CAT 2015: Data Interpretation with 16 questions; Approach with right strategy to score high percentile

The Changed pattern of CAT 2015 test with 3 sections consists of DILR as the second section with 32 questions. 16 questions on Data Interpretation (DI) in CAT 2015 will form the first part of section 2 which proposes to have 8 Non-MCQs in total in this section and 4 on Data Interpretation in particular.

DI questions in CAT 2015 actual exam are also expected to be divided in 4 sets of 4 questions each as suggests the sample test. The information sets are expected to be based on bar diagrams, tables, charts, graphical representation, statistical representation of data. It is expected that questions on Data Interpretation despite being tricky may not have very high difficulty level in actual CAT 2015 exam also.

Success with right strategy Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) that used to be clubbed as the second part of Quant and Verbal Ability sections respective earlier have now been de-clubbed and have formed a new section as DILR in CAT 2015.

You need to score a percentile as high as you could. This new section on DILR will play the same role as the other 2 sections will do at the 1st stage shortlisting by IIMs after CAT 2015 result is declared.

If you continue devoting all your time in study schedule to Quant and Verbal and do not take DILR seriously, your low score in this new section may not even take you to qualifying level of IIMs and despite scoring very high percentile in Quant and Verbal, the low sectional percentile in DILR may keep you away from getting shortlisted by any of the 19 IIMs.

IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow and other IIMs also have prescribed 80 to 85 as the minimum qualifying percentile score in DILR section of CAT 2015 exam to consider a candidate at first stage of shortlisting.

Further polish your skill set Questions on Data Interpretation need more comparative analysis of data to crack this section. In fact the questions are found tricky when one finds the data difficult to analyse. You do not need a Quant like formula to crack DI questions.

Apart from this the questions are lengthy because the practice sessions on DI sets have not been devoted that much of time as to other 2 sections since candidates do not take DI very seriously. The myth is broken now as DI questions will no more be compensated by Quant questions. You need to work on DI as strongly as you have to do for other 2 sections. A consistent practice on DI questions can make the goal much easy and achievable even if you begin now without break.

4 Non-MCQs on DI: good opportunity No fear of negative marking exists in CAT 2015 for answering the Non-MCQs. The 4 questions of non multiple choice types with 12 marks can give your score a shot in the arm and even if your answers are incorrect, you have no risk of getting a penalty of negative marks.

Your single mark secured in CAT 2015 can improve your percentile by 4 to 5 and can place you among top scorers but a dip of the same single mark can decrease your percentile by the same gravity and can place you among low scorers who may not get shortlisted even by any of the newer IIMs.

Source topics for DI Questions The most preferred pattern of asking questions on Data Interpretation in CAT exam is placing them in sets. Going by the pattern of sample test, CAT 2015 is also supposed to include questions in sets. For the 16 questions, 4 problem sets are expected to be placed in CAT 2015 followed by 4 questions in each set.

While 12 questions are expected to be of usual multiple choice type, 4 would be of Non-MCQ type. The suggested topics of preparation and the much needed practice should include the problem sets representing data in tables, Charts, Bar Diagram, Pie charts. The practice questions should also aim to test your comparative analysis skill which will grow with more practice sessions.