Management Entrance Exams

Q: Q: What is the marking scheme of XAT exam?

A: XAT exam question paper has 105 MCQ questions. Essay Writing has been re-introduced and the time duration has been increased by 10 minutes.

Q: Q: : What is the duration of XAT exam?

A: Duration of September XAT exam (CBT mode) is 210 minutes. In XAT there is no sectional time limit, so candidates can utilize the150 minutes as per their own strategy.

Q: Q: How many marks deduct as Negative Marks in XAT Exam?

A: For Every wrong answer, 0.25 marks will be deducted. So mark answers carefully to avoid negative marking.

Q: Q: How many sections are there in XAT question paper and is there any time limit?

A: The XAT question paper has 105 questions divided into five sections – Decision Making, Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, General Knowledge, and Essay writing. There is no sectional time limit in XAT exam but it is advisable to attempt the easier sections first and then move to tougher sections.

Q: Q: Is XAT exam difficult than other MBA entrance exams?

A: No, XAT question paper is usually of easy to moderate difficulty level. Sectional difficulty level of XAT is at par with MBA CAT Entrance exam

Q: Q: Which section of XAT exam has maximum weightage?

A: XAT exam has differential weightage for each section which varies every year. Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation is with Maximum

Overview

XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) exam is organised and conducted by XLRI, Jamshedpur for admission to the PGDM/MBS programme. In 2025, XAT exam scheduling First week of January 2025. It is one of the highly sought after management entrance exam in which every year 1 lakh aspirants apply for admission. The MBA entrance exam is conducted in online mode at various XAT test centers in India allowing thousands of candidates to appear for the exam conveniently from their domicile state. As per the XAT 2025 notification, no changes have been made to the exam pattern or structure. However, the essay writing section which was earlier scrapped off has now be re-introduced in the entrance exam.

Candidates are advised to read the important information about one of the toughest MBA entrance exam in the upcoming sections. The competition to make it to the top B-schools of India and the race to crack XAT with 90+ percentile is undoubtedly challenging.

In this article, you will find XAT exam pattern, Syllabus, tips to download the XAT Admit card, some quick last minute tips to prepare for the XAT exam, XAT Result and expected cut-off for Admission, and XAT Selection Criteria at JIMS Rohini.

XAT Eligibility Criteria

Candidates are required to refer to the XAT eligibility conditions before registering for the MBA entrance exam. Read on to find XAT eligibility criteria here:-

Candidates scoring at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% in the case of candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Persons with Disability (PwD) MATegories) in their graduation.
Candidates pursuing graduation in their final semester can appear for the XAT exam.
Candidate possessing Bachelor’s Degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA
Candidate who has completed professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA) with 50% marks
XAT eligibility stipulates ‘No Age Bar’ to appear in the XAT entrance exam

XAT Exam Pattern

The first step required to win the race is to be aware of the XAT exam pattern. Take a look at the XAT exam pattern expected this year and a list of few important topics that will test your competency to crack the XAT exam.

Section name	Total number of questions	Total Marks
Decision Making	21	21 Marks
Verbal and Logical Ability	26	26 Marks
General Knowledge	20	20 Marks
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation	28	28 Marks
Total	95	95

It is important to note that Non-MCQs are descriptive questions and do not invite any negative marking in the exam. Similarly, there will be no negative marking in General Knowledge section. Also, the score of GK section will not be considered for calculating XAT scores. Candidate’s 0.25 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer.

XAT Exam Syllabus

XAT Syllabus is important point of reference to prepare for the exam. Candidates can prepare for the following topics to score a high percentile in the exam:

XAT Syllabus	Important Topics
Verbal and Logical Ability	Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Analogy, Parajumble, Grammar, Critical Reasoning, Fill in the Blanks, etc.
Decision Making	Data Arrangement, Conditioning, Grouping, Complex Arrangement, Caselets, Assumptions, Premises, Conclusions, etc.
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation	Arithmetic, Geometry, Mensuration, Percentage, Surds and Indices, Algebra, Mensuration, Bar Diagrams, Pie Charts, Tables, Data Interpretation, etc.
General Knowledge	Science, Economy, Business, Politics, Static GK, Sports, Prize and Award, World, Government, Constitution of India, etc.

XAT Preparation Tips

Candidates preparing for XAT exam are advised to follow the handy tips mentioned as under:

Self-Study is the key – Right study material is the foundation of self study. In case you do not wish to be tutored by coaching institutes, get your hands on right set of books and along side enroll for XAT mock test series that will help you test your competency for the exam.
Enrol to Coaching if required – There is no harm in enrolling for a few session with experts. The experts at coaching institutes are seasoned in helping you understand the art of cracking competitive exams in first attempt. They will share shortcuts to solve quantitative aptitude section, they will share notes on other sections and previous year papers that will enable you gear up for the exam with confidence.
Practice XAT Previous Year Papers – To gain understanding about the type of questions, difficulty level of the exam, candidates are advised to practice from the XAT previous year papers. Toppers are the Real Warriors – Give emphasis to read the interviews of XAT toppers and know their success formulae to score 100 percentile in the MBA entrance exam.
Attempt as many Mock Tests – Last but not the least, practice at least 25-30 XAT mock tests before appearing for the exam on the D-day. Mock tests helps you increase speed and assess the expected level of difficulty in the exam.

XAT Result and Expected Cutoff

This year, XAT Result is will be announced on February 2025. Candidates will be able to download the XAT Scorecard from the official website i.e. www.xatonline.in.

The XAT scorecard displays following details about the Candidate:-

Candidate’s Name, Address, Photograph, Date of Birth, Email ID
XAT Registration number
Candidate’s Category – General/OBC/SC-ST
Candidate’s Gender – Male/Female
Date & Time of XAT exam
Section-wise XAT exam Scaled Score
Section-wise XAT percentile score
Overall XAT Scaled Score and overall Percentile score

Please note that for admission to the B-school, XAT scorecard remains valid for a period of only 1 year, after which the validity of the XAT scorecard expires.

XAT Selection Criteria at JIMS Rohini

JIMS Rohini provides admission to the PGDM, PGDM (IB) and PGDM (RM) program on the basis of following four parameters:-

Parameter	Score
Entrance Test	40%
Performance in Qualifying Exams (XAT, CAT, MAT, ATMA, IIFT, GMAT, CMAT)	20%
Personal Interview (PI)	25%
Group Discussion (GD)	15%
Total	100%

A candidate must possess Valid Score of XAT exam if appeared in the XAT entrance exam.

The XAT cutoff for JIMS Rohini Sector-5 is mentioned as under:

Program	PGDM	PGDM-IB	PGDM-RM
XAT	70	60	60

FAQs Regarding XAT Exam

Q. What is the marking scheme of XAT exam?

A. XAT exam question paper has 95 MCQ questions. Essay Writing has been re-introduced and the time duration has been increased by 10 minutes.

Q. What is the duration of XAT exam?

A. Duration of conving Part I including (VA & LR, DM, QA & DI) is 170 min and Part II including GK is 10 mins

Q. How many marks deduct as Negative Marks in XAT Exam?

A. For Every wrong answer, 0.25 marks will be deducted, 0.10 marks for more than 8 consecutive un-attempted questions and No negative marking in GK section. So mark answers carefully to avoid negative marking

Q. How many sections are there in XAT question paper and is there any time limit?

A. The XAT question paper has 95 questions divided into Part 1 (having 3 Sections,i.e Decision Making, Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation ) and part 2 (1 Section, i.e General Knowledge). There is no sectional time limit in XAT exam but it is advisable to attempt the easier sections first and then move to tougher sections.

Q. Is XAT exam difficult than other MBA entrance exams?

A. No, XAT question paper is usually of easy to moderate difficulty level. Sectional difficulty level of XAT is at par with MBA CAT Entrance exam.

Q. Which section of XAT exam has maximum weightage?

A. XAT exam has differential weightage for each section which varies every year. 95 questions and 95 marks. Take a look at the table below:

Section name	Total number of questions	Total Marks
Decision Making	21	21 Marks
Verbal and Logical Ability	26	26 Marks
General Knowledge	20	20 Marks
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation	28	28 Marks
Total	95	95

All the Best!