  We assess the performance of different protocols for simulating excited-state
X-ray absorption spectra. We consider three different protocols based on
equation-of-motion coupled-cluster singles and doubles, two of them combined
with the maximum overlap method. The three protocols differ in the choice of a
reference configuration used to compute target states. Maximum-overlap-method
time-dependent density functional theory is also considered. The performance of
the different approaches is illustrated using uracil, thymine, and
acetylacetone as benchmark systems. The results provide guidance for selecting
an electronic structure method for modeling time-resolved X-ray absorption
spectroscopy.
