XAT 2025 READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES

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    XAT Reading Comprehension Preparation 2023: Exam Pattern, Best Books, Difficulty Level

    XAT Reading Comprehension is part of the XAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section which comprises of total 26 questions in Part I of XAT. Candidates will be allotted a total of 165 minutes for Part I which will consist of two other sections- Decision making and Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation. There is no sectional time limit. Reading Comprehension is an important part of XAT Syllabus 2023 with passages expected from economic issues, fiction, psychology, history, social issues, technology, philosophy, etc. CheckXAT Exam Pattern 2023

    • The difficulty level of Reading Comprehension in VARC is often compared with the VARC section of CAT. The passages are smaller but the difficulty level is higher.
    • Based on the previous year's trends, the overall Verbal Ability section of XAT had an easy to moderate difficulty level with 18-22 questions considered as good attempts. Check XAT Exam Analysis 2022
    • The Reading Comprehension includes passages with around 3-4 questions in each. Due to the dynamic nature of the topics in Reading Comprehension, candidates should follow a well prepare strategy for this section. CheckXAT Verbal Ability Preparation 2023

    XAT Reading Comprehension Difficulty

    In XAT 2022, the Verbal Ability section had an overall difficulty level of easy to moderate. The total number of questions in this section was 26. 

    • There were around 4 Reading Comprehension passages from topics like Stupidity, Conformism, Bullshit, and Lifestyles with around 3-4 questions in each.
    • There were also 2 poems with 3 questions in each.
    • In 2021, the overall difficulty level of the Verbal Ability section was moderate to difficult. There were a total of 17 Reading Comprehension questions from 6 passages and 1 poem. The passages were 150-350 words long.

    XAT Verbal and Logical Ability 2023 Exam Pattern

    FeatureDetails
    ModeComputer Based Test
    Duration40-50 minutes
    Type of QuestionsObjective (MCQs)
    Number of Questions 26
    Total Marks 26 
    Marks awarded+1 for every correct answer
    Negative marking-0.25 for every wrong answer
    Medium of Questions English
    Score considered for percentile calculationYes 

    Tricks for Reading Comprehension Passages

    1. However boring the RC passage maybe, the candidate has to go for a thorough reading of the same to get a general idea. Read again, a little at a slower pace to comprehend the details. Try writing a summary and be as precise as you can. The summary you write shouldn’t exceed one-third of the original passage. Keep a note that if you can prepare the summary, you can crack the questions with much more ease.
    2. While writing the summary practice writing down full sentences and make a chart on time taken in reading the entire passage and then writing down the summary of the passage. Find out if the time is decreasing with practice.
    3. There can be certain vocabulary in th passage that is new, but the parts of the sentence or paragraph in which it used can be understood in general, so try not to panic. The options and the hint that you have taken, in all likeliness, be correct, if the general meaning is understood.
    4. Always have a paper and pen while practising RC and try to write down new and essential words. By the time you finish, a broad comprehension of the passage will be apparent and the candidate will be prepared to answer the question.
    5. Skimming or selective reading of a passage at a fast pace will benefit the candidate to grasp the theme, central idea, title and tone of the passage.
    6. Scanning or reading for select information involves looking for the compulsory information from a part of the passage. This will benefit the candidate to answers questions that are direct or specific and located in parts of the passage.
    7. Intensive Reading or reading every part of the passage and trying to comprehend all sentences of the passage will benefit the candidate to answer questions based on inference, which of the following is true/untrue and the EXCEPT questions.

    Also Read:

    Tips to Navigate through Reading Comprehension Passages

    1. If one cannot reduce answer choices to TWO choices, then it is advised to leave the question and move ahead.
    2. In all of the previous XAT papers that in any difficult question, 3 or 4 options are invariably wide off the mark leaving the test taker with a clear opportunity to get down to 1 or 2 options. Thus, always have a good look at the answer options before leaving any question unattempted.
    3. EXCEPT questions, Which of the following is NOT TRUE, Which of the following is CONTRARY to…type of questions may initially come across as challenging to answer but are really the easiest questions in this sub-section. This is as a result of 4 options that will have been specified with the passage and the correct answer choice will not have been quoted at all in the passage or will be wide off the mark.
    4. The practice of the tones that will be arriving in the paper such as naïve, ironical, hyperbolic, sarcastic, objective etc. CheckXAT VARC Practice Papers
    5. Comprehend the dissimilarities between inferences, conclusions and assumptions.
    6. If the candidate is still not certain of this question type after going through the guidelines listed above, then it is advised he/she graze and scan the passages, answer the theme/direct question of the passage and move on to other areas of the section quickly. Do not get knocked out with one question or passage. Nonetheless, please do not neglect more than 8 questions in this section untried as XAT authorities can punish the candidate to the extent of 0.1 marks per question.
    7. Learn to leave questions untried whose answers you have no clue of. DO NOT be conceited and cocky and try and attempt all questions (along with the questions whose answers you cannot narrow down to two options). This recklessness on your part will in most probability make your percentile go down. Also, you will have exhausted a lot of time in answering only a few questions. Cultivating a good sense of the questions to leave alone can come about only by rehearsing a lot of mock tests. Read: XAT Coaching Centres Online
    8. Cultivate a sense of imagery. This will assist in answering questions asked from poems – For example, ‘A Black Lake’ will symbolize? Answer: Freshwater lakes are colourless. A lake that is black in colour puts the opposite – water that is black because it is dirty, polluted and poisoned by chemical effluents and where new plants or fish cannot grow or breed. Thus, the black lake represents a lack of rebirth.
    9. Cultivate good reading habits. In the run-up to the XAT, allot some time every day for learning from good materials like the 100 Best Books in Gutenberg and other classics.

    Also Read:

    XAT Reading Comprehension 2023 Preparation Books

    Books Author/Publication
    Word Power Made EasyNorman Lewis 
    30 Days to a More Powerful VocabularySimon and Schuster/ Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis
    Verbal Ability and Reading ComprehensionAjay Singh
    How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading ComprehensionArun Sharma 

    Read: XAT Section Wise Best Books

    XAT Reading Comprehension 2023 Syllabus

    Though there is no fixed syllabus for Reading Comprehension, candidates can expect passages regarding information, central idea-focused, right or wrong statements, explanation of words and phrases, reader’s observation, etc. Candidates can expect questions from Reading Comprehension based on the following topics:

    • Economic Affairs
    • Fiction
    • Psychology
    • Culture
    • Science
    • History
    • Literature 
    • Social Science 
    • Philosophy

    XAT Reading Comprehension FAQs

    Ques.: How many questions are expected from Reading Comprehension in XAT? 

    Ans.: Reading Comprehension is a part of Verbal and Logical Ability in XAT Part I. There are a total of 26 questions. In 2022, there were a total of 4 passages with 3 questions from each. Candidates can expect around 4-5 passages of 300-450 words with 3-4 questions from each passage.

    Ques: What is the difficulty level of Reading Comprehension in XAT?

    Ans: The difficulty level of Reading Comprehension in XAT is usually moderate to difficult. A few difficult passages can be expected in XAT question paper. 

    Ques.: How much can I take for Reading Comprehension questions in XAT?

    Ans: Candidates are allotted a total of 165 questions for Part I of XAT.  There is no sectional time limit. However, an attempt should be made to complete the entire verbal ability section in a maximum of 50 minutes. Ideally, for Reading Comprehension, candidates can allocate a total of 30 minutes.

    Ques.: What are some of the common types of questions from Reading Comprehension in XAT?

    Ans: Some common types of questions from Reading Comprehension in XAT include passages based on the central idea, tone questions, agree-disagree statements, inference, vocabulary, and fact-based passages.

    Ques.: What are inference and structure-based questions in Reading Comprehension of XAT?

    Ans: In Inference questions, candidates are required to deduce, analyse and decipher the passage. Structure-based questions follow a certain flow of ideas. These questions are based more on the ability to decipher the purpose of the particular paragraph. 

    XAT 2025 : 8 Answered QuestionsView All

    • Top Answer By Arpita Banerjee on 07-Dec-2021

    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

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    • Top Answer By Vishesh Thapa on 07-Dec-2021

    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

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    • Top Answer By Manali Tomar on 13-Dec-2021

    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

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    • Top Answer By Chirag Mishra on 11-Apr-2023

    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

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    • Top Answer By Ishant Jain on 13-Mar-2023

    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 it’s 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 hasn’t been released yet. Read more

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    • Top Answer By Shikha Agrawal on 28-Feb-2023

    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

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    • Top Answer By Shreya Matta on 26-Dec-2022

    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

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    • Top Answer By Aruna Mukharjee on 24-Jun-2022

    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

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    *The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College

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