XAT 2025 DECISION MAKING PREPARATION
NATIONAL LEVEL ONLINE TEST
XAT Decision Making is Part I of XAT with a total of 21 questions. There is no sectional time limit for this section, However a total of 165 minutes will be allotted for Part I of XAT which comprises of two other sections- XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation and Verbal and Logical Ability.
Let’s look at the weightage of different sections in recent years.
Must Read:
How to Prepare for XAT Quant: Solved Examples, Best Books, Preparation Tips
How to Prepare for XAT GK: Sample Questions, Best Books, previous Year Trends
How to Prepare for XAT VARC: Worked out Problems, Books, Best Tips
XAT decision making questions are the least in number compared to the other three. This however does not mean it should be ignored or holds less importance. Many XAT aspirants make the mistake of ignoring DM as it is mostly intuitive giving the impression that much practice is not required. Decision making tests the following areas in a candidate:
Year | Decision Making Section Difficulty | Number of Questions |
---|---|---|
2022 | Easy to moderate | 21 |
2021 | Moderate | 21 |
2020 | Moderate | 21 |
2019 | Moderate | 21 |
2018 | Moderate | 21 |
2017 | Moderate to diffucult | 21 |
Decision making for XAT is one of the hardest sections in XAT which needs logical reasoning practicing to excel. XAT decision making questions include a scenario in which a person is in some sort of ethical conundrum and you must make a decision out of the options given. Key highlights of XAT Exam Patternhas been given below:
Arithmetic | Analytical Reasoning |
Situational | Conditions and Grouping Test |
Data Arrangement Test | Reading Comprehension |
Case lets | Decision Making in a situation |
The 5 step approach usually works for decision making questions. It is approved by experts and a rather logical approach. These steps involve:
Reading the case - Read the case study carefully and try to collect the main points from it. Pay attention to the minute details. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the individuals involved in the problem.
Reading the questions - Read all the questions. This will help you find answers while scanning through it.
Analysing options - This is perhaps the most crucial part of solving the problem. This is because there is no answer completely correct or incorrect like mathematics. One answer can be more reasonable or ethical than another, putting the reader in a dilemma.
Elimination of options - There will be subtle differences in the answers which you must observe and analyze. Candidates are advised not to answer any question without observing the answers.
Verification - Verify your answer. Often candidates can come down to two options which appear to be equally correct. In such a scenario, choose the one which is more ideal rather than the practical one.
Candidates must familiarize themselves with the following terms to fare better in this section:
Also Read:XAT Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Preparation Tips and Books
Candidates can expect two types of questions in the decision making section. It is vital to understand both these types of questions to fare well in the exam.
Both types have been discussed with solution below:
The Case:
Seema was a finance manager in an MNC and felt that gender discrimination at workplace hampered her career growth. Frustrated, she quit the job and started a company. While starting her company, Seema decided that she would have equal proportion of males and females. Over the last six years, Seema emerged as a very successful entrepreneur and expanded her business to eight locations in the country. However, Seema recently started facing an ethical dilemma because she realized that female employees were not willing to travel across cities and work late hours, as the work required them to do so. Male employees did not hesitate undertaking such work. Seema started to feel the pressure of reducing the proportion of female employees. On the other hand, she is aware that equal representation was one of the strongest reasons for her to have founded the company.
Question: What should she do as a conscientious female entrepreneur?
Solution:
Read More:XAT Result, Percentile, Scorecard, Rank and Cutoff
The case:
Mr. Rajiv Singhal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Loha India Ltd., (a steel manufacturing company) had just been visited by several other directors of the company. The directors were upset with recent actions of the company president, Mr. Ganesh Thakur. They demanded that the board consider firing the president.
Mr. Thakur, recently appointed as president, had undertaken to solve some of the management employees problems by dealing directly with the individuals, as often as possible. The company did not have a history of strikes or any other form of collective action and was considered to have good work culture. However, Mr. Thakur felt that by dealing directly with individuals, he could portray the management's concern for the employees. An important initiative of Mr. Thakur was to negotiate wages of the supervisors with each supervisor. In these negotiation meetings he would not involve anyone else, including the Personnel Department which reported to him, so as to take unbiased decision. After negotiation, a wage contract would be drawn up for each supervisor. This, he felt, would recognize and reward the better performers. Mr. Thakur successfully implemented the process for most of the supervisors, except those working in night shift. For them, he had drawn up the contracts unilaterally benchmarking the wages of supervisors of night shift with that of supervisors of the day shift.
For several days Ram Lal, a night shift supervisor, had been trying to seek an appointment with Mr. Thakur about his wages. He was disgruntled, not only over his failure to see the president but also over the lack of discussions about his wage contract prior to its being effected. As a family man with six dependents, he felt his weekly wage should be higher than that granted to him.
Last Thursday afternoon Ram Lal stopped by the president's office and tried to see him. Mr. Thakur's secretary refused his request on the grounds that Mr. Thakur was busy. Infuriated, Ram Lal stormed into the president's office and confronted the startled Mr. Thakur, with his demands for a better wage. Mr. Thakur stood up and told Ram Lal to get out of his office and express his grievance through official channels. Ram Lal took a swing at the president who in turn punched Ram Lal on the jaw and knocked him unconscious.
Question 1: The most likely premise behind Mr. Thakur's initiative regarding individualised meetings with the supervisors seems to be:
Question 2: Out of the following, which one seems to be the most likely cause of Ram lays grievance?
Question 3: The most important causal factor for this entire episode could be:
Question 4: The situation with Mr. Lal could have been avoided if Mr. Thakur had
The option that best arranges the above managerial interventions in decreasing order of organisational impact is:
D, B, C, A
D, C, B, A
D, C, A, B
0, A, B, C
B, C, A, D
Solution for question 1:
Solution for question 2:
Solution for question 3:
Solution for question 4:
This section is important for your future as one might come across a situation where you must take hard decisions in management or similar positions. It is a test of your ability to produce maximum benefit in minimum time.
Suggested Read:XAT Topper Tips by Akash Senapati
Here are some best practices or do’s and don’ts while solving Decision Making for XAT:
Some resources that will help you prepare for this section are:
Also Check:XAT Preparation Books for Each Section
Year | Decision Making Section Analysis |
---|---|
2022 | 21 Questions was easy-moderate in terms of difficulty level. There were 7 passages with 3 questions each Analytical skills were not required and most questions were doable in the stipulated time limit. |
2021 | 21 Questions of moderate level were asked from XAT 2021 DM. Desired sectional percentage is 70-80 for male and 70-75 for female candidates. Questions came from the following topics:Trade between villages, New recruit, Sit and drink your coffee, Laptop braking, Brand ambassador, Solar power facility, Children of the proprietor. Few questions were short and easy to read while others were ambiguous in nature. |
2020 | Questions of moderate level with no singlets which made this section easy. Mathematical or analytical reasoning questions were missing and 16 - 17 would be a good attempt. |
2019 | 18 questions from decision making of moderate difficulty level. 3 questions were similar to that of the previous year. |
2018 | The mathematical part was on the easier side and the nonmathematical part consisted of 8 sets with 2 - 3 questions from each with medium level of difficulty. |
2017 | The non mathematical part consisted of mostly lengthy questions of medium level difficulty. Mathematical part was of medium - difficult level. |
2016 | Decision making section was of a similar difficulty level as 2017. Reading and interpretation passage was however smaller. |
Question: What is the difficulty level of XAT Decision Making?
Ans. The difficulty level of XAT Decision making is usually easy to moderate. The questions are usually in the form of caselets ith 203 based on data arrangement, inference and judgement, ethical dilemmas, business decision making, situational decision making. As per the previous year’s analysis attempting around 16-17 questions can be considered a good attempt.
Question: Is there negative marking in XAT decision-making?
Ans. Yes, for every incorrect answer, 0.25 marks will be deducted.
Question: How many questions can I expect from XAT decision-making?
Ans. You can expect 21 questions from XAT decision-making. Since there is no fixed syllabus in Decision making section, candidates should attempt to solve pas year questions and mock tests for preparation. The questions will mainly be in three formats- Single question prompts, 2-3 question prompts and 4-5 question prompts.
Question: What is the time limit for XAT decision-making section?
Ans. The sectional time limit for the first 3 sections is 165 mins which include DM. There is no separate time limit for decision-making. However in order to ensure that the Paper is completed within time limit, questions from Decision Making section should be attempted within 30 to 35 minutes.
Question: Can I bring a calculator to XAT exam?
Ans. No, any type of electronics is not allowed inside the XAT exam hall.
Question: Are candidates allowed to switch between sections in XAT exam?
Ans. Yes, candidates can switch between sections of Part I- Decision Making, Verbal and Logical Ability and Quantitative Abiliyy and Data Interpretation. However only after completion of Part I, candidates can switch to Part II questions.
Ans. If your profile is suitable for the specialization that you have opted for and you didn’t get a call based on your profile, then a CAT score of 95-96 can get you a call. But it is not necessarily true that everyone with a score of around 96+ will get a score-based call. They evaluate profiles too for shortlisting. 96-97 is a decent score for XAT. A score above 98 in either of these two should get you a call. Read more
Ans. Some XAT aspirants might have already been receiving calls from IIMs before they write XAT. While the others who did not will be all the more determined to qualify XAT. Yes, it will be an advantage to all students appearing for XAT because they will know where they stand. Most of the people who get really good scores in CAT rarely sit for XAT. Read more
Ans. Yes, as the questions are a bit more difficult than CAT in both quant and English. VARC can be a bit difficult, if you have not focussed on topics of critical reasoning and decision making in your class. Quant sees a number of questions from inequality, progression, boolean algebra, PnC and the general level is higher than CAT. The percentile-score balance and cut-offs for top 5 colleges which accept XAT scores, have low requirements. People aren't able to get those scores also because the exam is tough. XAT is easier because it is largely predictable. CAT is famous for being very unpredictable. So XAT is tougher than CAT by the level of questions asked. But as their paper is largely predictable it makes it comparatively easier to attempt. Read more
Ans. JBIMS is a well-known management institute located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The cut-off for JBIMS through CAT, XAT, and CET for Maharashtra people varies each year and depends on various factors such as the difficulty level of the exam, the number of applicants, etc. Here are some approximate cut-off scores for JBIMS through CAT, XAT, and CET for Maharashtra people: CAT: The approximate cut-off percentile for JBIMS through CAT for Maharashtra candidates is 95+ percentile. XAT: The approximate cut-off percentile for JBIMS through XAT for Maharashtra candidates is 85+ percentile. CET: The approximate cut-off score for JBIMS through CET for Maharashtra candidates is 135+ out of 200. These are approximate cut-offs, and the actual cut-offs may vary from year to year. Also, meeting the cut-off is just the first step towards getting into JBIMS, and the selection process involves several other factors such as academic performance, work experience, group discussion, and personal interviews. It is advisable to prepare well and aim for a high percentile or score to increase your chances of getting admission to JBIMS. Read more
Ans. SPJIMR According to the information available, the expected cutoff for SP Jain Institute of Management for both profile-based and normal calls through CAT and XAT is not released yet. So I will base the answer on last year's cutoff XAT: 93.5 percentile CAT: 85 percentile However itâs important to note that for more certainty of admission, one must score around 93-95%ile score and a 680-690 min on GMAT. XIMB The XLRI admission cut-off is directly influenced by the difficulty level of the XAT question paper. XAT 2023 exam was held on January 8, 2023. The question paper was of moderate difficulty level, the same as last year. Given below are the section-wise XAT cut-off for XLRI admission 2023: General Engineers (BM) 95 Male 92 Female General Non Engineer (BM) 95 Male 92 Female General Engineers (HRM) 93 Male 91 Female General Non Engineers (HRM) 90 Male 88 Female XIMB CAT cutoff for the previous year was 91 percentile for Business Management and HRM cutoff hasnât been released yet. Read more
Ans. JBIMS, Mumbai is a highly respected management institute in India that offers a variety of programs including MHRD, MMS, M.Sc Finance, and Part-time MBA. Admissions to JBIMS MMS are divided into two categories: "Maharashtra State Candidates" and "Other than Maharashtra State Candidates." For candidates from Maharashtra, the MAH CET score is considered, while for candidates from outside Maharashtra, JBIMS accepts CAT/MAH CET/CMAT/GMAT scores. Shortlisted candidates are required to attend the CAP conducted by the Maharashtra State CET Cell. JBIMS only accepts valid MAH-CET scores for admission to its full-time MMS course, which is affiliated with Mumbai University. In the previous year, the highest cutoff for MAH-CET 2021 was 99.97%, recorded by JBIMS. For round 2 of MAH-CET, the score was recorded as 99.95%. MAH-CET releases cutoffs with merit lists for two distinct categories, the Maharashtra State (MH) category and the All India (AI) category, following a normalization method. Read more
Ans. IMI Delhi accepts only CAT/GMAT scores. The expected XAT cutoff for the rest of colleges are as follows: B-School Expected XAT cutoff IMI Kolkata 60 Fore Delhi 86.5 KJ Somaiya 70-73 TAPMI 85 Read more
Ans. There are no such qualifying marks for XAT. You need to clear the required cutoff of the particular institutes to be shortlisted. Here is the XAT cutoff 2022 for various institutes. Institute XAT cutoff percentile XLRI BM- 90-93 HRM - 87-92 XIMB 90-93 SPJIMR Mumbai 93-95 KJ Somaiya 85-90 IMT Ghaziabad 90-92 TAPMI Manipal 80-85 GIM Goa 85-90 MICA Ahmedabad 80-85 Grate Lakes Institute of Management 80-85 These are the expected cutoff based on last years cutoff trends. Read more
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College
Comments
Comments
No Comments To Show