How should you approach the paper?

Given the nature of marking and the toughness level of the paper, it is evident that question selection will be of primary importance. The students have to consciously devote quality time to a proper selection of questions from the XAT paper. We recommend the tried, tested and proven S-S-S-S strategy, where the 4 S's stand for Scan, Search, Select and Solve. The first 3 S's comprise, what is popularly known as 'Strategy', which when properly done, will result in effective 'Solving' of the questions. Last year, the required score for a call from the prestigious XLRI Jamshedpur for their BM program was around 40 (out of a total of 120). The implication for the student is that he/she should try and pick up questions from strength areas and avoid random guesses. The individual sectional cut-offs should not be very high and students should look at a minimum score of 7-9 per section to clear the sectional cut-offs Verbal and Logical Ability : Normally, this section is graded as 'Tough' by most analysts. Questions in this section normally involve complex reasoning and drawing inferences. You can expect to find questions from areas like Critical Reasoning, Paragraph formation, and fill in the blanks, apart from Reading Comprehension. The RC passages in the XAT are typically abstruse and last year we had passages from Consumer Moods and Emotions, Jung and Psychology, Karma, and the claims and experiments of Deborah Mayo, philosopher of science. None of these were 'easy to read' passages and this year too we expect no different. Students wishing to locate scoring opportunities should target the questions from the non-RC portion in this section. Analytical Reasoning and Decision Making : This section would be the 'easiest' among all sections - the word 'easy' being used in strict relative terms! Last year there were many scoring options from questions on Data Arrangement and if once again this year, you find DA questions, jump at them. Decision Making questions were a novelty and involved making simple 'business decisions' on the basis of a situation provided. They should not prove to be too difficult, provided the student can think in a rational manner. Data Interpretation and Quantitative Ability : This section can be classified as moderately tough, but there would be an adequate number of questions for everybody to attempt. The questions in QA would primarily be from Algebra (number theory, quadratics, polynomials, progressions) and Geometry whereas DI would have questions that could be answered by observation and some calculations. The key in this section would be how quickly once is able to choose questions from his "strong" areas and leave the "weak" areas. Overall: with the individual sectional cut-offs mentioned previously, the students desirous of calls from XLRI would additionally have to "max" at least one of the three sections. The primary target of the student should be to achieve a score (net of negatives) of 40+ (out of the expected total of 120 marks) Finally, do not forget the Essay Writing - that one thing that is the signature mark of the XAT! The focus will clearly be on the content and how you present that, but you need to focus on the Grammar and Language part also. Topics can be from any background - but expect more on Social Issues.

XAT 1996 There is no right way of doing a wrong thing. XAT 1997 By the third or fourth week of the term, business school had succeeded in afflicting me with a variation of the Stockholm syndrome, named after the incident in which a hostage in a Stockholm bank robbery fell in love with one of her captors. XAT 1998 Max Weber, a German Sociologist, defined state as an entity that has a monopoly over legal violence. India proves that the converse is also true; if criminals cannot be punished by the law, its effect they become the state. XAT 1999 That is what a Television really is; it is another eye so you can see anywhere; another part of your heart so you can feel and care about things you never felt and cared about before; another ear to hear strange music the first and only International language. XAT 2000 Ships in harbor are safe; but that is not what they are built for. XAT 2001 Economic Growth without distributive justice can only lead to violence. XAT 2002 Indian Economy in the Post WTO Era. XAT 2003 To give real service, one needs to add something that cannot be bought or measured, like sincerity and integrity. XAT 2004 Asked at the age of 83, as to which of his project would he choose as his master piece, Frank Lloyd wright, the architect answered, The next one XAT 2005 More than one billion Indians: A gigantic problem or a sea of opportunities. XAT 2006 India has one of the largest pool of talented manpower, but few innovations and patented products. XAT 2007 Economic growth without environmental damage a mirage or a reality. XAT 2008 Gender imbalance will lead to Third world war. XAT 2009 The Inherent vice of Capitalism is unequal sharing of blessings and the inherent virtue of Socialism is equal sharing of misery XAT 2010 Earth provides enough to satisfy everybodys need but not everybodys greed