How to start XAT 2020 Preparation

How to start XAT preparation - Want to get admission in XLRI? Well, the first step in order to achieve your dream is to crack XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) 2020. Sailing through XAT is not easy like a snap or a cinch that one can ace by preparing in a few days or weeks, it requires a lot of effort and hardwork. The status and difficulty standard of the paper can be determined by the fact that many colleges in India which accept CAT score also consider XAT score for admission in their management courses. For any candidate who dreams to get admission in XLRI, this is high time for him/her to start preparation and they must be aware of how to start XAT 2020 preparation. From an interview with experts and some valuable tips from previous years XAT toppers, it can be concluded that in order to ace through XAT with high percentile, one should have a planned approach and should be well prepared in terms of time management, speed and accuracy as the time duration of this exam is less in comparison to others. XAT 2020 has been conducted on January 5 in computer based mode. Under “how to start XAT 2020 preparation” various preparation tips and strategies will be discussed, for more information just go through the full article.

Latest : Know your Admission Chances for Colleges based on XAT - XAT Pathfinder

Before knowing how to start XAT 2020 preparation, one should have an idea of the syllabus and exam pattern of XAT 2020. Thus before discussing on preparation tips of XAT let us have a look at exam syllabus and pattern.
Latest: XAT 2020 Answer key has been released by XLRI. Also check XAT 2020 expected cutoff

How To Start XAT 2020 Preparation - Know all about syllabus

There is no official syllabus for XAT which is mentioned on the official website. Based on previous years papers and some reviews by the experts various topics can be included in the syllabus based on which questions are asked in the examination. The topics from which the questions are asked divided into 4 sections which are mentioned below :

• Quantitative ability and data interpretation

• Verbal and logical ability

• Decision making

• General knowledge

Various topics coming under these section are listed below:

How to start XAT 2020 Preparation for Quantitative Ability - Know the topics

How to start XAT 2020 Preparation Verbal and Logical ability - Check the details

How to start XAT 2020 preparation for GK/Current Affairs - Go through the sub-topics

How to start XAT 2020 Preparation for questions on Decision Making

Candidates can check the following topics to know what all the

• Arithmetic

• Analytical reasoning

• Situational reasoning

Know all about XAT 2020 Exam Pattern

The exam pattern of XAT 2020 has gone through some changes over the past years. This year the paper will be consisting of 99 questions divided into 4 sections. The sectional weightage of each section is mentioned in the table below :

XAT 2020 Exam Pattern

Marking Scheme : The marking scheme for XAT 2020 is different as compared to other management entrance examinations like CAT, MAT, CMAT etc. Here .25 marks is deducted for every wrong answer and .05 marks will be deducted if someone has more than 8 unattempted questions.

How much time is required to start preparation for XAT

As the paper is scheduled to be conducted on January 5, 2020. So it is recommended that someone should start preparing from this month onwards. According to the experts 4-5 months can be considered enough time for someone to prepare for XAT and achieve a high score.

One should have a systematic and logical approach in order to prepare for XAT 2020 examination.

How to start XAT preparation 2020: Some Useful preparation tips:

Make a time table: Section wise Preparation

One of the best ways to prepare for XAT 2020 is that you divide your study schedule according to the sections. Preparing by completing topics sectional wise can be considered as the best way to start preparing. As 4-5 months can be considered a sufficient time for preparation so the candidates can choose either from his strong or weak sections. Preparing section-wise can also help the candidate in knowing his strong and weak topics and on which topic he has to focus more. In an interview with Aditi Srivastava XAT, 2018 topper she mentions “I timed myself for all the questions that I solved from the practice books and took section-wise mocks that were available on the student portal on the coaching centre’s website”

Practice is an essential part of XAT Preparation

One should practice more and more questions as he can from every topic and from every different type. Practicing more and more questions will increase candidate’s calculation speed and the candidates will be able to solve more and more questions in less time. By repetitive practice one can solve questions in more than way and it will help in clearing the concepts. Also while solving questions one should also focus on his accuracy.

Finding the right study material to start XAT preparation

Practice and Hard work are the key to success, so in the case of any competitive exams like XAT. Having a sectional wise strategy with repetitive practice can help someone to crack the exam but it would not be possible without proper resources. Students can avail proper study material from various resources like internet, well renowned books, study material/test series from coaching classes.

Time Management is important while preparing for XAT

Time management is one of the most important key components which needs to be focus on while preparing for XAT exam. The duration of the paper is of 180 minutes, keeping in mind the additional section of General Knowledge and negative marking of .05 on more than 8 unattempted questions one has to attempt more and more questions and also with an accuracy.

One can improve his time management skills by solving questions in a time bound environment and also by solving mock tests.

Improving your weak areas will be helpful in XAT preparation

As 4-5 months can be considered as sufficient time for preparing for XAT exam, one can focus on the topics in which are weak areas. Practicing questions from your weak areas can help you cover more new topics and also help in increasing the number of questions attempted during the exam day. Start preparing by one strong topics and one weak/new topics, in this way you can cover the topics both from strong and weak areas together. Says Rebecca Yesuvadian, XAT topper 2018 on strong and weak topics “Prepare a strategy for yourself based on your strengths and weaknesses. Plan it in such a way that you will score the maximum of what you are capable of scoring”

Solving Mock Tests on a regular basis while preparing for XAT

Giving mocks can be helpful in more than one way, some of the factors that will prove beneficial if one takes more and more XAT mock tests are:

• Improves your Time Management

• Makes you familiar with the test environment

• One will be able to attempt/cover questions from all topics.

• One will be able to analyze himself : find his strong and weak, how much he has to prepare and how much time a candidate needs.

One should attempt mock tests on a regular basis and practice more mock tests per week when the exam day is approaching. Asking about giving mock test, XAT 2018 topper Isha Parasramka says that “The student just has to get on with the work from here. Also, if you think you are more comfortable studying on your own, my suggestion would be to join the online series of a good institute and then practice as many mocks you can!”