XAT Exam Analysis 2025 (Available): Get detailed Analysis, Paper Review, Expected Cutoff Here

Admit Card - 20 Dec '25

Updated on Oct 2, 2025 12:23 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

XAT 2025 analysis - As per the review of XAT 2025 question paper, the exam was of moderate difficulty level. Quants section was dominated by Arithmetic and Mensuration. Decision Making questions were lengthy but doable, VALR questions were easy to moderate.

The XAT exam analysis 2025 includes indepth discussion of sectional difficulty level, topic wise weightage, types of questions, number of good attempts and expected XAT cut offs for XLRI admission. Exam analysis will help XAT 2026 aspirants in preparing for the exam. Check below analysis of XAT 2025 and previous years.

XAT 2026 exam will be held on January 4, 2026. Shiksha will provide detailed analysis of the XAT 2026 question paper here on the exam day.

Table of contents

XAT 2025 Analysis
XAT 2024 Analysis
XAT 2023 Analysis
XAT 2022 Analysis

XAT 2025 Analysis

In XAT 2025, the VA and LR section was moderate, Decision Making was also moderate, but QA-DI was slightly tough. Check below, section wise difficulty level of XAT question paper 2025:

XAT section	Topics	Difficulty level
VA & LR	RC passages Poem Sentence Correction Para Jumble Fill in the blanks Conclusion/Inference	Moderate
DM	Event Management Company Law Firm Newspaper: The Pluralist Kindercare Hospital MBA Postgraduate Leadership Trade Suburb	Moderate
QA & DI	Linear Equation Coordinate Geometry Mensuration Ratio & Proportion Simple Interest, Compound Interest Probability Surds Averages Circles Grid Numbers Height & Distance Log Data Interpretation	Moderate to Difficult
GK	History Geography Economics and Business Personality and awards Science and Tech Sports Entertainment	Easy
Essay Topics		Moderate

Read Here: Detailed XAT 2025 Exam Analysis

Watch XAT 2025 Student Reactions and Reviews

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Commonly asked questions

Q: Are XAT Decision Making questions tough?

XAT Decision Making questions can be tricky. Key is to understand what solution is being discussed in it. To crack this section of XAT, practice a variety of Decision Making questions.

XAT 2024 Analysis

The XAT 2024 exam was moderately difficult. The QA & DI section was tougher than DM and VA & LR sections check the table below for sectional break up and difficulty level:

XAT section	Topics	Difficulty level
VA & LR	RC, Poem, fill in the blanks, Critical Reasoning, Grammar (Correct-incorrect sentence), Para jumble	Moderate
DM	Raman & Flying Grocery Store, Shalini & Nalini Incentive Given for Loyalty, Prabhu Tax Service, Go Valve & Safe Valve, Vinita Lama & SUV Decision, Vimal & Sharda Stolen Ring, ABC Business School	Moderate
QA & DI	Linear Equation, Quadratic Equation, Logarithm, Time, speed, distance, Profit and loss, Arithmetic progression, Geometry, Number system, Data Sufficiency, PnC, Polynomials, data interpretation	Moderate to Difficult
GK	History, Geography, Economics and business , Personality and awards, Science and tech, Sports, Books and authors , Current affairs, Nobel Prize, Entertainment	Difficult
Essay Topics	Tech prediction, Social media regulation and fake news, Abstract topic	Moderate

Also Read:

XAT exam analysis and review 2024

Also Read:

Check XAT cut offs and predict calls from XLRI and other colleges accepting XAT score for admission. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and Eligibility of all XAT participating colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict XAT Admission Calls

XAT 2023 Analysis

QA-DI was tough and dominated by Arithmetic
Verbal and Logical Ability was easy to moderate
Decision Making was easy to moderate
GK was moderate with current affairs and static GK question
Essay topics were abstract in nature but doable
Verbal and Logical Ability section had four RC passages and one poems.

XAT Analysis 2023: VALR

The XAT Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning section was easy and had 26 questions. The section was dominated by RC questions. This year, there was only one poem which was easy. About 16-18 attempts will be good in XAT Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning. Check the sectional composition of XAT VALR section below:

Type of Questions	No. of Questions	Doable
RC	4 sets with 3 questions	8
Poem	1 set with 2 questions	1
Fill in the Blanks	1	1
Critical Reasoning	7	3
Grammar/ Punctuation	3	2
Para completion	1	1
Total	26	16-18

XAT 2023 Analysis: Decision Making

The total number of Decision Making questions in XAT 2023 was 22, one more than last year. The questions were easy except for one set which was modelled on old DI type decision making questions. About 15-17 attempts will be good in this section:

Check the sectional composition of XAT Decision Making section below:

Type of Questions	No. of Questions	Doable
2 Question Sets	4	2
3 Question Sets	15	2
3 Question DI Type Set	3	3
Total	22	15 - 17

XAT Analysis 2023: QA-DI

This year, the XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation section was was dominated by Arithmetic and slightly tougher than last year. About 16-18 attempts will be considered good in this section. Check out the sectional composition of XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation section below:

Type of Questions	No. of Questions	Doable
Arithmetic	8	5
Numbers	4	3
Algebra	4	3
Geometry	3	1
DI 1 -Economic activity & subjective well being	3	2
Trigonometry	1	2
Data Sufficiency	2	2
investment	2	1
Probability	1	0
Total	28	16 - 18

XAT 2023 Analysis: General Knowledge

The XAT General Knowledge section as usual comprised 25 questions with a fine between current affairs and static GK. A good score in this section would be 10+.

In the Essay section, the candidates had three topics to choose one frm which were as follows:

Decarbonisation by India is hampering the Indian industries
People with less IQ are more successful
Taking risks in life

Commonly asked questions

Q: When are XAT cut offs released?

XLRI Jamshedpur releases the XAT cut offs every year in the month of February after the result announcement. The XAT exam is held on the first Sunday of January and the result is announced in the last week of January. And within a week of result announcement, the XAT cut offs are released.

The XAT cut offs are released at the official website of XLRI Jamshedpur and are available for download without login. The XAT cut offs are released for PGDM-HRM and PGDM-BM gender and academic stream wise. The document contains sectional and overall cut off percentiles for male, female, male non engineering and female non-engineering categories. Selection of candidates for the Personal Interview and Group Discussion round of XLRI admission is done on the basis of these category wise cut offs.

XAT 2022 Analysis

XAT 2022 analysis indicates that the exam was easier than CAT 2021. Re-introduction of Essay Writing did pose difficutly to some students but the exam was overall doable. The Decision Making and Verbal Ability sections were easy to attempt, whereas Quantitative Aptitude was slightly more difficult than other sections due to lengthiness of some questions. GK section was also moderate.

XAT exam was conducted on January 2 in online mode at various exam centres from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The question paper as told by test takers and experts, was moderate to high difficulty level.

XAT 2022 Analysis: Section wise

Section-wise, the highlight of XAT 2022 included easy Decision Making passages, two poems in VARC and DI oriented QADI section. Given below is the table indicating sectional-dificulty levels of XAT 2022:

XAT Sections	No. of Questions	Total Marks	Level of Difficulty
Decision Making	21	21	Moderate
Verbal and Logical Ability	26	26	Moderate
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation	28	28	Tough
General Knowledge	25	25	Tough
Essay Writing	1	To be evaluated after shortlisting	Moderate

Also Read:

Watch XAT 2020 analysis by test takers

Explore subject-wise topics asked in XAT

Select your preferred subject

Quant

VARC

DILR

Sets Triangle Statistics Probability Number System Permutations and Combinations Algebra Mensuration Binomial Theorem Straight Lines Relations and Functions Sequences and Series Conic Sections Introduction to Three Dimensional Geometry Types of Triangles Pythagoras Theorem Isosceles Triangle Equilateral Triangle Algebraic expressions Algebraic identities Linear Algebra Algebraic Equations Basic of Algebra Algebra questions Sets Triangle Statistics Probability Number System Permutations and Combinations Algebra Mensuration Binomial Theorem Straight Lines Relations and Functions Sequences and Series Conic Sections Introduction to Three Dimensional Geometry Types of Triangles Pythagoras Theorem Isosceles Triangle Equilateral Triangle Algebraic expressions Algebraic identities Linear Algebra Algebraic Equations Basic of Algebra Algebra questions Personal Interview (PI)Group Discussion (GD)Reading Comprehension Pronouns with Exercises Parajumbles with Exercises Prepositions with Exercises Subject-Verb Agreement Types of Clauses Examples of Articles Phrases Modifiers Parts of Speech Errors in Tenses Data Interpretation Logical Reasoning Venn Diagrams Percentages Number Systems Approximation & Conversion Techniques

XAT Exam

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What is the IMI Kolkata XAT Cutoff?

Answered Yesterday

The IMI Kolkata XAT Cutoff 2024 was released for admission to the MBA/PGDM course for all categories under the All India quota. The XAT Cutoff 2024 was overall 70 percentile for the General category candidates from the All India quota. This cutoff was for students to avail a seat at the Post Graduat

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Which entrance exams are accepted for PGDM and MBA admissions at GIBS (e.g., CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, GMAT)?

Answered Yesterday

Hi.

For PGDM and MBA admissions at GIBS Business School, Bangalore, the following entrance exams are accepted:

Accepted Entrance Exams

Exam	Type / Level
CAT – Common Admission Test	National-level MBA entrance exam
XAT – Xavier Aptitude Test	National-level MBA entrance exam
MAT – Management Aptitude Test	National-level MBA entrance exam
CMAT – Common Management Admission Test	National-level MBA entrance exam
GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test	International / National-level MBA entrance exam
ATMA – AIMS Test for Management Admissions	National-level MBA entrance exam
State CET (e.g., Karnataka PGCET)	State-level MBA entrance exam for Karnataka candidates

heena agrawal

Scholar-Level 17

Which entrance exam scores are accepted at GIBS for admission (CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA, State CET)?

Answered Yesterday

Hi.

GIBS considers any one valid score from these exams for shortlisting candidates.

Some exams (like CAT, XAT, CMAT) are preferred for national-level merit-based selection, but State CET scores are also accepted for Karnataka domicile candidates.

Along with the entrance score, academics, work experien

heena agrawal

Scholar-Level 17

What is the IMI Bhubaneswar XAT Cutoff?

Answered Yesterday

IMI Bhubaneswar XAT Cutoff 2024 was released for students aiming for admission to the MBA/PGDM courses. The XAT Cutoff 2024 for admission at IMI Bhubaneswar was overall 70 percentile for students belonging to the General category under the All India quota. The institute accepts the XAT Cutoff percen

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

What is the AIMC Dwarka XAT cutoff?

Answered 2 days ago

Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication Dwarka XAT cutoff 2024 for PGDM admission was 50 percentile in the General category. The institute accepts the XAT entrance exam, followed by a GD and PI round for admission to its PGDM in Mass Communication course.

Rashmi Sinha

Contributor-Level 10

What is IILM Lucknow XAT cutoff?

Answered 2 days ago

In 2024, the IILM Lucknow XAT cutoff 2024 was 50 for the students belonging to the General AI quota.

Rashmi Sinha

Contributor-Level 10

What is the UPES School of Business XAT Cutoff 2024?

Answered 3 days ago

The UPES School of Business accepts various exams, like XAT, MAT, NMAT, etc., for admission to its MBA/PGDM programme. The UPES School of Business XAT Cutoff 2024 was released for various MBA specialisation for Gender-Neutral candidates. The XAT Cutoff 2024 was 50 for admission to MBA in Internation

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

What is the MBA cutoff 2024 for admission at CMS Bangalore?

Answered 3 days ago

The CMS Bangalore MBA cutoff 2024 was released for various different exams, like CAT, XAT, NMAT, etc.

The CAT Cutoff 2024 was 50, whereas, in 2024, it was 70 as was the case in 2023. This trend over the past 3 years says that the CAT Cutoff has been decreasing overtime. Students can click here to kno

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

What is the XAT cut off for IMI Kolkata?

Answered a week ago

International Management Institute, Kolkata accepts the XAT entrance exam for admission to the MBA/PGDM programme. In 2024, the required XAT cutoff percentile was 70 for the students belonging to the General AI quota.

Rashmi Sinha

Contributor-Level 10

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