Comprehension
Read the following scenario and answer the questions that follow.
In Symbolis, an upcoming medium sized IT services organization, only 1% of the employees were awarded an annual performance bonus. This annual performance bonus was decided by a committee formed of different functional heads. When Ms. Nalini Kattakayam received the annual bonus for the first time in her five years at Symbolis, Ms. Shalini Sampath, a colleague with seven years of tenure at Symbolis, told Nalini that this annual bonus was less a reflection of Nalini’s performance and more a recognition of those who have fostered a strong rapport with the powers that be. Incidentally, Shalini had never received any performance bonus in her tenure at the company.
Question: 1

Shalini’s comments deeply hurt Nalini, especially since she had always considered Shalini to be a close friend. Nalini felt like declining the bonus, given her respect for and relationship with Shalini.
Which of the following reasons, if true, will BEST dissuade Nalini from declining the bonus?

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • Shalini, good at heart, is known for making insensitive comments.
  • Shalini is known for confronting her boss whenever they changed deadlines.
  • In her close group, Nalini is the first person to receive the bonus.
  • Very few people, who are not considered loyal, receive the bonus.
  • Shalini’s irreverent comment about her previous boss pushed her out of that team.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Analyze Nalini's relationship with Shalini. Nalini cherishes her relationship with Shalini and is distressed by the remarks. Rejecting the bonus may appear to preserve peace but does not acknowledge Nalini's accomplishments.
Step 2: Examine the alternatives.
- Alternative 1: Awareness of Shalini’s propensity for insensitive comments may diminish the effect but does not address Nalini’s achievement. 
- Alternative 2: Shalini’s disputes with her superior are unrelated to Nalini’s choice. 
- Alternative 3: Being the inaugural member of her cohort to receive the bonus underscores Nalini’s distinctiveness and could inspire her to retain it. 
- Alternative 4: Rewards based on allegiance redirect attention but lack emotional significance for Nalini. 
- Alternative 5: Shalini’s historical irreverence diverts attention from the central concern of the bonus.
Step 3: Determine the optimal justification. Alternative 3 emphasizes Nalini’s success among her peers, motivating her to accept the acknowledgment.
Final Determination: (3)

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Question: 2

Since receiving the performance bonus, Nalini noticed a change in how her teammates behaved with her; they appeared indifferent towards her. Although there were no major issues, Nalini could not help but sense that her teammates began to perceive her as having a closer relationship with the top brass, following her recent accomplishment. Nalini assumed that her teammates might be influenced by Shalini; consequently, they seemed to be avoiding informal interactions with her.
As Nalini had to rely on the support of her teammates, what could Nalini BEST do to normalize her relationship with them?

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • Do nothing in the hope that things will normalize in time.
  • Confront Shalini and ask her to stop spreading rumors.
  • Invite her teammates for dinner on a weekend.
  • Start saying negative things about their bosses to her teammates.
  • Talk to her teammates regarding their indifference towards her.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is

Solution and Explanation

Phase 1: Determine the fundamental reason. Nalini's concern arises from a belief in unfair preference; inaction could deepen her estrangement from colleagues.

Phase 2: Assess potential responses.
- Response A: Inaction risks exacerbating the issue and invites further misinterpretations. 
- Response B: Directly confronting Shalini could intensify discord, hindering team cohesion. 
- Response C: Interacting with team members and comprehending their difficulties cultivates confidence and mutual effort. 
- Response D: Negative discourse concerning supervisors may prove counterproductive and undermine her standing. 
- Response E: Directly confronting apathy could generate unease without resolving the core trust deficits.
Phase 3: Select the optimal strategy. Response C empowers Nalini to forge more robust interpersonal connections, effectively resolving the primary concern.
Conclusion: (C)

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Question: 3

A significant project recently arrived at Symbolis, and Nalini was chosen to spearhead it. She was given the autonomy to create her own team to collaborate and drive this project to success. Nalini wanted to build a team where each of the team members worked with great comradery. As Shalini had previous experience of working with the client, Nalini offered her to join the team. However, Shalini expressed her willingness to work on the project only on the condition that she would be appointed as a team leader.
Nalini was aware that the client was very difficult to work with. Of the three previous projects with the client, only the one, where Shalini was a team member, was successfully completed.
What should be the BEST course of action for Nalini regarding the inclusion of Shalini in the team?

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • Form a team without Shalini and inform her boss about Shalini’s demand.
  • Ask Shalini to reconsider as this project can be important to both of them.
  • Tell her boss that Shalini should lead the team as she has worked with the client before.
  • Complain about Shalini’s attitude to the human resource manager.
  • Request her boss to order Shalini to join the team.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Situation Analysis. Nalini should assess Shalini's past performance, client needs, and team dynamics to determine Shalini's inclusion and leadership role.
Step 2: Option Evaluation.
- Option 1: Potential for Shalini conflict and reduced team cooperation.
- Option 2: A balanced approach, prompting Shalini to reconsider, addresses her concerns and project requirements.
- Option 3: Appointing Shalini as team lead without consultation may cause dissatisfaction among Nalini and other team members.
- Option 4: Escalating to HR could unnecessarily increase tension and harm team cohesion.
- Option 5: Seeking a directive from the boss for Shalini's team inclusion could diminish Nalini's leadership authority.
Step 3: Optimal Action Determination. Option 2 offers a diplomatic method to address Shalini's issues while ensuring effective team collaboration.
Final Answer: (2)

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Top Questions on Caselets

Questions Asked in XAT exam

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The upper hinge of a dataset is the median of all the values to the right of the median of the dataset in an ascending arrangement, while the lower hinge of the dataset is the median of all the values to the left of the median of the dataset in the same arrangement.
For example, consider the dataset 4, 3, 2, 6, 4, 2, 7. When arranged in the ascending order, it becomes 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 6, 7. The median is 4 (the bold value), and hence the upper hinge is the median of 4, 6, 7, i.e., 6. Similarly, the lower hinge is 2. 
A student has surveyed thirteen of her teachers, and recorded their work experience (in integer years). Two of the values recorded by the student got smudged, and she cannot recall those values. All she remembers is that those two values were unequal, so let us write them as A and B, where A < B. The remaining eleven values, as recorded, are: 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 16, 19, 21, 21, 27, 29. Moreover, the student also remembers the following summary measures, calculated based on all the thirteen values: 
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Read the following scenario and answer the questions that follow.
A T20 cricket match consists of two teams playing twenty overs each, numbered 1 to 20. The runs scored in any over is a non-negative integer. The run rate at the end of any over is the average runs scored up to and including that over, i.e., the run rate at the end of the kth over is the average number of runs scored in overs numbered \(1, 2, …, k,\) where \(1 \leq k \leq 20, k\) a positive integer.
The following table indicates the run rate of a team at the end of some of the overs during a T20 cricket match (correct up to 2 decimal places), where \(1 \leq N – 2 < N + 6 \leq 20\), N a positive integer. It is also known that the team did not score less than 6 runs and more than 15 runs in any over.
Over NumberRun Rate
N-28.00
N7.43
N+28.11
N+48.45
N+68.08
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