Are you an MBA aspirant gearing up for the esteemed XAT exam? Then, it’s important to know that XAT differs from other management entrances like CAT. Hence, a well-rounded preparation strategy, supported by high-quality XAT preparation books, can significantly improve your chances of scoring well. Therefore, let’s explore the best strategies to sharpen your XAT preparation, be it through the right books, a structured timetable, or other essential resources.
So, to nail the XAT exam, applicants should set aside six to nine months for extensive preparation. While the recommended timeframe may vary depending on individual strengths and time commitment. However, starting early is always beneficial. Thus review the XAT syllabus and start practicing each topic as early as possible in order to strengthen your final performance.
XAT Preparation Books 2025
Preparing for XAT 2025 requires a solid understanding of various subjects like Verbal Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Knowledge. To achieve success, having the right study materials is very important. The best XAT preparation books cover each section, practice questions, and exam strategies specifically made for XAT exam pattern. Recommended books include renowned authors and publications that specialize in MBA entrance exams like CAT and XAT. These books not only help in mastering concepts but also offer XAT mock tests and previous year papers, essential for practice.
XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation books:
- CAT Formula PDF by Cracku: Maruti Sir
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations, R.S. Aggarwal
- Data Interpretation for the CAT, Nishit K. Sinha
- How to Prepare for Data Interpretation, Arun Sharma
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations, Abhijit Guha
XAT Verbal Ability, and Logical Reasoning Books:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Ajay Singh
- Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning, R.S. Aggarwal
- High School English Grammar and Composition, Wren & Martin
- Analytical Reasoning, MK Pandey
- Word Power Made Easy, Norman Lewis
XAT Decision Making Books:
- Analytical and Logical Reasoning, Arihant Publications
- Target XAT 2024, Disha Experts
- Jabbing the XAT, R.K. Jha
XAT General Knowledge Books:
- General Knowledge section
- Lucent’s General Knowledge 2024, Binay Karna
- General Knowledge 2024, Manohar Pandey
These XAT preparation books will help you in not just strengthening your basics but also making you all ready for the final XAT exam. In addition to this, you should XAT previous year papers precisely so as to get a clear idea about what kind of questions are coming in the exam.
About the XAT Exam
The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is one of India’s most prestigious national-level management entrance exams. It is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur. Further, scoring well on this exam opens doors for admission in not just XLRI but 160 other esteemed management institutions of India. Moreover, this exam is held annually, usually in the month of January. In fact, it tests a student on subjects like Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge.
The XAT and CAT exam are two renowned management entrance tests. However, CAT focuses on only the Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation and Verbal Ability subjects. Whereas, XAT exam also includes a Decision Making (DM) and General Knowledge XAT GK section. DM tests a candidate's ability to handle real-life management situations. In fact, you can check XAT decision making syllabus in order to have a better idea about this section. Further, the GK score is not included in percentile calculations for shortlisting.
Important XAT Dates
- Registration opens: 15th July, 2024
- Registration closes: November 30, 2024
- Admit card download: December 20, 2024
- XAT Exam date: January 05, 2025 2:00pm to 5:30pm
The XAT 2025 Updates
Integration of Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) with GD & PI (GD / PI) Processes:
Instead of being a part of the XAT 2025, the Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) component will be conducted during the Group Discussion and Personal Interview (GD/PI) phases of the selection process.
Changes in General Knowledge Section:
There will be 20 questions instead of 25 in the General Knowledge portion. Further, twelve current affairs questions and eight static GK questions will be included in this part. So as to provide a fair assessment of applicants' understanding of both current affairs and fundamental concepts.
Exam Timing Modification:
There will be two separate sections of the XAT 2025 exam. So, the exam's first part has a 170-minute time limit. Further, part two will be a brief 10-minute session that is entirely devoted to the General Knowledge area. With this arrangement, the entire exam lasts 180 minutes.
The XAT Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2025
| Part 1 | Part 2 | |||
| Sections | Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VA & LR) | Decision Making (DM) | Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI) | General Knowledge (GK) |
| Duration | 170 Minutes | 10 Minutes | ||
| No. of Questions | Around 26 | About 21 | Around 28 | About 20 |
| Question types and Syllabus | The VA&LR; section will include:
| The DM section will focus on situations drawn from both personal and professional lives. Moreover, the candidates will be required to apply their problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and prioritization skills to excel in this section. | The questions in the QA section are based on the 10th standard Mathematics. Moreover, the focus is on application oriented problems. Further, the questions on DI are based upon interpretation, summarization and analysis of the data. | In the GK section:
|
XAT marking scheme
| 1 Correct Answer | 1 Incorrect Answer | Skipping Questions | |
| Marks | +1 | -0.25 | Skipping a question does not result in any negative marking. However, 0.10 marks per question will be deducted if more than eight questions remain unanswered. |
XAT Exam Online Preparation Resources
With just one month between the CAT exam and XAT 2025 (on January 5), efficient time management is essential for aspirants. Utilizing this limited period to focus on areas not covered during CAT preparation is crucial. Structured learning, ideally under expert mentorship, can make a significant difference. Enrolling in a XAT Crash Course is highly recommended. Cracku’s XAT crash course offers in-depth coverage of key topics. Cracku’s crash course, for example, provides detailed insights into XAT-specific concepts, particularly Decision Making section, with live classes led by XAT 99.99 percentiler Sayali Mam, helping students maximize their potential and succeed in the exam.
The XAT Exam Preparation Strategy
Understand the XAT Syllabus and Exam Pattern
Have a complete know-how about the not the exam pattern duration and sections but also the syllabus and essential topics. Be thorough with the XAT important topics.
Create a Timetable
A time table or a set routine will assist you in aligning your goals with your actions. Further, it will help you focus on the important topics and keep you disciplined during the XAT training.
Identify Strong and Weak Areas
After you've reviewed the material and test schedule, you should concentrate on your strengths and weaknesses. So, the idea should be to devote more time to things you don't fully understand while brushing up on those you do.
Revise Regularly
Once you have thoroughly studied, you must continue to revise the formulae, techniques, and commonly asked questions in order to enhance your speed and accuracy. Moreover, revisions help retain concepts for a long period of time.
Give Mocks
In order to score well on the XAT exam you’ll have to make sure that you are appearing for the XAT mock tests regularly. As, this will give you a clear overview about your strengths and weaknesses. Thus, you’ll be able to practice more strategically.
After completing your XAT exam and receiving the response sheet, the best step to have an idea about your performance is using the XAT score calculator. It will provide you with a breakdown of your sectional scores (VALR, QADI, DM and GK) and an overall score.
Wrapping Up
Now that you have a clear idea about the best XAT preparation books, strategies, tips, tricks and syllabus. Hence, the only thing that is left is execution. Thus, start working towards your goals. As, scoring high on this exam should not be a hard if you’re following all the right strategies. So, good luck!
