How To Improve Logical Reasoning For CAT Exam

Logical Reasoning is one of the important topics of the CAT examination and contains 60 marks for both Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. It tests both the mathematical and logical reasoning abilities of a candidate. Here, some tips are given to improve your Logical Reasoning abilities, which will help you to understand and score more marks in the CAT examination. Please refer BYJU’S CAT College Predictor tool.

1. Never assume information
   Read the passage and problem statements VERY carefully, keeping all prejudices and prior knowledge aside. Consider the problem statement for that particular passage and take down the given facts without assuming any secondary shades of the facts.
2. Pay attention to the words
   Words like “all”, “some” “none”, “other than” “only” or “unless” play an important role in determining the facts for the particular passage. Pay attention to negative prefixes as well, such as “non-“, “un-“, or “dis-“. These can be crucial in specifying the basic facts of the paragraph. Establishing the facts of the paragraph helps you get the correct answer while eliminating options.
3. Be careful of the choices you make
   Be very careful while selecting the answer choices, especially if any of them contain the quantifiers “all” or “none”. Generally, in both the sample practice questions and in the actual CAT assessment, these words are NOT signs of incorrect response choices. They will appear in both correct and incorrect response choices. Keep any and ALL bias aside.
4. Use your time wisely
   If you come across a question where you are unsure of the answer you have selected or are facing difficulties in establishing the logic behind it, temporarily move further to solve the other questions in the LR section. You can always return to it after solving the other questions. This not only helps utilise your time appropriately but maintains your confidence in answering. It is essential that you stay calm during the examination.
5. Practise regularly
   Practise sample reasoning questions from the past 10 years with respect to Logical Reasoning for CAT. It will give you an insight into why each choice for the given question is correct or incorrect. This will reflect in the actual test. It doesn’t imply that you spend quality time working on identifying your weaker areas and assessing the question types. By becoming comfortable with them, you will easily be able to identify them in real-time during the CAT exam, and with enough practice, your speed and accuracy at solving questions will increase substantially.