How to prepare for XAT?

HOW TO PREPARE FOR XAT

XAT 2021 exam is scheduled on January 3, 2021, in a computer-based test mode. With exactly a month go for XAT exam, it is time to focus on the last month preparation. By now XAT 2021 aspirants must have completed the syllabus and must be feeling confident about conceptual clarity viz. every topic of  Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation. In this last one month, spend time on practicing XAT mock tests, revising key topics and memorizing static GK. Read this article to get tips on XAT 2021 preparation in the remaining time.

There will be four sections in XAT 2021 i.e. Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge. The preparation strategy for XAT 2021 in the last month should be based on how XAT syllabus have you covered so far.

MBA aspirants must also be appearing for other MBA entrance exams which are scheduled around XAT 2021 such as CAT, SNAP, IIFT exam, etc. If yes, then all you need to do is make XAT specific study plan but if you are appearing for only XAT exam and haven’t started preparation yet, you need to start now. Each minute is valuable for you. Here we have mentioned tips to prepare for XAT 2021 in one month.

Key Focus on XAT 2021 Exam Pattern

XAT is mainly a test of decision-making skills, calculative skills, cognitive ability, language comprehension and general knowledge. XAT has a unique section – Decision Making. Since not must study material is available for this particular section, preparation for this section is based on past year question papers only.

XAT does not have a sectional time-limit. However, the slightly unconventional marking scheme of XAT makes it difficult to score well in the exam.

XAT 2021 Exam Pattern

XAT Preparation for GK and Decision Making

Decision Making and General Knowledge are exclusive to XAT. Thus, candidates who are also appearing for other MBA entrance exams need to focus specifically on the preparation of these two sections. Other sections i.e. Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation are common to CAT/MAT/SNAP/CMAT/IIFT. Read some key tips for Decision Making and General Knowledge preparation:

General Knowledge: For GK section, stay updated with current affairs. Read news around International affairs, politics, economy, sports, trade as well as Science, Sociology etc. daily. If you were not preparing for this section thoroughly or on a monthly basis then it is better to catch up with major events and achievements in the last one month before XAT 2021. Give preference to annual or bi-annual business magazines of GK year books. In XAT exam, GK section of all is the easiest and least time taking. It carries 25 questions and not more than 15 minutes should be allotted to solve this section. Aim for at least attempting three questions or more in a minute to save maximum time.

Decision Making: This section is based on different situations and logical reasoning. To score maximum marks in this section, without wasting much time, it is advised to put all data in the most logical and ethical manner, including CSR, transparency, legal and other aspects of corporate principles. To excel in this section, it is advised to take up business case studies and previous years’ XAT questions papers for this section. The section comprises 22 questions based on paragraphs and passages with multiple options and candidates have to decide the correct answer based on the situation. Most of the questions are related to business decisions. Study all about business terms, types of markets as well as about business authors, corporate books, theories and practices to ace this section.

Revision and XAT Mock Tests

The last one month of XAT 2021 preparation should be utilised with maximum focus on revisions, mock test, working on strengths and weaknesses. Just because Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability, Verbal & Logical Ability are common sections in all MBA entrance exams, candidates must not risk losing marks in these sections due to lack of practice. The more you practice sample questions and mock tests, more the chances of developing speed and accuracy. Maximise your scoring in all four sections to achieve a good overall XAT percentile. Taking XAT mock tests regularly will gradually help in understanding and interpreting complex questions of Decision Making, Data Interpretation, and Logical Ability effortlessly. With XAT mock tests, candidates will learn tricks to attempt questions, evaluate the time spent on each section. They will gain confidence when mock test scores will show improvement. It is a way to get real-time exam experience.

Helpful Tips to Prepare for XAT 2021

Remain calm and stress-free because if you put yourself under any stress due to lack of practice or competition then it can hamper your self-esteem and test-taking skills.

It is best if you practice all previous years’ questions papers, to sharpen your skills for each section. Time management is the key and you can focus on managing time for each section and also, consider not falling in the trap of tricky questions and ending up wasting time. If any question takes more than the ideal time then skip the question even during mock test (only then you’ll actually be preparing for XAT 2021). There will be a deduction of 0.05 marks for a bracket of eight unanswered questions, therefore do not risk your valuable time for tricky questions.