XAT Exam Pattern 2021

XAT, which stands for Xavier’s Aptitude Test is one of the popular MBA entrance exams which most of the MBA aspirants attempt apart from CAT. Conducted by Xavier School of Management(XLRI Jamshedpur) every year, this exam is a gateway to pursue MBA courses from some of the best B-Schools in the country. In comparison to other MBA exams, XAT is considered to be the trickiest due to the inclusion of the Basic General Knowledge section. In this blog, we will share the information related to the structure of Xavier’s Aptitude Test and the important topics covered. 

Exam Name	Xavier Aptitude Test
Conducted By	Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur
Application Form	Online
Exam Mode	Online
Application Fee	INR 1750
Courses	MBA/ PGDM/ Executive Diploma
No. of Sections	4 (Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, General Knowledge)
No. of Questions	100
Duration of Exam	180 Minutes
Total Marks	100
Exam Marking Scheme	+1 for correct answer-0.25 as negative marks-0.1 for more than 8 unattempted questionsNo negative marking for GK

XAT Exam Pattern 2021

A computer-based, online exam, the XAT exam pattern consists of 99 questions in total. All the questions asked are of multiple choice with 5 options which have to be completed in 180 mins (3hours). The four sections are divided into 2 parts:

• PART 1: Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, and Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation. 
• PART 2: General Knowledge

XAT Exam Pattern: Sections	Max. Questions	Total Marks
Verbal and Logical Ability	26	26
Decision Making	21	21
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation	28	28
General Knowledge	25	25
Total	100	100

XAT Marking Scheme

XAT Total marks are calculated on the basis of different criteria. While there are 100 questions and each has the same value, XAT has a negative marking in the paper. Each right answer will fetch you 1 mark. In the test, the total marks will be 100. 

XAT Negative Marking

XAT is known for its stringent marking. XAT negative marking is dependent on two scenario

1. 0.25 will be deducted for every wrong answer 
2. 0.1 will be deducted after more than eight unanswered questions

XAT GK Negative Marking

The GK section for the XAT exam is different from the others as it does not have any negative marking in it. So, you can relax here! But not so much that you don’t prepare well for it!!

XAT Exam Duration

You have 180 minutes in total to finish your XAT exam. However, there are four sections in the exam that require you to spend a particular duration of time there. While all the sections except General Knowledge are not individually time bound, XAT exam has to be finished in 180 minutes. 

Many students are unable to manage their time and end up spending a large part of their duration on one section. Here is a detailed duration of time that will help you give your exam on time. 

Exam Name	No. of Questions	Time Limit	Recommended Time
Verbal and Logical Ability	26		40 Minutes
Decision Making	21	75 Minutes	15 Minutes
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation	28		20 Minutes
General Knowledge	25	15 Minutes	15 Minutes

XAT Question Paper Pattern

The above mentioned marking is according to the length and difficulty of each section. 

1. Verbal and Logical Reasoning

• The verbal reasoning section is time taking as it requires a lot of reading of passages and choosing the correct answer. 
• The reading comprehension usually has 12 questions within four passages.
• Other questions are critical reasoning, fill in the blank, and vocabulary related questions.

2. Decision Making

Decision Making is fairly moderate level paper. The questions do not include a lot of maths or analytical thinking. These questions can be solved in a fairly short time. 

3. Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation

This section is also comparatively simple to solve . There are mathematical questions related to geometry and arithmetics, so you need to prepare maths well.

4. General Knowledge Test

This is the only section with a stringent time limit. However, the questions are moderately easy. You do need to be aware of political, environmental, business related knowledge. There will be two types of general knowledge questions, first will be current affairs like who is the richest man in the world and second type will be static knowledge like when the supreme court in India was established.

Note: The questions are solely for the purpose of examples and do not guarantee the same level of accuracy or difficulty in the paper.

XAT Exam Pattern: Major Changes

For the year 2020, a lot of changes have been made in the XAT exam pattern. This ranges from duration to introduction of a new type of question. Go through the points collated below to get an overview of the modifications made: 

• A new type of question called Numerical Answer Type (NAT) has been introduced where the applicants will answer the question on a virtual keypad. 
• Since 2019, the subjective/essay writing section has been removed from the XAT exam pattern. 
• For 8 unattempted questions, there will be no negative marking. But for every unanswered question thereafter, 0.10 marks will be deducted. 
• 25 minutes extra time, only for the first part, will be given to the visually impaired candidates. 

You can also practice mock papers form the official website to get a hold of the exam pattern.

XAT Syllabus 2021

Before understanding the XAT exam pattern, it is important to go through the syllabus. Since the objective of the test is to select the best candidates out of a pool of many to grant admission into leading B-Schools of the country, the exam assesses the applicant’s ability through 4 sections. Given below is a brief overview of the sections and the topics covered under the XAT syllabus: 

Sections	Syllabus
Verbal and Logical Ability	1. Reading Comprehensions 2. Analogy 3. Vocabulary 4. Paragraph Completion and Jumbles 5. Critical Reasoning 6. Statements-Assumptions
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation	1. Time and Work 2. Profit and Loss 3. Number Systems 4. Geometry 5. Venn Diagrams 6. Algebra 7. Equations 8. Mensuration 9. Venn Diagrams 10. Tables 11. Clocks
Decision Making	There is no specific syllabus prescribed for this section. The topics form which questions are mostly asked in the exam based on the past year’s trend is Analytical Reasoning, Situational, Case lets, Data Arrangement Sets.
General Knowledge	This section of the XAT exam pattern has no specific syllabus and can range from topics like Sports, Politics, Nation and States to Economics, International Relations, Business, and Current Affairs.

Hopefully, this blog has familiarised you with the XAT exam pattern and the syllabus. Just like Indian entrance exams, the MBA competitive exams aborad like GMAT is also a tough nut to crack. Needles to say, it requires an effective preparation strategy and immense practice. Thus, If you are preparing for MBA exams to study abroad but are not sure how to get started then the experts at Leverage Edu through GMAT coaching in Delhi will guide you in throughout the exam preparation so that you ace the test and pursue MBA from the best university!