XAT Preparation 2024: Tips, Strategies, Study Material

XAT Preparation 2024: Points to Remember

Those students who plan to apply for the XAT in 2024 should concentrate on tailoring their section preparation to their areas of strength and weakness. Analysing the XAT exam from the prior year will also be very beneficial. Understanding the updated XAT exam pattern and syllabus is the first and most important step in preparing for the exam.

Students can scan over to learn about the exam pattern of XAT such as the medium of the exam, the no. of questions, the marking scheme, topics, and duration of the exam.

How to start preparing for XAT Verbal and Logical Ability Section?

The XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) is a national-level entrance exam. The Verbal and Logical Ability section of XAT is one of the most challenging sections. This section is designed to test your reading comprehension skills, vocabulary, grammar, and logical reasoning ability.

Here are some tips to help you start preparing for the Verbal and Logical Ability section of XAT 2024:

1. Read extensively: The best way to improve your reading comprehension skills is by reading extensively. Read newspapers, magazines, and books regularly to improve your vocabulary and comprehension.
2. Practice grammar: The candidate must brush up on their grammar skills by studying grammar rules and practising grammar exercises. This will help them improve their sentence correction skills.
3. Solve logical reasoning questions: Logical reasoning questions are an essential part of the Verbal and Logical Ability section. Practice solving different types of logical reasoning questions to improve your logical reasoning ability.
4. Take mock tests: Taking mock tests is one of the most effective ways to prepare for the XAT Verbal and Logical Ability section. Mock tests give you an idea of the type of questions asked in the exam and help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
5. Time management: Time management is crucial when it comes to the XAT exam. Practice solving questions under a time constraint to improve your speed and accuracy.

How to start the XAT Preparation in the Decision-Making section?

The Decision Making section of XAT is a critical part of the exam. It is important to start the preparation for this section early on to perform well in the exam. Here are some tips to start your XAT Preparation for Decision Making section:

1. Understand the basics: Decision-making questions usually test your ability to analyze situations and make decisions based on them. Therefore, it is important to understand the basics of decision-making and the various tools and techniques used in decision-making.
2. Practice: The best way to prepare for decision-making questions is to practice as many questions as possible. You can find a variety of practice questions online or in preparation books.
3. Analyze case studies: Decision-making questions often involve case studies that present a scenario and ask you to make a decision based on it. Practice analyzing case studies and identifying the key factors that need to be considered before making a decision.
4. Develop a strategy: Develop a strategy for approaching decision-making questions. This could involve identifying the key factors, using decision-making tools, or breaking down complex scenarios into smaller, more manageable parts.
5. Stay up-to-date: students want to be updated with the latest news and current affairs. Decision-making questions often involve real-life scenarios, and being well-informed can help you make better decisions.

XAT Preparation 2024: 3 Months Study Plan

XAT Preparation Plan for Month 1

The first month of your XAT preparation should be dedicated to understanding the exam pattern and syllabus. Start by analysing the previous year's question papers and identify the topics that are frequently asked. This will help you prioritize your study plan. 

Focus on strengthening your basics in Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation, and Logical Reasoning. For General Awareness, read newspapers, and magazines, and watch news channels regularly. 

XAT Preparation Plan for Month 2

In the second month, start practising mock tests and solving sample papers. This will give you an idea of the exam's difficulty level and help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. 

Revise the topics that you found difficult in the first month and focus on improving your speed and accuracy. 

XAT Preparation Plan for Month 3

In the XAT final month focus on revision and taking more mock tests. Analyze your mock test scores and identify the areas that need improvement. The last week should be dedicated to revising formulas, shortcuts, and important topics. 

Apart from the above study plan, it is essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle and take breaks between study sessions. Remember to stay calm and focused during the exam. 

XAT Preparation 2024: Strategy and Tips

XAT preparation requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Ideally, six to nine months are adequate to prepare for XAT but the key is to dedicate a good number of hours to preparation on a daily basis. A minimum of six to eight hours daily is the requirement for an average student. Aspirants who start preparing for the XAT exam in May or before that, are most likely to be well prepared having covered the entire syllabus and memorising the concepts and formulae by August-September. But those, who start preparing for the XAT exam in October-November, must get on to it in full-speed mode. Candidates must make a sound strategy, focus on the essentials and build upon their strengths. Start your XAT preparation with your strong areas and then move to weaker ones. Given below are some tips on how to make an XAT preparation plan.

1. Make a daily routine and dedicate six to eight hours to studies. Get hold of XAT syllabus pdf and make a list of topic-wise strengths and weakness.
2. Understand the XAT exam pattern and test structure to make a time-bound exam preparation strategy. Depending upon the time you have in hand to prepare for XAT 2024, it is important for you to focus more on topics from which maximum questions are asked.
3. Join online study groups and find a mentor to guide you through your preparation. You can also join an MBA coaching institution for exam preparation.
4. Download online study material and MBA exam preparation apps, sectional preparation videos to be able to study on the go. Remember every minute is precious.
5. Allot time limit to each section and time yourself. Do not overstep the time limit.
6. Dedicate the last month to practice XAT mock tests and assess your growth. The key to all competitive exams is practice so attempt as many mock tests as you can.

The above-mentioned were some general XAT exam preparation tips. Now, let’s look at the section-wise XAT preparation plan.

What is XAT syllabus?

XAT 2024 syllabus includes all important topics related to Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge. You can check below subject-wise important topics included in the XAT syllabus. The majority of the questions are asked from these topics.

XAT Verbal and Logical Ability syllabus: Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Analogy, Antonym/Synonym, Parajumble, Para Completion, Grammar, Critical Reasoning, Series Completion, Fill in the Blanks, etc.

XAT Decision Making syllabus: Data Arrangement, Conditioning, Grouping, Complex Arrangement, Caselets, Assumptions, Premises, Conclusions, etc.

XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation syllabus: Arithmetic, Geometry, Mensuration, Percentage, Surds and Indices, Algebra, Mensuration, Bar Diagrams, Pie Charts, Tables, Data Interpretation, etc.

XAT General Knowledge syllabus: Science, Economy, Business, Politics, Static GK, Sports, Prize and Award, World, Government, Constitution of India, etc.

What is the XAT section wise weightage?

XAT exam is more Quantitative Ability and Verbal and Logical Ability based. Which is why these two sections have more weightage than rest of the section. And between these two, Quantitative Ability has more weightage. In terms of marks too, the Quantitative Ability has maximum weightage, i.e. 28 marks, followed by Verbal and Logical Ability with 26 marks, General Knowledge carries 25 marks and Decision Making carries 22 marks.

XAT Preparation 2024 FAQs

Ques. Is the XAT exam harder than the CAT exam?

Ans. XAT includes an extra section on decision-making, it is somewhat more difficult than CAT. XAT quantitative aptitude questions are particularly difficult to answer. In terms of difficulty, IIFT and CAT are regarded as similar. 

Ques. Which is the best book for XAT preparation?

Ans. Some of the most recommended books to prepare for XAT 2024 exam are:

1. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
2. A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal
3. Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Kumar Verma
4. How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma

Ques. Which sections will the XAT questions be taken from?

Ans. The questions will be asked from sections namely-

1. Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
2. Verbal and Logical Ability
3. Decision Making
4. General Knowledge

Ques. How many questions will the XAT 2024 contain?

Ans. It is anticipated that XAT 2024 will have 100 questions.

Ques. What are the benefits of finishing the XAT 2024 practice exam?

Ans. Mock tests help you become more proficient by increasing both your speed and accuracy when answering the questions on test day.