CAT 2026 DILR Strategy to Score 26+ Marks & Get 95+ Percentile

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Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
Updated on Mar 9, 2026 16:15 IST
CAT 2026 preparation for DILR will require you to dedicate quality time as both DI and LR require consistent practice over a period of time. Moreover, if you need a good overall CAT score, you need a minimum of 95 percentile in DILR. So, start early. Read here how to score 26+ marks & get 95+ percentile in CAT DILR.

CAT 2026 preparation for DILR will require you to dedicate quality time as both DI and LR require consistent practice over a period of time. Moreover, if you need a good overall CAT score, you need a minimum of 95 percentile in DILR. So, start early. Read here how to score 26+ marks & get 95+ percentile in CAT DILR.

CAT 2026 Preparation for DILR

Tips to score high in CAT DILR

CAT DILR is the second section of the question paper. Having handled dense VARC passages, candidates can feel bogged down by another set of mentally taxing questions. Yes, CAT Data Interpretation questions sets are data heavy and require a clear head. So are the Logical Reasoning sets. The biggest challenge of CAT DILR is that both sub sections have equal number of questions (11 each) thus; you cannot ignore one for another.

To handle 22 DILR questions, you need to master a varied range of questions. So, start early. You would need atleast 6-9 months to prepare for the CAT exam, if you wish to score above 95 percentile. Each of the three sections will require detailed study and practice. CAT DILR will require special emphasis as there are no formulae or theorems. It is entirely based on practice. Here is a suggested CAT 2026 DILR Strategy to Score 26+ Marks & Get 95+ Percentile.

Table of contents
  • CAT 2026 DILR Topics
  • CAT Data Interpretation
  • CAT Logical Reasoning
  • CAT 2026 DILR Strategy to Score 26+ Marks
  • CAT 2026 DILR Strategy to Get 95+ Percentile

CAT 2026 DILR Topics

First of all understand the dominance of topics in this section. CAT syllabus includes multiple topics, but questions are not asked from all of them. So, check previous years’ CAT question papers to find out the dominant topics and patterns.

CAT 2025 Slot 1 – DILR questions

Set Description

No. of Questions

Doable 

Difficulty Level

DILR - Ticket based

5

2

Moderate

Circular arrangement 

4

1-2

Difficult 

Radar graph- Import/Export

4

4

Easy

DILR - Taps

4

2

Moderate to Difficult

AR based arrangement 

5

2-3

Moderate

CAT 2025 Slot 2 – DILR questions

Set – Topic/ Area

No of Questions

Doable

Difficulty Level

Point Graph (Sustainability Index)

4

2-3

Easy -Moderate

LRDI: Bar Graph (Set Theory)

5

2

Difficult

Hoops and Balls (Arrangement Based)

4

2-3

Easy-Moderate

Training Based (Ordering & Scheduling)

4

1

Moderate-Difficult

Pollution Index (AQI Based)

5

1-2

Moderate-Difficult

CAT 2025 Slot 3 – DILR questions

Set – Topic/ Area

No of Questions

Doable

Difficulty Level

Export Import Trade Based(P,X,C Row )

5 (3 TITA)

2

Moderate - Difficult

Currency, Travel (4 Countries)

5 (3 TITA)

0

Difficult

Step Graph  

4

2-3

Easy

Table Based (6 Friends - Calls in a Math)

4 TITA

2 -3

Moderate

AR Circular Arrangement (Game Passing the Back)

4

Easy

Download: Last 5 year’ CAT question papers

CAT Data Interpretation

Tables, graphs and pie charts are often based on percentage, ratio, routes and networks, comparisons, etc. The CAT DI questions may require a lot of calculation. Most of the questions are in a set of 4-5 questions and each may require you to find value of a different entity. So, your approach towards DI during CAT 2026 preparation phase should be to have complete control on quick calculation. This can be achieved by memorizing Mathematical tables, Square, Square roots, Cube, Cube roots, etc.

CAT Logical Reasoning

Blood Relations, Number Series, Syllogism, Direction Sense, Coding-Decoding and Assumptions are the most common topics of CAT Logical Reasoning. Preparation for this section is entirely based on practice. The more puzzles you will solve, the better you’ll get at CAT LR. Lately, CAT has moved to comprehension based reasoning questions. Which means you need have good English comprehension skill to understand the question. So, again, the solution is practice. 

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CAT 2026 DILR Strategy to Score 26+ Marks

CAT DILR section has 22 questions, which make a total of 66 marks. About 10-12 attempts with maximum accuracy is considered good in this section. So, you target should be a minimum of 8-10 attempts with 100 % accuracy to score 95+ marks. Despite rigorous preparation and n number of mock test practice, some questions in the CAT 2026 may still look daunting. Stay away from those.

Out of total DILR sets (usually 5-6), select the ones you can solve correctly. It is not necessary to attempt all the questions of a given set. Solve only those which you can accurately. Meaning, if you can solve only 2 out of 4 questions of a DI set, solve those only. Don’t waste time on questions which you are not sure of and move to the next set. There is sectional time limit of 40 minutes, so keep a check on the timer.

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CAT 2026 DILR Strategy to Get 95+ Percentile

  • Practice DILR sets of previous years’ CAT exams for best results. The questions in CAT 2026 can be similar.
  • Practice sectional CAT mock tests to master DILR questions. Evaluate your strength and weakness with the mock test result.
  • Read the questions and calculate how many questions per set will get you to your target score of 26-30 marks. Also check which questions, you can solve quickly and accurately in each set. Divide 40 minutes accordingly.
  • Do not risk negative marking. Stay away from the set or questions you have even a slight doubt about.
  • To aim for 26+ marks in CAT DILR, target 8-10 questions with maximum accuracy out of 22.

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Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How many CAT mock tests to practice to score 99 percentile?
A: 
Experts recommend that aspirants must practice at least 40 CAT mock tests to score above 99 percentile well in the exam. Most of the CAT test takers take up to 50 mock tests of various types and difficulty level. CAT toppers in previous years have practiced even up to 80 mock tests during their preparation. However, candidates must decide the number of CAT mock tests depending on their control and confidence on topics as the exam day comes closer. Mock tests are the best way to judge your performance viz. The important topics of CAT. The more one practices CAT mock tests, the more accurate they get in solving questions from all subjects. It is very important to know which formula to apply to which type question to solve the problem accurately. Mock tests help candidates in this aspect which is why practicing mock tests is most important in CAT preparation.
Q:   Which CAT slot has the toughest question paper?
A: 

Difficulty level in CAT exam is not specific to any of the three slots. The difficulty level across slots may vary every year. Know how the CAT scores are normalised: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/understanding-cat-normalization-process-blogId-9386.

Q:   Is it necessary to have Maths background to perform well in DILR?
A: 

While candidates belonging to Science and Engineering background do have an edge over Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), it is not impossible for students from non-Science background to crack this section of an MBA entrance exam. They do need to prepare harder which includes going back to study fundamentals of Mathematics such as Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Mensuration.

With regular practice and understanding of the question types and topics, candidates, irrespective of the educational background, can crack this section. Aspirants must note that it is important to identify the weak areas and improve on them to get a stronghold on this section. For Logical Reasoning, a good amount of practice of sample questions will be enough.

Q:   Is it possible to prepare for DILR by self-study?
A: 

Yes, it is possible to prepare for DILR with self study. To score well in this section is to follow a strategy. First step is to go through previous years question papers and know various topics. Refer top books for DILR preparation. Practice adequate number of DILR questions with the help of mock tests, sample papers and previous years' papers.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Which MBA colleges are available with 70 percentile in CAT?
A: 
A good number of private MBA colleges accept CAT score of 70 percentile in CAT. We have listed some of the colleges in which admission is possible with 70 percentile. Amity University AIMS Institutes (AIMS), Bangalore Amrita School of Business - Bangalore Acharya Bangalore B-School Asian Business School (ABS), Noida Amrita School of Business, Kochi Bengal Institute of Business Studies (BIBS), Kolkata Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Christ Institute of Management, Pune Doon Business School (DBS), Dehradun Eastern Institute For Integrated Learning In Management, Kolkata FOSTIIMA Business School, Delhi International Institute of Business Studies, Noida International School of Business and Media (ISB&M) Bangalore JK Lakshmipat University-Institute of Management, Jaipur National University (JNU), Jaipur JRE Group of Institutions (JRE), Greater Noida Lotus Business School, Pune Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar MATS University, Raipur IIKM Business School, Calicut IILM Institute for Higher Education, Delhi For full list, click here: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/colleges-accepting-cat-scores-range-70-to-80-percentile-blogId-11956.
Q:   What is the difference between qualifying CAT cut off and final CAT cut off?
A: 
Qualifying CAT cut off percentiles of an IIM is the minimum percentile (sectional as well as overall) required by candidates to be eligible for the Written Ability Test (What) and Personal Interview PI round. These are only eligibility score and not the score for selection. The final CAT cut off percentiles are the scores on the basis of which a candidate is actually selected for the What-PI round. The qualifying CAT cut offs are released publically before the CAT exam and result as a part of selection criteria for the MBA/PGP batch of that year. The qualifying cut offs for CAT are release category wise - General, NC/OBC. General-EWS, SC/ST, PwD. The qualifying cut offs percentiles of General category candidate is higher than then rest. The final CAT cut offs are not released publically. The cut offs are estimate on the basis of candidate's selection for What-PI. The final CAT cut offs for General category candidate is also higher than then rest.
Q:   Which MBA colleges are available with 80 percentile in CAT?
A: 
There are quite a few MBA colleges who accept CAT score of 80 percentile and above for admission. The admission process for these colleges include group discussion and Personal Interview . Fore School of Management Goa Institute of Management International Management Institute, Delhi Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal Indian Institute of Management, Visakhapatnam Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli Praxis Business School, Kolkata Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management development & Research, Bangalore Shiva Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Research and Entrepreneurship Education S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research TA Pai Management Institute Trinity College for Management and Technology, Ghaziabad Click on this link for more: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/colleges-accepting-cat-scores-range-80-to-90-percentile-blogId-11981.
Q:   Who prepares CAT cutoff?
A: 

CAT cut off is prepared by all accepting colleges individually. There is no one authorized body to do so. Even the IIMs determine their admission cut offs separately.

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Vipra Shrivastava
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Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8

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