XAT is an exam taken by all serious MBA aspirants. As soon as CAT 2023 is over, aspirants willing to get into XLRI Jamshedpur, XIMB, MICA, etc. set their eyes on XAT 2024 which will take place on 7 January 2024. XAT also gives the aspirant a chance to redeem himself after making silly mistakes in CAT. Therefore, XAT Preparation 2024 is a pivotal step towards redemption in this examination season. Here are a few learnings that will help you ace XAT 2024.Is XAT similar to CAT? To be honest, no. XAT’s decision-making and VARC sections bring uniqueness to the exam.
XAT Preparation 2024: Decision MakingThis is a section unique to XAT and checks you on your analytical and decision-making skills as a manager. You will be given real-life situations faced by managers and you will be giving solutions keeping in mind all stakeholders.The mantra to ace this section is to be ethical and to keep in mind the interests of all stakeholders while maintaining commercial viability for the organization.Let's take an actual XAT question to understand how to go about it-You are the HR manager of your organization. There is a hard-working employee, Sanjeev, in your organization. In terms of behavior, effort, and diligence, Sanjeev is one of the top employees in the company. The issue is that the company is a call center for a US-based company and Sanjeev's communication skills are not up to that level. Even after being given training, Sanjeev has not been able to improve his communication skills.What should you do in the given scenario?
Ask Sanjeev to leave.
Provide another training to Sanjeev.
Find another job for Sanjeev
Change the job role of Sanjeev.
Both 1 and 3
Our approach should be to eliminate wrong options rather than looking for the right one.The 1st option can be eliminated as it will lead to the loss of a diligent employee.The 2nd option can be eliminated as earlier training has not shown any significant changes.The 3rd option can be eliminated as that is not the job of an HR.The 4th option is correct as it makes sure to make the best use of Sanjeev’s skills. Both the interests of Sanjeev and the company are served.Hence, we go with option elimination to get our correct answer.The best source to practice decision-making is XAT's old papers. This will help you streamline your thoughts as per the thinking of the checker.Pro tip-: Refer to the official XAT answer key as coaching institutes like IMS or TIME might confuse you with contradictory options.XAT Preparation 2024: Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning XAT VALR is characterized by difficult RCs on topics like psychology and biology. The RCs need to be read thoroughly and sometimes need to be read twice to be understood. The questions are difficult and the best way to go about is to eliminate options after referring to the passage again for that question. Here, the questions are more inference-based (as against CAT which has fact-based questions) and require you to use your common senseA poem has become a regular in XAT VALR and generally, 1-2 questions are doable.XAT's Verbal ability is relatively on the easier side. Para-Jumbles have options and one can easily achieve 100% accuracy there.If you have a good vocabulary, it will be a big plus as you will be able to attempt the vocabulary questions along with understanding the RCs easily.Sentence completion and Critical Reasoning questions can be attempted accurately after in-depth reading and should not be left—practice as many CR questions as you can. GMAT CR can be a really good source.Pro-tip:Read articles from the Guardian and the Economic Times to gauge the types of articles coming in XAT. Solve at least 4-5 past-year XAT papers to gain accuracy. Refer to Norman Lewis for furnishing your vocabulary.XAT doesn’t give you sectional timing and you can play very well on your strengths. Manage your time well giving maximum time to weak areas as strong areas will automatically take less time and ace the exam.All the best!!Frequently Asked Questions
How is XAT different from CAT in terms of its unique sections?
- XAT stands out from CAT with its Decision-Making section, where candidates are tested on their analytical and decision-making skills as future managers. This section involves solving real-life managerial scenarios while considering the interests of all stakeholders.
What is the recommended approach for tackling Decision-Making questions in XAT?
- The suggested strategy is to eliminate incorrect options rather than searching for the right one. By systematically ruling out options based on ethical considerations and commercial viability, candidates can arrive at the correct answer. Practice with XAT old papers is advised for honing decision-making skills.
How should one prepare for XAT's Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) section?
- XAT VALR includes challenging Reading Comprehension (RCs) on topics like psychology and biology. The advice is to thoroughly read and, if needed, reread the passages for a better understanding. Inference-based questions are common, requiring candidates to use common sense. Practice Para jumbles, sentence completion, and Critical Reasoning questions for better accuracy.
How can candidates effectively manage their time during the XAT exam?
- XAT does not have sectional timing, allowing candidates to allocate time based on their strengths. The recommendation is to manage time efficiently, dedicating more time to weaker areas. This approach ensures that strong areas are completed with ease, contributing to overall success in the exam.