CAT (Common Admission Test) Logical Reasoning (DILR) Syllabus

Logical Reasoning (DILR) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Logical Reasoning (DILR) in CAT (Common Admission Test), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Arrangements

   3 topics

   • Linear Arrangements
     • Single and double row seating
     • Conditional placement constraints
   • Circular and Polygonal Arrangements
     • Facing centre and away from centre
     • Mixed-facing arrangements
   • Grid and Matrix Arrangements
     • Floor and flat puzzles
     • Two-dimensional grid placement
2. 2

   Distribution and Grouping

   3 topics

   • Selection and Team Formation
     • Conditional selection puzzles
   • Matching and Mapping
     • Multi-variable matching grids
   • Distribution Puzzles
     • Allocating items under constraints
3. 3

   Games, Tournaments and Quantitative Reasoning

   3 topics

   • Games and Tournaments
     • Round-robin and knockout formats
     • Points table and ranking logic
   • Quant-Based LR Sets
     • Numerical puzzles with constraints
     • Scheduling and routing problems
   • Venn Diagram Reasoning
     • Set-based logical deductions
4. 4

   Logical Deduction

   4 topics

   • Syllogisms
     • Standard and possibility syllogisms
   • Binary Logic and Truth-Teller Puzzles
     • Truth-teller and liar identification
   • Data Sufficiency
     • Single and two-statement sufficiency
     • Sufficiency in quantitative contexts
   • Input-Output and Coding
     • Coding-decoding logic
     • Sequential input-output reasoning

Logical Reasoning (DILR) flashcards for CAT (Common Admission Test)

21 of 50 cards from the Logical Reasoning (DILR) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In a linear arrangement seating puzzle, what does the clue "A sits to the immediate left of B" tell you about A and B's positions?

   A and B are adjacent, with A directly next to B on B's left side (A's position number is one less than B's when counting left-to-right). They form a fixed block AB.

2. What is the recommended first step when solving any linear arrangement (seating in a row) problem?

   Fix the most concrete/definite clues first (e.g., "X is at one end" or "Y is exactly in the middle"), then build outward using relative-position clues, keeping track of which direction the people face.

3. In linear arrangements, how does the meaning of "left" and "right" change when people face north versus south?

   For people facing north (toward you), their left is your right and vice versa. When facing south, their left/right matches your left/right. Always convert all clues to a single reference frame before placing.

4. For a circular arrangement of n people facing the centre, in how many distinct ways can a person's "left neighbour" and "right neighbour" be interpreted compared to facing outward?

   When facing the centre, a person's left and right are reversed relative to facing outward. Facing centre: left = clockwise side reverses; you must flip left/right whenever the facing direction changes.

5. In a circular arrangement, why is "between" often ambiguous and how do you handle it?

   "Between A and B" can mean either arc (clockwise or anticlockwise), so a person 'between' may sit on either side. Treat such clues as giving two cases and test both unless other clues fix the direction.

6. How many people sit in a polygonal (e.g., square or hexagonal) arrangement when some sit at corners and some at the middle of sides, and how do their facing directions typically differ?

   Corner people and mid-side people alternate; commonly corner people face outward (away from centre) and mid-side people face the centre (inward), or vice versa. The total = number of corners + number of sides.

7. In a grid/matrix arrangement (e.g., a building with floors and flats), what two attributes must you simultaneously track for each entity?

   You track both coordinates: the row attribute (e.g., floor number) and the column attribute (e.g., flat/position), assigning each entity a unique (row, column) cell so no two share the same cell.

8. What grid-based diagram is best for problems linking two parallel sets of constraints (e.g., people, their floors, and their cars)?

   A grid/table (matrix) with one row per entity and one column per attribute. Fill cells with definite YES/NO marks; a confirmed YES in a row/column eliminates all other cells in that row and column for unique-assignment attributes.

9. In selection/team-formation problems, what does a conditional clue like "If P is selected then Q is not" logically forbid?

   It forbids the combination P-and-Q together. P and Q can never both be in the team; valid teams contain at most one of them (or neither). Its contrapositive: if Q is selected, P is not.

10. In a selection puzzle, how do you interpret "At least one of A or B must be selected"?

    At least one means A, or B, or both must be present — only the empty case (neither A nor B) is forbidden. So every valid team contains A, B, or both.

11. What is the difference between "exactly two," "at least two," and "at most two" constraints in selection problems?

    Exactly two = the count equals 2. At least two = count is 2 or more. At most two = count is 2 or fewer (0, 1, or 2). Translating these counts precisely is essential to avoid over/under-selecting.

12. In a matching/mapping problem (e.g., people to professions to cities), what structure works best and what is the uniqueness rule?

    Use a matrix or relation grid. Each entity maps to exactly one item per attribute (one-to-one), so once a match is fixed, eliminate that item from all other entities in that attribute column.

13. In mapping puzzles, what does a negative clue ("A is not the doctor") let you do directly on the grid?

    It lets you place a NO (cross) in the A-doctor cell. Negative clues narrow possibilities; when only one option remains in a row or column, it becomes a confirmed YES.

14. In a distribution puzzle where items are distributed among people with totals fixed, what arithmetic check should you always apply?

    The sum of items given to all people must equal the total number of items. Use this conservation/total constraint to deduce unknown shares once others are fixed.

15. In distribution puzzles, how do you use a clue like "each person gets a different number of items" combined with a known total?

    Since all shares are distinct positive integers summing to the total, list distinct integer partitions of the total into that many parts; the clues then pick the valid partition and assign parts to people.

16. In a games/tournaments problem, in a single round-robin with n teams each playing every other team once, how many total matches are played?

    nC2 = n(n-1)/2 matches. In a double round-robin it doubles to n(n-1).

17. In a single-round-robin of n teams, how many matches does each team play, and what is the maximum points a team can earn if a win = 2 points?

    Each team plays (n-1) matches. Maximum points = 2(n-1), achieved by winning all matches.

18. In a knockout (single-elimination) tournament with n players, how many matches are needed to determine a winner?

    n - 1 matches, because every match eliminates exactly one player and all but the champion must be eliminated.

19. In a tournament points table, how do you typically break a tie when two teams have equal points (common CAT convention)?

    By a secondary criterion stated in the problem — usually net run rate / goal difference, then head-to-head result. Always use the tie-breaker rule given in the question, not a default assumption.

20. What characterizes a "Quant-based LR" set, and what is the key skill it tests?

    It blends logical deduction with arithmetic/number properties (e.g., ages, scores, ratios, averages within a logic grid). The skill is setting up equations or inequalities from the logical clues, then solving them.

21. In a quant-based LR set involving averages, how does adding/removing a value change the average?

    New average = (sum ± changed value) / (new count). To keep average constant, an added value must equal the current average; values above the average pull it up, below pull it down.

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