XAT 2022 – How to Crack Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation: XAT exam is known for being different from other MBA entrance exams. Therefore, the level of preparation should also be a little different. This time XAT will be conducted on 2nd January 2022 across India. In this blog, we will be discussing the tips on how to crack Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation section in XAT.
Candidates often find it tough to crack the Quantitative ability (QA) & Data Interpretation (DI) section in most competitive exams. In XAT also the emphasis is on QA-DI as it is one of the sections whose score is considered for arriving at the final XAT scorecard.
Before starting with the tips to crack QA-DI, let us look at some of the important points about the XAT QA-DI section
XAT QA & DI – Important Points
- XAT QA-DI section consists of 28 question as per the latest XAT exam pattern
- The questions from this section is mostly from QA. In other words, the distribution of questions between QA and DI is unequal, with most questions coming from QA.
- The Quantitaive ability section consists of questions from topics of arithmetic, geometry, modern math, algebra. Most questions can be expected from the arithmetic and geometry section.
- The Data Interpretation section is comparatively simple but require extensive calculation on part of the candidate. Hence, can be time consuming.
XAT Sectional Break up QA-DI
The topic-wise breakup of the XAT 2021 QA-DI section is presented below. It is expected that a similar pattern will be seen in the XAT 2022 paper.
| Topic | Number of questions |
| Algebra | 4 |
| Arithmetic | 5 |
| Geometry | 5 |
| Number System | 2 |
| Modern Maths | 3 |
| DI (Venn Diagram) | 3 |
| DI (Set theory) | 3 |
| DI (Scatter Plot) | 3 |
| Total | 28 |
Let us look into some of the most important tips for QA-DI preparation for XAT.
XAT Preparation Tips – How to Crack QA-DI
- XAT exam is such that the candidate needs to devote a considerable amount of time to prepare individual sections. As the quantitative ability and data interpretation section is carrying the most number of questions, it becomes a scoring section as well as an important section for qualifying for XAT.
- The QA-DI section comprises questions from the topics of Algebra, Geometry, Arithmetic, Probability, Logarithm, Simple and Compound Interest, Profit and Loss, Number System, Tables, Chart, Graphs, Average etc.
- XAT QA-DI section is calculation intensive and therefore the candidates should be thorough with all the formulas in order to solve questions properly.
- It is suggested that the candidates should start preparing sectional mock tests for the QA-DI section as it will help improve the speed and accuracy that will result in more questions attempted from this section.
- Track your mock test performance for this section and see what is the score obtained for the last 10 mocks. It will help you in identifying the areas that need attention and also areas that you are strong at.
- Also, make sure to take the official mock test released by XAT. It will give you a fair idea of what to expect and the areas to improve before appearing for the XAT exam.
- The candidates should prepare by solving questions of varying difficulty, ideally, the preparation should start with simple questions and progressively the difficulty levels should be increased.
- For XAT data interpretation questions, candidates should solve questions from tables and bar graphs, charts and set theory
- It is very essential to do mental calculations in order to solve questions faster. Therefore, the candidates should be memorizing tables till 20 and square roots up to 100.
- Lastly, candidates should keep in mind the negative marking factor, guessing an answer for a question that a candidate is not confident of will not only carry the risk of negative marketing, it will also consume time which can be utilized for solving questions that can be done confidently.
XAT Marking Scheme
The XAT marking scheme is presented here for the candidate’s reference:
| Sl.No | Category | Marks Awarded/Deducted |
| 1 | For every correct answer | +1 |
| 2 | For every incorrect answer | -0.25 |
| 3 | Unattempted answer | -0.1 |
XAT Syllabus QA-DI
The XAT QA-DI Syllabus is presented below:
XAT QA Syllabus
| Sl.No | Topics |
| 1 | Profit and Loss |
| 2 | LCM and HCF |
| 3 | Speed, Time and Distance |
| 4 | Time and Work |
| 5 | Average |
| 6 | Mixture and Alligation |
| 7 | Inequality |
| 8 | Ratio and Proportion |
| 9 | Quadratic Equations |
| 10 | Geometry |
| 11 | Binomial Theorem |
| 12 | Permutation and Combination |
| 13 | Probability |
| 14 | Set theory |
XAT DI Syllabus
| Sl.No | Topics |
| 1 | Data Table |
| 2 | Data Analysis |
| 3 | Venn Diagram |
| 4 | Bar Graph |
| 5 | Pie Charts |
| 6 | Situational Caselests |
Books for XAT QA-DI
Following are some of the books that can be referred by the candidates during their XAT preparation
- How to prepare for Data Interpretation by Arun Sharma
- Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by R.S. Aggarwal
Conclusion
We hope that the tips and strategies suggested here will be very useful for the XAT preparation and help the candidates in performing well in XAT 2022. Stay connected for more such updates.
Oliveboard is a learning & practice platform for premier entrance exams. We have helped over 1 crore users since 2012 with their Bank, SSC, Railways, Insurance, Teaching and other competitive Exams preparation.
Oliveboard Live Courses & Mock Test Series
