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XAT Books are an essential part of XAT exam preparation. Choosing the right books for XAT preparation is the most crucial step while devising a preparation strategy for the exam.
- XAT Books are important for candidates to learn complex concepts, short tricks and solve questions of different types and difficulty levels. Check XAT Previous Year Question Papers
- Candidates are advised to select only those XAT books for preparation that have been fully updated as per the latest exam pattern and syllabus. Check XAT 2023 Exam Pattern
- XAT Preparation Books are similar to those of other MBA exams such as NMAT, CAT, SNAP. Candidates should follow XAT Books by renowned authors like Arun Sharma, N K Sinha, Norman Lewis, etc. to prepare well for XAT 2023 exam. Check XAT 2023 Syllabus
- XAT 2023 is expected to be conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur on Jan 1, 2023, for admission to various MBA/ PGDM courses. As per the previous year’s trend, about 90000 candidates are expected to register for XAT 2023 from all over India.
- Apart from referring to Books for XAT preparation, candidates may also consider XAT Online Coaching for comprehensive preparation for XAT 2023. Also Check XAT Cutoff
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How to Choose XAT Books for Preparation?
Choosing the right resources is the key to ensuring the best preparation for XAT exam. XAT aspirants are advised to keep the following suggestions in mind before spending any money on XAT books or learning materials:
- Always go for the latest edition of XAT Books as they will be up to date according to the latest exam pattern and syllabus
- Choose the books authored by the most recommended and renowned authors like Arun Sharma for Quant, Norman Lewis for English, R K Jha for XAT Mock Tests, and Sample Papers.
- Choose XAT Books that target a particular section. In case you already have the study material for each section from coaching classes or other resources, you can choose a comprehensive guide for XAT preparation.
- Candidates should select XAT Books with the latest year of publication as it indicates the revised and updated version of the book.
- If your coaching center has provided you with study materials, use them along with the books.
- It is extremely important to refer to study material and books for XAT 2023 that consist of previous year papers and sample papers to better prepare for the exam.
Check: XAT Preparation Tips & Study Plan
XAT Exam Pattern 2023
XAT Exam Pattern has been revised by XLRI Jamshedpur. Last year, the essay writing section was reintroduced. The updated exam pattern for XAT 2023 is given below.
| Part | Section Name | Number of Questions | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | 165 minutes |
| Decision Making | 21 | ||
| Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | ||
| Part 2 | General Knowledge | 25 | 25 minutes |
| Essay Writing | 1 (It will be evaluated after the candidates is shortlisted for the PI round) | ||
| Total | - | 101 | 190 minutes |
Also Check XAT Previous Year Exam Analysis
XAT Books for Decision Making
The best way to prepare for XAT DM is to solve XAT previous year question papers. Key features of this section are:
- Negative marking of 25% for each wrong answer. 1 mark is awarded for all correct responses.
- Answering 15 - 16 questions out of 21 correctly is generally considered a good attempt as the cut off is usually around 7-8 marks.
- Questions are in the form of caselets followed by 2-3 MCQs.
- As per the analysis of previous year's exams, the difficulty level of this section is easy-moderate.
XAT books for Decision Making preparation 2023 along with the important features are listed below:
| Book Name | Author Name | Features Included |
|---|---|---|
| Jabbing the XAT (with solved papers) | RK Jha |
|
| Target XAT (Past papers and mock tests) | Disha Publications |
|
| Target XAT Simplified | Disha Experts |
|
| XAT Solved Papers | Gautam Puri | Solved previous year XAT question papers with detailed explanation |
XAT Books for Verbal & Logical Ability
| Book Name | Author Name | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | Ajay Singh |
|
| A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal |
|
| A New Approach to Reasoning Verbal & Non-Verbal (Arihant) | B S Sijwali |
|
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | Arun Sharma |
|
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
|
| High School English Grammar & Composition | Wren & Martin |
|
Also Read: XAT Verbal Ability Pattern & Syllabus
XAT Books for Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation
XAT QADI comprises 28 MCQs. Key features of this section are:
- QA and DI are considered to be the most difficult section in XAT.
- Questions from geometry, numbers, arithmetic, and algebra account for 50% of the quant questions in the paper. 3-4 DI sets having 3 questions each are asked.
- Attempting 15-18 questions is considered a good attempt to clear the sectional cut offs.
- Candidates will have about 150 seconds for each question.
XAT Books for Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation Preparation with features and author name are given below:
| Name of XAT Book | Author Name | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | RS Aggarwal |
|
| Fast Track Objective Arithmetic (Arihant) | Rajesh Verma |
|
| Quantum CAT | Sarvesh K Verma |
|
| How to Prepare for QA for CAT | Arun Sharma |
|
| How to Prepare for Data Interpretation | Arun Sharma |
|
| Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations | Abhijit Guha |
|
| Data Interpretation for the CAT | Nishit K Sinha |
|
Check XAT Quantitative Aptitude Pattern & Syllabus
XAT Books for General Knowledge
XAT General Knowledge and Essay sections form part 2 of XAT 2023 exam. Key features of XAT GK section include:
- The difficulty level of XAT GK is expected to be moderate. 25 questions will be asked from this section.
- For each given question, candidates will have 5 options to choose from.
- The time limit for XAT General Knowledge and essay will be 25 mins. For part 1 of XAT 2023 exam candidates will have the option of switching between the sections in the given time.
- For every correct response, 1 mark will be awarded. GK is the only section in XAT paper with no negative marking.
XAT Books for General Knowledge Preparation with author and ISBN:
| Book Name | Author Name | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Objective General Knowledge (Lucent’s) | Sanjiv Kumar |
|
| General knowledge (Lucent’s) | Dr. Binay Karna, R. P. Suman, Manvendra Mukul, Renu Sinha, Sanjeev Kumar |
|
| General Knowledge 2021 | Manohar Pandey |
|
More resources for XAT General Knowledge Preparation
Apart from the books mentioned above, candidates must make use of other resources for the best coverage of the entire General Knowledge syllabus. These are:
- Economic Times
- Competition Success Review
- The Financial Times
- Business World
- Manorama Yearbook
- Business Line
- Business Today
- The Hindu
- Hindu Business Line
- Current Affairs Yearly by Arihant
- Financial Express
- Wall Street Journal
Check XAT GK Pattern & Syllabus
XAT Books for Previous Year Solved Papers
Generic books covering XAT solved papers of previous years are a good way to target the entire paper. Solving papers for any exam can be highly beneficial as it helps aspirants to be completely stress-free and gain confidence.
- During the final months of the exam, try to solve at least 3 papers each week.
- Do not take more than the given time (3 hours) on a given paper.
- While solving a paper, pretend like you are actually giving the exam.
- Do not be upset if you cannot solve a problem. Look at the answer, try to understand the logic behind it and apply the same for similar problems.
XAT Books for Solved Previous Year Papers/Mock tests
| Book Name | Author Name | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Target XAT | Disha Experts (publisher) |
|
| XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) - Solved Papers Paperback | Gautam Puri | Contains detailed explanation of all questions |
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Other Useful Resources for XAT 2023 Preparation
For any management competitive exam, it is always recommended that aspirants refer to more than one source for preparation. What are some common types of study materials or resources that are available for XAT 2023 candidates?
- Monthly or weekly magazines
- Books covering entire sections
- Online learning programs
- Newspapers (online and offline)
- YouTube videos for a particular topic
- Mock test papers (online and offline)
- Previous year solved papers
Online Coaching Centers for XAT Preparation
Given below are the top online coaching centers for XAT 2023 preparation:
| Top Online Coaching Institutes for XAT Preparation | |
|---|---|
| Career Launcher | T.I.M.E 4 Education |
| IMS India | Gradeup |
| MBAguru | Unacademy |
| hitbullseye | Catking |
| BYJUs | TestFunda |
Must Read: XAT 2023 Top Coaching Institutes (City-wise)
XAT Books FAQs
Question: What are some good books for XAT VALR?
Ans. Some good books for XAT VALR are:
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension by Arun Sharma
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- High School English Grammar & Composition by Wren & Martin
Question: Which are the most recommended books for XAT Quant and Data Interpretation?
Ans. The most recommended books for XAT Quant and Data Interpretation are:
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by R S Aggarwal
- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma
- Quantum CAT by Sarvesh K Verma
- How to prepare for Data Interpretation by Arun Sharma
- Data Interpretation for the CAT by N K Sinha.
Question: What are some good books to prepare for XAT general knowledge?
Ans. Some good books for XAT general knowledge preparation are:
- Objective General Knowledge (Lucent’s)
- General Knowledge by Arihant Experts
- Manorama Year Book by Mammen Mathew
- Newspapers and Magazines for Current Affairs
Question: What are some good books for XAT decision-making?
Ans. The most efficient way of preparing for XAT DM section is practicing as many questions as possible. Refer to the previous year paper links given in the article above to download free pdfs. Some other good books for XAT decision-making preparation are Jabbing the XAT (with solved papers) and Target XAT (Past papers and mock tests).
Question: Where can I get XAT mock tests and study material for free?
Ans. The official XAT Mock test is released by XLRI a week before the exam date. Candidates can access other sample papers, previous year papers, and practice tests on the collegedunia website. Check XAT Practice Papers
Question: What magazines or newspapers can I read to score well in XAT general knowledge?
Ans. You can read Economic Times, The Financial Times, Business World, Manorama Yearbook, Business Line, Business Today, The Hindu, Hindu Business Line, Current Affairs Yearly by Arihant, Financial Express, and Wall Street Journal to improve to prepare for XAT GK section.
Question: What are the best coaching centers for XAT?
Ans. Some of the best coaching centers for XAT preparation that offer online and offline courses include T.I.M.E, Career Launcher, IMS India, Unacademy, BYJUs, hitbullseye, etc. Check complete list of city-wise XAT Top Coaching Institutes.
Question: Is it possible to crack XAT 2023 exam through self study from XAT Books?
Ans. Yes, it is possible to crack XAT 2023 exam through self-study if you follow these 4 steps:
- Solve previous years’ XAT question papers.
- For each section, refer to 1-2 good books for XAT Preparation
- Prepare a daily & weekly timetable and follow it without fail.
- Practice as many sample papers as possible.
Question: What is the difficulty level of questions in XAT exam?
Ans. The overall difficulty level of XAT exam is moderate to high. It is one of the most difficult MBA exams in the country. Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretaion and GK sections are comparatively more difficult than the Verbal & Logical Ability & Decision Making sections.
*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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