The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is a online test conducted by XLRI. It is a national-level entrance exam held usually in the month of January. Every year more than 1 lakh candidates register for XAT and more than 70,000 appear for the exam.
Along with XLRI and 11 other XAMI colleges, XAT is accepted by over 160 institutes including TAPMI, IMT, etc for admission to their management programs. XLRI only accepts XAT scores for admission to the PGDM courses offered at its campuses and no other entrance is accepted.
XAT 2024 will be held in a single slot of 3 hours and 30 minutes from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm. XAT 2024 will have 4 sections plus an essay question divided into two parts; Part 1 (VA, DM, QADI) has 175 minutes, Part 2 has Mock Keyboard Testing of 5 minutes, and Part 3 comprises General Knowledge and Essay Writing with 30 minutes to complete the section.
XAT Exam 2024: Overview
As XAT 2024 is expected to be along the lines of the previous year, here are the features of the XAT exam including the mode of exam, time duration, sections and registration fee among other things.
| XAT exam | Detail |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | XLRI Jamshedpur |
| Mode of Exam | Computer-based test |
| Registration fee | INR 2100/- |
| Number of Sections | Part 1: Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making & Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
Part 2: Mock Keyboard Testing Part 3: General Knowledge & Essay Writing |
| Institutes Accepting XAT | 160+ |
| Courses Offered | MBA, PGDM |
| Duration of exam | 210 minutes |
XAT Exam Dates – Given below is the timeline for XAT as per the notification:
| Event | Date |
| Registration Start Dates | 15th July 2023 |
| Registration End Dates | 30th November 2023 |
| XAT Admit Card Download | To be announced |
| XAT Exam | 7th January 2024 |
| XAT Result | To be announced |
XAT Eligibility Criteria : Here is the eligibility criterion for XAT-
- Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree that took three years or more to complete in any discipline from a recognized Institute.
- Candidates in their final year can also give the XAT exam.
- There is no minimum pass percentage required to appear for the XAT exam.
- NRI students can apply through the GMAT exam.
If a candidate fulfills the given XAT eligibility requirements, they are welcome to apply and appear for the exam.
XAT Registration Process
Candidates must have the required documents and pay the application fees to complete the registration process before last registration date.
Follow these simple steps to complete the XAT registration-
- On the official website for XAT, register yourself
- Verify the email ID you have provided
- Fill out the XAT application form
- Upload the required documents
- Pay the application fee online
- Review the application and submit it
XAT Registration Fee
XAT aspirants can pay the application fee online through the payment gateway after filling out the form and uploading the documents. Given is the fee for XAT 2024-
| Detail | Fee |
|---|---|
| XAT Application Fee | INR 2100/- |
| XLRI Programmes Fee | INR 200/- each |
According to the official website, the following points should be kept in mind regarding the payment of the application fee-
- The payment for the XAT application can be made using credit cards, debit cards, internet banking, IMPS, cash cards or mobile wallets.
- After making the payment, an e-receipt will be generated. If the candidate does not receive the e-receipt, there is a payment failure and the candidate will be required to re-login and make the payment again.
- The candidate must save the e-receipt and the online application form.
XAT Required Documents
The candidates will be required to upload a passport-size photograph and signature image to the application form. The official website for XAT explains the requirements for the images and a brief is provided below-
- The photograph should be a recently taken passport-size, coloured photograph. The background should be white/ light.
- The size of the photograph file should be between 20KB to 50KB.
- The candidate must sign on a white paper with a black pen and scan the signature.
- The signature will be used on the admit card and should match the sign given on the attendance sheet on the exam day.
- The file size for the signature should be between 20KB to 50KB.
XAT Exam Pattern
The XAT exam pattern for 2024 would be the same as that of XAT 2023. As XAT 2023 observed a few changes, XAT 2024 will follow similar lines. The paper is divided into 3 parts which are given below
| XAT 2024 | Sections | No. of Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Verbal & Logical Ability | 26 | 175 minutes |
| Decision Making | 22 | ||
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation | 28 | ||
| Part 2 | Mock Keyboard Testing | – | 5 minutes |
| Part 3 | General Knowledge | 25 | 30 minutes |
| Essay Writing | 1 | 10 minutes | |
| Total | 102 | 210 minutes |
XAT Marking Scheme
- For every correct answer: +1 mark
- For every incorrect answer: -0.25 marks
- After 8 unanswered questions, -0.1 for every unanswered question
- The essay question will be marked separately after the shortlisting process.
XAT Syllabus
The XAT 2024 syllabus is divided into 4 sections along with an essay question. The essay question is not included in the XAT percentile score calculation and is only considered for evaluation after shortlisting. Given below are the main topics that candidates must cover for XAT 2024 preparation-
| Section | Main Topics |
|---|---|
| Verbal & Logical Ability | Vocabulary, Para jumble, Grammar, Fill in
the blanks, Analogy, Binary Logic, etc. |
| Decision Making | Data Arrangement, Assumptions, Complex
Arrangement, Conclusions, etc. |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation | Mensuration, Algebra, Geometry, Caselets,
Data charts, Tables, etc. |
| General Knowledge | Economics and Finance, Books, Authors,
Constitution of India, Current Affairs, etc. |
How to Prepare for XAT 2024
- Follow a Timetable: Scoring well in entrance exams is dependent on the discipline and dedication with which a candidate prepares. So, establish a timetable that you follow daily to reach your targets and cover the syllabus within the given time.
- Identify your Weak and Strong Areas: To ace XAT, you must identify the concepts and sections you are weak at and those you can score well in relatively easily. Based on your assessment, begin covering the weaker areas with more time and establish the basic concepts again. For the strengths, you can diligently practice questions and revise.
- Practice with Mock Exams: Mock exams will help you understand where you stand in your XAT preparation and against your peers. You will also be able to analyze your weak and strong points by analyzing the mock papers. Regularly giving mocks will also help you stay motivated by noting the progress.
- Review Previous Year Papers: Previous year papers can help you familiarize yourself with the exam pattern and the types of questions that are asked in XAT. They can also give you a good idea of your preparation and the sections which require further improvement.
Here’s how you can prepare for XAT
Free Past XAT Mocks
Purchase XAT Mocks