Content Writer at Collegedunia | Updated On - Sep 20, 2024
XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QADI) is considered to be the toughest sections of the exam. XAT Quant & DI section consists of questions from topics like algebra, arithmetic, number system, geometry, probability, and data interpretation based on graphs, pie charts & tables. XAT Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation has the highest weightage (28 questions) of all the sections and thus requires the maximum time to solve.Last year, a total of 15 questions were asked from quantitive ability and 13 questions were asked from data interpretation.
Quick Links:
| 2023 Question Paper with Solutions | 2022 Question Paper with Solutions | 2021 Question Paper with Solutions |
| Question Paper with Solutions | Question Paper with Solutions | Question Paper with Solutions |
Key Features of XAT 2025 Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation
The Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section will have 28 MCQs of moderate to high difficulty.
- There will be a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer in the Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section.
- The exam duration is 210 minutes or 3 hours 30 minutes and there is no sectional division of time. Hence, it is advised to allot not more than 70 minutes or 1 hour 10 minutes to solving Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section.
- For DI, 4- 5 questions and for QA 13 – 15 questions would ideally be considered a good attempt.
It is extremely necessary for you to be clear with the details of XAT QA section, as it will help you formulate a preparation strategy. Tabulated below are the important details on XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation 2025 for your reference:
| Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation | |
|---|---|
| Particulars | Details |
| Mode | Computer Based Test |
| Duration | 60-70 minutes |
| Type of Questions | Objective (MCQs) |
| Number of Questions | 28 |
| Total Marks | 28 |
| Marks Awarded | +1 for every correct answer |
| Negative Marking | -0.25 for every wrong answer |
| Medium of Questions | English |
| Scores Considered for Percentile Calculation | Yes |
What You Need to Know About The QADI Exam Pattern?
Knowing the sectional time limit for each of the sections will help you determine how to attempt the paper efficiently. Here is the sectional division of the questions and the time limit for each section:
| Section Name | Max. Questions | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | 175 minutes |
| Decision Making | 22 | |
| Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | |
| General Knowledge | 25 | 30 minutes |
| Essay | 1 |
Check Out XAT 2025 QADI Syllabus
XAT Quant and DI section is meant to test the student’s mathematical aptitude, calculation skills, and concept application abilitities. The syllabus for XAT QADI is very wide and almost covers all the topics of basic numeracy and applied mathematics. Candidates need to give more attention and extra effort while preparing for this section. The syllabus for XAT QADI can be broadly divided into 2 sub-sections:
- Quantitative Ability: Numbers, Algebra, and Arithmetic questions make up for 12-13 questions in this section. Other important topics from which questions are framed include mensuration, probability, geometry, and, logariths.
- Data Interpretation: DI questions form about 50% of the question paper. Question sets based on data tables, graphs, charts, bar diagrams, data analysis & comparison are asked in XAT DI section.
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) Syllabus
| XAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus | |
|---|---|
| Topic | Sub-topics |
| Geometry & Mensuration | Lines & Angles, Triangles, Circles, Parallelograms, Polygons, Mensuration – 2D and 3D |
| Algebra | Sequence & Series, Functions, Inequalities, Surds and Indices, Quadratic Equations |
| Arithmetic | Profit Loss & Discount, Time Speed & Distance, Time & Work, Mixtures & Alligation, Percentage & Ratios |
| Numbers | HCF, LCM, Number of Zeros, Remainder Theorem, Unit’s digit |
| Miscellaneous | Probability & Statistics, Logarithm, Trigonometry, Clocks, Logarithm |
Data Interpretation (DI) Syllabus
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Tabulated Data |
|
| Graphs & Charts |
|
| Caselet |
|
| Combination Graphs |
|
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Best Books for XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation 2025
Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section, despite being one of the hardest sections of XAT is extremely important. You can easily score well if you prepare for the exam properly and give enough time to improve your calculation speed and ability to do quick mental maths. To start your preparation, you need to know the right books for reference, and here is a list of the recommended books for Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation from:
| Name of the Book | Publisher/Author |
|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Nitish K. Sinha |
| How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT | Arun Sharma |
| CAT Quantitative Aptitude | Gautam Puri |
| Quantum CAT | Sarvesh K Verma |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | R S Aggarwal |
| Wiley's ExamXpert XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) | Wiley India |
| Jabbing the XAT Mock Tests & Solved Papers | R K Jha |
| Quantitative Aptitude Simplified for XAT | Deepak Aggarwal |
| Concepts of Numbers for XAT and Other Aptitude Exams | Gajendra Kumar |
| How to prepare for Data Interpretation | Arun Sharma |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | Abhijit Guha |
| Kiran’s Text Book of Data Interpretation & Analysis and Data Sufficiency | Kiran Prakashan |
Previous Year Exam Analysis for Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation
Understanding the kind of questions that are asked in the previous year's papers would help you gain an understanding of the topics that are important to prepare. The Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation Paper Analysis of the previous year is given below:
- All questions were objective-type MCQs and had 5 options each. Only one option was correct.
- There were a total of 28 questions out of which 12 questions were from DI and 16 were from various topics of Quant.
- There were 4 DI sets with 3 MCQs each.
- Good Attempt: 2-3 DI sets and 10-12 quant questions.
| Topic of the Questions | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 2 | Moderate |
| Algebra | 4 | Difficult |
| Geometry | 2 | Difficult |
| Numbers | 7 | Difficult |
| Probability | 1 | Moderate |
| DI (Broken Pencils) | 3 | Moderate |
| DI (College Admissions) | 3 | Difficult |
| DI (Number of Correct Answers in Exam) | 3 | Moderate |
| DI (Stock Prices) | 3 | Moderate |
| Total | 28 | Moderate-Difficult |
Check Paper Analysis
Preparation Tips
The Quant & DI section is the toughest to prepare among all the sections of XAT 2024. Hence, it is essential to follow a proper strategy to excel in this section. Given below are some of the important preparation tips for acing the exam:
- Candidates are advised to focus more on arithmetic, algebra, and number system topics as they hold the maximum weightage.
- Solving Mock tests and Sample papers is important to get an understanding of the exam pattern, syllabus, types, and difficulty level of questions asked in Quantitative Aptitude section.
- Preparing a comprehensive preparation plan so as to cover all important topics in XAT Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation Syllabus is extremely beneficial.
- Devote at least 2 hours a day to any topic of XAT QADI section and revise all the basic concepts and practice a minimum of 20-30 questions.
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Students often learn all the complex formulas and tricks but ignore the very basic concepts and calculation-friendly tricks that help in solving both QA and DI questions. The must study basics are:
Squares till 30 Cubes till 20 Tables till 25 Divisibility Rules Square & Cube Roots Percentage- Ratio Conversions (10%= 1/10, 25%= 1/4, 33%=1/3,….,etc.) Simplification & Approximation Averages Alligation Unitary Method
Check Preparation Strategy & Study Plan
Mistakes to Avoid While Atttempting QADI Questions
- Spending more than 150 seconds on a question: You have 175 minutes to attempt 76 questions in part 1. As QADI has the highest number of questions- 28, it is advised not to spend more than 150 seconds on any particular question. If you can’t solve the question in this much time, then it is advised to move to the next question to save time for the remaining ones.
- Too many formulas and short tricks: Learning too many short tricks and formulas for a topic from different sources should be avoided as it can lead to confusion. Choose only 1-2 tricks that work the best for you to save time and effort while attempting QADI section in the exam.
- Not Reading all the Options: Some questions based on numbers and algebra can be easily solved using the option-based elimination strategy. Read all the options carefully and use this strategy wherever possible to solve such questions faster.
- Silly Calculation Mistakes: Often candidates commit silly calculation mistakes in a hurry. These should be avoided as accuracy is equally important as the number of attempts. Solving 80-90% questions accurately is better than solving 100% paper with silly mistakes.
- Rushing through the data given in DI sets: Rushing through the information may lead to missing out on a few important details. Hence, it is advised to read the entire data carefully as missing out even a single number or fact may lead to incorrect answers.
QADI Mock Test
XLRI releases XAT Mock Test on the official website. The mock test is as per the actual paper pattern and will contain 28 questions from QADI, 26 from VALR, 22 from DM, 25 from GK, and 1 descriptive essay. Practicing XAT mock tests is not only beneficial in revision but also essential to get an idea of the actual exam scenario.
| Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation Sample Papers | |
|---|---|
| Sample Paper 1 | Sample Paper 2 |
| Sample Paper 3 | Sample Paper 4 |
Check QADI Sample Papers
Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation 2025 FAQs
Ques. What are the topics in Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation of XAT?
Ans. The topics under Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation are Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Probability, Mensuration (2D & 3D), DI- Pie charts, caselets, bar graphs, DI- Time Zone, DI- mixed graphs.
Ques. In XAT exam, how much time should I spend on Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation?
Ans. The total time allotted to solve all the 3 sections in part 1- Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation, Verbal Ability, and Decision making is 175 minutes. Generally, candidates should spend around 60-70 minutes in solving the questions in XAT Quant and DI section.
Ques. What is considered a good attempt in Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation?
Ans. While it varies every year depending on the difficulty of the paper and other sections, generally a good attempt in XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section is considered to be around 2-3 DI questions and 13-15 questions in the quant section of the paper.
Ques. Are 3 months enough to complete XAT Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation?
Ans. 3 months would be enough to complete XAT syllabus for Quant & DI if you devote at least 4-5 hours every day and solve at least 2-3 sample papers and previous year question papers every week.
*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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