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XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QADI) 2023: Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Important Topics, Analysis, Preparation

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Sachin Gupta

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XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QADI) is considered to be the toughest sections of XAT exam. XAT Quant & DI section consists of questions from topics like algebra, arithmetic, number system, geometry, probability, and data interpretation based on graphs, pie charts & tables. 

  • XAT Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation has the highest weightage (28 questions) of all the sections and thus requires the maximum time to solve. 
  • As per XAT 2023 QADI marking scheme, 1 mark will be awarded for every correct answer and 0.25 marks will be deducted for every incorrect answer. It is essential to know that 0.10 marks per question will be deducted for more than 8 unanswered questions. Check XAT 2023 Exam Pattern
  • Last year, XAT question paper for QADI comprised 4 DI sets with 3 questions each, 7 MCQs on numbers, 4 on algebra, and 2 each on geometry & arithmetic. Check XAT Previous Year Exam Analysis
  • To begin with XAT QADI preparation, one must refer to the most recommended books for XAT 2023 Preparation by renowned authors like Arun Sharma, R S Aggarwal, and Nishit K Sinha. Check XAT Books for Preparation
  • Apart from QADI, XAT 2023 will comprise 4 other sections- Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making, GK, and Essay. Check XAT 2023 Syllabus

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XAT QADI Highlights

XAT 2023 Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation Highlights

XAT 2023 Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section will have 28 MCQs of moderate to high difficulty.

  • There will be a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer in the XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section. 
  • XAT exam duration is 210 minutes or 3 hours 30 minutes and there is no sectional division of time. Hence, it is advised to allot not more than 70 minutes or 1 hour 10 minutes to solving XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section. 
  • For DI, 4- 5 questions and for QA 13 – 15 questions would ideally be considered a good attempt.

It is extremely necessary for you to be clear with the details of XAT QA section, as it will help you formulate a preparation strategy. Tabulated below are the important details on XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation 2023 for your reference: 

XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation 
Particulars Details
Mode  Computer Based Test
Duration 60-70 minutes
Type of Questions Objective (MCQs)
Number of Questions 28
Total Marks 28
Marks Awarded +1 for every correct answer
Negative Marking -0.25 for every wrong answer
Medium of Questions English
Scores Considered for Percentile Calculation Yes

XAT Exam Pattern

XAT 2023 Exam Pattern

Knowing the sectional time limit for each of the sections of XAT will help you determine how to attempt the paper efficiently. Here is the sectional division of the questions and the time limit for each section of XAT 2023:

Section Name Max. Questions Time Limit
Verbal and Logical Ability 26 175 minutes
Decision Making 22
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation 28
General Knowledge 25 30 minutes
Essay 1

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Syllabus 2022

XAT 2023 Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation Syllabus

XAT Quant and DI section is meant to test the student’s mathematical aptitude, calculation skills, and concept application abilitities. The syllabus for XAT QADI is very wide and almost covers all the topics of basic numeracy and applied mathematics. Candidates need to give more attention and extra effort while preparing for this section. The syllabus for XAT QADI can be broadly divided into 2 sub-sections:

  • Quantitative Ability: Numbers, Algebra, and Arithmetic questions make up for 12-13 questions in this section. Other important topics from which questions are framed include mensuration, probability, geometry, and, logariths.
  • Data Interpretation: DI questions form about 50% of the question paper. Question sets based on data tables, graphs, charts, bar diagrams, data analysis & comparison are asked in XAT DI section. 

XAT 2023 Quantitative Aptitude (QA) Syllabus

XAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus
Topic Sub-topics
Geometry & Mensuration Lines & Angles, Triangles, Circles, Parallelograms, Polygons, Mensuration – 2D and 3D
Algebra Sequence & Series, Functions, Inequalities, Surds and Indices, Quadratic Equations
Arithmetic  Profit Loss & Discount, Time Speed & Distance, Time & Work, Mixtures & Alligation, Percentage & Ratios
Numbers HCF, LCM, Number of Zeros, Remainder Theorem, Unit’s digit 
Miscellaneous Probability & Statistics, Logarithm, Trigonometry, Clocks, Logarithm

XAT 2023 Data Interpretation (DI) Syllabus

Topic Description
Tabulated Data
  • Data given in tabular form needs to be used to solve the questions.
  • Mostly, tabular data includes comparison of data for ages, years, marks, scores, averages, rate of consumption, etc.
  • The topics of arithmetic required to answer questions in less time are percentage, ratio & proportion, and averages.
Graphs & Charts
  • Data is given in the form of different types of graphs and charts- Bar Graphs, Line Graphs, and Pie Charts.
  • Questions sets are mostly based on products of different companies, marks obtained in the exam, the population of different cities, distribution of employees based on gender, etc.
  • Solving these questions requires visual analysis and application of basic arithmetic skills
Caselet
  • Data for solving the questions is given in the form of a paragraph.
  • To solve the questions, first interpret the data given in the caselet to and represent it in tabular or any other easy form for quick comprehension.
Combination Graphs
  • Data is given in 2-3 modes of representation. This is the most commonly asked set of DI questions in XAT exam.
  • Most common set of combinations include Line+Bar, Table+Pie, Pie+Line, Pie+Bar, etc.

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Best Books for XAT Quant

Best Books for XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation 2023

XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation 2023 section, despite being one of the hardest sections of XAT is extremely important. You can easily score well if you prepare for the exam properly and give enough time to improve your calculation speed and ability to do quick mental maths. To start your preparation, you need to know the right XAT books for reference, and here is a list of the recommended books for XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation from: 

Name of the Book Publisher/Author
Quantitative Aptitude for CAT Nitish K. Sinha
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT Arun Sharma
CAT Quantitative Aptitude Gautam Puri
Quantum CAT Sarvesh K Verma
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations R S Aggarwal
Wiley's ExamXpert XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) Wiley India
Jabbing the XAT Mock Tests & Solved Papers R K Jha
Quantitative Aptitude Simplified for XAT Deepak Aggarwal
Concepts of Numbers for XAT and Other Aptitude Exams Gajendra Kumar
How to prepare for Data Interpretation Arun Sharma
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations Abhijit Guha
Kiran’s Text Book of Data Interpretation & Analysis and Data Sufficiency Kiran Prakashan

Read: How to Prepare for XAT Quantitative Aptitude 

Previous Year Analysis

XAT Previous Year Exam Analysis for Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation 

Understanding the kind of questions that are asked in the previous year's papers would help you gain an understanding of the topics that are important to prepare. XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation Paper Analysis for 2022 is given below:

  • All questions were objective-type MCQs and had 5 options each. Only one option was correct.
  • There were a total of 28 questions out of which 12 questions were from DI and 16 were from various topics of Quant.
  • There were 4 DI sets with 3 MCQs each. 
  • Good Attempt: 2-3 DI sets and 10-12 quant questions.
Topic of the Questions Number of Questions Difficulty Level
Arithmetic 2 Moderate
Algebra 4 Difficult
Geometry 2 Difficult
Numbers 7 Difficult
Probability 1 Moderate
DI (Broken Pencils) 3 Moderate
DI (College Admissions) 3 Difficult
DI (Number of Correct Answers in Exam) 3 Moderate
DI (Stock Prices) 3 Moderate
Total 28 Moderate-Difficult

Check XAT Paper Analysis

XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation Preparation Tips

XAT Quant & DI section is the toughest to prepare among all the sections of XAT 2023. Hence, it is essential to follow a proper strategy to excel in this section. Given below are some of the important preparation tips for acing XAT exam:

  • Candidates are advised to focus more on arithmetic, algebra, and number system topics for XAT 2023 as they hold the maximum weightage.
  • Solving XAT Mock tests and Sample papers is important to get an understanding of the exam pattern, syllabus, types, and difficulty level of questions asked in XAT Quantitative Aptitude section.
  • Preparing a comprehensive preparation plan so as to cover all important topics in XAT Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation Syllabus is extremely beneficial.
  • Devote at least 2 hours a day to any topic of XAT QADI section and revise all the basic concepts and practice a minimum of 20-30 questions.
  • Students often learn all the complex formulas and tricks but ignore the very basic concepts and calculation-friendly tricks that help in solving both QA and DI questions. The must study basics are:

    Squares till 30 Cubes till 20
    Tables till 25 Divisibility Rules
    Square & Cube Roots Percentage- Ratio Conversions (10%= 1/10, 25%= 1/4, 33%=1/3,….,etc.)
    Simplification & Approximation Averages
    Alligation Unitary Method

Check XAT Preparation Strategy & Study Plan

Mistakes to Avoid While Atttempting XAT QADI Questions

  • Spending more than 150 seconds on a question: You have 175 minutes to attempt 76 questions in part 1 of XAT paper. As QADI has the highest number of questions- 28, it is advised not to spend more than 150 seconds on any particular question. If you can’t solve the question in this much time, then it is advised to move to the next question to save time for the remaining ones.
  • Too many formulas and short tricks: Learning too many short tricks and formulas for a topic from different sources should be avoided as it can lead to confusion. Choose only 1-2 tricks that work the best for you to save time and effort while attempting XAT QADI section in the exam.
  • Not Reading all the Options: Some questions based on numbers and algebra can be easily solved using the option-based elimination strategy. Read all the options carefully and use this strategy wherever possible to solve such questions faster.
  • Silly Calculation Mistakes: Often candidates commit silly calculation mistakes in a hurry. These should be avoided as accuracy is equally important as the number of attempts. Solving 80-90% questions accurately is better than solving 100% paper with silly mistakes.
  • Rushing through the data given in DI sets: Rushing through the information may lead to missing out on a few important details. Hence, it is advised to read the entire data carefully as missing out even a single number or fact may lead to incorrect answers.

XAT QADI Mock Test 2023

XLRI releases XAT Mock Test on the official website. The mock test is as per the actual paper pattern and will contain 28 questions from QADI, 26 from VALR, 22 from DM, 25 from GK, and 1 descriptive essay. Practicing XAT mock tests is not only beneficial in revision but also essential to get an idea of the actual exam scenario.

XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation Sample Papers
XAT Sample Paper 1  XAT Sample Paper 2
XAT Sample Paper 3 XAT Sample Paper 4

Check XAT QADI Sample Papers


Frequently Asked Questions

XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation 2023 FAQs

Ques. What are the topics in Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation of XAT?

Ans. The topics under Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation are Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Probability, Mensuration (2D & 3D), DI- Pie charts, caselets, bar graphs, DI- Time Zone, DI- mixed graphs. 

Ques. How many questions will be asked in XAT 2023 QA/DI section? 

Ans. 28 questions will be asked in XAT 2023 Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section. All the questions will be objective-type MCQs and have 5 options each.

Ques. Does QADI have the highest weightage in XAT exam? 

Ans. Yes, the QADI (Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation) section has the highest weightage in XAT exam. It comprises the maximum number of questions-28 carrying 1 mark each. 

Ques. In XAT exam, how much time should I spend on XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation? 

Ans. The total time allotted to solve all the 3 sections in part 1- Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation, Verbal Ability, and Decision making is 175 minutes. Generally, candidates should spend around 60-70 minutes in solving the questions in XAT Quant and DI section. 

Ques. What is considered a good attempt in XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation? 

Ans. While it varies every year depending on the difficulty of the paper and other sections, generally a good attempt in XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section is considered to be around 2-3 DI questions and 13-15 questions in the quant section of the paper. 

Ques. What are the best books for XAT Quantitative Ability preparation?

Ans. The best books for XAT Quant preparation are:

  • How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma
  • Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams by R S Aggarwal
  • Quantum CAT by Sarvesh K Verma
  • Quantitative Aptitude by Nishit K Sinha

Ques. What are the best books for XAT DI Preparation?

Ans. Some of the best books for XAT DI preparation include

  • Data Interpretation for CAT by Nishit K Sinha
  • How to Prepare for Data Interpretaion by Arun Sharma
  • Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency by Ananta Ashisha

Ques. Are 3 months enough to complete XAT Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation?

Ans. 3 months would be enough to complete XAT syllabus for Quant & DI if you devote at least 4-5 hours every day and solve at least 2-3 sample papers and previous year question papers every week.

*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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