Published on 18th September 2025, 2:43 PM
Due to the uniqueness of this section, it becomes important to know the ‘Decision-making’ section of the XAT exam. Compared to other MBA entrance exams, the XAT exam pattern is very different. This section tests the management ability by demonstrating various scenarios and conditions and asking students to point out the proper decision in these cases. The students are given a total of 180 minutes to finish the paper, and they must change through sections at any time in the XAT exam question paper.
The XAT exam paper can be split into three areas such as forward-thinking, in-depth practice, and surrounding awareness. The sections in XAT include Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, Verbal and Logical Ability, and Decision Making and Analytical Reasoning. Students should also be well aware of General knowledge to crack this exam. In this post, we will talk about the strategy for approaching the decision-making section of the XAT exam.
Table of Contents
Figure Out XAT Decision-Making Question Type
In the DM section, the questions are typically asked for you to make the right decision. You will be given a scenario that will involve several conditions and aspects. So what you have to do is carefully assess all the conditions and aspects, and as on the evaluation, choose the proper decision. There will also be another type of question where students will have to pick a suitable explanation that directs them to a particular scenario.
Type Of XAT Decision-Making Questions
> What led him/her to do this?
> What would you choose if something happened?
> Which of the following is the best option?
> What would be the most ethical option?
XAT Decision-Making Syllabus
In this section, you will come across passages or sets that are asked in the DM sections and can be broadly categorised into types such as;
> Analytical Reasoning
> Business/Financial Situations
> Situations related to corporate/HR
> Situations involving strategies
So, ensure that you thoroughly understand the XAT syllabus and the type of sets, as most of the sets will be asked from any of those cited above.
How To Prepare For the XAT Decision-Making Section?
Mentioned below are some of the preparation tips to tackle the decision-making section of the XAT exam as follows:
> Approaching the Set: As long as you follow the proper approach and are on the right track, you are bound to excel in the XAT exam. In this section, students must come up with an analytical approach while deciding on a distinct question. However, ensure that you do not make decisions based on your emotions. Keep in mind that the XAT is an exam where many students appear, and among them are potential top executives. Hence, like any big businessman, you are expected to make informed decisions based on logic and not let your feelings or emotions get in your way.
> Choosing the Options: As we have cited earlier, a considerable number of questions will consist of options that are almost identical to each other. Many students can make a mistake while choosing between two or more options.
However, the way you approach the response can make a lot of difference. So instead of attempting to figure out the correct response, concentrate on eradicating the incorrect ones. The sooner you diminish options, the quicker you can narrow down on the right option. So when solving the question, concentrate on diminishing the wrong options.
> Previous Year DM Papers: To refine your preparation and to reach perfection, the best method to practice for the DM section is to dig out old question papers of the XAT exam and practice them. You can try practising the old papers from years back and analyse them. If you do this, you will have a clear perspective on what type of questions are asked. The best part is, the old question papers have all the solutions required, and you don’t have to worry about getting stuck on a question.
Moreover, the complex levels of the sets or questions can vary each year and practising old question papers can equip you to face the different levels of intricacies in this section.
> Practice Mocks: The last tip to approaching the decision-making section is to practice as much as you can. Remember to practice all the mocks and also the past years’ question papers. The more you practice, the more you will improve and get better at solving decision-making questions.
If this isn’t enough, you can even get help from your peers and seniors or try enrolling in courses designed especially for XAT takers that include decision-making sessions.
Career Launcher always looks after the needs of its students and designs products to satisfy the needs of each sector. With this thought, we have curated a specialised course for XAT decision-making, DM1000 Redux, by our top MBA mentors, Gautam Puri (IIM-B) and Gejo Sreenivasan (IIM-C), to boost your scores by up to 15 marks.
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Best of Luck!!
