Read here detailed XAT exam analysis 2020 and expected cut offs for top institutes accepting XAT score for admission.
XAT 2020 exam was held on January 5 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Initial reactions to XAT exam paper suggest that the difficulty level of XAT 2020 was same as last year but decision making section was tricky as expected. The cut offs are expected to remain low this year at 33. The XAT 2020 analysis will explain section wise difficulty level, topic-wise distribution of questions, number of good attempts and expected sectional & overall cut offs.
Also Read: XAT 2020 - Student Reactions and Reviews
XAT question paper had the same number of questions as last year. Given below are key highlights of XAT 2020 exam pattern.
| XAT sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks Allotted |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 |
26 |
| Decision Making |
21 |
21 |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
27 |
27 |
| General Knowledge |
25 |
25 |
- XAT 2020 Analysis: Marking Scheme and Sectional Time-Limit
- Section-wise XAT 2020 Analysis
- WATCH VIDEO:
- Expected XAT 2020 Cutoffs (XLRI, Jamshedpur)
- Expected XAT Cut Offs 2020 (Other Institutes)
XAT 2020 Analysis: Marking Scheme and Sectional Time-Limit
- Each right question will carry 1 mark and each wrong question will carry -0.25 marks
- In case of 8 consecutive unanswered questions, 0.10 marks will be deducted
- Part 1 of the XAT question paper is to be solved in 165 minutes
- Part 2 of the XAT question paper is to be solved in 15 minutes
Section-wise XAT 2020 Analysis
Of all the sections, VALR turned out to be the toughest. DM and Quant-DI were of moderate difficulty, while GK was easy, as always. Take a look at section-wise XAT 2020 analysis below.
Explore popular MBA colleges for you
XAT 2020 Analysis: Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning
- The section was time consuming and students could have taken about 50 minutes to solve it.
- This section of XAT exam 2020 was tougher than last year. The Reading Comprehension section had 12 questions with four passages of three questions each.
- Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning section also had a poem this year with 2 questions. The poem was of moderate difficulty level.
- There were two parajumble questions, which were of moderate difficulty level.
- Fill in the Blanks, Critical Reasoning and Vocabulary were on the tougher side.
- A good attempt of 15-17 questions with 70% accuracy can fetch decent marks in this section.
Topic-wise break-up of questions:
| Topic |
Number of questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension |
12 |
Moderate - Difficult |
| CR |
6 |
Moderate |
| Poem Comprehension |
2 |
Easy - Moderate |
| Grammar - Correct the sentence |
2 |
Easy - Moderate |
| Parajumble - 5 sentence |
2 |
Moderate |
| Fill in the blanks -3 |
2 |
Moderate - Difficult |
XAT 2020 Analysis: Decision Making and Analytical Reasoning
- The difficulty level of Decision Making section in XAT 2020 was moderate. The level of the Decision Making was similar to last year but was extremely boring.
- There were no questions from Mathematical or Analytical Reasoning. All the questions were situational.
- There were no singlets in this section which was a relief to students.
Topics-wise break up of Decision Making section:
| Section |
No. of questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Decision Making |
21 |
Moderate |
| Analytical |
0 |
Moderate |
XAT 2020 Exam Analysis: Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
- The questions in Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation section of XAT 2020 was marginally easier than last year’s.
- There were 20 questions of QA and most of them were from Geometry and Arithmetic.
- DI had three sets of eight questions. In this section too, the questions were from Arithmetic and Geometry.
- The DI questions were based on tables and bar graphs. There were also two questions on Set Theory.
- An attempt of 4-5 DI questions and 13-15 Quant questions in about 65-70 minutes can fetch the candidates good marks.
Topic-wise break-up of questions in this section:
| Topic |
Number of questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic |
8 |
Moderate |
| Algebra |
3 |
Easy-Moderate |
| Coordinate Geometry |
1 |
Moderate |
| Geometry |
5 |
Moderate-Difficult |
| Modern Maths |
1 |
Difficult |
| Number system |
2 |
Easy |
| DI (Set theory) |
2 |
Moderate |
| DI (Bar Graph) |
3 |
Moderate |
| DI (Table based) |
3 |
Easy-moderate |
| Total |
28 |
Easy-moderate |
XAT 2020 Exam Analysis: General Knowledge
- The overall difficulty level of General Knowledge section was same as last year – moderate
- This section comprised 25 questions asked from static GK (Economy, Geography, Science and Technology) and Current GK (Business economy, personalities, and awards).
- An attempt of 12-14 questions fetching a score of 7-8 can be considered good.
Topic-wise break-up of questions in GK section
| Section |
No. of questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Current Affairs |
3 |
Moderate |
| History |
4 |
Moderate |
| Economy & Business |
4 |
Moderate |
| Geography |
5 |
Moderate |
| Personality & Awards |
2 |
Moderate |
| Science & Tech |
5 |
Moderate |
| Polity |
1 |
Moderate |
| Books & Authors |
1 |
Moderate |
| Sports |
0 |
Moderate |
| Total |
25 |
Moderate |
WATCH VIDEO:
XAT 2020 Student Reactions and Reviews
Expected XAT 2020 Cutoffs (XLRI, Jamshedpur)
Given below are section-wise expected XLRI cut offs for admission to 2020 batch of its Business Management (BM) and Human Resource Management (HRM) programmes.
| Sections |
2020 Cut Offs (Expected) |
|
|---|---|---|
| BM |
HRM |
|
| Verbal & Logical Ability |
7.5 |
8.25 |
| Decision Making |
8.75 |
8.25 |
| Quantitative Ability |
11 |
6.25 |
| Total Aptitude |
33 |
31 |
Expected XAT Cut Offs 2020 (Other Institutes)
Take a look at institute-wise expected XAT cut off percentiles for admissions this year.
| XAT colleges |
XAT score |
XAT percentile |
|---|---|---|
| 30.5-32.5 |
90-93 |
|
| 32.5-34.5 |
93.50-95 |
|
| 30.5-32 |
90-92 |
|
| 27.5-30.5 |
85-90 |
|
| 26-27.5 |
80-85 |
|
| 26-27.5 |
80-85 |
|
| 26-27.5 |
80-85 |
|
| 26-27.5 |
80-85 |
|
| 26-27.5 |
80-85 |
|
| 27.5-30.5 |
85-90 |

News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
Aug '26 | SNAP 2026 Registration Process |
Nov '26 | SNAP 2026 admit card session 1... |
12 Jun '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 Result (Secon... |
30 May '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 Result (First... |
Aug '26 | NMAT 2026 Registration Window |
Aug '26 | NMAT 2026 Scheduling Window |
Oct '26 | CMAT 2027 registration and app... |
Jan '27 | CMAT 2027 exam |
14 Jun '26 | MAT May 2026 CBT |
11 Jun '26 | MAT May 2026 CBT Admit Card |
Aug '26 | CAT 2026 application process |
Nov '26 | CAT 2026 admit card download |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
27 May '26 - 26 Jun '26 | TANCET Scorecard Download Wind... |
4 Jun '26 - 30 Jun '26 | TANCET counselling registratio... |
Jul '26 | IBSAT 2026 Registration |
Dec '26 | IBSAT 2026 Exam Date |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Student Forum
Answered 2 days ago
To get a seat at IFMR Chennai, students have to first appear for any one of the entrance exams accepted by the institute for the MBA/PGDM course admission. CAT, XAT, NMAT, CMAT, Andhra Pradesh ICET, IPAMT and SAT India are the entrance exams accepted by this institute for admission to the management
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
To get a seat in the FLAME University of the MBA/PGDM course, you have to appear for any one of the accepted exams, like CAT, XAT, CMAT, etc. After clearing the exam, you have to get shortlisted for further admission round, which involves PI or GD.
The FLAME University CAT cutoff 2025 was 75 for the
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
Candidates who will be shortlisted for MBA PI on the basis of XAT score, will receive the notification by XLRI in their registered email.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 weeks ago
The XLRI waitlist movement is usually high for Delhi campus between 350 to 600 spots. For Jamshedpur the movement is low between 100 to 180 for BM and 130 to 230 for HRM.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, XAT essay writing round can be considered tough, given that you have to present your point with clarity, examples and convincing arguments - all in limited word count. You need to have a lot of practice in writing short, clear and logically structured essays.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 weeks ago
XAT cut offs for all colleges are not fixed by XLRI. Every score accepting college fixed XAT cut offs individually and independently.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham accepts the CAT, MAT or the XAT exam for admission to the MBA course. Students can attempt any one of the aforementioned exams. After taking part in the exam, students have to attain a valid percentile.
Based on previous year trends, a percentile of at least 40 would be nee
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
GIBS Business School situated in Bangalore acknowledges CAT, MAT, and XAT as authorized admission tests for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
Approved Admission Exams
- CAT (Common Admission Test)
- MAT (Management Aptitude Test)
- XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)
Additionally to these Three Tests, GI
M
Beginner-Level 4
Answered a month ago
No, you cannot join Jindal Global Business School without an entrance exam if you want admission to the MBA course. For admission to the management courses, the institute accepts various national-level exams, like
- CAT
- MAT
- ATMA
- GMAT
- NMAT
- XAT
- CMAT
Students who attain qualifying percentiles for these exams are
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
OP Jindal Global University XAT cutoff 2026 was released for admission to the MBA course offered by the Jindal Global Business School. The cutoff was released for various All India categories.
For the General AI category, the XAT percentile was 50 for the General AI categories. Hence, students who w
N
Contributor-Level 10

Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
Read Full Bio