Based on XAT Paper Analysis, candidates can also get an idea of the expected XAT 2023 Cut off. The marks of only the 3 sections in Part 1 will be considered for final percentile calculation. Based on the analysis of XAT 2023 question paper, an attempt of 35-40 questions in these 3 sections (DM, VALR, and QADI) is considered good. Check Expected XAT 2023 Cut Off
You can also find XAT paper analysis of previous year examinations (2022-2017) in this article.Candidates must go through the detailed XAT Exam Analysis given below to familiarize themselves with the paper pattern, difficulty level, and good attempts.
XAT 2022 concluded on Jan 2, 2022. Given below is the overall exam analysis along with the number of good attempts. As per the test takers,
The overall difficulty level of this section was easy to moderate. XAT VALR section had 26 questions:
The overall difficulty level of QADI was high. There were 28 questions and DI dominated the section. There were 4 DI sets having 3 questions each. 7 questions of moderate difficulty were asked from Number system and probability accounted for only 1 question. The distribution of questions in XAT 2022 QADI is given below:
XAT DM section had 7 passages of easy-moderate level having 3 questions each. The questions did not require any analytical skills and were doable in the stipulated time. The topics of the passages are tabulated below for your reference:
XAT Exam Analysis 2020
XAT Exam Analysis 2020
Previous Year Question Papers are the best guide to prepare for XAT. The section-wise detailed paper analysis of the previous is given below.
XAT 2020 Verbal and Logical Ability Analysis
Chapter | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level | Ideal Attempt |
Reading Comprehension | 4 passage with 3 questions each | Moderate to Difficult | 7 |
CR | 5 | Moderate to Difficult | 3 |
Poem Comprehension | 2 | Moderate | - |
Analogy | 1 | Difficult | - |
Antonym | 1 | Moderate | 1 |
Para Jumble | 2 | Moderate | 1-2 |
Fill in the Blanks | 3 | Difficult | 1-2 |
Key Highlights of XAT 2020 Verbal and Logical Ability Analysis:
- The section had overall 26 questions with difficulty level a notch up than 2019 session.
- Reading comprehension were coving arts, psychology and social issues.
- XLRI focusses quite a lot on Verbal and language comprehension skills of a candidate. Thus this section is of prime importance.
- There was 1 poem which was moderate-difficult. 2 para jumble questions were moderate.
- Fill in the blanks questions were difficult CR questions were quite difficult.
- An ideal attempt was considered covering 16 to 18 questions with 70% accuracy.
Must Read
XAT 2020 Decision Making Analysis
Decision making section was similar to previous years. 21 Situation decision making questions were to be answered.
- Level of difficulty fo situational questions was moderate.
- There were no singlets thus it was easy to attempt decision making.
- No questions were asked from mathematical or analytical reasoning
- Decision making section in 2020 was rather boring according to students.
- Many students avoided sequence questions.
- 16-17 attempts is considered good for clearing the sectional cutoff.
XAT 2020 Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation Analysis
Chapter | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
Arithmetic | 4 | Easy |
Algebra | 7 | Moderate |
Coordinate Geometry | 4 | Moderate |
Geometry | 4 | Difficult |
Data Sufficiency | 2 | Moderate |
DI-Time Zone | 3 | Difficult |
DI-Mixed Graphs | 3 | Moderate |
Key Highlights of XAT 2020 Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation Analysis:
- In comparison to XAT 2019 quants was comparatively difficult to attempt in 2020.
- There were a total of 27 questions out of which 21 questions were prominently covered by Algebra and Geometry section.
- DI questions consisted of tables, graphs, and sets.
- One question was found to be incorrect and candidates were allotted buffer marks for that section.
- An ideal attempt considered was 2-3 DI questions and 13-15 questions on quants.
XAT 2020 General Knowledge Analysis
Aspect | Number of Questions | Level of Difficulty |
History | 1 | Moderate |
Geography | 4 | Moderate |
Economy | 7 | Easy |
Current Affairs | 2 | Easy |
Personality and Awards | 3 | Moderate |
Science and Technology | 2 | Moderate |
Polity | 2 | Easy |
Miscellaneous | 2 | Difficult |
Sports | 2 | Moderate |
Key Highlights of XAT Decision Making Paper Analysis:
- General knowledge nerve lies in good time management as candidates have to attempt a total of 25 questions in 15 minutes.
- Questions are asked from current affairs and static general knowledge.
- At times there are multiple correct options for one question. Level of difficulty was not more or less compared to 2019.
- Attempting 12-14 questions with accuracy is considered good attempt.
Must Read:
XAT Verbal Ability Syllabus, Pattern, Previous Year Analysis, Preparation Tips | XAT Quant Syllabus, Pattern, Sample Questions, Preparation Tips |
XAT Decision Making Questions With Solutions, Tips, Pattern | XAT GK Syllabus, Pattern, Sample Questions, and Preparation Tips |
XAT Exam Analysis 2019
Section | Max. Questions | Good Attempts | Difficulty Level |
Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning | 26 | 16 – 18 | Difficult |
Decision Making | 21 | 16 – 17 | Moderate |
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation | 27 | 17 – 18 | Moderate |
General Awareness | 25 | 12 – 14 | Moderate |
XAT Exam Analysis 2019: Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
A brief about XAT Previous year paper for 2019 for the Verbal & Reasoning section is that the section had a total of 26 questions.
- This section was tougher than the last year, mainly because of questions from the Verbal section.
- The section was dominated by Reading Comprehensions, having real time-consuming questions.
- RC passages consisted of questions from art, psychology, and social problems.
- Other questions were from topics like critical reasoning, poem comprehension, analogy, antonym, para-jumbles, fill in the blanks, etc.
- A well-prepared student could have attempted 16 – 18 questions with 65% accuracy.
Topic-wise distribution of the XAT VA & LR section for the 2019 exam:
XAT Exam Analysis 2019: Decision Marking & Analytical Reasoning
Previous Year analysis for XAT Decision Making tests helps you to get an idea that how prepared you are for a management level course.
- The difficulty level of this section was again similar to last year. Decision Making questions dominated the section with 18 questions.
- There were no questions from Mathematical/ Analytical Reasoning.
- There were 3 questions that were similar to those that were there in the previous year’s papers.
- All questions were of moderate level.
Click Here to Give XAT Mock Test for Free
Topic | No. of Ques. | Good Attempts | Difficulty |
Situational Decision Making | 21 | 16 -17 | Moderate |
XAT Exam Analysis 2019: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
The section was slightly tougher than last year’s.
- A few questions were tricky and few of them were a little ambiguous.
- Questions were mainly asked from Arithmetic, Algebra, Coordinate geometry, Trignometry, DI Time zone, etc.
- A good attempt would be 17-18 with an accuracy of 70%.
- An ideal time to attempt this section would be about 65 – 70 minutes.
- Questions were a mix of easy, moderate, and difficult questions.
The chart gives the topic-wise distribution of XAT Quantitative Ability & XAT Data Interpretation section for 2019:
Previous Years Exam Analysis XAT General Awareness 2019
Most of the questions were a single statement based. Some of the questions had more than one seemingly correct statement. The questions were mainly asked from sub-topics like Economy & Business, History, Geography, Sports, polity, etc. If you keep yourself updated with all these topics then you can easily score well in this section. There were 25 questions in total.
The chart below gives a fair idea about the Topic-wise distribution of the General Awareness section for the XAT 2019 exam.
XAT Exam Analysis 2018
XAT Exam Analysis 2018
Considering XAT 2018 was held in online mode, it was marred by a number of connectivity issues. Thus, in an official statement by XLRI, the exam was rescheduled for two of its exam centers (Kolkata & Gurgaon). The exam was of moderate difficulty level. XAT Previous Year topic wise analysis for 2018 is given below:
Section-wise XAT Analysis 2018
- Quantitative Ability: This section had 27 questions of easy level.
- Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning: This section had 26 questions of a moderate level.
- Decision Making: This section had 22 questions that were tricky and time-consuming.
- General Knowledge: This section had 25. About 50% were from current affairs.
XAT Cutoff for Different XLRI Programs
Program Offered | Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning | Decision Making | Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | Overall (Percentage/ Marks) |
Business Management | 79.46% | 76.84% | 88.7% | 96% |
Human Resource Management | 79.67% | 71.628% | 70.07% | 92.55% |
Global Management Programme | 5 marks and above | 5 marks and above | 6 marks above | 22 marks and above |
Read: Top XAT Online Coaching Centres
XAT Previous Year Exam Analysis (2018/2017/2016)
Year | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Total Questions | 100 | 98 | 104 |
Duration | 3 hours | 3 hours | 3 hours |
Mode of Exam | Online | Offline | Offline |
Type of Questions | MCQs + Descriptive | MCQs + Descriptive | MCQs + Descriptive |
Answer Options | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Level of Difficulty | Moderate to High | Moderate to High | High |
Total Sections | 3+2 | 3+2 | 3+2 |
Distribution of Questions | VALR - 26 DM - 22 NA & DI - 27 GK - 25 | VALR - 24 DM - 21 NA & DI - 27 GK - 25 | VALR - 26 DM - 23 NA & DI - 29 GK - 25 |
Special Case | 0.05 marks per question if more than 8 questions were un-attempted | 0.05 marks per question if more than 12 questions were un-attempted | 0.05 marks per question if more than 13 questions were un-attempted |
XAT Exam Analysis 2017
XAT Exam Analysis 2017
XAT 2017 Exam took place in a single slot on January 08, 2017, across multiple centers. The Paper was divided into 4 sections - Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning, Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability, and General Knowledge. The level of difficulty of the XAT Paper ranged from moderate to high. The exam was held in offline mode.
- Verbal & Logical Ability: Multiple questions could have been easily attempted as RC passages were not very difficult. Para jumbles, however, were time-consuming. Critical reasoning was moderately difficult.
- Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning: Unlike the previous year, there were no long passages on DM. The questions on cricket, snakes & ladder were confusing.
- Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability: DI sets were quite tricky and geometry was also not easy. Few questions were ambiguous.
- GK: Most questions this year were single statement-based. Maximum questions were from economics, geography, science, technology.
While the overall difficulty level of the exam was moderate. Questions in quantitative ability were comparably hard and the verbal ability section was slightly easier than the previous years. XAT Previous Year topic wise analysis is given below:
Section-wise XAT 2017 Analysis
Sections | Questions | Difficulty Level |
Verbal & Logical Ability | 26 | Low to Moderate |
Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning | 22 | Moderate to High |
Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability | 27 | High |
GK | 25 | Moderate |
XAT Exam Analysis 2016
XAT vs CAT vs SNAP
Exam Name | CAT | SNAP | XAT |
Conducting Body | IIMs | Symbiosis International Deemed University | XLRI |
Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test | Computer-Based Test | Computer-Based Test |
Frequency of Exam | Once a Year | Once a Year | Once a Year |
Duration | 2 Hours (120 Minutes) | 1 Hour (60 Minutes) | 3.30 Hours (210 Minutes) |
Number of Sections | 03 | 03 | 04 |
Sectional Time Limit | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) – 40 Minutes Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning – 40 Minutes Quantitative Ability – 40 Minutes | No sectional Time | Part 1 - 175 mins Part 2 – 5 mins Part 3- 30 mins |
Types of Question Format | 66 Questions (MCQs + Non-MCQs) | 60 MCQs | 101 MCQs, 1 Descriptive |
Option to Choose Order of Sections | Candidates are not allowed to switch between sections | The candidate can answer questions in any section | Candidates can switch sections in part 1. |
Total Marks | 198 | 60 | 101 (Essay evaluated later only for PI shortlisted candidates) |
Negative Marking for Incorrect Answer | -33% | -25% | -25% |
Difficulty Level | Moderate to Difficult | Easy to Moderate | Moderate to Difficult |
Top MBA Colleges Accepting Exam Score | 20 IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IMI, IMT, IITs, TAPMI, XIMB and hundreds of other B-schools | SIBM Pune, SCMHRD Pune, SIIB Pune, SIBM Bangalore & all other Symbiosis institutes – Check more | XLRI Jamshedpur, XIM Bhubaneswar, IMT Ghaziabad, MICA Ahmedabad, Great Lakes, TAPMI Manipal, GIM Goa, K J Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai, FORE New Delhi |
XAT Exam Analysis FAQs
XAT Paper Analysis 2023 FAQs
Ques. Can you name a few B-schools that accept XAT scores?
Ans. This is the list of a few top B-schools that accept XAT scores:
- XLRI Jamshedpur
- XIM Bhubaneswar
- MICA Ahmedabad
- Great Lakes
- TAPMI Manipal
- GIM Goa
- K J Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai
- FORE New Delhi
- IRMA Anand.
Ques. What is the difference between BM and HRM offered by XLRI?
Ans. Business Management (BM) is similar to MBA offered by IIMs that focus on skill future business managers in key areas such as Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Production, Operations and Decision Sciences, and Strategic Management.
Human Resource Management (HRM) solely focuses on Human Resource studies that include Human Resource Planning, Human Resource Information Systems, Selection, Performance Management, Training and Development, Compensation Administration, and developing harmonious Employer-Employee relations.
Ques. What are the important topics in Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation of XAT?
Ans. The topics in the Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation section of XAT are Arithmetic, Algebra, Coordinate Geometry, Mensuration, Number Systems, Geometry, Trigonometry, Data sufficiency, DI- Time Zone, DI- mixed graphs.
Ques. Does XLRI follow a policy for the reservation of seats?
Ans. No, XLRI does not provide any reservation in seats based on category and gender. However, the cut offs released by XLRI vary as per the gender and category of candidates.
Ques. Are there any descriptive questions in XAT 2023 exam?
Ans. Yes, this year XAT 2023 exam has a descriptive question in the essay section in part 3 of the paper. Apart from this, the question paper comprises only 101 multiple-choice questions divided into 4 sections- VALR, QADI, DM, and GK.
Ques. Which section consists of the highest number of questions in XAT?
Ans. The QADI section in XAT consists of the highest number of questions, i.e. 28. VALR, DM, and GK sections comprise 26, 22, and 25 questions respectively.
Ques. What is the expected cut off for admission in XLRI through XAT 2023?
Ans. XLRI XAT Cut off 2023 for BM & HRM programs is expected to be above 93 & 95 percentile for male candidates. For female candidates, the cut off will tentatively be above 91 & 93 percentile for the BM & HRM programs respectively.