Sai Kumar Swamy, director TIME, Delhi, gives tips on the last minute preparation for XAT exam
The CAT is over and now most of the MBA hopefuls would be looking forward to the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT). The test is conducted by Xavier School of Management (XlRI) and the score is accepted by more than 135 MBA institutes across India. The test will be held on January 3, 2016, conducted across 47 Indian cities.
The paper has shown mostly subtle but some drastic changes in last couple of years in terms of its pattern. Generally, it has sections that check Quantitative Ability (QA) and problem solving skills, Data Interpretation (DI) capability and language comprehension skills. However, it differs significantly from other entrance tests, in that it is a pretty long duration exam, exceeding three hours.
The section on decision-making assesses students’ management aptitude by presenting different scenarios and asking for the most suitable response in that particular situation.
Another aspect that makes XAT different from other such exams is the general knowledge (GK) and the essay writing section. The GK section checks the student’s awareness of the world and the essay section focuses on a student’s capacity to interpret a given topic and present one’s points succinctly and clearly.
The structure of XAT has undergone many changes. It is divided into two papers - 1 and 2. Paper 1 comprises of Verbal Ability (VA), Decision Making, QA and DI. As per the changed pattern, the number of questions in Paper 1 is now 78, to be completed in 170 minutes. Xavier authorities have asserted that this section will be easy on the difficulty level, giving students an opportunity to solve all the questions within the given duration.
Paper 2 consists of 25 GK questions and an essay. The time allotted to answer this paper is 35 minutes.
According to the marking scheme of the exam, each question carries one mark and 0.25 mark is to be deducted for each wrong answer. Interestingly, there will be a negative marking of 0.05 mark per non-attempted questions after 13 non-attempts. Preparation requirements of XAT remain quite similar to what it is for the CAT. However, some key points should be kept in mind.
XAT QA & DI: These are a mix of manageable and difficult questions, testing conceptual understanding and application. A large number of questions in these areas have come from geometry, number systems, functions, permutation & combination, probability among others. Strong conceptual base in the above topics, with a good application orientation is the key to doing well.
XAT VA & learning Ability (lA): This section requires a very fine balance between quick reading and comprehension skills. Critical reasoning and reading comprehension areas have historically dominated this section and a quick revision of concepts and practice of model questions will help one crack this with ease. XAT tends to focus on reasoning skills and this is one area that needs to be strengthened.
Decision-making & Analytical Reasoning (AR): Questions asked in these areas include ethical dilemmas, financial issues involving sales, revenues, etc. of a company, employee management issues and general management scenarios. Students should ensure that the decision taken is unbiased, ethical and from the perspective of all stakeholders involved.
XAT GK: The questions are a mix of static and current affairs. There is greater emphasis on economics and business related facts. Preparing current events for the last six months is essential.
XAT essay writing: The essay topic is mostly based on either a common phrase or an idiom with an abstract dimension involved.