XAT Exam Analysis 2024: No Change In Exam Pattern; Total 75 Questions in Verbal, DM, Quant & DI

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Updated on
January 8, 2024

XAT 2024 Analysis: No Change In Exam Pattern; Total 75 Questions in Verbal, DM, Quant & DI; Check Pattern, Difficulty Level, Cut Offs

 

XAT 2024 exam was successfully held on January 7, 2024. Exam pattern was similar to last year with Total 75 Questions in Verbal, DM, Quant & DI. The difficulty level was also similar to last year’s paper. MBAUniverse.com presents complete XAT Exam 2024 analysis.

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XAT 2024 Analysis: Key Highlights

XAT 2024 Analysis: Sectional Composition & Scoring Pattern
XAT Analysis 2024 with sectional composition and key changes in XAT paper 2024, sectional division of questions in revised XAT test pattern are shared below

Exam Sections
Number of questions
Overall Time & Scoring Pattern
Part-1
75 Total MCQs
175 Minutes. Max.75 Marks(+1 Mark for each Correct answer; -0.25 Negative Marking for each wrong answer)
Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning
26
No Sectional Time Limit. +1 and -0.25 (Max 26 Marks)
Decision Making
21
No Sectional Time Limit. +1 and – 0.25(Max 22 Marks)
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
28
No Sectional Time Limit.  +1 and – 0.25 (Max 28 Marks)
Part-2
25 Total MCQs + Essay Writing Test
30 Minutes
General Knowledge
25
Complete both parts in 30 Minutes. +1; No Negative Marking (Max 25 Marks)
Analytical Essay Writing (AEW)
1 Descriptive Topic
Will be evaluated if you are shortlisted for PI round.
Total questions (Part 1 + Part 2)
100+ 1 Essay
Max 101 Marks; Essay Evaluation after shortlisting is over based on score obtained in Part-1 sections

XAT 2024 SECTIONAL ANALYSIS

Verbal and Logical Ability Section (26 questions) 

  • There were 15 Reading Comprehension questions and 11 Verbal Ability/Reasoning questions.
  • The Verbal ability/Verbal Reasoning questions were a fair mix of grammar, vocabulary, and reasoning-based questions (Critical Reasoning and Jumbled Paragraphs).
  • The 15 RC questions were distributed among five passages (of 300 – 450 words each) and one poem.
Area/Questions
No. of Qs.
Level of Difficulty
Grammatically correct sentence
2
2 Medium
Grammatically incorrect sentence
1
1 Difficult
Fill in the blanks (2 blanks)
2
2 Easy
Jumbled Paragraphs (5 statements)
2
1 Easy, 1 Medium
Critical Reasoning 
3
1 Easy, 2 Medium
Summary
1
1 Medium
Passage 1 (Beauty)
2
Difficult
Passage 2 (The problem of unrecognized ignorance)
3
Medium
Passage 3 (Simplified moral frames)
3
Medium
Passage 4 (Reductive instinct and realist storytelling)
2
Difficult
Passage 5 (Mass vaccination and herd immunity)
3
Medium
Passage 6 (Poem) 
2
Difficult

Decision Making (21 questions)

  • There was no Quantitative DM set in this year’s test.
  • The section consisted of 7 sets of 3 questions each.
Area/Questions
No. of Qs.
Level of Difficulty
1. HR Caselet – Experience credentials
3
Medium
2. ABC Business School policies
3
Medium
3. Competition between taxi drivers
3
Medium
4. Car sales
3
Medium
5. Wrongful termination of domestic help
3
Medium
6. HR Caselet – ‘Symbolics’ IT firm
3
Medium
7. Deep Sea Natural Gas Extraction
3
Medium

Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation (28 questions)

  • Out of the 28 questions in the section, 15 were on Quantitative Ability and 13 were on Data Interpretation. 
  • In arithmetic 1 question was on Time Speed Distance and 2 questions on profit & Loss.
  • In Algebra, 1 question was on polynomials, 3 questions on simultaneous equations and 1 question on Linear equations.
  • In Geometry, both the questions were from the topic – Triangles.
  • In Modern maths, 1 question each from Logarithm, Progressions and PnC appeared. 
  • There were three sets of Data Interpretation with 3 questions each and two sets with two questions each.
  • One set was based on Statistics, one set was based on  Cricket match score, one set was based on Discount coupons at a shop.

General Knowledge (25 Questions)
The 25 GK questions comprised 16 current affairs questions and 9 static GK questions.   

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Essay Writing
The test-taker had to select one topic out of three and write an essay in around 250 words. The topics for the essay writing task were: 

  • Tech predictions are not reliable, because of the lack of creativity and human based thinking;
  • Imposing more stringent rule on social media is necessary to prevent false information
  • The third one was abstract - we should not prioritize a thing that matters the most, at the cost of leaving a thing that matters the least.

XAT 2024 Cut off Percentile Vs Score
The expected score required for different percentile range is shared below

 

XAT Score Vs Percentile for Top MBA Colleges (90%ile and Above)
Here is the list of Top XAT Accepting Colleges with their XAT Score and Percentile Cut Offs and Admission Status. Click on ‘Apply Now’ to visit their official Admission page.

MBA Colleges

XAT Score

XAT Cut off %ile

Admission Status

XLRI Jamshedpur

38-45

94-95

Closed

XIM University

34-37

91-92

Open | Apply Now

MICA Ahmedabad

31-33

91-92

Open | Apply Now

IMT Ghaziabad

30-31

90-91

Open | Apply Now

IMI New Delhi

31-33

91-92

Open | Apply Now

Great Lakes Chennai

29-30

88-90

Open | Apply Now

XAT Score Vs Percentile for Top MBA Colleges (80%ile to 90%)
Here is the list of other Top XAT Accepting Colleges with their XAT Score and Percentile Cut Offs and Admission Status. Click on ‘Apply Now’ to visit their official Admission page.

MBA Colleges

XAT Score

XAT Cut off %ile

Admission Status

GIM Goa

27-29

86-88

Open | Apply Now

TAPMI Manipal

26-28

85-87

Open | Apply Now

FORE New Delhi

25-26

84-88

Open | Apply Now

IRMA Anand

24-25

83-84

Open

K J Somaiya Mumbai

22-24

80-82

Open | Apply Now

LBSIM New Delhi

22-24

80-82

Open | Apply Now

LIBA Chennai

22-24

80-82

Open

XAT Score Vs Percentile for Top MBA Colleges (70%ile to 80%ile)
Here is the list of other good XAT Accepting Colleges with their XAT Score and Percentile Cut Offs and Admission Status. Click on ‘Apply Now’ to visit their official Admission page.

MBA Colleges

XAT Score

XAT Cut off %ile

Admission Status

Welingkar Mumbai

20-21

76-78

Open | Apply Now

Great Lakes Gurgaon

20-22

76-79

Open | Apply Now

JAGSOM Bangalore

20-21

76-78

Open | Apply Now

XIME Bangalore

19-20

75-76

Open | Apply Now

BIMTECH Greater Noida

19-20

75-76

Open | Apply Now

BIM Trichy

19-20

75-76

Open | Apply Now

KIIT Bhubaneswar

17-19

73-75

Open | Apply Now

IMI Bhubaneswar

17-19

73-75

Open | Apply Now

IMT Nagpur

17-19

73-75

Open | Apply Now

Amrita School of Business Coimbatore

17-19

73-75

Open | Apply Now

IFMR GSB at KREA University

17-19

73-75

Open | Apply Now

Woxsen University

 

72

Open | Apply Now

WE School Bangalore

17-19

72-73

Open | Apply Now

IMI Kolkata

17-19

72

Open

Sri Balaji University Pune

16-17

70

Open | Apply Now

BIIB Pune

16-17

70

Open

VIT Business School (VIT) Vellore

16-17

70

Open | Apply Now

ISBM Pune

16-17

70

Open

Alliance School of Business Bangalore

16-17

70

Open | Apply Now

Jaipuria Lucknow

16-17

70

Open | Apply Now

Rajagiri Business School

17-18

72

Open

IBA Bangalore

16-17

70

Open | Apply Now

SIES Navi Mumbai

16-17

70

Open | Apply Now

Jaipuria Institute of Management Noida

16-17

70

Open | Apply Now

SJIM Bangalore

16-17

70

Open | Apply Now

XAT Score Vs Percentile for Top MBA Colleges (50%ile to 70%ile)
Here is the list of other XAT Accepting Colleges with their XAT Score and Percentile Cut Offs and Admission Status. Click on ‘Apply Now’ to visit their official Admission page.

MBA Colleges

XAT Score

XAT cut off percentile score

Admission Status 2024

NDIM New Delhi

15-16

68-70

Open | Apply Now

JIMS Rohini Delhi

15-16

68-70

Open | Apply Now

CIMP Patna

15-16

68-70

Open | Apply Now

IMT Hyderabad

15-16

68-70

Open | Apply Now

FIIB New Delhi

15-16

68-70

Open | Apply Now

SOIL Institute of Management

14-15

60-65

Open | Apply Now

NTPC School of Business

14-15

60-65

Open | Apply Now

ATLAS SkillTech University Mumbai

14-15

60-64

Open | Apply Now

Jaipuria Institute of Management Jaipur

14-15

60-64

Open | Apply Now

Dayananda Sagar Business School Bangalore

14-15

60-64

Open | Apply Now

Jaipuria Institute of Management Indore

14-15

60-64

Open | Apply Now

NSB Academy Bangalore

14-15

60-64

Open | Apply Now

AIMS School of Business, Bangalore

14-15

60-64

Open | Apply Now

IPE Hyderabad: Institute of Public Enterprise

14-15

60-75

Open | Apply Now

Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS) Faridabad

14-15

60-64

Open | Apply Now

RV University Bangalore

14-15

60-64

Open | Apply Now

Delhi School of Business

12-14

55-60

Open | Apply Now

Jaipuria School of Business, Ghaziabad

12-14

55-60

Open | Apply Now

Siva Sivani Institute of Management Hyderabad

12-14

50-60

Open | Apply Now

GNIOT Institute of Management Studies

12-14

50-60

Open | Apply Now

Apeejay School of Management, Dwarka, New Delhi

12-14

50-60

Open | Apply Now

Kohinoor Business School Mumbai

12-14

50-60

Open | Apply Now

MBAUniverse.com XAT 2024 Analysis: Key Changes in Exam Over the Years
Below is XAT 2024 Exam & Scoring Pattern Vs Last 3 Years XAT Exam and scoring pattern

XAT exam year
XAT 2024
XAT 2023
XAT 2022
XAT 2021
XAT 2020
Test Duration
3 Hours 30 Minutes:
2 PM to 5.30 PM
3 Hours 10 Minutes:
2 PM to 5.10 PM
3 Hours 10 Minutes:
9.30AM to 12.40PM
3 Hours:9.30AM to 12.30PM
3 Hours:9.30AM to 12.30 PM
XAT Difficulty Level
Expected Moderate to Difficult
Expected Moderate to Difficult
Difficult
Difficult
Very Difficult
Number of Sections
5
5
5
4
4
Number of Questions
101
101
101
100
99
Type of Questions
MCQs-101; Descriptive-1
MCQs-100; Descriptive-1
MCQs-100; Descriptive-1
MCQs
MCQs
Subjective Answer Questions
1 (Essay Writing Test)
1 (Essay Writing Test)
1 (Essay Writing Test)
No
No
Maximum marks
101 (Essay Evaluation after shortlisting by XLRI)
100 (Essay Evaluation after shortlisting by XLRI)
100 (Essay Evaluation after shortlisting by XLRI)
100
99
Key Change
No. of questions increased; Test duration increased
Essay Writing Test Restored
Essay Writing Test Restored
No Essay Writing Test
No Essay Writing Test
Penalty for Leaving Questions Unattempted
0.10 Negative marks penalty for every unattempted question after 8 unattempted questions
0.10 Negative marks penalty for every unattempted question after 8 unattempted questions
0.10 Negative marks penalty for every unattempted question after 8 unattempted questions
Not Announced
0.10 Negative marks penalty for every unattempted question after 8 unattempted questions  
Scoring Pattern
+1 Mark for each correct answer; - 0.25 mark for each wrong answer
+1 Mark for each correct answer; - 0.25 mark for each wrong answer
+1 Mark for each correct answer; - 0.25 mark for each wrong answer
+1 Mark for each correct answer; -0.25 mark for each wrong answer
+1 Mark for each correct answer; -0.25 mark for each wrong answer

To offer a wider perspective, MBAUniverse.com also shares XAT 2024 Exam Analysis by experts of leading institutions and top XAT coaching institutes like Arun Sharma, IMS, CL, T.I.M.E. among others.

 

Watch this space for overall and sectional Analysis of XAT 2024 exam with good attempts and expected cut offs for XLRI by top XAT Coaching Institutes

XAT Exam Analysis: Last 3 Years

Shared below is the XAT exam analysis for last three years in detail

 

XAT 2023 Analysis

XAT 2023 Exam has got over on January 8, 2023 at 5.10 PM in 79 cities at 200 test centres. This year XAT exam was taken by 22% more test takers than last year. Out of the total 98000+ registered candidates, around 80000 appeared in XAT 2023. Confirming about the successful conduct of XAT 2023 exam, Dr Vishwa Ballabh, XAT exam convener and XLRI Admission chair shared with MBAUniverse.com, “XAT Examination started at 2 PM sharp today in overall 79 cities and 200 centres. Overall, this year 22% more candidates appeared for the test compared to last year. However, of the total registered candidates 20% were absent. We would like to thank all the candidates who had appeared for the exam and wish them all the very best for their future”

 

Technical Glitches Reported at 2 Centres Quickly Resolved
Two centres initially reported technical glitches due to which XAT exam started a bit late. According to XAT Exam Convener Dr Ballabh, “Except for two centres, the exam started on time. In two centres there were some technical glitches because the examination was delayed. We appreciate the patience of the candidates in these two centres for their understanding till the resolution of the technical problem. Candidates calmly sat in the examination hall and allowed the technical team to resolve the problem.”

 

This year XAT  time was changed to 2 PM to 5.10 PM from earlier 9.30 AM to 12.40 PM. Dr Vishwa Ballabh, XAT 2023 convener and XLRI Admission Chair, has shared with MBAUniverse.com, the key reason for this change in XAT timing and said, “XLRI received feedback from the previous XAT applied candidates, particularly from the North Indian states about the difficulty in reaching examination centres at 8:30 AM. Now we have decided to shift the XAT 2023 examination to 2 PM.” MBAUniverse.com is the first to publish the XAT 2023 exam analysis immediately after the XAT exam is over. Check Complete XAT 2023 Analysis below.

 

MBAUniverse.com XAT Exam Analysis 2023: Key Highlights
MBAUniverse.com has published XAT 2023 Exam Analysis immediately after the exam is over. MBAUniverse XAT Analysis covers the following:

  • XAT Exam Pattern & key changes
  • Variation as compared to last year in Topics, Type of Questions for each section
  • Any Surprise elements in XAT 2023 Exam paper
  • Exam Difficulty Level: Overall & Section wise Analysis by Experts
  • Required Good Attempts: Overall and Section wise
  • XAT score Cut off Predictions by Experts to help the aspirants to assess their performance and check their call chances by top XAT Accepting B-schools
  • XAT Percentile Predictions
  • XAT 2023 Analysis by top coaching institutes – IMS, CL, TIME

80000 Took XAT 2023: Total Questions 101

  • Out of more than 98 thousand XAT applicants, 20% were absent and about 80 thousand appeared in XAT 2023 exam in 79 test cities.
  • As per information shared by candidates and our expert team who interacted with XAT exam takers in Delhi NCR, this year’s XAT question paper had 100 MCQs divided in 4 sections and 1 descriptive essay writing test.
  • Total questions were 101 as were last year.

XAT 2023 Difficulty Level
XAT 2023 was rated as moderate to high difficulty level exam as a few questions were considered at higher difficulty level by the test takers in QADI section. In an interview with MBAUniverse.com, XAT exam convener Dr Vishwa Ballabh had also shared that XAT 2023 was to remain on similar pattern and the overall exam is not to have higher difficulty level as compared to last year.    

 

XAT 2023 is the sixth computer based test conducted by XLRI in the history of 70 years of XAT exam. Earlier it used to be paper based test. MBAUniverse.com XAT Exam 2023 Analysis reflects upon the key changes in overall & sectional XAT exam pattern, difficulty level, predictions on XAT cut offs among others to help the test takers to gauge their performance in XAT 2023 and their admission chances in XLRI and other top XAT accepting Colleges. To offer a wider perspective, MBAUniverse.com also shares XAT 2023 Exam Analysis by experts of leading institutions and top XAT coaching institutes like Arun Sharma, IMS, CL, T.I.M.E. among others.

 

XAT 2023 Question Paper Analysis
Given the reputation of XLRI XAT exam over the years, the XAT Test paper is changed every year. This year too, many changes are introduced in XAT exam in terms of type of questions in an endeavour to improve diversity in XLRI class rooms. 

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XAT 2023 Question Paper Pattern: Key Highlights
Key highlights of  XAT 2023 question paper are 

  • Total questions increased to 101 in XAT 2023 from 99 two years ago
  • Single slot, single day exam
  • Essay Writing Test Restored in XAT 2023: Earlier this test was scrapped for 2019, 2020 & 2021
  • Now XAT 2023 had MCQ type and Descriptive type Questions
  • Question paper with 4 sections with MCQs and 1 section with Essay Writing Test
  • The GK & Essay Writing Sections are not counted for percentile calculation
  • Visually impaired candidates with scribe were given additional 25 minutes to solve Part 1 of  the exam
  • Marks for every correct answer: +1
  • - 0.25 Negative Marking for wrong answer
  • No Negative marking for General Knowledge and Essay writing section in part-2 of question paper
  • All the MCQ type questions had five options with one correct option
  • Essay Test shall be evaluated after the candidate is shortlisted for the interview by XLRI
  • On completion of 165 minutes, the timer will reach zero and Part 1 will be locked. You will be moved to Part 2, i.e., General Knowledge & Essay section of the Question Paper after a pause of 5 minutes
  • You are not allowed to leave the test lab before completion of the test
  • PwD candidates are allowed to submit their answers at any point of time between 165 minutes and 220 minutes for Part 1 and between 15 to 20 minutes for Part 2. So, a PwD candidate may leave the lab between 180 minutes and 240 minutes depending upon the completion time of the test.

XAT 2023 Analysis: Sectional Composition & Scoring Pattern
XAT Analysis 2023 with sectional composition and key changes in XAT paper 2023, sectional division of questions in revised XAT test pattern are shared below

Sections in XAT 2023 with Overall Time Limit
Number of questions
Scoring Pattern
Part-1: 165 Minutes
75 Total MCQs
Max.75 Marks(+1 Mark for each Correct answer; -0.25 Negative Marking for each wrong answer)
Verbal and Logical Ability
26
+1 and -0.25 (Max 26 Marks)
Decision Making
21
+1 and – 0.25(Max 21 Marks)
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
28
+1 and – 0.25 (Max 28 Marks)
Part-2: 25 Minutes
25 MCQs + 1 Essay Writing Question
Not Counted for Percentile Calculation
General Knowledge
25
 +1; No Negative Marking (Max 25 Marks)
Essay Writing Test
  1
Descriptive, Will be evaluated if you are shortlisted for PI round.
Total questions (Part 1 + Part 2)
101
 Max 100 Marks; Essay Evaluation after shortlisting is over based on score obtained in Part-1 sections

XAT Exam 2023 Percentile Calculation
Only 3 sections in XAT exam are taken into account to calculate the XAT percentile score and XAT merit list for written exam. GK will not be counted for percentile calculation in XAT exam pattern.

 

No Sectional Time Limit
XAT 2023 did not have sectional time limit to solve the question paper. Candidate could attempt any question from any of the three sections within the overall time limit of 165 minutes. However, candidate was allowed to go to Part 2 in XAT 2023 after completing the time duration of Part 1

 

Marks for Essay
Evaluation of Essay writing test to be done only for the shortlisted candidates

 

Sectional XAT 2023 Exam Analysis
XAT 2023 Exam Sectional Analysis for each section by experts at MBAUniverse.com is as below:

 

Key Highlights of XAT Exam 2023 Sectional Analysis

  • Score of first 3 Sections in XAT – VALR, DM, QADI to be counted for Percentile Calculation
  • No Individual Sectional Time Limit
  • Each section with different number of questions in MCQ format
  • Candidates could attempt any section in part-1 within overall time limit of 165 minutes
  • Candidates found it difficult to use XAT On Screen Calculator and preferred own calculation methodology

Section Wise XAT Analysis at a Glance:
Below is shared the section wise XAT analysis

 

Section-1: Verbal and Logical Ability

  • Total No of Questions: 26
  • Type of Questions: MCQs with Negative Marking
  • 5 RC Passage with 14 Questions
  • Verbal and Logical Ability with 16 MCQs
  • Error Correction in Sentences – 4 MCQs
  • Fill in the Blanks and Close passages-5 Questions
  • Jumbled Paragraphs – 2 MCQs
  • Inference – Para/poem based – 1
  • Critical Reasoning-4 MCQs
  • Difficulty Level: Moderate with 2-3 questions difficult
  • Good Attempts: An attempt of about 12-13 questions in this section in about 55 minutes, with about 80% accuracy would be considered a good attempt.

Section-2: Decision Making

  • Total No of Questions: 21 MCQs
  • Type of Questions: In sets of 3-4 questions
  • Question Topics: Many Questions were based on Ethical Dilemma
  • Length of Caselets: Passages were short and easy to read.
  • Some questions had ambiguity wherein no answer seemed correct or more than one option appeared correct
  • Overall Difficulty level: Moderate
  • Choice of sets/questions to attempt depended mainly on personal preferences and strengths
  • Good Attempts: In 50 minutes, an attempt of about 10-11 questions with 80% accuracy can be considered good to clear XLRI section cut off.

Section-3: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

  • Total No of Questions: 28
  • Type of Questions: MCQs with Negative Marking
  • QA Questions: 15-16 on Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Numbers, Modern Math
  • DI Questions: 12-13 all in Sets in Table, Graph, Charts
  • Difficulty Level: Moderate to Difficult
  • Good Attempts: An attempt of about 17-18 questions in this section in about 60 minutes, with about 80% accuracy would be considered a good attempt.

Overall Predictions for 95 -99 Percentile: Good Attempts, Accuracy Level
The table below displays the required good attempts in XAT with Accuracy level needed for 98 -99 percentile range:

 

XLRI BM Program

 
VA-LR Section
DM Section
QA-DI Section
Overall (Part A)
Male candidates
7-8
6-7
10-11
31-33
Female candidates
5-6
4-5
8-9
28-30

XLRI HRM Program

 
VA-LR Section
DM Section
QA-DI Section
Overall (Part A)
Male (Engineers)
7-8
5-6
8-9
29-31
Female (Engineers)
6-7
4-5
7-8
27-29
Male (Non Engineers)
7-8
5-6
7-8
27-29
Female (Non Engineers)
6-7
4-5
6-7
26-28

It may be noted that the overall cut-off is greater than the sum of the sectional cut-offs. 

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XAT 2022 Analysis

XAT Exam Analysis 2022 by Top XAT Coaching Institutes & Experts
MBAUniverse.com has also published the XAT Exam Analysis from top XAT coaching institutes & XAT experts like TIME, IMS, CL, Arun Sharma with their take on exam difficulty level, sectional and overall changes and expected cut offs. The expected time schedule for release of XAT Test Analysis is as given below.

XAT 2022 Exam Date & Time
XAT 2022 Exam Analysis by IMS -Expected Time
XAT 2022 Exam Analysis by CL – Expected Time
XAT 2022 Exam Analysis by T.I.M.E. – Expected Time
XAT Exam 2022 Jan 2, 2022 From 9.30 AM to 12.40 PM
3.00 PM
4.00 PM
5.00 PM

XAT Exam Analysis By IMS
 

XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) 2022 was conducted online on January 2, 2022, between 9:30 AM and 12:40 PM. The test had almost the same structure as last year except that the Essay Writing task was reintroduced after a gap of 3 years.Two topics was provided. The test-taker had to select one.

 

The structure of the test along with suggested time allocation, good attempts, and estimated cut- offs based on the feedback from IMS students and experts are in the table below:

 

The Question Paper consisted of two timed parts.

Section
No. of Questions
Marks per question
Total marks
Suggested time allocation
Good Attempts
PART – A (165 minutes) No Sectional Timing within Part - A
Verbal        and       Logical Ability
26
1
26
55-60
13-14
Decision Making
21
1
21
50-55
12-13
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
28
1
28
55-60
16-18
Total
75
 
75
 
 
PART – B (25 minutes) No Negative Marks
General Awareness
25
1
25
No Negative Marks
15
Essay
The essay will be assessed if the candidate is shortlisted for the interview.

Part A questions invited negative marks of – 0.25 for each incorrect response. In addition, there was a penalty of -0.1 mark for every un-attempted question after 8 un-attempted questions.

VERDICT
Overall, XAT-2022 was similar in difficulty level to XAT 2021. The DM Section was on par with the same last year with a few questions in DM being difficult. The VALR section was slightly more challenging than the same section in XAT 2021.

 

Based on the inputs received from students and IMS mentors who appeared for the test and based on the actual cut-offs over the last two years, we estimate the following cut-offs for XLRI BM and HRM programs:

 

XLRI BM Program

 
VA-LR Section
DM Section
QA-DI Section
Overall (Part A)
Male candidates
6-7
5-6
9-10
30-32
Female candidates
5-6
4-5
8-9
28-30

XLRI HRM Program

 
VA-LR Section
DM Section
QA-DI Section
Overall (Part A)
Male (Engineers)
7-8
5-6
8-9
29-31
Female (Engineers)
6-7
4-5
7-8
27-29
Male(Non Engineers)
7-8
5-6
7-8
27-29
Female (Non Engineers)
6-7
4-5
6-7
26-28

SECTIONAL ANALYSIS
Note: For both BM and HRM programs of XLRI, the overall cut-off is significantly greater than the sum of the sectional cut-offs. Therefore, the number of good attempts for different sections has been estimated from the point of view of a student who wishes to maximize the score in that section.

 

Part-A

 

Verbal and Logical Ability Section (26 questions)

The Verbal and Logical Ability section of XAT 2021 was at par with last year’s paper. There were 14 Reading Comprehension questions and 12 Verbal Ability/Reasoning questions. The Verbal ability/Verbal Reasoning questions were a fair mix of grammar, vocabulary, and reasoning- based questions (Critical Reasoning, Correct/Incorrect statements and Jumbled Paragraphs). The 14 RC questions were distributed among four passages and one poem. The poem-based RC was an abstract one and had 11 lines. The remaining four passages were of 300 - 450 words each approximately; they had a mixture of mostly medium to difficult questions. Many of the questions were inferential and application-based. The options were close and the directions emphasized choosing the ‘best’ one among them.

Area/Questions
No. of Qs.
Level of Difficulty
Verbal Ability / Reasoning
Grammatically incorrect sentence
2
2 Medium
Grammatically correct sentence
1
1 Easy
Fill in the blanks (3 blanks)
1
1 Medium
Jumbled Paragraphs
2
2 Medium
Critical Reasoning (Conclusions)
4
3 Medium, 1 Difficult
Poem-based Inference
1
1 Medium
Cloze Passage (4 blanks)
1
1 Medium
Reading Comprehension
Passage 1 (How lying differs from bullshitting - 300 words)
3
Medium
Passage 2 (A psychologically rich life can be a good life - 450 words )
3
Medium
Passage 3 ( Stupidity as a cognitive failing - 350 words)
3
Medium
Passage 4 (Publicness is as important to progress as sociability or privacy - 350 words)
3
Difficult
Passage 5 (Poem - Immigrant by Tabish Khair)
2
Difficult

An attempt of about 13-14 questions in this section in about 55-60 minutes, with about 75-80% accuracy would be considered a good attempt. 

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Decision Making (21 questions)

This section consisted of 21 questions, and like last year, none of the questions were quantitative.

 

The section consisted of 7 sets of 3 questions each. Most of the questions were on Ethical Dilemma. The passages were short and easy to read. As usual, some questions had a fair deal of ambiguity – in that either no answer seemed correct or more than one option appeared correct. Overall, the questions were of medium difficulty. Therefore, the choice of sets/questions to attempt would have depended mainly on your personal preferences and strengths. Overall, the section was on par with last year's test.

Area/Questions No. of Qs. Level of Difficulty
Case 1 - Allotment of accommodation to scientists (of 3 different seniority levels) in a research institute 3 Medium
Case 2 - Regarding an individual’s use of a vehicle (diesel-based) that is non-compliant with pollution rules 3 Medium
Case 3 - Regarding recruitment and confirmation of faculty members in an engineering college 3 Medium
Case 4 - Running a dosa Stall in a hospital; business 3 Difficult
Case 5 - Regarding school fees payment by financially able parents during the pandemic 3 Medium
Case 6 - Regarding an assignment submission in a management college 3 Difficult
Case 7 - Regarding the concerns of residents of an island village about how a proposed new bridge connecting their island to the mainland might impact them, business and ethics 3 Difficult

In about 50-55 minutes, an attempt of about 12-13 questions with about 75-80% accuracy would be considered to be good.

 

Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation (28 questions)

 

This section was of moderate level of difficulty. As a whole, it was one notch easier than XAT- 2021. Out of the 28 questions in the section, 16 were on Quantitative Ability and 12 were on Data Interpretation. There were four sets of Data Interpretation with 3 questions each. Two sets were somewhat logical in nature- one involved table and the other bar graph. LOD was medium though one question in each set was tricky. The remaining two sets were based on Calculations and Observation. Out of these two sets, one was on candlestick and the other was on Line graph. LOD of these two sets was medium.

 

Following is the break-up of the questions in the section:

Quantitative Ability (16 questions)
 
Easy
Medium
Difficult
Total
Arithmetic
0
1
0
1
Geometry
0
1
1
2
Modern Maths
1
2
1
4
Algebra
1
0
0
1
Numbers
5
2
1
8
 
7
6
3
16
Data Interpretation (12 questions)
Table
0
2
1
3
Bar Graph
0
2
1
3
Candlestick
0
3
0
3
Line Graph
0
3
0
3
Total DI
0
10
2
12
Total QA-DI
7
16
5
28

An attempt of about 16-18 questions (with about 80 percent accuracy) in about 55-60 minutes would be considered a good attempt.

 

Part-B
There was no break between Part-A and Part-B.

 

General Knowledge
The 25 GK questions comprised 13 current affairs questions and 12 static GK questions. Overall, the GK section was of the same difficulty as last year’s test. 16 to 17 questions were based on national events, 7-8 questions were based on international events and miscellaneous topics As usual, the questions covered a wide range of areas and gave no special advantage to specialists in any one area.

 

To maximize the score in this section, one should have attempted 15 questions seriously. Additionally, as there was no negative marking in this section, all the remaining questions should also have been attempted. A score of 6 - 7 would be a good score in this section.

 

Essay Writing
Two topics were provided. The test-taker had to select one topic and write an essay in around 250 words.

 

The topics for the essay writing task were:

  1. Capitalism and democracy follow different logics: unequally distributed property rights on the one hand, equal civic and political rights on the other. debate, compromise and majority decision-making within democratic politics versus hierarchical decision- making by managers and capital owners. Therefore, Capitalism and democracy cannot co-exist.
  2. In management we do not need people who have never experienced setbacks. Such people are highly risk averse. Because business schools mainly focus on stellar academic achievements during admissions, the selected students turn out to be average managers

XAT Exam Analysis: Last 3 Years
Shared below is the XAT exam analysis for last three years in detail

XAT exam year
Total questions,  time duration
Section-wise division of questions
Marking pattern for MCQs
Percentile calculation
Level of difficulty
XAT 2020
(Scrapped Essay Writing test)
100 MCQs
VARC-26
DM-21
Quant-28
GK-25
+1 mark for each correct answer;
¼ negative marking for each wrong answer;
penalty of 0.10 mark per question if more than 8 questions left unattempted
Score for 75 MCQs in 1st three sections accounted for percentile calculation
Moderate to difficult
XAT 2019
99
VARC-26
DM-21
Quant-27
Gk-25
+1 mark for each correct answer;
¼ negative marking for each wrong answer;
penalty of 0.10 mark per question if more than 8 questions left unattempted
Score for 75 MCQs in 1st three sections accounted for percentile calculation
Moderate to difficult
XAT 2018 (Changed to Computer Based Test)
97 MCQs
1 Essay topic
3½  hours duration
VARC-24
DM-21
Quant-27
GK-25
Essay topic-1
1 mark for each correct answer;
¼ negative marking for each wrong answer;
penalty of 0.05 mark per question if more than 12 questions left unattempted
Score for 72 MCQs in 1st three sections accounted for percentile calculation
Moderate to difficult

Read below the year wise XAT exam analysis in detail:

XAT 2020 Analysis: Tough Decision Making, Quant Moderate

The XAT 2020 got over at 12.30 PM on Sunday, January 5, 2020 with many substantial changes introduced in the exam like NAT questions. This year the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) began at 9.30 AM with a time duration of 3 hours instead of earlier three and half hours as a computer based test. 

 

XAT 2020 has been reported a bit more difficult exam with tricky Decision Making and it is expected that XAT cut offs may remain low in view of the difficulty level of the exam.

 

XAT 2020 was the third computer based test conducted by XLRI in the history of 60 years of conducting XAT. Although the technical glitches were minimal in the third computer based XAT, a bit of problems were reported at some of the centres which were overcome promptly.

XAT Percentile Predictor

XAT 2020 was conducted in 47 test cities in India and did not have any test city abroad. Earlier the exam was conducted in 49 test cities including 2 test cities abroad.

 

While there was no surprise element in the test structure of XAT 2020 Exam, it had number of changes as compared to last year.

 

Quick XAT 2020 Exam Analysis:

  • Total questions increased to 100 from 99 last year
  • No Essay Writing test
  • NAT Questions without negative marking introduced
  • Decision Making section remains tricky
  • Quant section is of moderate difficulty
  • Many Candidates could attempt less than 50% questions
  • Test timing changed - 9.30AM to 12.30PM from 10AM to 1 PM last year
  • All questions were of MCQ type
  • GK section not counted for percentile calculation
  • Negative Marking of 25%.
  • RC passages rated moderate
  • Visually impaired candidates with scribe were given additional 25 minutes only for Part 1 of XAT.
  • Marks for every correct answer : 1
  • No Negative marking for General Knowledge section in part-2
  • All the MCQ type questions had five options with one correct option
  • Expected XLRI cut off to remain 33-35 marks

XAT 2020 Pattern: Exam Divided in Two Parts
XAT 2020 was divided in two parts. The 3 sections in Part one are counted for percentile calculation to prepare the merit list while the score in GK in part two is kept out of preparing the merit list:

Section in XAT 2020 Exam Pattern
Number of questions
Overall Time Duration
Part-1
75 Total MCQs
165 Minutes
Verbal and Logical Ability
26
No Sectional Time Limit
Decision Making
21
No Sectional Time Limit
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
28
No Sectional Time Limit
Part-2
25 Total MCQs
15 Minutes
General Knowledge
25
 
Total questions (Part 1 + Part 2)
100
 

Candidate were allowed to go to Part 2 in XAT 2020 after completing the time duration of 165 minutes in Part 1

 

No Negative Marking Questions in XAT 2020 

Few questions without negative marking were introduced in XAT 2020 in each section. This will provide level playing field for the candidates who are weak in one section and strong in other section as they need not fear the penalty of negative marking in the exam. Last year XLRI proposed to introduce these type of NAT questions but could not do it. This year the same has been introduced. Procedure for answering a numerical answer type (NAT) question was to enter a numerical answer by making use of virtual numeric keypad that appeared below the question. Step-wise procedure to answer the question was as under:

  • To enter a numerical answer, candidate had to use the virtual numeric keypad that appeared below the question
  • A fractional number in the decimal notation (e.g. -0.3 or -.3) could be entered as an answer with or without '0' before the decimal point.
  • To clear the answer, click on the Clear Response button was required.

XAT 2020 Sectional Analysis
Part-1 in XAT 2020 had 75 questions divided in three sections which included MCQs. Here is Section wiseXAT 2020 Exam Analysis:

  1. Verbal and Logical Ability
  • Total Questions: 26
  • 4 RC Passages of about 300 words followed by total 14 Questions
  • 1 poem of moderate difficulty level
  • Most of the questions were inferential
  • 12 Questions in Verbal Ability included Antonyms, parajumbles, Critical Reasoning
  • Section difficulty was moderate
Question Topics
Number of questions
Difficulty Level
Error correction in sentences
2
Moderate
Fill in the blanks (4 blanks)
2
Moderate to difficult
Para Jumbles
2
Moderate to Difficult
Questions on Critical Reasoning
6
Easy to Difficult
RC Passage on Pleasure in today’s world
2
Moderate to Difficult
RC Passage on Knowledge as Product
3
Moderate to Difficult
RC Passage on Capitalism
3
Medium to Difficult
RC Passage on Culture
3
Moderate to Difficult
Poem on Fire and Ice
3
Moderate to Difficult

Good Attempts

  • 17-19 questions in this section could be attempted in one hour with 80-85 percent accuracy.
  • Sectional cut offs are expected to be 10-11 Marks
  1. Decision Making
  • Total Questions: 21
  • DM question sets were on various business related problems
  • Questions were more difficult than last year
  • No question was quant based 
  • DM Section had 7 sets of 3 questions each
  • Some Problem sets were short and easy to read while some questions were ambiguous
Question Topics
No. of Qs.
Question Type
Level of Difficulty
4 Problem sets on Ethics & Dilemma
12
 
Moderate to Difficult
3 Problem Sets on Business Decision
 9
Business Decision
Moderate to Difficult

Good Attempts & Sectional Cut off

  • 15-16 questions could be attempted in 50-55 minutes with 80-85 percent accuracy
  • Cut off to remain 7-8 marks
  1. Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
  • Total Questions: 28
  • More questions on Arithmetic (7 Questions)
  • 22 Questions were on Quant
  • 6 Questions were on Data Interpretation
  • 2 DI sets in the section with 3 questions each
  • Section difficulty level was moderate but was more difficult than last year
  • 20 Quant questions were standalone questions
  • 2 questions were in the form of a set on Venn Diagrams
  • Out of 6 Questions on Geometry 3 were difficult
Quant DI Topics
Total Questions
Difficulty Level
Arithmetic
Moderate to Difficult
Geometry
6
Moderate to difficult
Modern Math
5
Moderate
Algebra
2
Moderate to difficult
Number System
2
Moderate
 Table
3
Moderate
Multiple graphs
3
Moderate

Good Attempts & Sectional Cut Offs

  • 18-19 questions with 80 percent accuracy could be attempted in less than one hour.
  • Sectional cut off is expected to remain 10-12 marks

Part-2: General Knowledge

  • Total Questions 25
  • No Break between part I & II was given
  • GK questions were on moderate difficulty side
  • Many questions in the section were from latest GK topic published by MBAUniverse.com
  • Questions were framed on Budget sessions, History, Merger-Acquisition

Sectional Composition

Question Topics
Number of Questions
National Events
18
International Events
  5
General GK
  2

Overall analysis

  • XAT 2020 exam paper was on moderate to difficult side
  • Decision Making to remain turning point in merit calculation.
  • Many questions in Decision Making were found more difficult
  • Overall Cut off levels to remain 33-35 marks for XLRI

XAT Analysis: Previous XAT Exams

XAT 2019 Analysis: Moderate Quant, Tricky Decision Making to Keep the Cut offs Low
Here is XAT 2019 Analysis! The XAT 2019 got over at 1 PM on Sunday, January 6, 2019 with many substantial changes introduced for the first time in the exam. NAT questions were introduced for the first time in XAT.

This year the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) began at 10 AM with a time duration of 3 hours instead of earlier three and half hours as a computer based test.  

 

XAT 2019 has been reported a bit more difficult exam and it is expected that XAT cut offs may go down in view of the difficulty level of the exam.

XAT Percentile Predictor

XAT 2019 was the second computer based test conducted by XLRI in the history of 60 years of conducting XAT. Although the technical glitches were minimal in the second computer based XAT, a bit of problems were reported at some of the centres which were overcome promptly.

 

XAT 2019 was conducted in 47 test cities in India and did not have any test city abroad. Earlier the exam was conducted in 49 test cities including 2 test cities abroad.

 

While there was no surprise element in the test structure of XAT 2019 Exam, it had number of changes as compared to last year.

 

XAT 2019 Pattern: Exam Divided in Two Parts

XAT 2019 was divided in two parts. The 3 sections in Part one are counted for percentile calculation to prepare the merit list while the score in GK in part two is kept out of preparing the merit list:

Section in XAT 2019 Exam Pattern
Number of questions
Overall Time Duration
Part-1
74 Total MCQs
165 Minutes
Verbal and Logical Ability
26
No Sectional Time Limit
Decision Making
21
No Sectional Time Limit
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
27
No Sectional Time Limit
Part-2
25 Total MCQs
15 Minutes
General Knowledge
25
 
Total questions (Part 1 + Part 2)
99
 

 

Candidate were allowed to go to Part 2 in XAT 2019 after completing the time duration of 165 minutes in Part 1

 

Key Changes in XAT 2019
XAT Exam Analysis 2019 reveals the following key changes in the XAT exam pattern:

  • For the first time in XAT, NAT questions were introduced
  • XAT 2019 Exam was of 3 hours duration instead of 3½ hours
  • Visually impaired candidates with scribe were given additional 25 minutes only for Part 1 of XAT.
  • Exam Timing: 10:00 AM to 01:00 PM on January 6, 2019
  • The Total Number of Questions for the Exam were 99 (74 + 25) instead of 100
  • Marks for every correct answer : 1
  • Negative marking for every wrong answer : 0.25
  • Negative marking for every unattempted question beyond 8 unattempted questions : 0.10
  • No Negative marking for General Knowledge section in part-2
  • All the MCQ type questions had five options with one correct option
  • No Essay Writing Test in XAT 2019

NAT Questions in XAT 2019 

As if the difficulty level in XAT was not enough, a new type of Numerical Answer Type Question (NAT Questions) has been introduced for the first time in XAT 2019. Procedure for answering a numerical answer type (NAT) question was to enter a numerical answer by making use of virtual numeric keypad that appeared below the question. Step-wise procedure to answer the question was as under:

  • To enter a numerical answer, candidate had to use the virtual numeric keypad that appeared below the question
  • A fractional number in the decimal notation (e.g. -0.3 or -.3) could be entered as an answer with or without '0' before the decimal point.
  • To clear the answer, click on the Clear Response button was required.

However, candidates have reported that despite announcing the introduction of NAT questions in XAT 2019, XLRI has refrained from placing them in the exam this year. 

 

XAT 2019 Sectional Analysis
Part-1 in XAT 2019 had 74 questions divided in three sections which included MCQs and did not have NAT questions although XLRI had announced to introduce such type of questions this year. Here is Section wise XAT 2019 Exam Analysis:

1. Verbal and Logical Ability

  • Total Questions: 26
  • 4 RC Passages followed by 3 Questions each
  • 1 piece of Poetry followed by 2 questions
  • Questions in Verbal included Antonyms, parajumbles, Critical Reasoning
  • Section difficulty was moderate to tough
  • RC passages were on Creativity, Mood Disorder
  • No NAT questions was in this section

2. Decision Making

  • Total Questions: 21
  • Decision Making problems repeated from last year with different options. 1-2 questions were exactly same
  • DM question sets were on Human Resource Management, Starting a Franchise and others
  • Questions were moderate to difficult

3. Quantitative:

  • Total Questions: 27
  • More questions on Arithmetic
  • 2 DI sets in the section with 3 questions each
  • Section difficulty level was moderate to tough

Part-2: General Knowledge

  • Total Questions 25
  • GK questions were on higher difficulty side
  • 1 Question HUL Merger with GSKCH India from latest GK topic published by MBAUniverse.com
  • Questions were framed on Budget sessions, History, Merger-Acquisition

Few GK Questions

  • Who acquired  Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Healthcare
  • Which of the following is not the part of VIACOM 18
  • Highest import to India
  • Giga fibre to be launched by which company
  • Who is the SBI Chairman
  • What are the names of Parliament Budget Sessions
  • Name of Liquid for dissolving Gold
  • Name of Rajasthan Snake Dance 

Overall analysis

  • XAT 2019 exam paper was on moderate to difficult
  • Many questions in Decision Making were repeated on last year’s pattern
  • Overall Cut off levels to go down or to remain same as that of last year

XAT 2019 Exam Analysis 2019 will be published by MBAUniverse.com immediately after the XAT 2019 exam is over on January 6, 2019. The XAT exam analysis will reflect the XAT exam pattern, key changes in XAT 2019 and ideal attempts to improve your scores. Since last year XAT has changed its exam pattern by switching over to computer based test from paper based test and has also changed number of questions, the XAT analysis 2019 will highlight such changes and the difficulty level in XAT 2019 exam. It is expected that the  XAT exam analysis 2019 will see a changed difficulty level and twisted type of questions among other things in XAT exam.

 

Alongwith the XAT Exam 2019 Analysis , the cut offs based on XAT Percentile Vs Marks from experts will also be published. Besides, the XAT paper analysis by Career Launcher and other prominent XAT coaching centres will be published.

 

For the first time in 2018 Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) was conducted in Online Mode in 314 centres across 49 cities including Dubai and Kathmandu on 7th January, 2018. The XAT analysis revealed that at 2 centres the exam couldn’t be conducted due to server related technical issues. As such Re-examination was conducted at these centres for the affected students.

XAT Analysis last 3 years

XAT Exam Year
2018
2017
2016
Total Questions
100
98
104
Exam Duration
3 hours, 35 minutes
3 hours, 35 minutes (Includes 5 minutes Turn around time)
3 hours, 35 minutes (Included 5 minutes Turn around Time)
Exam Format
Online Computer Based
Paper-Pen Based
Paper-Pen based
Marking Pattern
+1 for each correct answer
+3 For Essay Writing Test
+1 for each correct answer
+3 For Essay Writing Test
+1 for 3 sections; +2 for Reasoning section
+3 For Essay Writing Test
Negative Marking
-25% for each wrong answer
-No Negative Marking for GK & Essay Writing Test
-25% for each wrong answer
-No Negative Marking for GK & Essay Writing Test
-25% for each wrong answer
-No Negative Marking for GK & Essay Writing Test
Type of Questions
MCQs + Descriptive Essay
MCQs + Descriptive Essay
MCQs + Descriptive Essay
Answer options
5
5
5
Difficulty Level
Moderate to High
Moderate to High
High
Number of Sections
3+2
3+2
3+2
Name of Sections with Number of Questions
Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning -26
Decision Making-21
Quant & DI-27
GK-25
Essay Writing-1
Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning -24
Decision Making-21
Quant & DI-27
GK-25
Essay Writing-1
Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning -26
Decision Making-23
Quant & DI-29
GK-25
Essay Writing-1
Special Feature
If more than 8 questions left unattempted, a penalty of 0.05 mark for every unattempted question is applied.
If more than 12 questions left unattempted, a penalty of 0.05 mark for every unattempted question is applied
If more than 13 questions left unattempted, a penalty of 0.05 mark for every unattempted question is applied

 

XAT Exam Analysis 2018
XAT 2018 exam had 100 questions divided in 5 sections. Out of 92000 candidates who registered for XAT 2018, around 85000 appeared in XAT 2018 held on January 7, 2018 from 10AM to 1.35PM.  XAT 2018 remained a bit difficult exam but has been rated moderate overall and almost at the same level as last year. Students have found XAT 2018 a bit more lengthy but not a very difficult exam except that the questions in Decision Making section were rated more difficult.

 

XAT Paper Analysis revealed that XAT 2018 was the first online computer based test and as such it also faced some technical glitches. Official Spokesperson of XLRI – Xavier School of Management said on this issue, ‘This year, for the first time Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) was conducted in Online Mode in 314 centres across 49 cities including Dubai and Kathmandu on 7th January, 2018. However, at 2 centres due to server related technical issues, the exam couldn’t be conducted. Re-examination will be conducted at these centres for the affected students. The new date will be will be announced very soon and communicated to the affected students.’ 

 

XAT 2018 Exam Difficulty level & topic overview

  • Overall, XAT 2018 was a moderately difficult exam
  • Quant section had 27 questions and was easier compared to last year papers
  • Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning had 26 questions and was slightly more difficult. There was only 1 set of question on logical reasoning.
  • Decision Making section had 21 questions and was trickier than other two sections and was time consuming.
  • GK Section had 25 questions. Almost 50% of questions were based on Current Affairs.
  • Essay Topic was on Ethics and Sustainability. Total limit was 200 words.
  • XAT 2018 XLRI Cut offs is expected to be 33-35​

Technical glitches were also reported from some of the XAT centres as XAT 2018 was the first online XAT exam. At some centres exam started late and at at few other centres test could not get over in time. After sorting out the technical issues, time loss was also compensated and candidates did not suffer due to any technical problem. 

The test was divided into two parts. The first part was the usual XAT paper which had questions divided into three sections Verbal Ability and Logical , Decision Making, and Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation. As stated by the XAT authorities earlier, the total time allotted for attempting these questions was 170 minutes.

The second part consisted of General Awareness questions and a mandatory Essay Writing Section. The total time allotted to this section was 40 minutes.

The Verbal and Logical Ability Section had 26 questions, 2 more than last year. The section on Decision Making comprised 21 questions and the Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation section had 27 questions. Each question had 5 options and all the questions carried equal marks. There was a penalty of one-fourth marks allotted for every incorrect answer. Also, as mentioned earlier, there was a penalty of 0.05 marks for every un-attempted question after the first 8 such questions. The paper, though slightly easier, was still quite challenging.

 

Exam Pattern

Section
No. of Questions
Optimal Time in Mins
Difficulty Level
Good Attempts
Expected Cutoff
BM
HR
Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning
26
55
Difficult
17-19
7-7.5
6-6.5
Decision Making
21
45
Moderate
16-17
8.5-9
7.5-8
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
27
70
Moderate
18-19
12-13
9-10
Total
74
 
Moderate - Difficult
54-55
35-36
31-32
 
The detailed analysis of all the sections is as follows:

 

Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning:

Verbal ability and Logical Reasoning was tough. The section was dominated by Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning. The 2 para jumble questions were easy and so was the lone grammar question. The FIB questions were difficult and some of the CR questions were really difficult. The vague reasoning used in some RC questions made life difficult for the candidates. The RC passages were from familiar areas of Philosophy and Logic.

A serious candidate could have attempted 17-19 questions with 70% accuracy. It was definitely time consuming and a student could have taken around 50-55 minutes for the section.

 

The breakup was as follows:

Topic
Number of questions
Difficulty
Good Attempts
Reading Comprehension
13(4 passages, 3, 3, and 4 )
Moderate - Difficult
8-9
CR
5
Difficult
3-4
Poem Comprehension
2 (1 poem)
Bizarre
1
Grammar – Correct the sentence
1
Easy
1
Para-jumble – 5 sentence
2
Moderate
1-2
FIB – 3 blanks
3
Difficult
1-2

Decision Making and Analytical Reasoning
The level of the Decision Making was slightly easier as compared to last year. There were no singlets and it made the task of reading easier. The length of the caselets was shorter than usual. Hence, the paper seemed to be easier. Situational decision making dominated the section with 18 questions. There were only three questions from Mathematical/Analytical Reasoning. This set on trains and stations was easier than the poor-sabzi set of last year. There were 5 caselets with 3 questions each and 3 caselets with 2 questions each.

 

The breakup was as follows:

Topic
Number of questions
Difficulty
Good Attempts
Situational
18
Moderate
13-14
Mathematical + Analytical Reasoning
3
Moderate
2-3

Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation:
The section on Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation was slightly easier than last year’s. However, one of the DI sets was slightly tricky. There were 17 questions of QA and most of them were from Geometry and Algebra.  Majority of the questions from Arithmetic were doable whereas the questions on Geometry were difficult in nature. There were two caselet questions based on sports.

In Data Interpretation, there were 2 sets comprising 8 questions in total. There were a few questions which were a little ambiguous.There were 2 DS questions which were slightly complex as well.

 

In a nutshell, one could have attempted 4-6 DI questions and 14-16 Quant questions inabout 65-70 minutes.

 

The break-up was as follows:

Topic
Number of questions
Level of Difficulty
Arithmetic
4
Easy
Algebra
6
Easy
Modern maths
2
Easy
Geometry
4
Easy-Moderate
Number System
3
Easy-Moderate
Data Sufficiency
2
Easy
DI (Game based)
3
Easy
DI (Mixed Graph)
3
Easy-moderate
Total
11
Easy-moderate
 
General Knowledge:
The level of difficulty of the General Knowledge section was slightly higher than last year. This section comprised 25 questions. Most of the questions were single-statement based. Some of the questions having multiple-statements had more than one correct statement. The key areas from where the questions were asked were static GK (Economy, Geography, Science and Technology) and Current GK (Business economy, personalities, awards, sports and miscellaneous). Overall the difficulty level of the GK section lies in the “moderate-difficult” range. An attempt of 12-14 questions fetching a score of 9-10 can be considered good.
Section
No. of questions
Difficulty Level
History
2
Difficult
Geography
3
Moderate-Difficult
Economy & Business
6
Moderate-Difficult
Current Affairs
3
Moderate
Personality & Awards
4
Moderate
Science & Tech
2
Easy
Polity
1
Difficult
Miscellaneous
2
Moderate-Difficult
Sports
2
Easy-Moderate
Total
25
Moderate- Difficult

Essay Writing
The essay topic was : Ethical Practices and Sustainability: Do they co-exist?

The topic was from a familiar area. The question of profit vs. moral values has assumed a tremendous significance in the recent days. So, the student was supposed to be ready with the topic. It was definitely expected

 

Cut offs by CL

 
XLRI
XIMB
SP Jain
GIM
IMT
Great Lakes
Topic
BM
HRM
GMP
BM
HRM
VA
7+
(80%ile)
6.5+
(77%ile)
-
6.25+
(75%ile)
6.25+
(75%ile)
-
-
-
DM
7.5+
(77%ile)
7+
(70%ile)
-
7.25+
(75%ile)
7.25+
(75%ile)
-
-
-
QA
12+
(88%ile)
9+
(72%ile)
-
9.25+
(75%ile)
9.25+
(75%ile)
-
-
-
Total
35+
(96+ile)
31+
(92.5+ile)
20+
(70+ %ile)
30+
(90%ile)
29+
(88%ile)
32+
(93%ile)
27+
(85%ile)
30+
(90%ile)
24+
(80%ile)

 

XAT Analysis 2017
XAT 2017 was held on January 8, 2017. XAT this year was not a very difficult exam as compared to last year exam. As promised by XLRI significant changes were brought about this year in the XAT exam. 72 questions in Part – I of XAT 2017 were not so difficult as that of last year. Your low score of 33 could lead you to XLRI-BM and score of 31 could lead you to XLRI-HR. You can  Check your XAT 2018 percentile 

 

XAT 2017 was divided in 3 sections of Verbal & Logical Ability with 24 questions, Decision Making with 21 questions and Quant & DI with 27 questions. The first section of Verbal and Logical Ability had high difficulty level although questions in Decision Making and Quant sections were a bit moderate.

 

XAT 2017 exam began on time at 10 AM and was over at 1.30 PM. The 72 questions in the first part of the exam had to be solved in 170 minutes and the Part-2 of the exam comprising GK and Essay Writing had to be attempted in 35 minutes. Negative marking of one fourth mark for wrong answer was applied while a penalty of 0.05 mark per question was applied in case the test taker left more than 12 questions unattempted.

 

The composition of the questions in XAT 2017 was more or less same as predicted by MBAUniverse.com earlier. Number of questions placed in XAT 2017 were also from forgotten topics.  MBAUniverse.com forewarned the aspirants to watch out for the same. The aspirants who paid heed to the suggestions and tips shared with them definitely did better in the test. Questions on number of forgotten topics with higher level of difficulty, increased number of passages, questions which had different trends and didn’t appear earlier, appeared in XAT 2017 marking their presence in various sections.

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Those who could attempt around 15 questions with accuracy in each of the 3 sections can expect a call from XLRI and other top rated B-schools like SPJIMR, IMT, XIMB among others.

Sectional division of questions & good attempts

Section No. of Questions Attempt Time LoD GoodAttempts
Verbal Ability 24 55 Minutes Moderate 15
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation 27 60 minutes Moderate 15
Decision Making 21 55 minutes Difficult 14
Total 72 170 Difficult 44

 

Assessment
Overall examination was moderate to difficult and those who attempted the test with judicious time management may expect to get through with a high percentile.   A fair attempt of 55 to 60 questions with not more than 6-7 incorrect may expect a call from leading B schools like XLRI, XIME.

 

XAT 2017 is the gateway to top rated B schools and it is a good opportunity for those who expect not so high percentile in CAT 2016 to improve their percentile and explore admission possibility in XLRI, SPJIMR, IMT, XIMB, LIBA, TAPMI and other more than 100 B schools. 

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