XAT 2018: ‘No substantial change in questions & Test Pattern’- confirms XAT convener; know the key facts

XAT 2018, to be held on Sunday, 7th January, 2018 as online computer based test, will not bring surprises and changes in terms of number of questions, exam pattern except the fact that it will be an online computer based test. It is also expected that the difficulty level in XAT 2018 may not be much different from that of last year XAT.

Confirming this fact to MBAUniverse.com, Fr Antony Uvari SJ, XAT 2018 exam convener and admission chair at XLRI Jamshedpur has shared on December 22, 2017, “There is no substantial change in the number of questions or the test pattern in XAT 2018.”

‘Substantial Changes’: Term may mean some changes
However, the use of single term ‘Substantial’ by XAT 2018 exam convener may raise many queries in regard to the fact that although there may not be ‘substantial’ changes in XAT 2018, but there could be some changes. It may be due to online computer based XAT 2018 or due to the changes being brought about by the exam convening authority – XLRI Jamshedpur.

Earlier also, it was shared by the XAT 2018 exam convener that the basic format of XAT will remain the same as was in previous years without any change this year. However, it has not been confirmed by XLRI that XAT 2018 will be exactly same as that of last year.

Number of sections in XAT 2018: No change
XAT 2018 exam convener has assured that there will be no change in the exam sections of XAT 2018 online computer based exam. 

So the candidates who are seeking admission to XLRI, SPJIMR, IMT, XIMB, LIBA, TAPMI or other top B-schools accepting XAT 2018 scores need not worry as there is no change in the exam format, exam pattern, difficulty level except that the XAT 2018 would be online computer based test. According to Fr Antony Uvari SJ, “XAT 2018 will have similar pattern of the test sections with the only exception that it will be online computer based test.”

XAT 2018 exam components
XAT 2018 will have four sections with MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) (i) Verbal and Logical Ability (ii) Decision Making (iii) Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation (iv) General Knowledge.

Another section will be of subjective type Essay Writing Test. The marks of General Knowledge & Essay Writing will not be used for determining the percentile and cut off at first stage of selection.

The duration of the test will be of three and a half hours (3½ hrs), from 10:00am to 01:35pm (5 minutes will be turnover time between components – MCQs and subjective essay writing).

The online XAT 2018 exam will be divided in two parts

Part-1
Part-1 will have 3 sections in Multiple choice questions (MCQs) format

1. Verbal and Logical Ability
2. Decision Making
3. Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation

Part-2
The second part in XAT 2018 will be the test on General Knowledge in MCQ format & Essay writing test in subjective format.

XAT aspirants will be asked to write an essay on a given topic. Candidates having been tested on objective Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) will also be tested on real life driven written communication skill based on wider perspective on important issues. The candidates in XAT are tested on both the counts. Their performance in essay writing will also form the base of their final section round.

The marks of General Knowledge will not be used for determining the percentile and cut off at first stage of selection. However it is used by XLRI and some other Associate Member Institutes at the time of final selection.

Number of questions & duration of XAT 2018
XAT 2018 will be a 3½  hours test to be held on January 7, 2018. The candidates will not have any break in between except for the fact that Objective MCQ part -1 with 3 sections will be over in 170 minutes and next 35 minutes will be allotted for GK and Essay writing part with 5 minutes in between for turn over time.

XAT 2018 question paper is expected to consist of following number of questions in each section, if it remains on the lines of last year XAT question paper:

Part-1: Time limit to solve - 170 minutes

Part-2: Time limit to solve - 35 minutes

Marking system in XAT 2018
All the questions in XAT 2018 will carry equal marks. Prior to 2013 XAT used to carry varying marking system from 1.5 to 5 marks per question. Now the system has got stabilized with 1 mark for each correct answer.

Negative marking for unattempted questions also
One fourth of a mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer in XAT 2018.

Not only will be there the penalty of negative marking for wrong answers, but the XAT 2018 test takers will also deduct 0.05 mark per question if more than 12 questions are left unattempted in XAT 2018 question paper.

No restriction to move between the sections
XAT 2018 will not restrict the test takers from moving to one or other section within the overall allotted time. However, aspirants are advised not to spend too much time only on one section since all the sections will have the respective cut off percentile.

XAT 2018: Difficulty level
XLRI has announced that the level of difficulty of the questions has been carefully designed. In order to enable students to attempt as many questions as possible and encourage them to demonstrate all-round skills, the difficulty level of the questions has been brought down in XAT.

Changes in XAT 2018: Highlights

• XAT 2018 test paper will be divided in 2 parts: Part I with A,B,C sections and Part II with GK and Essay writing sections.
• All questions in XAT 2018 test paper in 1^st three A, B, C sections with 24, 21 and 27 MCQs respectively would carry uniform marking pattern with maximum 1 mark awarded for each correct answer
• Score in Part I of XAT 2018 exam paper will be accounted for, while determining the merit position and shortlisting for PI round 
• Part I in XAT 2018 exam will have 3 sections A, B and C in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) form
• Section A in XAT test paper 2018 would be on Verbal Ability & Logical reasoning and is  proposed to have 24 questions
• The Section B will be on Decision Making and would consist of 21 questions
• Section C in XAT 2018 exam on Quantitative Ability is proposed to have 27 questions
• Total number of questions in part-I would be 72 in XAT 2018 question paper.
• Time allowed to attempt part-1 in XAT 2018 with 3 sections would be 170 minutes
• A break of 5 minutes as turnaround time between Part 1 and Part 2 will be available
• Part-II of XAT 2018 test paper would consist of 25 MCQs on General Knowledge
•  There will be a descriptive writing essay topic in Part-II of XAT 2018 question paper
• Total time of 35 minutes will be allowed to attempt GK and Essay writing sections in XAT 2018 exam
• XAT 2018 test takers would be expected to attempt GK questions in 10 minutes and rest 25 minutes are supposed to be devoted to Essay Writing section.
• Marks scored in General  Knowledge section of XAT 2018 test paper would only be used at the time of final selection and not for shortlisting candidates for interview/GD

XAT 2018 test is the gateway to more than 150 highly ranked B schools in India including XLRI, XIMB, SPJIMR, IMT among others.  

XAT 2018 is going to be held as online computer based test on January 7, 2018 for the first time in the 60 years history of Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT). XLRI Jamshedpur, the XAT 2018 conducting institute proposes to keep the XAT exam pattern on the same lines as was in last year apart from keeping the number of questions more or less same as appeared in last year XAT.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on XAT 2018

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