For post-graduate education, many students in India consider MBA as the most suitable option. Common Aptitude Test (CAT) is one of the most sought-after and recognized exams in India. Every year, more than 2 lakh students appear for CAT and shoot their shot at studying at the best management institutes in India.

CAT evaluates candidates’ Verbal and Reading Comprehension abilities, Quantitative skills, and Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation (LRDI) abilities. The LDRI, evaluating students based on their decision-making capability, data interpretation skills, and problem-solving speed, is the most dreaded section.

At the preparation end, there is no fixed syllabus for this section, which perhaps is one of the factors that scares candidates. Thus, candidates must comprehend this section and thus practice accordingly to get the optimal score.

The perpetually increasing competition and difficulty of CAT have made the LDRI section craftier. Subsequently, studying for this section has become more difficult. For any candidate aspiring a lucrative management career, the right strategy for this section can provide 99 percentile score in this section, which can significantly improve your overall percentile score. 

Without a doubt, LRDI is the most unpredictable section in CAT. However, with the right strategy and planning, candidates can ace this section.

Candidates have some basic misconceptions regarding this section or in general. For example, solving more questions would lead to a higher score. In reality, this is exactly what might drag your score down significantly.

The key here is to solve the maximum number of questions accurately; that is, quality is more important than quality. Candidates would need to solve around 14–16 questions accurately to acquire a score of 99 percentile in the CAT. We discuss the strategy for cracking this section in the following section: 

LRDI Strategy to Score 99 Percentile in LRDI Section

• The selection of the appropriate sets is one of the most crucial decisions when solving the LRDI section. In contrast to Quant, all questions in this section in sets, and thus, when one chooses a set that they are not comfortable, they get not one but four uncomfortable questions. This can result is a waste of time, which evidently is something you must use resourcefully.
• As the previous sentence suggests, time is precious, yes in life in general, but more so during the exam. Thus, efficient time management can be another determining factor in the LRDI section. With appropriate time distribution over 4 to 5 sets. Now, with sufficient practice, solving one right set should take around 12–15 minutes. Any set that is requires more than that would the wrong one. Accordingly, you must plan and select your sets. 
• Now, it may be that some questions in one set might be a mix of easy and difficult questions. Some seemingly difficult sets may include a few easy questions. So, to spot these questions, make sure to skim the sets first and select sets and solve the ones that are doable. Another aspect that must be kept in mind is the answer choices. Before answering, ensure to consider all options carefully. If you see that the choices are too close to each other, avoid using approximation or rounding. 
• For full-preparedness, solving a plethora of mock tests and practice questions is pertinent. The more you practice, the more familiar you are with the various techniques that are used to solve LRDI questions. 
• Reading and understanding the given questions is a must. The factual passages are filled with words that are subtle yet distinctive for problem-solving, such as all, some, none, unless, and only. Additionally, prefixes, such as un, non, and dis, can be crucial to identifying the nuances that can be key information for reasoning. 

These are some approaches that must be considered when solving the LRDI section. However, there are no shortcuts to success. What works for one may not work for the other, and thus, practice is essential.

The more you practice, the more you will be acquainted with your areas of strength and weaknesses, which can be useful to design a customized plan as per your needs. 

Stay connected with fellow students on PaGaLGuY for CAT Exam 2020 Discussion