The Xavier Aptitude Test is a national-level entrance exam that is conducted by the XLRI, Jamshedpur. This entrance exam is conducted every year to select the most deserving students who can get admission into various management institutions. The XAT scores are primarily accepted in 12 member institutes of XAMI and 134 associate institutes.

The XAT exam is often considered to be one of the most difficult entrance exams in India. As per experts and students, the difficulty level of XAT is even higher than CAT. In order to have a good XAT preparation, the students have to at least invest six to seven months.

If aspirants are dedicated towards their preparation, only then can they score well in the exam. As per trends, XAT is conducted on the first Sunday of January, hence, students should plan to start their preparation accordingly. Through the course of this article, we will understand how they can plan their XAT Preparation.

Sections of The XAT Exam

In order to start with the XAT preparation, the students need to firstly have information regarding the exam pattern. In order to get the most relevant information about the changes or anything else. As for the exam, students should visit the official website of the exam: xatonline.in . It becomes the most reliable place for the students to get the most authentic information and at the right time.

The XAT exam is basically divided into two parts. Part A of the exam consists of three different sections which test takers can attempt within 170 minutes duration. These three sections are Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, Decision-Making and Quantitative Aptitude, and Data interpretation. Apart from this, there is a Part B of the exam, which has a section called General Knowledge of 10 minutes duration.

Coaching For XAT Preparation 

There are many students who like to invest their time in taking coaching from good institutions like Hitbullseye. The reason why so many students invest their time in coaching is that the teaching professionals and the coaching institution with a good reputation will help the students to prepare in a very holistic manner for the exam. Especially for a tough entrance exam, the students want to get the right guidance so that they don't end up making a lot of mistakes and eventually losing marks. 

The coaching institution takes care of all the mistakes that the students can make and guide them in the right manner. The students will also know about XAT preparation tips and tricks that can help them to make a better attempt at the exam. This is why there are many students who like to rely on coaching as their method of preparation for the XAT exam.

Section-Wise XAT Preparation Tips 

Every section of the exam has certain key points that aspirants can pay attention towards. Here are some points mentioned that will help them-

1. Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning 

For the first section of the XAT exam, the student should make sure that they focus on understanding language well. This first section is entirely based on Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary Questions and Critical Reasoning Questions. 

The more the students try to solve practice papers and different papers that would include questions on this section, the better the understanding of the students will be. It will also help the students to feel familiar with the pattern of questions that can be put in the actual question paper.

2. Decision Making 

While the XAT preparation of the students is going on, they will realize that the XAT Decision Making questions are the most unique part of the exam. The students will find that there are different business and everyday situations that are put across in this section, and the students are expected to apply their decision-making skills to those situations and answer the questions accordingly. The students need to have good exposure to different situations and scenarios so that they don't feel stuck in this section of the exam.

3. Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation 

Aspirants need to work on their mathematical and analytical skills. They should make sure that they have expertise in all the mathematical topics, such as geometry, number systems, algebra, modern math, etc. Apart from this, the student should also understand how they can analyze data tables and charts better so that they have much more clarity in answering the questions. In order to have good XAT preparation, the student should also know shortcut keys, formulas and approximations to enhance their speed and accuracy.

4. General Knowledge 

This is an important section of the exam that does not count in the overall percentile calculation, but the students have to still perform well because it matters for their admission process. Students will find that they have to put emphasis on static GK, focusing on awards, books, authors and geography. Students also need to put focus on current events from the last six months. It is recommended for the students to read newspapers and remain aware of the current news and articles that come out.There are twelve current affairs questions and eight static GK questions.

Conclusion 

XAT preparation is a very personal journey for all the students. There are different emotions that students go through while preparing for the exam, and needless to say there is a lot of pressure. The important thing for the students at this time is to keep themselves sane. If the students don't feel hyper, then they will be able to put their attention on what is important. This will help the students achieve better results in the exam.

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. What are the sections of the XAT exam?

A: There are four sections in total in the XAT exam. The first section is Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, which has 26 questions. The second section is Decision-Making, which has 21 questions. The third section is Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, which has 28 questions. The last section is General Knowledge, which has 20 questions.

2. What is the time duration of the XAT exam?

A: The overall time duration of the XAT exam is 180 minutes. This time is divided between the two parts of the exam. Part one of the exam consists of 170 minutes of time duration. There are three main sections, and the students can navigate in between the sections. Part two of the exam has 10 minutes of time duration for only one section.

3. Is coaching an effective method of preparation?

A: Coaching definitely turns out to be one of the effective methods that helps students prepare for the exam. The right direction that is provided by the teaching professionals at the coaching institution guides them in such a way that they make fewer mistakes and perform better.