I categorised all 312 DILR questions from CAT 2021–2025. Tables alone are 23% of the section.
DILR splits 60% Data Interpretation / 40% Logical Reasoning. Tables are the dominant DI format. The section structure has shifted year-on-year — 2023 was almost entirely DI. Here's everything the data shows.
The data
All 312 DILR questions from CAT 2021–2025 (15 slots). Broad split: 60% Data Interpretation, 40% Logical Reasoning + Arrangements.
Topic breakdown
| Topic | Questions | % of DILR |
|---|---|---|
| Data Interpretation | 187 | 60% |
| Arrangements | 51 | 16% |
| Logical Reasoning | 50 | 16% |
| Scheduling / Sequencing | 10 | 3% |
| Networks & Routes | 10 | 3% |
| Games & Tournaments | 4 | 1% |
Questions by category (312 total)
Data Interpretation — 187 questions (60%)
| DI Format | Questions | % of DILR |
|---|---|---|
| Tables | 72 | 23% |
| Matrix / Grid | 29 | 9% |
| Networks & Routes | 25 | 8% |
| Bar Charts | 21 | 7% |
| Charts & Mixed DI | 17 | 5% |
| Scatter Plot | 13 | 4% |
| Line Graphs | 5 | 2% |
DI format breakdown (187 DI questions)
Tables alone are 23% of the entire DILR section — nearly 1 in 4 questions. Reading complex multi-row, multi-column data tables with layered conditions is where the marks are won and lost.
Logical Reasoning — 50 questions + Arrangements — 51 questions
| LR Format | Questions |
|---|---|
| Logical Puzzles | 20 |
| Sets / Venn Diagrams | 14 |
| Games & Tournaments | 14 |
| Blood Relations | 5 |
| Seating / Circular Arrangements | 12 |
| Linear Arrangements | 39 |
Arrangements (51 questions) and pure LR (50 questions) are essentially equal in weight. Circular seating, matrix grids, and constraint-based linear arrangements are the high-frequency sub-formats.
How the section has shifted year by year
| Year | DI | LR | Arrangements | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30 | 20 | — | 10 |
| 2022 | 30 | — | 25 | 5 |
| 2023 | 50 | 10 | — | — |
| 2024 | 41 | 20 | — | 5 |
| 2025 | 41 | — | 16 | 9 |
DI vs LR+Arrangements share by year (%)
No year is "typical." You cannot safely de-prioritise either DI or pure LR. 2023 was almost entirely DI — a trap for anyone who had over-prepared arrangements. 2022 had 25 arrangement questions in one slot.
Three things that surprised me
1. Tables dominate more than any other single format.
72 questions in 5 years — 23% of all DILR. Practise reading complex tables fast: multi-row, multi-column data with conditions layered in. This is where time is won and lost in the section.
2. Scatter Plots are a real format now.
13 questions since 2021 — roughly 1 per slot. Most older mock tests don't include scatter plot sets. If your mocks are pre-2021, this is a genuine blind spot.
3. Games & Tournaments keep appearing.
14 questions across 5 years. Voting systems, round-robins, knockout brackets — the format is learnable but rarely covered in coaching material. Worth 3–4 hours of targeted practice.
Suggested time allocation (100 hours for DILR)
| Focus area | Hours | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tables-based DI | 25 | Highest frequency (72 questions) |
| Arrangements (linear + grid) | 20 | 51 questions across all years |
| Logical Puzzles & LR | 18 | 50 questions; consistent presence |
| Matrix / Grid DI | 12 | 29 questions; growing format |
| Networks & Routes | 8 | 35 questions combined (DI + LR type) |
| Sets / Venn Diagrams | 7 | 14 questions; appear every year |
| Scatter Plot | 5 | New format; worth knowing |
| Bar Charts / Charts | 5 | 38 questions combined |
Do not skip any major format entirely. A single unusual year (like 2023) can wreck a result if you've drilled only one type.
Put this into practice
Solve CAT DILR PYQs — filtered by topic, with full solutions.