside from the standard ones. Mock analysis is equally (or even more) important.
- Set selection is crucial. Don’t rush into solving the first set you see. Even if you take 4-6 minutes to pick the sets, you will still have 30-35 minutes left to solve.
- Don’t spend too much time on a set. To seasoned candidates, I’d recommend giving 7-8 minutes to a set; if you don’t get anywhere in the first 7-8 minutes, it’s best to cut your losses and move on. To others, I’d suggest giving a set no more than 15 minutes. Of course, if you feel that you’d be able to crack this given a little more time, you can extend it.
- For every set, look at the approach used, and look at the solution to see if there’s a better one. This will help you in improving your set selection skills, and give you a fair idea of your performance.
Practice!
DILR requires consistent practice, there’s no substitute for that. Osmosis doesn’t work here, trust me (I’ve tried).
Alongside PYQs and mocks, make a habit of solving at least three to four sets daily. I’d suggest time-bound practice, to get used to having a timer over your head. Consistent practice will help you develop the mindset and thinking process required to successfully understand and solve anything CAT might throw at you.
Although CAT does not stick with template questions in the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section, being comfortable with a bunch of standard ones is really helpful in understanding the thinking process behind each set.
Conclusion
In conclusion, is it possible to ace CAT DILR in the next 8 weeks? Definitely. Will it be easy? No! This will require a lot of hard work on your part. What I’ve suggested in this blog is the bare minimum you need to do. If you do all this diligently, you should be able to get in at least one set on the D-day, but again, try to maximize your score. Hopefully, I’ve alleviated some of your worries regarding DILR, so it’s time to get cracking!
Best wishes for CAT!
Akshat is a content specialist at 2iim. His other addictions include math, reading and writing.
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