XAT 2025 PAPER ANALYSIS
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XAT Exam Analysis 2023: XAT 2023 VALR section was moderate with RC passages being the most difficult. The overall difficulty level of QADI and Decision Making sections was similar to last year. In the essay writing section, candidates had to write a short essay of about 250 words on any 1 of the 3 given topics.
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
XLRI will release XAT Answer Key 2023 within 3-4 days of the exam, likely by Jan 12, 2023. Candidates who qualify XAT 2023 will be eligible to take part in the further XLRI selection process (GD & PI). CheckXAT 2023 Selection Process
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.
Quick Links:
XAT Result 2023 | XAT 2023 College Predictor |
XAT Exam Analysis 2023 is updated here based on the initial reactions of the students.
XAT Exam Section | No. of Questions | Important Topics with High Weightage | Overall Difficulty | Good Attempt |
---|---|---|---|---|
Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | RC passages, Critical Reasoning, Grammar based questions, Para Jumbles | Moderate | 17-18 |
Decision Making | 22 | Decision Making Passages- Business, Social, Financial, Economic, Abstract etc. | Moderate | 11-13 |
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | DI, Numbers, Arithmetic, Algebra | Moderate to Difficult | 14-16 |
General Knowledge | 25 | Static and Current Affairs | Moderate to Difficult | 10-12 |
Essay | 1 (out of 3 options) | 3 Topics | Moderate | 1 |
Overall | 105 | - | Moderate to Difficult | Part 1: 35 to 45 Total: 55-60 |
The section-wise distribution of questions will be updated soon based on the analysis of XAT 2023 paper by experts.
Given below are the salient features of the revised XAT 2023 test pattern:
Must Read XLRI Placements & Salary
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,
Section Name | No of Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
---|---|---|---|
Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | Easy-Moderate | 18-22 |
Decision Making | 21 | Moderate | 16-18 |
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | Difficult | 15-17 |
General Knowledge | 25 | Difficult | 10-11 |
Overall | 100 | Moderate-Difficult | 59-68 |
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 QADI Topic | Number of Questions |
---|---|
Algebra | 4 |
Arithmetic | 2 |
Numbers | 7 |
Geometry | 2 |
Probability | 1 |
DI (College Admissions) | 3 |
DI ( Broken Pencils) | 3 |
DI ( Stock Prices) | 3 |
DI ( Correct Answers) | 3 |
Total | 28 |
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:
DM Passage Topics | Number of Questions |
---|---|
Dosa | 3 |
Doctor SUV | 3 |
FURCSA | 3 |
A2Z Engineering | 3 |
Future Leaders School | 3 |
Assignment Submission | 3 |
Passage 7 | 3 |
Total | 21 |
Here are some highlights about the XAT 2021 Exam held on 3rd January, 2021 -
Section Name | No of Questions | Difficulty Level |
---|---|---|
Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | Easy |
Decision Making | 21 | Moderate |
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | Difficult |
General Knowledge | 25 | Moderate |
Overall | 100 | Moderate-Difficult |
Question Topics | Total Questions | Difficulty Level |
---|---|---|
Incorrect sentences | 2 | Medium |
Correct sentences | 1 | Medium |
Fill in the blanks (4 blanks) | 1 | Medium |
Jumbled Paragraphs | 2 | Medium |
Critical Reasoning | 3 | Medium to Difficult |
Passage 1 | 3 | 2 Easy, 1 Medium |
Passage 2 | 2 | Difficult |
Passage 3 | 2 | Difficult |
Passage 4 | 3 | Medium to Difficult |
Passage 5 | 2 | Medium |
Passage 6 | 2 | Difficult |
Passage 7 | 3 | Medium to Difficult |
Given below are the major takeaways from XAT 2021 Decision Making -
Question Topics | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level |
---|---|---|
Business Decision | 3 | Medium |
Business Decision | 3 | Medium to Difficult |
Business Decision | 3 | Medium to Difficult |
Ethical Dilemma | 3 | Difficult |
Ethical Dilemma | 3 | Difficult |
Decision on Business | 3 | Medium to Difficult |
Ethical Dilemma | 3 | Medium to Difficult |
Question Topics | Total |
---|---|
Arithmetic | 5 |
Geometry | 5 |
Modern Maths | 3 |
Algebra | 4 |
Numbers | 1 |
Misc.(Logic) | 1 |
Table | 3 |
Venn Diagram | 3 |
Scatter Plot | 3 |
Total | 9 |
Section | No. of questions |
---|---|
Current Affairs | 7 |
History | 0 |
Economy & Business | 4 |
Geography | 5 |
Personality & Awards | 2 |
Science & Tech | 0 |
Polity | 0 |
Books & Authors | 1 |
Sports | 2 |
Total | 25 |
Previous Year Question Papers are the best guide to prepare for XAT. The section-wise detailed paper analysis of the previous is given below.
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:
Must Read
Decision making section was similar to previous years. 21 Situation decision making questions were to be answered.
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:
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:
Must Read:
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 |
A brief about XAT Previous year paper for 2019 for the Verbal & Reasoning section is that the section had a total of 26 questions.
Previous Year analysis for XAT Decision Making tests helps you to get an idea that how prepared you are for a management level course.
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Topic | No. of Ques. | Good Attempts | Difficulty |
---|---|---|---|
Situational Decision Making | 21 | 16 -17 | Moderate |
The section was slightly tougher than last year’s.
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.
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:
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
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 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.
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:
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 |
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 |
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:
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.
Ans. If your profile is suitable for the specialization that you have opted for and you didn’t get a call based on your profile, then a CAT score of 95-96 can get you a call. But it is not necessarily true that everyone with a score of around 96+ will get a score-based call. They evaluate profiles too for shortlisting. 96-97 is a decent score for XAT. A score above 98 in either of these two should get you a call. Read more
Ans. Some XAT aspirants might have already been receiving calls from IIMs before they write XAT. While the others who did not will be all the more determined to qualify XAT. Yes, it will be an advantage to all students appearing for XAT because they will know where they stand. Most of the people who get really good scores in CAT rarely sit for XAT. Read more
Ans. Yes, as the questions are a bit more difficult than CAT in both quant and English. VARC can be a bit difficult, if you have not focussed on topics of critical reasoning and decision making in your class. Quant sees a number of questions from inequality, progression, boolean algebra, PnC and the general level is higher than CAT. The percentile-score balance and cut-offs for top 5 colleges which accept XAT scores, have low requirements. People aren't able to get those scores also because the exam is tough. XAT is easier because it is largely predictable. CAT is famous for being very unpredictable. So XAT is tougher than CAT by the level of questions asked. But as their paper is largely predictable it makes it comparatively easier to attempt. Read more
Ans. JBIMS is a well-known management institute located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The cut-off for JBIMS through CAT, XAT, and CET for Maharashtra people varies each year and depends on various factors such as the difficulty level of the exam, the number of applicants, etc. Here are some approximate cut-off scores for JBIMS through CAT, XAT, and CET for Maharashtra people: CAT: The approximate cut-off percentile for JBIMS through CAT for Maharashtra candidates is 95+ percentile. XAT: The approximate cut-off percentile for JBIMS through XAT for Maharashtra candidates is 85+ percentile. CET: The approximate cut-off score for JBIMS through CET for Maharashtra candidates is 135+ out of 200. These are approximate cut-offs, and the actual cut-offs may vary from year to year. Also, meeting the cut-off is just the first step towards getting into JBIMS, and the selection process involves several other factors such as academic performance, work experience, group discussion, and personal interviews. It is advisable to prepare well and aim for a high percentile or score to increase your chances of getting admission to JBIMS. Read more
Ans. SPJIMR According to the information available, the expected cutoff for SP Jain Institute of Management for both profile-based and normal calls through CAT and XAT is not released yet. So I will base the answer on last year's cutoff XAT: 93.5 percentile CAT: 85 percentile However itâs important to note that for more certainty of admission, one must score around 93-95%ile score and a 680-690 min on GMAT. XIMB The XLRI admission cut-off is directly influenced by the difficulty level of the XAT question paper. XAT 2023 exam was held on January 8, 2023. The question paper was of moderate difficulty level, the same as last year. Given below are the section-wise XAT cut-off for XLRI admission 2023: General Engineers (BM) 95 Male 92 Female General Non Engineer (BM) 95 Male 92 Female General Engineers (HRM) 93 Male 91 Female General Non Engineers (HRM) 90 Male 88 Female XIMB CAT cutoff for the previous year was 91 percentile for Business Management and HRM cutoff hasnât been released yet. Read more
Ans. JBIMS, Mumbai is a highly respected management institute in India that offers a variety of programs including MHRD, MMS, M.Sc Finance, and Part-time MBA. Admissions to JBIMS MMS are divided into two categories: "Maharashtra State Candidates" and "Other than Maharashtra State Candidates." For candidates from Maharashtra, the MAH CET score is considered, while for candidates from outside Maharashtra, JBIMS accepts CAT/MAH CET/CMAT/GMAT scores. Shortlisted candidates are required to attend the CAP conducted by the Maharashtra State CET Cell. JBIMS only accepts valid MAH-CET scores for admission to its full-time MMS course, which is affiliated with Mumbai University. In the previous year, the highest cutoff for MAH-CET 2021 was 99.97%, recorded by JBIMS. For round 2 of MAH-CET, the score was recorded as 99.95%. MAH-CET releases cutoffs with merit lists for two distinct categories, the Maharashtra State (MH) category and the All India (AI) category, following a normalization method. Read more
Ans. IMI Delhi accepts only CAT/GMAT scores. The expected XAT cutoff for the rest of colleges are as follows: B-School Expected XAT cutoff IMI Kolkata 60 Fore Delhi 86.5 KJ Somaiya 70-73 TAPMI 85 Read more
Ans. There are no such qualifying marks for XAT. You need to clear the required cutoff of the particular institutes to be shortlisted. Here is the XAT cutoff 2022 for various institutes. Institute XAT cutoff percentile XLRI BM- 90-93 HRM - 87-92 XIMB 90-93 SPJIMR Mumbai 93-95 KJ Somaiya 85-90 IMT Ghaziabad 90-92 TAPMI Manipal 80-85 GIM Goa 85-90 MICA Ahmedabad 80-85 Grate Lakes Institute of Management 80-85 These are the expected cutoff based on last years cutoff trends. Read more
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College
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