XAT 2015: May throw surprise element in exam; be prepared

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
January 2, 2015
You may not rule out the surprise element in XAT 2015 to test your skill despite any claim of no surprises from exam conducting body
If not the last sentence, you may find 2-3 questions on completion of paragraph with its first sentence although XAT has not asked such type of question earlier

XAT-2015 the PGDM/MBA 2015-17 batch entrance exam is to be held on January 4, 2014 in a single session and in paper pen mode in 47 cities in India. The exam is said to be held on the similar pattern as in past years with no surprise element in XAT 2015. But you may not rule out the surprise element in XAT 2015 to test your skill despite any claim of no surprises from exam conducting body. A few of such surprises are no longer the surprise element as they are known before hand but a few other unanticipated ones could also be present in XAT 2015 without any discrimination.

Surprises do not always mean something absolutely new and never appeared. It could be the questions on such forgotten topics which have not been marking their presence for the last few sessions.

XAT 2015 is supposed to have 113 questions in all as against 103 questions of Multiple choice type. The time to solve the test will remain the same with 3 hours which includes essay writing test also.

XAT 2015 to have more GK questions

In contrast to earlier XAT exams, XAT 2015 is going to have more questions in General Knowledge section. Instead of 20 questions, XAT 2015 will have 30 questions in GK section to be solved within the same time limit. You are supposed to answer all the 30 questions in 10 minutes, earlier you had to answer 20 questions in 10 minutes. Any adjustment in time would mean further reduction of time to solve other questions in the exam.

Uniform Marking system: 1 mark each

XAT  is famous for the variable marking system. One section used to carry more weightage in terms of marks while the other section carried lesser weightage with more questions but less marks awarded per correct answer. In 2013 the pattern got stabilized with equal marks to all the questions. In 2011, eight questions on reading comprehension passages carried 17 marks, while in 2013 there were 18 questions carrying 18 marks. 

The MCQs in XAT 2015 across all the sections will carry one mark each irrespective of the section they belong to.

Other unanticipated surprises

Prof S K Agarwal, verbal ability expert shares quick strategy and tips to anticipate a few surprise elements and proceed accordingly to crack them with a little more practice

Last Sentence of paragraph

The question to complete the paragraph with its last sentence used to appear in CAT exams. In CAT 2014 such question was missing but it is very much expected that you may come across this type of question in XAT 2015. The question contains a paragraph from which the last sentence is deleted. 4-5 answer options are given to complete the paragraph. You will have to choose the most appropriate answer option to complete the paragraph.

First sentence of paragraph

If not the last sentence, you may find 2-3 questions on completion of paragraph with its first sentence although XAT has not asked such type of question earlier. The appearance may not be ruled out in XAT 2015. This question type is opposite to complete the last sentence of the paragraph. You will be required to select the answer option which best fits the first sentence of the paragraph.

Out of context sentence in jumbled paragraph

You may find a question with jumbled sentences to be placed in coherent order but among them one sentence would be the odd one or out of context. Candidates may be required to pick this odd man out of the jumbled sentences.

The task will require multiple skills. You will have to put the jumbled sentences in sequential order and will also have to pick the ‘out of context’ sentence which will be your right answer option.

RC with LR questions

XAT 2015 is expected to place 5 Reading Comprehension passages of about 500 words each. So far the questions that followed the RC passages were more or less direct and explanatory in nature. The same pattern is supposed to be followed in XAT 2015. However there could be questions asking conclusions, statements, assumptions based on the RC passages in XAT 2015.  So get ready for them.

Anticipate the forgotten

Questions on Figures of speech, phrasal verbs, Idioms,  one word substitutions like abstemious, omnivores, cannibal, mansion, blasphemy, amphibious could also figure in the examination.  Confused words like Flaunt/flout; Founder/flounder; It's/its; Venal/venial and phrasal verbs like break down; break up; break off; break in could resurface in XAT 2015.

XAT although may not bring forth any structural surprise but there could be questions from the topics which have not appeared for the past three years and or never appeared in XAT.  It can take the aspirants off guard.

So be careful, your preparation for CAT 2014, IIFT 2014 could be a great help in this module. Just try to revise the same with a bit of practice today. You don’t need to begin anything new but the quick revision is the tip.

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