Following a self-crafted preparation strategy, XAT Topper Akash Senapati with his hard work made it to XIM Bhubaneswar. He cracked XAT 2018 with 91.4 percentile while working in the profession of content writing.

Let’s have a look at his views to learn from his journey, which can be a motivation for lakhs of XAT 2021 aspirants.

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What was Akash’s XAT 2018 overall and sectional percentile?

He scored 91.4 percentile in XAT 2018. Sectional scores in Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, and Decision Making were 72.67, 96.78 and 93.7 percentile respectively.

Check XAT Topper Tips By Arya Balial

Apart from XAT, what were the other entrances he appeared for?

Apart from XAT Akash also appeared for CAT, SNAP, NMAT, and MICAT in which he secured 95.89, 97.8 and 94 percentile in CAT, SNAP, NMAT respectively. In MICAT, he achieved a score of 52.

What was his Preparation Method – Self-study or Coaching?

According to Akash, coaching is the better option as classroom study gives you the exact idea about the level of competition in examinations. Appropriate guidance is needed to ace the exam. But in the end, it's all about how smartly one utilizes the guidance. 

What was his preparation strategy for XAT?

• Making the point clear on how he prepared for the exam, he shared that he focused on the basics which according to him are the fundamental units for the preparation of any exam.
• Secondly, Revision which again is the best way to remember what one has already learned.
• Lastly, what he added were the frequent mock tests which makes one confident about taking the exam and helps one identify his/her strong and weak zones. .

Reading helped him enhance his verbal ability score. 

For quantitative aptitude, he believes that study material from any reputed institute can be a valuable source of preparation. Also, remember the squares and cubes of the first 30 natural numbers and few formulae which can help save time during the exam. 

For the decision-making section, as there are no well-defined resources for this section, one must solve the previous year XAT questions for getting a rough idea.

When did he start preparing for XAT?

Akash shared that he started preparing for XAT in late April. At first, he spent a lot of hours on clearing the basics. In the last three months, he appeared for mock exams almost every alternate day so that he can analyze them to work on his strengths and can notice his mistakes. In the last month, he spent most of his hours in remembering every formula and shortcut.

What was Akash’s last minute preparation strategy?

While appearing for XAT, in the last few days before the exam, he used to watch a lot of movies while keeping a tab on the important formulae. As the day approaches, one should take ample amount of rest to keep the mental faculties at their peak level, as suggested by Akash.

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What was his exam day strategy in terms of question selection, time management, and accuracy?

Akash shares that he focused on his strengths to maximize his score. On the other hand, question selection is something that comes with lots of practice. Coming to time management, it’s a skill that can only be developed after appearing for as many mock examinations as possible.

What is his message for future XAT aspirants?

Always be in touch with the things which make you happy. Never lose sight of the focus. There’s a great surprise awaiting you at the end of this tortuous journey. Just be calm and confident.

Study Material Suggested by Akash