XAT 2024: Exam Date (Jan 7), Registrations (Started), Exam Fees, Eligibility, Syllabus, Pattern, Question Papers

No change has been announced in the XAT exam. The test will be administered just like yesterday. The duration of the exam will be 210 minutes and the questions will be in MCQ format. There will be a total of 100 questions from Decision Making, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation, Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge. There will be one essay based question too. XAT 2024 will have sectional time limit which means candidates will have to complete a section of the test within the given time limit.

Marking scheme is also the same as last year. For each correct answer, candidates will get 1 mark and for each incorrect attempt 0.25 marks will be deducted. The XAT result will be based on number of correct and incorrect entries. The essay will be evaluated for PI selection process only.

The XAT application fee 2024 is INR 2,100. The fee has been increased by INR 100 from the previous session (XAT 2023 fee was INR 2,000). The XAT fee is to be paid online at the time of forms submission. The fee is same for candidates belonging to all categories. Unlike other MBA entrance exams, there is no rebate for Reserved category candidates in XAT. If you select XLRI in the application form for admission, you will have to pay INR 200 additionally.

The fee can be paid via debit/credit card, cash card, mobile wallets, or net-banking. It is mandatory to pay the application fee before deadline for successful registration. Candidates can fill the application form and pay the fee later, however they will need to make the fee payment before the registration deadline so that their form is accepted by the examination authority. Until the fee is paid, the XAT application form will remain pending acceptance. Candidates must note that the registration fee is non-refundable. So, they should fill the form without error, otherwise they will have to fill the form again and pay the fee again.

XAT exam is held in over 70 cities across India. Last year, it was held in 79 cities. The XAT test cities include all state capitals, metropolitan, tier 2 and tier 3 cities of India. Here are the cities in which the XAT exam was conducted last year: Agra, Ahmedabad, Aurangabad City (Maharashtra), Allahabad, Ambala, Amravati, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Berhampur, Bhatinda, Bhilai Nagar, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Bokaro Steel City, Chandigarh/Mohali, Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuttack, Dehradun, Delhi-NCR, Dhanbad, Dibrugarh, Durgapur/Asansol, Ernakulam, Gandhinagar, Goa, Gorakhpur, Guwahati, Gwalior, Hooghly, Hubballi, Hyderabad, Indore, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Jammu, Jamshedpur, Jorhat, Shillong, Naharlagun, Kannur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Kota, Kottayam, Kurnool, Kurukshetra, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Mysuru, Nagpur, Nashik, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Rajahmundry, Ranchi, Roorkee, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Siliguri, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Tirupathi, Tiruvallur, Udaipur, Udupi, Vadodara, Varanasi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Warangal, Tejpur and Rajkot.

Candidates planning to take admission to XLRI Jamshedpur need not fill a separate form. The XAT application form 2024 will include a field in which the candidates have to select XLRI course in which they want to take admission.

However, candidates can select only XLRI Jamshedpur as a preferred college in the XAT 2024 application form. There is no option of selecting other XAT accepting colleges in the application form. For XAMI member institutes or other MBA colleges accepting XAT score for admission, you will be required to register separately on their respective official websites when the applications open. Most of the XAMI institutes start MBA application process after XAT result declaration. However, keep a check on the admission schedule of your target college, so that you don’t miss the application deadline.

Every candidate is informed by XLRI Jamshedpur about their selection via email. The interview round is held in February-March and the offer letter are sent to selected candidates in April-May. Those who would not receive the confirmation letter, may consider that they are not selected for admission. Candidates must keep a check on their emails. They must keep checking spam folders too. It is also very important use the correct and fully functional email ID for XAT registration as that is the main contact point for communication from the institute.

The admission authorities will consider both sectional and overall XAT score while shortlisting candidates for group discussion and personal interview round of XLRI admission. Candidates must perform well in all the sections of XAT exam as well as in the for group discussion and personal interview to be selected for admission.

Candidates can apply for XLRI Delhi's Business Management programme on the official website by selecting the course and campus option while filling the XAT application form which is released in the first week of August every year. If they do not mention XLRI Delhi has their preferred exam in the XAT application form, they will not be eligible for admission to the institute. Candidates must remember that there is no separate application form for XLRI PGDM programmes, so they need to make the selection of institute in the XAT application form only. There is no option to edit the field in the form later so candidates must mention the institute in the XAT application form. There is no provision of filling the admission form after the exam or after result announcement.

Yes, XAT is slightly tougher for candidates with non-Engineering background as the Quantitative Aptitude section is of higher difficulty level. However, they can crack it if they work on the fundamentals of Math and practice questions of all difficulty levels. It will take time but they will be able to crack XAT's quant section if they dedicate extra hours to it. Aspirants can find XAT study material online in various online study groups. Students’ groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. share study material with each other. One can also download MBA exam preparation apps to get relevant and useful study material.

The good part about XAT is that, it has different cut offs for candidates belonging to different academic backgrounds. As part of its commitment to academic diversity, the institute has lower cut offs for candidates from non-engineering background than candidates from engineering background.

XAT selection criteria and admission process of XLRI Jamshedpur includes shortlisting of candidates on the basis of XAT score or GMAT score, group discussion and personal interview. The final selection is based on criteria such as entrance exam score, group discussion, personal interview, academic record, work experience, academic diversity and gender diversity. Meeting the XAT cut off is the minimum requirement to be eligible for XLRI MBA admission. Candidates who do not meet the minimum XAT cut off are not shortlisted for group discussion and personal interview round of the MBA admission process. Along with the XAT score, the institute will also take into consideration candidate's academic record (class 10, 12 and graduation score) for shortlisting candidates.

Chances are very less with limited college options at such a low score. The popular colleges that accept XAT score in the range of 90 percentile. Even Tier-2 MBA colleges accept XAT score in the range of 70 percentile and above. So, you have very few option with 43 percentile.

Moreover, since there is a lot of competition in XAT, the admission cut offs are unlikely to fall that low in any college.

You may take the XAT exam next year with better preparation and score high in order to get a good MBA college. Take a year and prepare afresh. Join a coaching institute if you can or prepare by self for 6-8 hours every day. If you prepare well for about a year, you will be able to score well in the exam and get admission.

The option to select test centre is not there in the XAT application form, but candidates can select cities where they can appear for the exam. XAT is conducted in about 79-80 cities across India and candidates get the option to choose two cites for centre allotment. They have to make this choice in the XAT application form. In the XAT application form, there is one field in which you have to select the test cities, you can simply select the cities of your choice from the drop down. The exam conducting authorities will allot a test centre in the city of first choice to every student. In case, the seat get filled in the centre of a particular city, the seat will be allotted to remaining candidates in the city selected as second option. The centre allotment is done on first come first serve basis. Candidates must fill the XAT application form and submit it as soon as they can so that they are allotted a centre in the city of their choice.

When filling the XAT application form, you will be required to fill fields such as academic scores, government ID number, date of birth, colleges details, etc. So, you need to have the relevant documents with you when you are filling the form. Given below is the list of documents required for XAT registration below:

• Class 10 marksheet
• Class 12 marksheet
• Graduation marksheet
• Email ID and mobile phone number
• Date of Birth proof
• Address proof
• Aadhaar card
• Category certificate (if applicable)
• Scanned digital photograph of less than 1 MB
• Scanned signature of less than 1 MB
• Debit/credit card for application fee payment

While uploading the photo its dimension must be 200 x 230 pixels (preferred) and Size of file should be between 20kb-50kb. Dimensions scanned signature document must be 140 x 60 pixels (preferred) and Size of signature file should be between 10kb-20kb

Since Decision Making section is unique to XAT, study material for the same in not readily available. Thus the best source of preparation material for Decision Making section is XAT previous years’ question papers. This section has passages related to business situations. Candidates have to select the closest solution to the given situation from the list of four options. You have to make an informed decision regarding the decision which has be in favour of the larger good. This section essentially tests your ability to take objective decisions regarding various business situations and activities. Candidates can practice Decision Making questions from XAT question papers of previous years to know the types and difficulty level. In a way, this section is similar to Reading Comprehension and requires same skills as that.

If you are planning to appear for the XAT exam by self study, you must start early as the syllabus is vast and tough. To cover the XAT syllabus by self study, candidates must refer to the books recommended for XAT preparation. You can take help from the following books to cover the XAT syllabus but do join a study forum to get help from mentors and peers when need be:

• How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma
• Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT Common Admission Tests for Admission into IIMs by Sarvesh K Verma
• Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha
• Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency by Ananta Ashisha/Arihant
• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
• Objective General English by Dr RS Agarwal and Vikas Agarwal
• High School English Grammar by Wren & Martin
• Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri
• Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha
• Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency by Ananta Ashisha
• How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma

XAT is an MCQ based test and all questions carry equal marks. The total marks of the exam is 100 and every question carries 1 mark. Decision Making carries 22 marks, Verbal and Logical Ability carries 26 marks, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation carries 28 marks and General Knowledge carries 25 marks.

There is negative marking too in XAT, that you should be aware of. Check below the marking scheme of XAT.

• One mark is awarded for each right answer
• 0.25 marks is deducted for each wrong answer
• 0.10 marks is deducted for more than eight unanswered consecutive questions
• There is no negative marking in General Knowledge section
• Scores of General Knowledge section will not be considered for calculating XAT score 
• The score of Essay Writing will be taken into consideration at the time of PI shortlisting

XAT exam is held for 3 hours and 30 minutes. There is sectional time-limit in the test. 175 minutes are allotted to Part 1 comprising Decision Making, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation and Verbal Ability. Part 2 which is a session of mock keyboard testing is of 5 minutes and 30 minutes are allotted to Part 3 General Knowledge and Essay Writing sections. No bio-break is allowed during the exam. Candidates have to finish the test in the given time limit only. The test screen will move from part 1 to part 2 the moment 175 minutes get over and it will move from part 2 to part 3, the moment 5.30 minutes get over. Candidates must keep saving their entries after every attempt as there is no provision in XAT to go back and review your answers once the time limit for that part is over.

XAT exam is more Quantitative Ability and Verbal and Logical Ability based. Which is why these two sections have more weightage than rest of the section. And between these two, Quantitative Ability has more weightage. In terms of marks too, the Quantitative Ability has maximum weightage, i.e. 28 marks, followed by Verbal and Logical Ability with 26 marks, General Knowledge carries 25 marks and Decision Making carries 22 marks.

If you are planning to prepare for XAT 2024 exam by self study, you need to start early. At least six months before. XAT exam is conducted on the first Sunday of January every year. So, if you start preparing for the XAT  2024 in June or July, you will have good six months to prepare. Make a preparation plan that includes XAT syllabus coverage, problem solving sessions, mock tests and revision. Get hold of best books for XAT. Consult mentors or previous year toppers for selecting the best books for preparation. Join online study groups where you can get the help of mentors and peers for problem solving and clearing of doubts in topics. Work in tough topics first and then move to easier topics.

Solve a large number and variety of XAT mock tests to master the syllabus. You will need to do a rigorous work on XAT mock tests as for candidates who opt for self study, have to rely on practice.

It depends upon each candidate which section of XAT exam paper they find lengthy. It also depends on the questions chosen for the exam in that particular year. However, it has been seen that Data Interpretation questions are usually lengthy. Overall, the Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section has the maximum number of questions i.e. 28 and candidates have to solve at least 22-24 questions to meet the desired cut off. So, this section may appear lengthy to the candidate. 

To some candidates, the Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning section appears to be lengthy, because of dense reading comprehension passages and reasoning questions based on analogy, series, etc. The fact that both these sections are from the Part 1 of the XAT exam which is of 175 minutes makes it manageable as along with Decision Making, one can solve a decent number of QA-DI and VA-LR questions in 175 minutes.

Aspirants should start practicing XAT mock tests after completing the syllabus. The ideal time duration to solve XAT mock tests is October to December. Avoid practicing mock tests before completing the syllabus. The official mock test is released a week before the exam, so candidates must attempt it at least once before the exam. The official and unofficial mock tests are same as the actual XAT exam so that the candidates can get familiar with the exam pattern, test structure of the question paper and get used to handling the exam pressure. It is important to practice XAT mock tests so that you have prior experience of XAT exam. Both official and unofficial XAT mock tests helps in improving accuracy of solving questions because in an exam like XAT all that matters is speed with accuracy.

Yes, solving XAT question paper is of immense help in exam preparation as one can get an idea of the exam pattern, difficulty level of the questions, and learn time management. The XAT question papers of previous years also give you an idea of what type of questions (Reading Comprehension passages and poem) are asked in XAT. In fact, preparation of Decision Making section is totally dependent on XAT question papers. XAT question papers of previous years also act as practice test providing you with the opportunity to master speed and time management.

Candidates must solve previous years’ XAT questions paper of at least last five years, so that they are aware of the latest type of questions especially poem, RC passages and Decision Making passages.

XAT admit card is a proof of identity of the applicant. It is the main document required for appearing in the XAT exam thus it should be error free. Candidates must check the information mentioned on their admit card as soon as they download it and check for errors. Usually, there is no error in the XAT admit card but you should still check the details. Every XAT admit card contains the following information:

• Candidate’s name
• Candidate’s photo
• Candidate's date of birth
• Candidate's category
• Candidate’s XAT ID
• Exam date
• Exam time
• Exam venue
• Instructions regarding exam/exam day

In case of an error or misprint, you can get it rectified by the exam authorities by contacting the XAT helpdesk. However, you cannot change or update the XAT test centre and city. The allotment will be made according to your choice filled in the XAT application form, so in case you filled the test city which you didn’t intent to, you will need to make arrangement for appearing for the exam in that city.

A digital copy of the admission card is not accepted at the testing location for the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT), which is administered by XLRI. Typically, applicants must provide a printed copy of their XAT admission card to the testing location. Regarding the admission card and its format, it's crucial to adhere to the guidelines given by XLRI and the organisation in charge of administering the XAT. Please keep in mind, though, that regulations and processes are subject to change, therefore for the most recent information about the acceptance of digital copies of the admission card at the exam center, it is advised to check the XAT official website or get in touch with XLRI directly.

XAT 2024 result will be announced in the last week of January 2024. The XAT scorecard will be released at the XAT website and can be downloaded by using application number and password created at the time of XAT registration. The candidate response sheet and answer key will be released on separate dates. The XAT response sheet will be released within a week of the exam and the XAT answer key will be released 3-4 days after.

 The final XAT answer key 2024 will be released only if any of the objections raised by candidates will be found valid. Following the release of final (updated) answer key, the XAT 2024 result and scorecard will be declared. The final answer key will be released in a downloadable PDF form.

The process to raise objection against XAT answer key earlier was through email, but in 2023 the objection were invited through login. XLRI doesn’t charge money for challenging XAT answer key. To raise objection candidates, have to log in to their XAT account and fill the objection form. To claim objection, they need to upload a supporting document.

The candidates can also send an email mentioning the question ID and answer they have objection too and attach a proof to support their objection. The mail however is to be sent within a certain deadline.

The candidates will be informed via email if their objection to XAT answer key is accepted. In case of acceptance, the answer key will be revised and published again. In case, no objection is accepted, no revised answer key will be released.

Since the XAT scorecard is the main proof of the candidate’s attendance and passing the entrance exam, the XAT result cum scorecard of every candidate contains their personal details and scores. Given below is the lift of information that is printed on every candidate’s scorecard.

• Name of the candidate
• Gender of the candidate
• Address of the candidate
• XAT ID
• Date of XAT exam
• Date of Birth
• Validity of the XAT scorecard
• Sectional percentiles
• Sectional scores
• Sectional percentiles
• Overall percentile

Candidates must check the details carefully and incase of any error in personal details, candidates must reach out to exam authorities for rectification. The marks and percentile will not be changed as there is no provision of rechecking or revaluation. However, if it is a glaring misprint then candidates may apply to the admission cell and seek updation.

If you score above 85 percentile in XAT you may get selected for admission to top tier 1 and tier 2 MBA colleges such as XIMB-Bhubaneswar, SPJIMR-Mumbai, IMT-Ghaziabad, GIM-Goa, TAPMI-Manipal, IRMA-Anand, MICA-Ahmedabad, Great Lakes Institute of Management, LIBA-Chennai, KJ Somaiya-Mumbai, Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad, Institute of Finance and International Management, Bangalore, Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, Amity Business School, Noida, Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad, Xavier Institute of Social Services, Ranchi.

The XAT cut offs of the abovementioned colleges fall in the range of 85 to 95 percentile. However, in different admission years, the cut offs could be different. You should check the XAT cut offs for these colleges individually to have a better understanding of admission process for that year.

Sectional cut off for XAT refers to the minimum percentile fixed for each section of the exam that candidates have to meet. For example, if the Quantitative Aptitude cut off is 85 percentile for XAT, that means a candidate must have scored 85 percentile or more in the section of XAT to be eligible for group discussion and personal interview shortlisting. Check the below tables for PGDM BM and PGDM HRM for XAT 2023.

XAT Sectional cut offs for PGDM BM

XAT Sectional cut offs for PGDM HRM

No, cut offs of XAT participating colleges are different from each other. These colleges fix cut off percentiles for admission individually basis certain criteria determined by their respective admission cells. XAT cut off for XIMB is different from XAT cut off for TAPMI. XAT cut off for XIMB is usually around 90-93 whereas XAT cut off for TAPMI is 80-85. On the other hand, XAT cut off for KJ Somaiya-Mumbai is 85-90. Most of the MBA colleges shortlist candidates for admission on the basis of overall XAT percentile. However, the candidates must aim to meet sectional XAT cut offs too in the exam to avoid an unwanted situation at the time of admission. Before applying for admission, candidates must check the selection criteria of their target colleges to be sure of requirements. 

XAT 2024 will be held on the first Sunday of January 2024 which is January 7. The exam date was officially announced by XLRI Jamshedpur on July 14, 2023. The announcement was made at the XATONLINE website. The exam will be held in 72 cities from 2 pm to 5:30 pm. In 2023, the exam timing was increased this year by 20 minutes. Candidates felt the exam was moderate to tough in terms of difficulty level. There were three topics for essay writing and candidates had to choose one topic to write. In 2024, the timings are expected to remain same. XAT registrations 2024 will begin from July 15, 2023. The registration process will go on until November 30, 2023 (XAT application last date can be extended). Candidates will be required to fill the online application form before the deadline to be eligible to appear for XAT 2024. 

Online application submission only XAT fee is INR 2000 for all candidates Fee to be submitted at the time of application form submission Graduation degree must for filling the XAT form (final year candidates can also apply). 

The Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation section of Xavier Aptitude Test 2024 will have the maximum number of questions that is 28, followed by Verbal and Logical Ability with 26 questions. General Knowledge will have 25 questions while Decision Making will have 22 questions in the Xavier Aptitude Test. XAT Pattern: Decision Making Number of Questions: 22 Total Marks: 22 Verbal and Logical Ability Number of Questions: 26 Total Marks: 26 Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation Number of Questions: 28 Total Marks: 28 General Knowledge Number of Questions: 25 Total Marks: 25 Essay (250 words) Number of Questions: 1 (students can choose 1 topic from 3 options) Total Marks: To be evaluated upon shortlisting For more details, you may visit the Shiksha Xavier Aptitude Test exam pattern page. (https://www.shiksha.com/mba/xat-exam-pattern). I hope this will help you.

Yes, candidates with less than 50 per cent in aggregate in graduation are eligible for admission to PGDM courses in XLRI. Candidates need to have minimum passing marks in Graduation. They must have however, completed their graduation from a recognised university only. Candidates planning to seek admission to an MBA college other than XLRI must check its eligibility criteria as the minimum score requirement of AICTE approved colleges is 50 percent (45 percent for Reserved categories). But having 50 per cent and above score is not a guarantee for getting selected for admission. You will need to clear the admission round which is based on XAT cut off percentile. If you do not meet the XAT cut off percentile you will not be selected for XAT personal interview round, which is the main parameter for MBA admission in XLRI.