What are the Most Repeated DILR Topics in CAT? Check Last 5 Years Topic-Wise Weightage, Trend Analysis & More
This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the CAT 2027 DILR section, detailing topic-wise weightage, trend analysis, and question evolution from 2020-2025. It allows aspirants understand the frequently repeated topics and effective strategies to prepare for this challenging section.
CAT 2027: The most repeated DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) can be traced back from previous year question papers. While for aspirants it may be an exhaustive work, in an attempt to ease out preparation, we have provided a topic-wise weightage, trend analysis, shift-wise most repeated questions. This will be an effective study material for aspirants to strategize and prepare for the CAT 2027 exam. As the section takes up about one-third of the total marks in the CAT exam, candidates preparing for the exam must check the year-wise questions to study the pattern, style and sections to answer productively.
The article offers section structure, topic and slot-wise question breakdown in Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) section. It explains how questions have evolved over the years, how questions are divided into reasoning and data charts, and the exact set of topics asked across all three slots of the CAT 2025 exam.
What is DILR Section in CAT 2027 Exam?
The DILR section of the CAT exam is the second section, candidates attempt to test the analysis ability as well as the ability to solve the problems in a short span of time (40 minutes). This section consists of 20 to 22 questions from around 4 or 5 sets, which means that the candidate has to interpret the data given to them. This is known to be the difficult section in the test and requires a candidate to be quick in choosing the sets rather than recalling the answers.
CAT (2020–2025): Section Structure & Question Evolution
The data presented in this table demonstrate the developments in the DILR segment over the span of six years. This section covers up one-third of the total number of marks for the CAT exam. Up until 2020, there were 20 questions in the DILR segment of the CAT exam; 2021 and 2022, however, saw an increase in the number of questions to 22. Overall, the difficulty level of the questions remained between moderate and difficult. The key to overcoming this section is to choose appropriate sets of questions to be solved within the stipulated time of 40 minutes.
| Exam Year | Total Questions in CAT | DILR Questions | DILR Marks Share (%) | Exam Difficulty Level |
| 2025 | 68 | 22 | 32.35% | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2024 | 68 | 22 | 32.35% | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2023 | 66 | 20 | 30.30% | Difficult |
| 2022 | 66 | 20 | 30.30% | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2021 | 66 | 20 | 30.30% | Difficult |
| 2020 | 76 | 24 | 31.58% | Very Difficult |
CAT (2021–2025): Topic-Wise Question Distribution
The table provided offers the number of questions for all the major subjects in DILR during a span of the last 5 years. The topics that appear the most are sets based on graphs, puzzles, and logical reasoning, comprising almost the entire half of the total number of questions asked during this period.
Additionally, there are some commonly used subjects, such as sports tournaments, item matching, and road networks, that are frequently included in any exam forms. So, if candidates practice these five topics, they will manage to cover the largest part of the test.
| Broad Topic / Set Type | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 5-Yr Total |
| Bar, Line & Other Visual Charts | 8 | 10 | 5 | 17 | 16 | 56 |
| Arrangements, Ordering & Grouping | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 44 |
| Quant & Number-Based Reasoning | 6 | 5 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 42 |
| Distribution, Matching & Allocation | 4 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 31 |
| Games, Matches & Tournaments | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 29 |
| Routes, Networks & Diagrams | 0 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 28 |
| Rankings & Ratings | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 25 |
| Tables & Missing Data DI | 10 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 23 |
| Other Hybrid Caselets | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| Scheduling & Timelines | 4 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 19 |
| Total Questions Across 3 Shifts | 60 | 60 | 60 | 66 | 66 | 312 |
CAT 2020-25: Category Weightage & Question Breakdown
The table highlights the breakdown of the types of questions contained in this section of the exam. Candidates can find multiple number of Pure Logical Reasoning questions in this part, accounting for almost 60% of the section with as many as 39 questions.
Mixed question types includes both charts and logic puzzles combine to bring in another 23% of the total, whereas Pure Calculation Charts form a small portion of the questions with just 18%. Hence it is clear that the amount of time needed to solve logic puzzles in the exam should be larger than what is needed for calculations on charts.
| Section Category | Questions Across 3 Shifts | Section Share (%) | Preparation Priority |
| Pure Logical Reasoning (LR) | 39 | 59.1% | Very High (Main Foundation) |
| Mixed DI-LR Caselets | 15 | 22.7% | High (Chart + Puzzle Rules) |
| Pure Data Interpretation (DI) | 12 | 18.2% | Moderate (Calculation Heavy) |
| Total | 66 | 100% | Complete Sectional Mix |
CAT 2025: Slot-Wise Topic Breakdown
The table highlights the slot-wise questions asked in each of the three shifts of the CAT 2025 examination. Each shift has five distinct sets with 4-5 questions each, summing to a total of 22 questions per shift. The various themes/set name in the exam include practical business insights including export duties, level of pollution, academic research, and employment reviews. Each shift has a combination of easy, moderate, and challenging themes. Therefore, it is advisable for students to use the first five minutes identifying the easiest two sets because doing so would allow students to gain scores of over 95 percentile.
| Shift Slot | Set Name / Theme | Core Topic Area | Section Type | Questions |
| Slot 1 | Import Tariffs among Countries | Spider and Bar Charts | DI | 4 |
| Slot 1 | Circular Seating | Seating Arrangement | LR | 4 |
| Slot 1 | Train Tickets | Quant-Based Reasoning | LR | 5 |
| Slot 1 | Yes, No, Maybe Tapping | Games and Tournaments | LR | 4 |
| Slot 1 | Employee Rating | Puzzles and Ratings | LR | 5 |
| Slot 2 | Music Gurus | Ordering and Scheduling | LR | 4 |
| Slot 2 | Pollution Measures | Sustainability Index Caselet | Mixed DI-LR | 5 |
| Slot 2 | Research Papers | Bar Graphs with Logic | Mixed DI-LR | 4 |
| Slot 2 | Balls and Hoops | Linear Arrangement | LR | 4 |
| Slot 2 | Point Graph Index | Scatter & Point Graph Chart | Mixed DI-LR | 5 |
| Slot 3 | Employee Ratings | Scoring and Ratings | LR | 5 |
| Slot 3 | Visual Number Puzzles | Step Graph Charts | DI | 4 |
| Slot 3 | Export-Import Trade | Trade Values and Quant DI | Mixed DI-LR | 5 |
| Slot 3 | Game – Passing the Buck | Arrangements & Game Rules | LR | 4 |
| Slot 3 | Countries & Travel Cost | Travel Costs & Matrix Logic | Mixed DI-LR | 4 |
| Total | All 15 Sets Across 3 Shifts | 5 Sets per Shift | Mixed Sets | 66 Questions |
Final Verdict
In order to score well in the DILR section of the CAT exam, aspirants can utilize effective strategies to choose sets and practice consistently in important areas. Topics such as Arrangements, Graphs and Charts, and Games and Tournaments etc carries a lot of attention and drives marks. Since the exam often mixes numerical calculations with several logical constraints, it is important to follow a balanced strategy of preparing for the exam rather than skipping entire topics altogether. The best way to prepare effectively is to know previous trends, increase the speed of analysis, and learn to select sets easily during the first few minutes of the exam.
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Jaya Gupta is an Education Content professional with over four years of experience in writing marketing and academic content, alongside a year of experience working with an indie publishing house. Currently, she is covering higher education content for Jagran Josh (Jagran New Media), leveraging her academic knowledge. She specializes in covering management, engineering, law, medical colleges, study abroad and GATE exams. She holds a Master's degree in English Literature, successfully qualified the 2024 UGC NET, and has guided more than 100 students in framing effective study-abroad academic essays. Her writing interests vary across education, creative expression, and digital culture.
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