so i have been giving mcq sectional from the past few days and i sometimes notice that when i have the last 10 min left i start doing the dilr even though i still have questions from the round 2 left and sometimes i am not able to solve the dilr itself! so i do not get any+4 from anywhere for instance ( attaching the ss!)
I ALMOST WASTE 10 MIN!! ( TO NOTE THE DILR WAS OF MEDIUM AND HARD CATEGORIES) so i wanted to ask what is the statergy to know when to leave a dilr set cuz i would have easily done 3-4 questions from my round 2 and got a better score!
Please log in to comment and participate in discussions.
For DILR, I think the biggest thing is set selection rather than trying to solve everything. Start by scanning all the sets quickly and pick the one that feels most familiar or structured—clear tables, fewer variables, less ambiguity. Even attempting one set properly is better than half-attempting many.
For time management, try using a fixed checkpoint system. Give yourself around 5–6 minutes per set to see if the logic is clicking. If you’re still setting things up and not making progress, it’s usually better to move on and come back later if time allows.
Also, do what you’re already doing well after the paper—solve the skipped or wrong sets calmly and analyse them without pressure. That’s where real improvement in DI/LR comes from. Over time, this will help you recognise patterns faster and make quicker decisions during the exam.
thank u so much for the adviceee! loved it so muchhhhhhhhh!
i think you are giving advice of CAT to an IPMAT aspirant
I meant it in the IPMAT context itself. The approach is pretty universal, even if CAT prep uses similar ideas.
A safe space for your 4am thoughts, and everything that doesn’t fit elsewhere (we won’t judge).
Create an account to join our community and participate in discussions.
This is what I do!
Just complete your round 1 -> till the time you get handy with enough questions
Shift your focus on di set -> see if it's doable in 8-10 mins or not
If not skip;! With handful amount of practice, you yourself will be able to identify whether the set is doable given the time constraint or not!
I hope it helps!
thank u so much!!!