How to Prepare for XAT 2025 Exam in 1 Month: Check Last Month Plan and Tips

Exam On - 4 Jan '26

Senior Manager - Content

Updated on Dec 13, 2024 15:57 IST

The last one month of XAT 2025 preparation is to be utilised for revision and working on strengths in a focused manner. Aspirants need to keep the focus on practice tests and analysis. Check out tips & tricks to prepare for XAT 2025 in one month.

XAT 2025 exam is less than one month away, start focusing on fixing the loop holes. By the last month of XAT 2025 preparation, one is abouy 80 percent prepared for the exam. In this last one month, spend time on practicing XAT mock tests, revising key topics and memorizing static GK to cover the remaining 20 percent. Most of the MBA aspirants have appeared for CAT 2024 and are pretty much prepared for tackling a speed based test. All you will need to do now is to shift your focus to XAT based practice and preparation. Read this article to get tips on XAT 2025 preparation in last one month.

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There will be four sections in XAT exam 2025 i.e. Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge. The preparation strategy for XAT 2025 in the last month should be based on how much XAT syllabus one has covered so far.

Q: How can I cover the XAT syllabus by self study?

If you are planning to appear for the XAT exam by self study, you must start early as the syllabus is vast and tough. To cover the XAT syllabus by self study, candidates must refer to the books recommended for XAT preparation. You can take help from the following books to cover the XAT syllabus but do join a study forum to get help from mentors and peers when need be:

How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma
Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT Common Admission Tests for Admission into IIMs by Sarvesh K Verma
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha
Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency by Ananta Ashisha/Arihant
Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
Objective General English by Dr RS Agarwal and Vikas Agarwal
High School English Grammar by Wren & Martin
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha
Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency by Ananta Ashisha
How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma

Q: Is XAT tough for candidates from non-Engineering background?

Yes, XAT is slightly tougher for candidates with non-Engineering background as the Quantitative Aptitude section is of higher difficulty level. However, they can crack it if they work on the fundamentals of Math and practice questions of all difficulty levels. It will take time but they will be able to crack XAT's quant section if they dedicate extra hours to it. Aspirants can find XAT study material online in various online study groups. Students’ groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. share study material with each other. One can also download MBA exam preparation apps to get relevant and useful study material.

The good part about XAT is that, it has different cut offs for candidates belonging to different academic backgrounds. As part of its commitment to academic diversity, the institute has lower cut offs for candidates from non-engineering background than candidates from engineering background.

Q: It is possible to crack XAT exam in first attempt?

Yes, it is possible to crack XAT exam in first attempt. But for that, one needs to have a proper plan and start the preparation about 9-10 months before the exam. XAT is a high difficulty level exam and one needs to cover the exam syllabus end to end to be able to score well. Covering the entire XAT syllabus requires 4-5 months and rest of the time is to be devoted to practice and revision.

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MBA aspirants who have appeared for or appearing for other MBA entrance exams as well, then they need to mainly focus on Decision Making and Essay Writing for XAT. Here we have mentioned tips to prepare for XAT 2025 exam in one month.

How to Prepare for XAT 2024 in One Month

Focus on XAT Exam Pattern

XAT is mainly a test of decision-making skills, calculative skills, cognitive ability, language comprehension and general knowledge. It has a unique section – Decision Making. Since not much study material is available for this particular section, preparation for it is based on previous year XAT question papers only.

XAT has sectional time-limit. Candidates have to complete Part 1 of the question paper i.e. Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation in 170 minutes. The General Knowledge art is of 10 minutes. There is no essay writing in XAT this year, so you will find it easier to handle the pressure. Take a look at the XAT 2025 exam pattern below.

Q: In how many months can I prepare for XAT?

Ideally, XAT preparation takes six to nine months, but if candidates have prepared for CAT too, XAT preparation can be done in lesser time as one will have to only work on Decision Making and General Knowledge topics. Those who are weak in English Comprehension must start reading practice early on. The ideal time to start XAT preparation is May, so you can cover the whole syllabus by October and dedicate two months to mock test practice.

If you start studying for XAT late, by July or so, make sure you complete the syllabus by October only. Remember that XAT syllabus is tough, so you’ll need to study at least 6-8 hours daily from start until the end. Give ample time to yourself to complete the XAT syllabus.

Q: What was the difficulty level of XAT 2025 exam?

XAT 2025 exam was of moderate difficulty level. The students who had appeared for the exam last year, said the XAT 2025 question paper was not much different. Section wise, Quantitative Aptitude questions were on the tougher side, Verbal Ability and Decision Making were easy to moderate and GK was easy.

There was one poem for RC as always. Quantitative Aptitude section was dominated by Arithmetic and GK had questions on very recent events.

Q: Are six months enough to prepare for XAT?

There is no set time limit to prepare for XAT exam, but you need a minimum of six months for preparation. Ideally candidates need to start XAT preparation by April, however, if they start by June or July too, they can complete the syllabus within time and have ample time for practice of sample papers and mock tests. In order to utilize six months that you have for XAT preparation, do the following:

Make monthly, weekly and daily time tables to study and don’t deviate from that routine.
Start with subjects which you are your weak spots. We suggest start with studying Quantitative Aptitude and English.
For Reading Comprehension, read editorials of newspapers and magazines every day. Read fiction, non-fiction, autobiographies, etc. for strengthening English vocabulary and comprehension.
Download MBA exam preparation apps on your phone so that you can revise topics, solve reasoning or English puzzles anywhere when you get time.

Q: What is the difficulty level of the Quantitative Aptitude questions in XAT?

The difficulty level of the Quantitative Aptitude (QA) section in XAT varies from year to year, but generally, the QA section is considered to be moderately difficult to difficult. The questions in this section are designed to test a candidate's mathematical and analytical skills, and they cover a wide range of topics, including arithmetic, Algebra geometry, Trigonometry Probability and Statistics. The QA section of XAT often includes questions that are complex and require a high level of mathematical proficiency. The questions may be in the form of data interpretation or require candidates to use logical reasoning and critical thinking skills to arrive at the correct answer. To score well in the QA section of XAT it is important to have a strong foundation in mathematics and practice a wide variety of questions from different sources. Candidates should focus on developing their problem-solving and time management skills and work on improving their speed and accuracy in solving QA questions. Overall, the QA section of XAT can be challenging, but with proper preparation and practice, candidates can improve their performance and score well in this section. Please upvote if it was helpful.

Q: Can I prepare for XAT with CAT preparation material?

Yes, you can definitely use CAT (Common Admission Test) preparation material to prepare for XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test), as there is a significant overlap in the syllabus and level of difficulty between the two exams. Both CAT and XAT have sections on Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation, Verbal Ability, and Logical Reasoning, which are common to both exams. However, XAT also has a separate section on Decision Making, and a section on General Knowledge, which is not present in CAT. So, while the preparation material for CAT can provide a good foundation for the common sections of XAT candidates should also practice specifically for Decision Making and General Knowledge sections, using appropriate study material and resources. In addition to CAT preparation material, candidates can also refer to XAT-specific preparation books and study material to get a better understanding of the exam pattern and type of questions asked in XAT. It's important to note that while the preparation material is important, the key to success in XAT is consistent practice and thorough understanding of concepts. So, candidates should focus on building their conceptual clarity, practicing regularly, and analyzing their performance to identify areas of improvement.

XAT Exam Pattern 2025

Check below the highlights of latest XAT exam pattern based on the previous year's question paper:

XAT exam features	Details
Sections	Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge
Test duration	180 minutes Part 1- 170 minutes Part 2 - 10 minutes
Questions	Decision Making: 22 Verbal and Logical Ability: 26 Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation: 27 General Knowledge: 20
Marking scheme	One mark allotted for each right attempt in all sections For every wrong attempt, there is deduction of 0.25 marks There is a deduction of 0.05 marks 8 consecutive unanswered questions There is no negative marking in GK section Essay Writing will be evaluated only after candidate's selection for PI

XAT Preparation for GK and Decision Making

Decision Making and General Knowledge are exclusive to XAT. Thus, candidates who are also appearing for other MBA entrance exams need to focus specifically on the preparation of these two sections. Other sections i.e. Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation are common to CAT/MAT/SNAP/CMAT/IIFT. Read some key tips for Decision Making and General Knowledge preparation:

General Knowledge: For GK section, stay updated with current affairs. Read news around International affairs, politics, economy, sports, trade as well as science, sociology etc. daily. If you were not preparing for this section thoroughly or on a monthly basis then it is better to catch up with major events and achievements in the last one month before XAT 2025. Give preference to annual or bi-annual business magazines or GK year books. In XAT exam, GK section is the easiest of all and least time taking. It carries 25 questions and not more than 15 minutes should be allotted to attempt this section. Aim for attempting at least three questions or more in a minute.
Decision Making: This section is based on business situations and logical reasoning. To score maximum marks in this section, it is advised to put all the data in the most logical and ethical manner, including CSR, transparency, legal and other aspects of corporate principles. To excel in XAT Decision Making, take up business case studies and previous years' XAT questions papers. The Decision Making section comprises 22 questions based on paragraphs and passages with multiple options and candidates have to decide the correct answer based on the situation. The closest correct option usually is the one which is in favour of the larger good/group - the bedrock of a good business decision. Study all about business terms, types of markets as well as about business authors, corporate books, theories and practices to ace this section.

Revision and XAT Mock Tests

The last one month of XAT preparation should be utilised on revisions, XAT mock tests and working on strengths and weaknesses. Just because Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability, Verbal & Logical Ability are common sections in all MBA entrance exams, candidates must not risk losing marks in these sections due to lack of practice. The more you practice sample questions and mock tests, more the chances of developing speed and accuracy. Maximise your scoring in all four sections to achieve a good overall XAT percentile. Taking XAT mock tests regularly will help in understanding and interpreting complex questions of Decision Making, Data Interpretation and Logical Ability effortlessly. With XAT mock tests, candidates will learn tricks to attempt questions, evaluate the time spent on each section. They will gain confidence when XAT mock test scores will show improvement. It is a way to get real-time exam experience.

Shiksha XAT Mock Test (Free)

XAT_Mock_Test_1	XAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions
XAT_Mock_Test_2	XAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions

Helpful Tips to Prepare for XAT 2025 Exam

Remain calm and stress-free because if you put yourself under any stress due to lack of practice or competition then it can hamper your self-esteem and test-taking skills.
It is best if you practice all previous years’ XAT questions papers to sharpen your skills for each section.
Time management is the key and you can focus on managing time for each section and also, consider not falling in the trap of tricky questions and ending up wasting time. If any question takes more than the ideal time then skip the question even during mock test (only then you’ll actually be preparing for XAT 2025). There will be a deduction of 0.05 marks for eight consecutive unanswered questions, therefore do not risk your valuable time for tricky questions.

About the Author

Vipra Shrivastava

Senior Manager - Content

Vipra is a massive Breaking Bad fan. When not watching crime drama series, she spends time in updating the list of places she wants to visit and people she wants to meet, but she is happiest in the company of dogs. ... Read Full Bio

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