XAT Question Paper 2025, Previous Year Papers with Solutions (Available); PDF Download

Xavier Aptitude Test 2025 ( XAT )

Vipra Shrivastava
Updated on Apr 22, 2025 18:11 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

XAT question papers - Candidates must practice XAT question papers of previous years. Aspirants should solve atleast XAT previous year papers of last 10 years to prepare for exam specific questions in a better way. Get here previous years' XAT question papers PDFs for XAT 2026 preparation.  

XAT question papers are an important component of exam preparation. Practice of previous years' XAT question papers helps the candidate in developing the skill of solving all types of questions – tough, easy, lengthy, tricky - with ease and confidence in limited time. It is extremely critical to practice previous years' XAT question papers because they are the only reliable source of preparation for the Reading Comprehension and Decision Making section of the XAT exam.

 

Q:   How was XAT 2025 different from XAT 2024?

A: 

XAT 2025 exam had only 2 sections in the question paper, Part 1 had Quantitative Aptitude, Decision Making and Verbal Ability. Part 2 consisted of General Knowledge section. Essay Writing has been removed from the entrance test. It is a part of XLRI PI selection process. The total time duration of XAT exam now is 180 minutes. Part 1 is for170 minutes and Part 2 is for 10 minutes. There is no sectional time limit within the section.

XAT 2024 had Essay Writing and the exam duration was 3.5 hours. Essay Writing was clubbed with GK. 

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Q:   Is solving XAT question paper helpful in exam preparation?

A: 

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.

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Q:   How many questions were there in XAT 2025?

A: 

As per the latest XAT exam pattern, there will be 95 questions in XAT 2025 in MCQ format.

  • Verbal Ability section of XAT will have 26 questions
  • Decision Making section of XAT will have 21 questions
  • Quantitative Ability section will have 28 questions
  • GK section will have 20 questions

There will be no essay writing this year. It will be conducted during the selection process.

It is not mandatory to solve all the questions. Candidates should solve only those questions which they can solve correctly as there is negative marking in XAT. During the exam preparation, focus on the chapters from which majority of the questions are added. This will help them in achieving the sectional and overall cut offs are required.

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Q:   Which section of XAT question paper is lengthiest?

A: 

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.

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Table of content
  • Why Solve XAT Question Papers?
  • XAT 2025 Question Paper
  • XAT Questions Papers PDFs
  • XAT Preparation Guides
  • XAT Question Paper 2024
  • Previous Year XAT Question Papers (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019)
  • XAT Mock Test and Preparation
  • FAQs on XAT Question Papers
View More
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Why Solve XAT Question Papers?

A good performance in a speed based test like XAT exam is the result of good practice. Candidates must have the exposure of previous 10 years' XAT question papers so that they know how to use the time given to attempt maximum questions accuratety. Solving the XAT question papers also helps immensely in preparation of unique sections of XAT 2026- Decision Making and Reading Comprehension (the poem). 

Top Reasons to Solve Previous Years' XAT Question Papers

Practice of XAT question papers is necessary also because it not only improves time management skills but also boosts candidate's confidence. Listed below are a few benefits of solving XAT question papers.

  • Practicing XAT previous year papers will give you an idea of the types of questions asked in the exam. You will also know the weightage of topics, i.e. from which units most of the questions are asked.

  • XAT has a unique section called Decision Making, study material for which in not readily available. Thus to prepare for this section, previous year XAT question papers are the best source.

  • Every year, there is one poem in the XAT Reading Comprehension section. To know what type of poems are there and what type of questions are asked candidates should solve XAT question papers of previous years. 
  • By practicing XAT question papers candidates will also get to know their strength and weakness viz. XAT syllabus so as to study accordingly. They will know which topics have more weightage and which ones have less weightage. They can cover the XAT syllabus accordingly.

  • By practicing XAT previous year question papers and mock tests, candidates will be able to discover tricks and shortcuts to solve questions faster with 100 per cent accuracy. 

  • GK is a vast field, so to be able to do focused preparation, candidates must practice GK questions from previous year XAT papers. It will help them zero in on GK topics from which questions are mainly asked. 
  • If a candidate has solved 25-30 XAT mock tests and a series of previous years' question papers, he/she will be more confident in the actual exam as he/she will be familiar all types of questions and their solutions.

  • Having practice of previous years' XAT question papers will instill confidence. One will feel more at ease because of familiarity with the question type.

Also Read:

Explore subject-wise topics asked in XAT

Select your preferred subject

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XAT 2025 Question Paper

XAT 2025 question paper was divided into two parts. The difficulty level was same as 2024. Total number of questions was 95. Check here for a brief overview of XAT question paper 2025. 

XAT Question Paper 2025 Sections  Sectional Time Limit
Part 1 QA-DI, VA-LR, Decision Making 170 minutes
Part 2 GK 10 minutes

XAT 2025 Question Paper: Sectional Difficulty Level

XAT 2025 question paper was released along with the candidate response sheet and answer key. Check below section wise composition and difficulty levels of XAT question paper 2025.

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

Moderate to Difficult

General Knowledge

20

20

Easy

Total

95

95

Moderate

Also Read:

Download previous year XAT question papers and sample papers. Use them for practice and improve your speed and accuracy. You can download XAT previous year question papers and the preparation guides for free.

XAT Questions Papers PDFs

Previous Year XAT Question Papers

XAT-2024 Question Paper
XAT 2023 question paper
XAT 2022 question paper
XAT 2021 question paper
XAT 2020 question paper
XAT 2019 question paper
XAT 2018 question paper
XAT 2017 question paper
XAT 2016 question paper
XAT 2015 question paper
XAT 2014 question paper
XAT 2013 question paper
XAT 2012 question paper
XAT 2011 question paper
XAT 2010 question paper

Question Banks for XAT Preparation

Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers for Practice
VARC Questions with Answers for Practice
DILR Questions with Answers for Practice

XAT Preparation Guides

Important MBA Entrance Exams You Should Not Miss.pdf
Important MBA Entrance Exams You Should Not Miss
How to prepare for Xavier Aptitude Test.pdf
How to prepare for Xavier Aptitude Test
Preparation Guide for MBA Entrance Exam - Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning.pdf
Preparation Guide for MBA Entrance Exam - Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
Preparation Guide for MBA Entrance Exams- Quantitative Aptitude.pdf
Preparation Guide for MBA Entrance Exams- Quantitative Aptitude
Preparation Guide for MBA Entrance Exams- Verbal Ability.pdf
Preparation Guide for MBA Entrance Exams- Verbal Ability
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XAT Question Paper 2024

The XAT question paper 2024 was divided into three parts which inlcuded an essay writing section. Total time given to candidates for completing the test was 3.5 hours. Difficulty level of XAT 2024 question paper was moderate to tough. Check this table for the latest XAT question paper pattern structure. 

XAT Exam Structure

XAT Exam Details

Number of sections

(Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge and Essay Writing)

Duration of exam

Part 1- Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation - 175 minutes

Part 2- Mock key board testing - 5 minutes

Part 3 - GK and Essay Writing - 30 minutes

Number of questions

105

Total marks

105

Language of paper

English

Number of answer choices

Five

Mode of examination

Online

XAT marking scheme

+1 mark for correct answer

- 0.25 marks for incorrect answer

- 0.10 marks for more than 8 un-attempted consecutive questions

No negative marking in GK section

XAT 2024 Question Paper: Sectional break up

The sectional break up of XAT 2024 question paper was was same as XAT 2023 question paper. Check the table below for section wise number questions in the XAT question paper 2024. It was not mandatory to solve all the MCQs.

XAT Sections

No. of Questions

Total Marks

Decision Making

21

22

Verbal and Logical Ability

26

26

Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

28

28

General Knowledge

25

25

Essay Writing (250 words)

1

To be evaluated after PI shortlisting

XAT 2024 Essay Writing Topics

Candidates where given the following topics to write an essay:

  1. Tech prediction often fails not because of wrong models or lack of imagination but due to a lack of humility in admitting uncertainty about the future.
  2. Implementing more stringent restrictions on social media platforms is crucial to effectively combat the proliferation of fake news.
  3. Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.

Also Read: XAT 2024 question paper analysis

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Previous Year XAT Question Papers (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019)

XAT Question Paper 2023

XAT 2023 question paper was of moderate difficulty level. it had the Essay section also, which was brought back in 2022. There were three essay topics and candidates had to write on one topic of their choice. Evaluation of the essay was done at the time of candidate shortlisting. Check below the structure of XAT 2023 question paper:

XAT 2023 Sections

No. of Questions

Total Marks

Level of Difficulty (expected)

Part 1: Decision Making

22

22

Moderate

Part 1: Verbal and Logical Ability

26

26

Moderate to Tough

Part 1: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

28

28

Tough

Part 2: General Knowledge

25

25

Moderate

Part 2: Essay Writing

3 (candidate had to choose 1 topic)

To be evaluated after shortlisting

Moderate

Also read:

XAT Question Paper 2022

XAT 2022 question paper was similar to XAT 2021 question paper in terms of difficulty level. However, there was a new addition to the paper this year - the reintroduction of Essay Writing. Candidates had to write a 250-word essay on one of the two given topics in Part 2 of the paper. Check the sectional break up and difficulty level of the XAT question paper 2022 below:

XAT 2022 Sections

No. of Questions

Total Marks

Level of Difficulty

Part 1: Decision Making

21

21

Moderate

Part 1: Verbal and Logical Ability

26

26

Moderate

Part 1: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

28

28

Moderate

Part 2: General Knowledge

25

25

Tough

Part 2: Essay Writing

1

To be evaluated after shortlisting

Moderate

XAT 2022 Question Paper: RC Topics

  • Stupidity
  • Lifestyles
  • Conformism
  • Conformism
  • Poem
  • Poem

Also Read: XAT 2022 question paper analysis

XAT Question Paper 2021

XAT 2021 question paper was of overall moderate difficulty. Similar to XAT previous year papers. However, the Verbal section was easier than previous year. Check the section wise difficulty level of XAT question paper 2021 below:

XAT Sections

Number of Questions

Difficulty level

Decision Making

21

Moderate

Verbal and Logical Ability

26

Easy

Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

28

Moderate

General Knowledge

25

Moderate

Overall

100

Moderate

XAT 2021 Question Paper: RC Topics

  • Multitasking and Distraction
  • Uncertainty in Life
  • Importance of the Ability to Process Numbers in Animals
  • Microsoft and Windows Phone
  • Realization of Truth of Life
  • Gender Data Gap
  • Poem - 'Sit' by Vikram Seth

Also Read: XAT 2021 question paper analysis

XAT Question Paper 2020

XAT 2020 question paper was of overall moderate difficulty. However, the VARC section was tougher than previous year. Check the section wise difficulty level of XAT question paper 2020 below:

XAT Sections

Number of Questions

Difficulty level

Decision Making

21

Moderate

Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning

26

Difficult

Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

28

Moderate

General Knowledge

25

Moderate

Overall

100

Moderate

XAT Marking Scheme

  • There is negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer

  • There will be deduction of 0.5 marks incase of eight consecutive unanswered questions

  • There is no negative marking for unanswered questions

Also Read:

XAT Question Paper 2019

XAT 2019 question paper was of moderate difficulty and the Essay Writing section was scrapped. The Quantitative Ability section was easy but Decision Making section was tricky. English and Reasoning sections were easy. Take a look at the XAT 2019 question paper break-up:

XAT Sections

Number of Questions

Difficulty Level

Verbal and Logical Ability

26

Difficult

Decision Making

21

Moderate

Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

27

Easy-Moderate

General Knowledge

25

Moderate

Total

99

Moderate-Difficult

Also Read:

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XAT Mock Test and Preparation

Solving only the official XAT question papers will not be enough to master XAT. One needs to practice time bound XAT mock tests as well. Practicing mock series are essential to gain control of subject, topics, time and accuracy. Shiksha has created XAT mock tests based on previous years' questions. Practice these free XAT mock tests to assess your preparation level. After taking the test, you can immediately check your score:

XAT_Mock_Test_1 XAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions
XAT_Mock_Test_2 XAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions

Check the below given links for solve questions for practice:

XAT Preparation 2026

For XAT exam preparation 2026, candidates need to make a long term as well as a short term strategy. While the long term strategy includes XAT syllabus coverage and Reading Comprehension practice, short term strategy includes XAT mock test practice. One should ideally start preparation for XAT, nine months before. However, one can prepare in less time as well, but that will require a focused plan and full-time dedication. Given below are some top read articles for XAT exam preparation 2026.

XAT Exam Preparation Articles

How to Prepare for XAT in 3 months

How to prepare for XAT 2026? Tips from toppers

Expert speak: How to prepare for XAT exam

XAT preparation in six months: Tips and tricks

How to prepare for XAT in 1 month

Best study material for XAT preparation

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
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FAQs on XAT Question Papers

Check below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to XAT Question Paper:

Get prep tips, practice papers, exam details and important updates

Download Important Dates for MBA/PGDM Exams

1114 Institutes accepting XAT

XLRI Xavier School of Management

Jamshedpur Private

XLRI Xavie
  • 28.60 Lakh
  • 2 years
  • |
  • Full Time

Amity University, Noida

Noida Private

Amity Univ
    • 7.80 Lakh
    • 2 years
    • |
    • Full Time

    Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai

    Kanchipuram, Chennai Private

    Great Lake
    • 11.50 Lakh
    • 1 years
    • |
    • Full Time

    Goa Institute of Management

    Goa - Other Private

    Goa Instit
    • 19.40 Lakh
    • 2 years
    • |
    • Full Time

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