Written BySachin Gupta Content Writer
XAT Preparation 2023 should start with the understanding of the detailed XAT syllabus of the 4 sections i.e. QADI, VALR, DM, GK, to ensure systematic preparation. To prepare for XAT 2023, start with the subject you are the weakest in.
- As per the revised paper pattern. a total of 100 MCQs and 1 descriptive-type essay question will be asked in XAT 2023 exam. Check XAT Exam Pattern
- XAT Quant & DI section has the highest weightage of 28% and hence should be allotted maximum time while preparing for the exam. Focus on learning short tricks and formulas for solving the questions in the least time.
- RC accounts for 50% of the questions asked in XAT VALR section. XAT Preparation for Verbal & Logical Ability should include clearing the basic grammar concepts, practicing questions, reading & solving 3-4 RC passages daily.
- Preparation for XAT Decision Making section should be focused on solving previous year XAT question papers and taking online mock tests regularly.
- To prepare for XAT GK section, read 1 newspaper daily and refer to static GK books by Lucents or Arihant publishers.
- To study the concepts and practice daily, refer to the books by renowned authors like Arun Sharma, R S Aggarwal, Norman Lewis, etc. Check Best Books for XAT Preparation
- To ensure comprehensive preparation for XAT exam, combine self-study with online/ offline courses from coachings like Unacademy, IMS, Career Launcher, T.I.M.E, hitbullseye, etc. Check XAT Online Coaching
XAT is one of the toughest entrance exams in the country and thus a well-organized plan for preparation is essential to crack XAT 2023 exam. Starting XAT exam preparation in July/ August is highly recommended to be able to cover the syllabus by November and save ample time for revision and practicing XAT mock tests.
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XAT Preparation 2023: Points to Remember
XAT is considered to be tougher than CAT, CMAT, SNAP. Hence, merely preparing for CAT is not adequate for cracking XAT. Students who are planning to apply for XAT 2023 must focus on preparing for sections based on their strengths and weaknesses. Going through the previous year’s XAT exam analysis will also be quite helpful. The first and foremost step in XAT exam preparation is having a clear understanding of the revised XAT exam pattern and syllabus:
| Part | Section | Number of Questions | XAT Syllabus | Marking Scheme | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | Critical and Analytical Reasoning, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Logical Deductions |
| 165 minutes |
| Decision Making | 21 | Caselet study, Data Arrangement, Decision making in a given scenario, Ethical Dilemma | |||
| Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | Mensuration, Algebra, Geometry, Number System, Arithmetic | |||
| Part 2 | General Knowledge | 25 | Static GK and Current Affairs |
| 25 minutes |
| Essay | 1 | Short Essay of 250 words on 1 of the 2 given topics | To be evaluated for candidates shortlisted for PI | ||
| Total | 101 | - | - | 190 minutes |
Candidates need to maintain a planned approach that includes time management, speed, accuracy and should also know about the following facts:
- An on-screen calculator facility will not be available for XAT 2023.
- Candidates can attempt the question in any order, there is no sectional time limit to attempt the questions.
- 8 questions can be left unanswered, after that, every unattempted question will fetch you a negative mark of 0.10.
- The sectional time limit for part 1 of the exam is 165 minutes and 25 minutes for part 2.
- Additional sections like general knowledge and decision making are added in XAT, unlike other competitive management exams.
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XAT Preparation 2023: 3 Months Study Plan
The last 3 months before any exam can be stressful and pressurizing. It is nevertheless an important time which must be utilized smartly. Students often go into panic mode which must be avoided at all costs. Given below is a carefully designed XAT Preparation Plan to assist you in your studies:
XAT Preparation Plan for Month 1
- Focus on completing at least 50% of the Syllabus for each section.
- Familiarize yourself with the best resources for preparation. This includes books, online resources, and XAT Online coaching classes if you are not preparing all by yourself.
- Identify the strong and weak points and work on the weak areas by solving 20 questions from these topics every alternate day.
- Solve XAT Previous Year Paper at the end of the month to analyze your preparation and to understand the types of questions asked.
XAT Preparation Plan for Month 2
- Cover the remaining 50% syllabus.
- Revise the topics studied in the previous month and work on the weak areas by solving more questions from such topics every week.
- Attempt XAT sectional mock tests every week for each section:
- Quant & DI
- Verbal & Logical Ability
- Decision Making
- General Knowledge
XAT Preparation Plan for Month 3
- Solve 3-4 full-fledged XAT mock tests every week, assess your performance in the test, and note your progress.
- In verbal ability, a huge number of questions are from RC, so concentrate on this sub-section for XAT preparation 2023. Solve at least 1 RC passage on a regular basis.
- Similarly, for all sections aim for the topics from which the maximum number of questions come. Do not leave out smaller topics such as those carrying one or two marks about 2 days a week.
- Study for at least 3 - 4 hours a day and avoid any kind of distractions during the study period.
- Focus on memorizing every formula in the Quant section and tricks to solve long calculations faster.
- Get into the habit of topic-wise preparation for XAT. For example, read 2 passages a day, solve a DI question every day, and so on.
Check XLRI Salary and Placement
XAT 2023: 6 Month Preparation Tips
- Make a timetable for daily, weekly, and monthly study schedules, and make sure you stick to it.
- It is better to start with the areas in which you are weak. Most students find the quant section to be the toughest, so we suggest starting with the same.
- For GK, read newspapers and magazines on a daily basis.
- Work on your basics and formulation. Take help from class 9 and 10 books for this purpose.
- Online study groups, blogs, videos can prove to be extremely useful for studying.
How to Prepare for XAT 2023 in 2 Months?
XAT Preparation in 2 months is not easy and takes a lot more dedication and sincerity. However, it is not impossible and can be achieved as many XAT toppers have done it before. Some of the preparation strategies that should be focused on are:
- Focus on completing the topics with the highest weightage in each section of XAT syllabus by going through the analysis of XAT previous year's question papers.
- Practice more XAT quizzes, mock tests, and sample papers to get hold of the exact paper pattern and develop the requisite time management skills to answer 100 questions of moderate to high difficulty level in 3 hours with at least 90% accuracy.
- Revise all GK notes and focus more on the current affairs preparation.
- For XAT Verbal Ability, focus on practicing more Reading Comprehension passages and refer to Norman Lewis vocabulary books for practicing vocabulary-based questions.
- Refer to only 1-2 books for each section to clear any basic concept that you find difficult.
- Refer to online videos on youtube to learn short tricks and easy formulas to save time and effort during the actual XAT 2023 exam
XAT General Preparation Tips for Self Study
It is well said that there is no substitute for self-study for XAT exam preparation. The initial step to prepare for XAT exam is self-analysis and self-study and candidates must focus on these for initiating XAT preparation. Several XAT toppers preferred self-study to ace the exam. Given below are some of the general preparation tips for acing XAT 2023 exam:
- Gain Conceptual Clarity: It is essential to clear the basic concepts. Candidates can do this by understanding the syllabus and exam pattern in-depth and noting down the mistakes and areas that need more work.
- Solve Previous Year Question Papers and Practice Papers: The benefits of solving XAT Previous Year Papers and Mock Tests are:
- Inculcate the habit of sitting for 3 hours for the exam.
- Understand XAT exam pattern & syllabus
- Identify the different types of questions asked in XAT exam.
- Prepare a Daily Timetable: Create a timetable/ schedule that must be followed strictly. Spend at least 3-4 hours every day for XAT 2023 Preparation.
- Candidates from engineering backgrounds may have a stronghold on Quants and DI section thus should focus on verbal and decision making parts.
- The reverse goes for candidates from non-engineering background-focus on brushing your mathematical and analytical skills.
- The General Knowledge section can be prepared in spare time by reading newspapers, magazines, and other resources. This will save time in dedicating separate time for XAT GK section preparation.
- Moreover mocks will help improve speed and analyzing the solved papers will improve accuracy. Less than 1-minute of accuracy is required to solve questions in XAT.
Download Free XAT Sample Papers
Last Minute Preparation Tips for XAT 2023
During the last few weeks and days before XAT 2023 exam, candidates need to put in extra effort and focus on certain important preparation tips to ace XAT exam. Preparation for XAT exam in the last few days before the exam requires focusing on the below-mentioned points:
| XAT Preparation Tips for the Last Week | Last Day Preparation Tips for XAT 2023 |
|---|---|
| Revise all the important topics that you have already studied | Revise only those topics that you are weak in and need a revision for |
| Learn all the important formulas and theorems in the QA-DI section | Practice 1 full-length XAT mock test and analyze your performance and identify topics for more practice |
| Read the GK notes to retain all that you have studied | Do not pick any new topic for XAT preparation |
| Do not start with any new topic and focus only on those XAT syllabus topics that you have studied before. | Do not study at night to avoid confusion and stay calm |
| Solve XAT mock tests and sample papers every day to prepare yourself for the exam date. | Sleep for at least 7-8 hours the night before the exam to retain all facts and formulas |
XAT Section-wise Preparation Strategy
Once the exam pattern is understood, XAT Syllabus should be analyzed in detail, and based on this analysis, study material and references should be gathered. A major change introduced in XAT exam was the removal of the essay writing section.
- The number of sections reduced to 4 from 5 with a change in the total number of questions in each section.
- Questions on Decision making are of utmost importance as no other national level exam has such a domain to test candidates.
- XLRI focuses on the language and normative interpretation skills of the candidates, thus the syllabus should be interpreted in that way.
- The general knowledge section is important though marks are not included while calculating XAT Score or percentile.
- Candidates who are able to solve the level 3 difficulty of Arun Sharma.
The number of questions from each section with the number of good attempts and difficulty level has been given below:
| Section | Number of Questions | Good Attempts | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | 15-17 questions | Moderate-Difficult |
| Decision Making | 21 | 13- 15 questions | Moderate |
| Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | 17 – 20 questions | Moderate-Difficult |
| General Knowledge | 25 | 12- 14 questions | Moderate |
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- XAT General Knowledge (GK) Preparation Strategy
- XAT Quant and DI Preparation Strategy
- XAT Decision Making Preparation Strategy
XAT Preparation Tips for Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
The weightage assigned to XAT Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation (QA & DI) section is generally the highest in XAT exam. The total number of questions from this section is 28. The difficulty level is on the higher side and includes questions to test a candidate’s mathematical aptitude.
Data Interpretation will be relatively simpler to prepare in comparison to Quantitative Ability. The questions will come in the form of sets. The following topics must be included in the list of important topics to be prepared for this section.
| Algebra | Arithmetic | Geometry |
| Time and Work | Venn Diagram | Bar Charts |
| Equations | Polynomials | Data Sufficiency |
| Percentage | Trigonometry | Table |
| Profit and loss | Progressions, Scatter Plots | Probability |
- Conceptual clarity is the key to ace this section.
- Have a pattern to approach different questions. This will be possible once you practice enough through the previous year's XAT question papers and mock tests.
- Once you have a set pattern, analyze its effectiveness by solving questions higher in terms of difficulty level.
- To prepare for XAT Quant section, learn shortcuts and tricks for speedy calculations.
- Constant practice is the only key to enhance one’s question-solving techniques.
- Learn successive percentage and fraction values up to a certain point to avoid calculation at the exam hall.
- Familiarize yourself with every type of graphs and table as possible.
- While checking for the answer after solving a problem, try to understand the logic behind that.
- One can read analytical articles in newspapers and magazines for efficient interpretation skills development.
- Never make assumptions for the DI sections and strictly stick to the facts given in the questions.
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XAT Preparation Tips for Verbal & Logical Ability
This section is divided into 3 parts are Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, and Logical Reasoning. Candidates can prepare separately for each part as the syllabus is different. The total number of questions from XAT Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning is 26 from this section. You can go for the following tips and tricks to excel in this section:
| Analogy | Vocabulary | Pronunciation |
| Fill in the blanks | Sentence Correction | Paragraph Formation |
| Para Jumble | Reading Comprehension | Poem |
- For some people, reading the questions first proves helpful in saving time, find such strategies for you.
- For Jumbled word problems, try to identify the connectors first and link them according to the paragraph.
- Improve your vocabulary. This will help you to enhance and speed up your reading and comprehension skills.
- Along with the meaning focus on the usage of words. Make a habit of learning at least 3 words a day.
- Read newspapers so that preparation for VA and GK sections is done simultaneously.
- The questions in Logical Reasoning are mostly in the form of sets.
- One of the important topics is critical reasoning. There is not much study material to prepare from, one has to rely on practice.
Download XAT VARC Practice Papers
XAT Preparation Tips for Decision Making
This section will contain questions and problems from various business and everyday situations. These situations will create dilemmas regarding what should be done and such dilemmas will form the options to the questions and the candidate will be required to select the best solution available. The number of questions in XAT Decision Making section will be 21.
| Arithmetic | Situational |
| Data Arrangement Test | Case Lets |
| Analytical Reasoning | Conditions and Grouping Test |
| Reading Comprehension | Decision Making in a Situation |
- The questions can be related to ethical dilemmas, issues involving sales and other financial conditions, the revenue of a company, scenarios of various management issues, and of general management.
- Do not let your personal opinions influence your choice.
- Do rely completely on the information given. Avoid making assumptions.
- You can practice the questions from previous years’ papers and can also read sample cases on the Harvard Business Review website.
- After solving the previous year’s questions, in case your answers aren’t correct, try to understand the logic behind the official answers.
- A tip to choose the right option is that your solution should be ethical and should benefit most stakeholders.
- Avoid choosing options in which the protagonist does not take any action.
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XAT Preparation Tips for General Knowledge (GK)
To prepare for this section candidates need to be in constant touch with current affairs. In addition to current affairs, questions may come from History, Geography, Science, politics, and technology, etc. This section will contain 25 questions.
| National Capital | Politics | Culture |
| Currency | Sports | Films and Television |
| Books and Authors | Environment and Ecology | Economics |
- Don’t leave out preparation for this section for the last. Some devotion to the GK section will reduce the pressure immensely and will also prove helpful in retaining the information.
- If on some days you’re short on time, you can watch videos that sum up the day’s current affairs, easily accessible online.
- Read news articles on topics that interest you more compared to other topics.
- If you hate reading, watch news channels more often.
- You need to have a holistic understanding of subjects like history, geography, etc, and current affairs related to them.
- There is no negative marking for this particular section, therefore, candidates shouldn’t leave any questions unanswered in the exam. Moreover, the scores of this section will not be included in the overall scores.
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Best Books for XAT 2023 Preparation
All 4 sections in XAT have different weightage, difficulty levels, and cut off, hence candidates need to score well in all the sections. This calls for a different preparation strategy for each section to cover the topics that you are weak in. Best Books for XAT 2023 preparation are mentioned below:
| Section | Book and Author |
|---|---|
| Verbal and Logical Ability |
|
| XAT Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation |
|
| XAT Decision Making |
|
| XAT General Knowledge |
|
Check Best Books and Study Material for XAT 2023
Coaching Institutes for XAT Preparation 2023
If candidates feel expert guidance is required, then they should opt for coaching institutes for preparation. There can be several ways of attaining coaching in the form of regular classes or weekend classes. This is a feasible option for working professionals as well.
Certain benefits of preparation with the help of coaching include:
- Provision of relevant study material and a timetable to cover them,
- Topic-wise explanation and doubt sessions,
- Test series,
- Expert guidance.
Check Online Coaching for XAT preparation.
Some well-known coaching centers for XAT Preparation Online include:
- BYJU’s
- hitbullseye
- Unacademy
- Career Launcher
- T.I.M.E
- TestFunda
Check Top Coaching Institutes for XAT (City-wise)
XAT 2023 Preparation through Mock Test
The official XAT 2023 mock test will be made available by XLRI in the last week of December 2022. The mock test will be based on the actual exam pattern and will have a total time duration of 190 minutes. The questions will be from all sections- Verbal and Logical Ability (26), Decision Making (21), Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (28), General Knowledge (25), and Essay Writing (1). Practicing XAT Mock Test will help you achieve accuracy with speed.
Apart from the official XAT mock test, attempting at least 25 mock tests is a prerequisite to clear XAT 2023 exam. Go for non-CAT test series to get a closer idea of XAT.
- As the decision-making section and general knowledge is an add-on in XAT, opt for a sectional mock test.
- Critical thinking is required for these sections, hence practice with previous year papers and mock tests to improve these sections.
- Unofficial XAT mock tests are also available online on websites like- hitbullseye, Oliveboard, Unacademy, TestFunda.
- Use online news portals and audio-visual sessions to stay updated with current affairs.
Remember to track your performance after each mock test. A personalized and detailed analysis of mocks will help in assessing your strengths and weaknesses. Conduct an overall performance analysis, topic-wise analysis, and time wasted analysis.
XAT Preparation with Previous Year Question Papers
Candidates need to practice previous year papers and sample papers to know the type of questions asked, the weight of sections, and difficulty level. at least two months prior to the XAT 2023 Exam candidates should start practicing the papers. Grasp the core of each concept and solve papers with a timer. This will help to acquire time management skills which is a necessity.
Download free PDFs of XAT Previous Year Question Papers
XAT Preparation 2023 FAQs
Ques. Is XAT difficulty level more than that of CAT exam?
Ans. XAT is tough than CAT in some respect as there is an additional section on Decision Making in XAT. Quantitative aptitude questions in XAT are also challenging to attempt. IIFT is considered comparable to CAT in terms of difficulty. Go Through XAT Exam Pattern
Ques. Can preparation for CAT exam enough to appear in XAT 2023 exam?
Ans. XAT has an additional section on Decision Making and general awareness. the remaining sections are somewhat similar to CAT. candidates preparation for CAT can attempt XAT by focussing on the additional sections.
Ques. How much time is required to prepare for XAT?
Ans. 6 months are considered sufficient to prepare for XAT. Go through the exam pattern and syllabus and analyze the previous year's question papers. This will help candidates acquire knowledge about their level of preparation. attempt mock test as much as possible. Remember to inspect the solutions and improvise on the mistakes.
Ques. What are the best online coachings to prepare for XAT 2023?
Ans. There are many online resources available to prepare for XAT exam. The best coaching centers are:
- T.I.M.E
- Career Launcher
- Handa Ka Funda
- Unacademy
- IMS Learning
- TestFunda
Ques. Which books are the best for XAT preparation?
Ans. XAT preparation requires you to select the best books for each section written by top authors like Arun Sharma, R S Aggarwal, Norman Lewis. Some of the most recommended books to prepare for XAT 2023 exam are:
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal
- Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Kumar Verma
- How to prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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