How XAT is different from CAT

After CAT, XAT is the second most important exam which most of the people write. Many top B schools like XLRI, XIMB, IMT, etc. accept the score of XAT which are dream colleges for many students. In this article, we will be discussing how XAT is different from CAT.

Decision Making:

This section makes XAT entirely different from other MBA exams. This section is not part of either CAT or any other Management Entrance Exam.  Decision making is almost a combination of Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension where a small case is given and aspirants are supposed to make a decision based on what is the question asked. The choices are given generally, end up confusing you. Most of the students use the elimination method in this section to rule out the option but end up stuck between two choices. The only way to ace this section is a regular practice and mock tests.

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General Knowledge:

Although GK score will not determine the percentile which you will score, it will be used later by B schools like XLRI and some other colleges for further rounds. GK is not part of the CAT as well. Keep reading the newspaper daily and keep yourself updated on what is happening around. This will help you to score well in this section.

Also Read: Important essay writing tips for XAT exam

Essay Writing: 

Essay writing is one unique section which is not there in CAT and in XAT you are given 20 minutes to write it down. Though it is almost similar to what WAT is, the only difference is that WAT is conducted once you get shortlisted for the next round in IIMs or other B schools while in XAT essay is there as a part of the main exam. Though it is not counted while your percentile is counted, on later stages colleges like XLRI and other B-schools consider what you have written. The best way to score well in this section is the daily writing practice. This will help you to increase your speed as the time given is only 20 minutes and also help you in expressing your viewpoints.

Negative Marking:

The deduction of marks for wrong answers is different in both XAT and CAT. The penalty for a wrong answer in XAT is more than that of CAT.  XAT deducts one-fourth marks whereas CAT deducts one third.