XAT Sample Paper | Quantitative Aptitude

21. After reading the passage, which of the following statements do you think captures best, the tenor of the piece?
A. The author is unequivocal about undesirability of a patenting system
B. The author .explores the complexities in patenting
C. The author deliberately obfuscates issues
D. The passage is boring about

22. Chakrabarty patent issue shows that:
A. Patent authorities are infallible
B. Patent systems are adhoc
C. Patenting rationale is socially embedded and evolutionary
D. None of the above
XAT 2006: Reading Comprehension - 3

DIRECTIONS: Questions 23-29 are based on the passage below.
Enterprises in the throes of discovery have an aura of magic around them. In the world of software this becomes many-splendoured with a certain joie de yivre, quite distinct from what obtains elsewhere: a sense of wonderment, surprise and eventual delight; a coming within reach of power and profits; possibly through a little tweak in technology with a touch of novelty, opening up vistas that had always seemed so near yet so far. In professional management terms, this waving of the wizard's wand, as it were, is nothing more than an effective recovery of strategy from a technological paradigm. This book is about exploring the journey from rules and norms to solutions, specific solutions prized out of the anoured covers of sector-specific industrial structures and often resourcesdetermined mindsets that Indian software' firms seems to have mastered. Originality is the fountainhead of such a strategy. It then progresses into the realms of the economics of innovation to give itself a solid foundation from where it becomes possible to retrieve a new language of strategy and of innovation. In this high- natural yet dynamic world, the profit motive, backed by ingenuity, lend support to many of the arguments that evolve in this flow of events. The Indian software experience is a unique demonstration of how this process - the coalescing of the economics of surprise and novelty and the economics of knowledge works. This forms the basics of the strategy theory. There are several grand theories of even grander traditions: the industrial organization approach, including several kinds of structure-conduct performance assertions and game theoretic models, evolutionary theories and corresponding case' studies, resource-based approaches or several intermediate variants of competency based ideas that provide us with a rich yet incomplete landscape. This landscape is perhaps oblivious of certain traditions provided by theory; the rich repertoire bequeathed by Marshall and Shackle is a case in point, as they are immensely rewarding.Each important traditions or theory has made global assertions and has proved to be prescriptive or normative. Some authors have looked back at Marshall and a handful at Shackle. Fewer still reconsidered certain rich -traditions of thinking on strategy. This book does not attempt to issue prescriptive or normative guidelines purely because, the global canvass is too large and often beyond the capacity of intelligent comprehension. A strategist acts on a local scale following what Simon has generally observed. Pragmatism emerges as an important guide-and achieving the surprise element is above all. the key to definitive strategy. While this strategy evolves from governance, it also influences governance at every stage. Handicapped by a paucity of resources, the strategist must dovetail the two to increase immensely the scope of governance not only over what the incumbent possesses, but also over a much larger group of firms not under its direct control. This need not necessarily be explained by another grand theory, with globally prescriptive assertions or powers of predictions. Surprise must stand beyond predictability. 'It must govern to earn windfall profit. Strategy thus cannot be prescribed; it would comprise piecemeal engineering. This is what this book explains.

23. The locale of the phrase "acting on a local scale" as used in the passage above refers to:
A. Cognitively delimited space
B. Geographically delimited space
C. Temporally delimited space
D. None of the above

24. The idea of a 'magic' as used in the passage refers to:
A. Irrationality and blind belief
B. A sense of wonder at imagination unbridled by any governance whatsoever
C A sense of wonder at the discovery of a grand theory
D. None of the above

25. According to the author, the several extant strands of strategy literature such as the Industrial Organization approach provide an incomplete landscape because:
A. They fail to take account of contributions of Marshall and Shackle
B. It is normative in nature
C. The vastly rich and unfolding reality is beyond the capacity of human comprehension
D. None of the above

26. Which of the following follows from the passage?
A. Indian software firms have excelled in providing specific solutions
B. Indian software firms have been remarkable technology innovators
C. Indian software firms have benefited from low priced manpower, with adequate programming skills
D. None of the above

27. From the passage which would be an adequate characterization of the author?
A. Positivist
B. Pragmatist
C. Empiricist
D. Cynical

28. From its usage in the passage which is the most appropriate meaning of the word 'wizard'?
A. Conman
B. A person of wisdom
C. A well known personality
D. None of the above

29. From its usage in the passage which is NOT the most appropriate meaning of the word 'ingenuity'?
A. Cunning
B. Creative
C. Original
D. Clever
XAT 2006: Reading Comprehension - 4

DIRECTIONS: Questions 30-35 are based on the passage below.
Think back to 1993. That is when the Centre for Disease Control came up against the hantavirus in the South West. The virus made no sense. It had never appeared in landlocked regions before, and it was killing people by attacking their lungs rather than their kidneys, the virus's usual target. It seemed to defy explanation. And that's as close a parallel to a cosmology episode as I can describe. Basically a cosmology episode happens when people suddenly feel that the universe is no longer a rational, orderly system. What makes such an episode shattering is that people suffer from the event and, at the same time, lose the means 'to recover from it. In this sense, a cosmology episode is the opposite of a déjà vu experience. In moments of deja vu, everything suddenly feels familiar, recognizable. By contrast, in a cosmology episode, everything seems strange. A person feels like he has never been here before, has no idea of where he is, and has no idea who can help him. An inevitable stare of panic ensues, and the individual becomes more and more anxious until he finds it almost impossible to make sense of what is happening to him.

The continual merging and divesting and recombining and changing of responsibilities and bosses over the years has created immense cosmological episodes for business people. Even senior executives are unsure of whom they are working for and why. So I think it is fair to say that in the course of their careers, every manager will have a cosmology episode: their worlds will get turned upside down. Having the kind of alertness to weak signals that we see at High Response organizations can help managers avoid this particular psychological crisis. In the case of hantavirus, for example, the puzzle was eventually solved when epidemiologists discovered that recent climatic changes had produced an explosion in the rodent population that carried the virus, which increased the likelihood that humans might be exposed to hantavirus. In cosmological episodes, paying very close attention to details can definitely restore a sense of mastery. What I have repeatedly noticed is that people who really get into trouble during these crisis are those who try to think everything through before taking action. The problem with defining and refining your hypothesis without testing them is that the world keeps changing, and your analysis gets further and further behind. So you have constantly got to update your thinking while you are sitting there and reflecting. And that is why I am such a proponent of what I call 'sensemaking'. There are many definitions of 'sensemaking; for me it is the transformation of raw experience into intelligible world views. It's a bit like what mapmakers do when they try to make sense of an unfamiliar place by putting it on paper. But the crucial point in cartography is that there is no one best map of a particular place. Similarly sense-making lends itself to multiple conflicting interpretations, all of which are plausible. If an organization finds itself unsure of where it's going, or even where its been, then it ought to be wide open to a lot of interpretations, al 1 of which can lead to possible action. The action and its consequence then begin to edit the list of interpretations down to a more manageable size. And this is the point I wish to underscore. Action, tempered by reflection is the critical component in recovery from cosmology episodes. Once you start to act, you can flesh out your interpretations and rework them. It's the action itself that gets you moving. There is a beautiful, example of this. Several years ago a platoon of Hungarian soldiers got lost in the Alps. One of the soldiers found a map in his pocket and the troops used it to get out safely. Subsequently, however, the soldiers discovered that the map they used was in fact the drawing of another mountain range the Pyrennes. In crisis leaders have to act to think.

30. The hantavirus incident DOES NOT shows that:
A. Ignorance is pervasive
B. Uniqueness in its details can never be enumerated exhaustively
C. Pursuit of rationality is futile
D. None of the above

31. The nature of knowledge that most probably seems to be the ambit of the author in the above passage relates to which of the following?
A. Practical knowledge
B. Transcendental knowledge
C. Traditional knowledge
D. None of the above
Aspirants14

32. Which of the following is necessarily true sad follows from the argument developed in the passage?
A. Action and conceptualization about reality is necessarily sequential
B. No concepts can be speculated about without action
C. Establishment of any concept cannot be done through discussions alone
D. None of the above

33. Sense-making as used in the passage refers to skills that primarily depend on:
A. The five human senses
B Memory
C. Skills of cognition
D. None of the above

34. A deja vu is a feeling where everything seems familiar, in order. Behind it, however, is a tragedy for the appearance of order is illusory. Ignorance about the disorder as well as non-experiencing of it builds the illusion. Such a characterization of deja vu is — its use in the passage. (Choose the apt phrase to fill the gap)
A. Not inconsistent with
B. Inconsistent with
C. Necessarily follows from
D. Similar to

35. The use of episode in cosmological episode in the passage refers to:
A. Possibility of repetition of the experience
B. Disquieting nature of the experience
C. Accumulative nature of the experience
D. None of the above
XAT 2006: Fill in the blanks

QUESTIONS 36: Please choose the alternative that CANNOT go into the sentence in the blank space to make a coherent sentence:

36. The sale of the hotel chain under— resulted in extremely low yield for the promoter.
A. DURESS
B. DISTRESS
C. DISTRUST
D. All the above

Questions 37-38: Please choose the correct alternative that can go into the sentence in the blank space to make a coherent sentence:

37. The — of the country should take a greater interest in promoting the indigenous works that are rooted in the deep traditions of scholarship across the world.
A. LITERATI
B. LITERATE
C. LITERATURE
D. LITERAL

38. ——of different categories of problems often leads to design of improper solutions that fail to address the complexities of the problem.
A. CONFABULATION
B. CONFLATION
C. CONFLICT
D. CONFESSION

XAT 2006: New Type of Questions

QUESTIONS 39-40: are based on the following dialogue between a Japanese (J) manager and an American (A) manager. Based on the dialogue please answer the following questions.
J: Welcome to Japan! We are at your service. May I have the privilege of inviting you to play a round of golf together?
A: That is excellent! Golf has been one of my favorites. Some of my most memorable moments were on the golf course. Let us go. It will be a nice relaxation for me as well - it would take away the jet lag, before we sit to discuss the contract.
J: Surely, thanks for giving me the privilege to play host. I will take you to the best golf club in this part of the world.
A: Is golf very common among Japanese executives?
J: It depends, you know, on how you look at it. Doesn't everything really depend like that – on how we look at it — even concepts of winning and loosing!
A. That sounds interesting.
J: Is it!
A: Well, there it goes.. Wah!
J: So, you have won ~ you are really good at golf. Why don't we -play another round tomorrow.
A: Well.. (long pause).0K.
S: so, you have won again.. tomorrow is a good day for golf- many of my business friends would be here and I will introduce you to them.
A: But, when will we sit for discussing the contract.
J: Well, if you want we can sit right away, we can go down to my office.
A: That is what I think we should do.
J. It is my privilege.

39. Emotions often get manifested as a 'mental state' of a speaker. A dialogue often reveals that. Based on the dialogue. Which of the following best characterizes the emotional state of the American manager?
A. Reposed
B. Recalcitrant
C. Resplendent
D. None of the above

40. The dialogue reveals a swing in the mood of the American manager from to . Which of the following pairs of words (in the same order) best completes the sentence coherently?
A. Rejuvenation, Desperation
B. Elation, Exasperation
C. Relaxation, Tension
D. Happiness, Fury

Answers :

21-25,
21B, 22B, 23B, 24D, 25C,

26-30,
26A, 27B, 28B, 29A, 30A,

31-35,
31A, 32B, 33C, 34B, 35D,

36-40,
36A, 37A, 38B, 39D, 40C,

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