Detailed XAT 2023 Study Plan And Sources | Rutwik Borkar, XAT 99.45%iler

Due to the highly uncertain nature of the outcomes of the exam, I found it prudent to keep a plan B of doing an MBA at the back of my mind. I opted to pursue MBA as a Plan B as I understood that it would pave the way for me to create impactful work and develop cross-domain knowledge. However, I had never prepared dedicatedly for the MBA entrance earlier as I believed that it would be best to focus all my energy on civil services.

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Also Read: Best Resources For XAT Preparation - Recommended By XAT 2021 99+ %ilers

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The XAT ‘22 Journey

Post my UPSC Civil Services attempt in October’21, I had a short turnover time of around 30-40 days to give my shot at the XAT exam. The biggest challenge for me at that time was to overcome the mental pressure and decide quickly to give up on a sought-after dream. In such times my strong determination with support from friends and family, I was able to put behind the dejection and power my XAT preparation from scratch.

Further, my habit of reading the Hindu and some exposure to MBA-entrance type questions (albeit on the easier side) via CSAT paper in UPSC, helped me a ton to get a hang of difficult level verbal and quant sections quickly. Further, the study of ethics & attempting case studies as part of UPSC Mains, also helped me get a hang of eliminating options to reach the best answer in the Decision-Making section and understand situations faced in the workplace without having any work experience.

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XAT Decision Making Past Year Tests - Take The Tests Here!

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MY XAT 2022 STUDY PLAN

Exploratory Phase:

• Understanding the requirements of the exam -syllabus, pattern, the relative importance of topics, etc. + collecting relevant study materials and papers -Practice Material, GK sources, Past year papers, Youtube channels,etc. (4-5 days)
• Opted to limit my sources owing to limited time at hand with the preparation of the personalized strategy for study and attempting mock tests

Major Sources:

1. Target XAT 2022-By Disha Publications- For PYQs (referred from after 2011)
2. Cracku’s Crash Course + 5 XAT mocks – For structuring my prep+ Simulating D-Day conditions
3. Manorama Year Book – For GK revision
4. Vision IAS month-wise booklets (a cursory overview on the last day)
5. CAT previous year papers (for practicing Quant and Comprehension)
6. TIME theory & practice booklets selectively for Grammar, Critical Reasoning, Fill in blanks, and Arguments & Statements

Planning Phase

• Prepared a 30-day sprint plan till D-Day with the basic framework as suggested in a video on StudyBuzz’s Youtube channel with personalization (eg. Reduced time on current affairs prep &comprehension and focus more on getting a hang of Decision Making, focusing on covering XAT-specific topics like poems, and grammar)
• Prepared an excel sheet to track my accuracy across test and sectional tests that I would attempt on daily basis and to note the general remarks and questions which had important concept learnings/tricks to follow regularly.

Execution Phase

• Set almost equal times for test analysis as that for solving sectionals/Mock XAT and made it a point to carefully read/hear the solutions provided to understand the gap between correct logic and my thought process. Further, I made conscious efforts to apply the correct processes on picking similar cues from questions faced in any mock to continually improve.
• I also kept aside 2-3 hrs each week to read up on current affairs trivia and note the most important people/events in news over the past 6 months from current affairs apps.
• For decision making, I referred to solutions of previous year DM XAT questions to understand the expectation of paper setter and draw patterns to select best option out of close & appealing options.
• For quant and verbal, I focussed more on practicing and used the strategy of “learning by doing”. Further, I also kept a track of my accuracy across areas to understand my weak areas and made it a point to revise its concepts and practice more on them.
• For us essay component was re-introduced late (~1 week before D-Day) and I prepared by writing short writeups on current affairs and GD topics (from the internet) in the format: Introduction-Key Arguments & Reasoning for them- Conclusion within the word limit and timed at ~7-8 min. I would self-analyze them post-completion based on the relevance of data, unique arguments put forth, presentation of reasoning for arguments, and scope of conclusion put forth.

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General Tips for Preparation for WAT-PI:

For now, just focus on reading current affairs from newspapers to build on the vocabulary and general awareness. If possible, discuss the news within your friend circle/parents/siblings, and practice substantiating your views clearly – which would help you slowly but surely build the base for your GDPI preparation.

Retrospect on your journey till now and note down any major/peculiar events (can be an event from childhood too) that can be discussed openly, which would help to converse comfortably with the interviewers. Most importantly, treat this as a casual learning activity, and don’t burn out under the load!

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Any Final Advice for aspirants

Irrespective of how your CAT went, continue the grind, and build up on the progress made till now. Don’t give up and attempt similar exams like IIFT, XAT, and SNAP too. In Nutshell: Despite the exams being in quick succession, the key to cracking them remains understanding the unique features of each exam and tweaking your preparation plan to it (and in line with your strengths and weaknesses)

Finally, do remember that one poor attempt/exam can’t define your worth!