One thing that an MBA course promises its students is “truck loads” of writing – in the form of assignments and presentations – throughout the 2-year long tenure. Thus, it is very essential that students have an innate love and skill for writing. Although most MBA entrance exams have set their benchmarks and judge students based on a standardized pattern, the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) gives essay writing special importance.
XAT Essay: Features & Weightage:-
XAT exam is a unique exam as it has essay writing as part of the online written examination. There are two parts:
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Part A – Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
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Part B – Current Affairs, Essay
Although, the score for Part B is not included while calculating the XAT cutoff percentile, its score is very important while devising the final merit list. Important points that candidates need to keep in mind while writing the essay are:
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Time allotted is only 20 - 25 minutes out of 210 minutes.
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Word limit is 200 - 300 words.
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The essay-writing mode is computer-based.
The weightage of various elements in the XAT selection process are:
XAT Essay: Focus
It may seem that the overall weightage of the essay is only 10%, but it is a very crucial aspect of the selection process. The candidates are judged on five areas through the essay they write, namely:
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Communication skills
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Written skills
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Vocabulary skills
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Creative skills
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Language skills
The skills mentioned above help panelists decide which candidates have an edge as far as their communication is concerned. Apart from this, a candidate’s presentation skill is also tested.
XAT Essay: 4Cs
Since the essay is such a pivotal aspect of XAT exam, MBA Rendezvous gives you 4 Cs that can help you stand out from the rest-
Content: The star of your essay is the actual information you write and share. Whatever topic you are given, the essay should focus on it and there should be no deviation. Make sure you have well-thought and relevant ideas and information.
Coherence: It is extremely important that you make sure that what you write is not haphazard or disjoint. The essay should have a proper structure with an impactful start, meaningful body and logical ending.
Competence: You must ensure that the language you use for essay is competent and fluent. There are no grammatical mistakes (at any cost). Be articulate in expressing your ideas. Use quotes and idioms to make the essay sound impressive.
Check: Keep checking and correcting your essay while you practice for or perform during the exam. Also, keep a check on the time. It is important for you to stick to the time and the word limit.
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