XAT 2021 – Xavier Aptitude Test
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Summary
XAT is a national-level management aptitude test. It is conducted by Xavier School of Management, Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) – Jamshedpur.
XLRI conducts the exam on behalf of Xavier Association of Management Institutes (XAMI). XAT scores are used by more than 800 institutes for admission to MBA, PGDM and other management courses.
XLRI Jamshedpur offers the following management programmes:
Business Management (BM)
Human Resource Management (HRM)
Global Business Management(GBM)
General Management Programme (GMP)
In 2016, XAT authorities announced a few changes in the test pattern:
1. In the main question paper (Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation sections), the total number of questions were brought down to 78.
2. Candidates were given 170 minutes to answer the main question paper, 20 mins extra from the previous time limit of 150 mins.
3. In order to encourage students to attempt more questions with accuracy, XAT 2017 question paper was created in such a manner that the top hundred students could complete the test within 170 minutes. The idea behind this is to reduce the low range of scores and encourage good students to do well.
4. Aspirants were given a choice of not attempting any 13 questions. Beyond this, any non-attempted question carried a negative mark of 0.05 marks per question.
5. There was negative marking of 0.25 marks for any wrong answer.
6. The number of questions in GK section was reduced to 25. However, the time to answer GK and Essay section remained 35 minutes.
7. There was no negative marking in the GK section.
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Current Affairs:
Eligibility
Eligibility criteria for XAT:
1.Recognized Bachelor’s degree of minimum three years duration or equivalent in any discipline.
2.Final year students (completing final examination by June) can also apply.
The eligibilty for XLRI programmes like Human Resource Management (HRM), Business Management (BM) is similar. Candidates with three years of work experience will be given preference in Global Business Management.
NRI and Foreign candidates may apply through GMAT scores.
Note: There’s no specific age limit for XAT exam.
How to start preparation for XAT:
XAT Process
To register for XAT Exam, candidates need to visit the official website, click on Register and create a new account by using a personal email ID. After that, candidates will receive a unique XAT ID and registration link.vsvaz
Test Fees
XAT Exam application fee is Rs 1650 and Rs 300 per XLRI course. Application fee after deadline is (including late fee) Rs 2000 and Rs 500 per XLRI course.
There are three modes of payment:
Online Payment Gateway: Through VISA/Master Credit/Debit Cards (American Express Card is inadmissible). IDBI Net banking (this option is available only for IDBI account holder)
Cash Payment: Please take a print out of the XAT Pay-In-Slip visit nearest IDBI bank and make the payment.
Demand Draft: Issue a DD from any Bank in favour of “XLRI Jamshedpur A/c XAT” payable at Jamshedpur.
The DD needs to be send at the following address:
The Chairperson Admission,
XLRI, Circuit House Area (East),
Jamshedpur- 831001.
The same must be sent within fifteen days from the issuance of DD.
Candidates need to fill the following information in the registration process:
Preliminary information (Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Father’s Name, Mother’s Name, Category and Phone Number etc.)
Mailing (communication) address and permanent address
Educational qualification from Class 10 onwards
Work experience starting from the latest job
Choose the XAT test city
Upload a scanned digital photograph and signature less than 1 MB (Click here for the process of uploading the photograph and signature).
Candidates should print out all the XAT Confirmation page for future correspondence with XAT office.
XAT 2021:Important Dates
| S.No | Events | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start of XAT 2021 application process | Start of XAT 2021 application process |
| 2 | Last date to fill the XAT 2021 application form | Second week of December 2020 |
| 3 | Last date for the submission of the application form (with late fee) | Third week of December 2020 |
| 4 | Availability of XAT 2020 admit card | Fourth week of December 2020 |
| 5 | XAT 2021 | First week of January 2021 |
| 6 | Candidates response sheet of XAT 2021 | First week of January 2021 |
| 7 | Releasing of XAT 2021 answer key | Second week of January 2021 |
| 8 | Last date to file an objection against XAT answer key | Second week of January 2021 |
| 9 | Declaration of XAT 2021 result | Third week of January 2021 |
| 10 | XAT Cutoff 2021 | Last week of January 2021 |
XAT 2021:Syllabus
XAT is famous for its high difficulty level. XAT syllabus consists of Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation, Decision Making, General Awareness and Essay Writing.
Here’s a look at some of the important topics to study for XAT 2019:
Verbal and Logical Ability:
1.Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary
2.Fill in the blanks
3.Para completion
4.Analogy based on vocabulary
5.Para Jumble
6.Paragraph formation questions
7.Poem
8.Close test
9.Grammar
10.Sentence correction
11.Pronunciation
12.Critical Reasoning and Inference
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) & Data Interpretation (DI)
In XAT, there are three sets of DI questions. Quant has similar sections like CAT exam. Here are some of the quant topics that are covered in the exam:
1.Percentage
2.Tables and Caselets
3.Linear and Quadratics Equations
4.Profit and Loss
5.Probability
6.Surds and Indices
7.Ratio
8.Critical Path
9.Inequalities
10.Variation
11.Averages and Partnerships
12.Logarithms
13.Time and Work
14.Alligations and Mixtures
15.Numbers
16.Time, Speed and Distance
17.Algebra
18.Mensuration and Geometry, etc
How to get selected in XLRI with basic quants preparation
Decision Making
Topics under this section include:
1.Decision making
2.Logical Reasoning
3.Sets
General Knowledge
The GK syllabus consists mostly of the following topics:
1.Awards and winners
2.History
3.Static GK
4.Business and Politics
5.Geography
6.Famous Personalities
7.Government and Economy
8.World Events
9.Current Affairs
Must do Social GK:
Exam Centers
XAT is conducted in various cities across India. The two overseas exam venues are Dubai and Kathmandu.
XAT 2021:Exam Pattern
XAT question paper consists of five important sections:
1.Quantitative Ability
2.English Language & Logical Reasoning
3.Decision Making
4.General Knowledge and
5.Essay Writing
A few changes were made in XAT exam pattern a couple of years ago. The total number of questions in the main part (VA, DI, DM) has been brought down to 78 and the time allotted has been increased by 20 minutes. The candidates would have 170 minutes to answer the questions. Students can choose have a choice of not attempting 13 questions. Beyond this, any unattempted question will carry the negative mark of 0.05. There would also be negative marking of 0.25 marks for any wrong answer. The number of questions in the GK has been reduced to twenty-five and there would be no negative marking in this section. XAT has moved from pen and paper mode to being an online exam.
Exam Analysis
XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) 2020 was conducted online on January 5, 2020
XAT-2020 was more or less the same as last year in difficulty level. VARC and DM Sections were on par with last year with a few questions in DM being difficult. The cut-offs are likely to be a bit lower compared to last year.
Admit Card
XAT admit cards are generally available for download on the official website of XAT. The date for downloading XAT admit card is announced along with the XAT exam date.
Candidates can download their admit cards from the official website by using their login IDs. Also, the candidates must take a print out of the admit card, as hard copy of the same will not be sent to anyone
To download the admit card, candidates need to follow the steps given below:
Visit the official website
Click on the ‘Download admit card’ tab
Enter details like XAT ID, password and enter submit
Download the admit card
Take a printout of it
The candidates must check their XAT admit cards thoroughly and in case of any error on it, they must approach the exam convening body to get it rectified and obtain a duplicate copy. The admit card will contain following information:
1.Candidate’s name
2.Candidate’s roll number
3.Exam date
4.Exam time
5.Exam venue
6.Instructions regarding exam/exam day
Admit card is a mandatory document to be carried to the examination hall and must be presented for inspection by the invigilator. Candidates not carrying their admit cards will be barred from writing the test. The candidates are advised to carry a secondary ID proof.
Gadgets like mobile phone, calculator, iPad etc are not allowed inside the premises of the test centres, hence the candidates are advised to not carry any of these. The candidates must also keep their admit cards safe until the end of admission process.
Key changes in 2021
Following changes have been introduced in XAT Exam by XLRI:
- XAT Exam is now changed to a computer based test from paper based test
- Single slot exam i.e. the exam should be completed in one seating
- Test timing changed – 9.30AM to 12.30PM and from 10AM to 1 PM
- Total questions increased to 100 from the previous 99
- XAT Exam Syllabus does not contain Essay Writing
- NAT Questions without negative marking introduced
- All questions are of MCQ type format in the XAT Exam
- GK section will not be counted for percentile calculation
- ¼ Negative Marking for wrong answer
- Visually impaired candidates with scribe are given additional 25 minutes to solve Part 1 of the exam
- Marks for every correct answer : 1
- No Negative marking for General Knowledge section in part-2
- Each MCQ type questions will have five options with one correct option
Highlights, Key Features and XAT Exam Fees
| Test Conducting Body | Xavier School of Management (XLRI) Jamshedpur |
|---|---|
| Number of MBA colleges under XAT | 150+ |
| Mode of Exam | Computer Based |
| Application Process | Online |
| XAT Exam Fees | Rs 1700/- |
| XAT Full Form | Xavier Aptitude Test |
| Cut offs for XLRI | 97 to 98 percentile |
| Total number of questions | 100 |
| Sectional Division of Test | 4 Sections with different no. of Questions |
| Section not counted for merit shortlisting | GK |
| Level of Difficulty | Moderate to difficult |
How to prepare for XAT Exam?
1. Understand XAT 2021 Exam Pattern & Syllabus to know about XAT Exam preparation topics
2. Get and prepare from the best XAT Exam Preparation Material
3. Take XAT Mocks to check your current XAT Exam Preparation Level
4. Focus on section wise XAT Preparation 2021 concentrating more on Decision Making
5. Prepare XAT Exam Preparation Time Table
6. Keep a note of all important XAT Exam dates
7. Get XAT Exam preparation tips from toppers & experts
Recommended Books for XAT Preparation
| Author | Book | Section |
|---|---|---|
| RK Jha | Jabbing the XAT | Decision Making |
| Disha Publications | Target XAT 2019 (Past papers and mock tests) | Decision Making |
| Norman Lewis | Word Power Made Easy | Verbal Ability |
| MK Pandey | Analytical Reasoning | Logical Reasoning |
| RS Aggarwal | A modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning | Verbal Ability |
| Bharat Patodi | Verbal Ability and Comprehension for XAT (2nd ed.) | Verbal Ability |
| Gautam Puri | MBA (XAT, IIFT, NMAT, SNAP, CMAT) | Verbal and Logical Reasoning |
| Gajendra Kumar | Koncepts of LR- Logical Reasoning for CAT, XAT, CMAT, Bank PO and other Aptitude Test | Logical Reasoning |
| R.S. Aggarwal | Quantitive Aptitude for Competitive Examination | Quantitatve Ability |
| Arun Sharma | How to Prepare for Data Interpretation | Quantitatve Ability |
| Deepak Aggarwal | Quantitative Aptitude Simplified for XAT | Quantitatve Ability |
| Gajendra Kumar | Concepts of Numbers for XAT and Other Aptitude Exams (Old edition) | Quantitatve Ability |
General Knowledge
- The Hindu
- The Financial Times
- Economic Times
- Business Today
- Wall Street Journal
Top Colleges and their Cut-offs
| MBA college | XAT 2020 cut off |
|---|---|
| SPJIMR Mumbai | 90 |
| XIM Bhubaneswar | 90 |
| IMT Ghaziabad | 90 |
| MICA Ahemdabad | 80 |
| Great Lakes | 80 |
| TAPMI Manipal | 80 |
| GIM Goa | 85 |
| K J Somaiya Mumbai | 85 |
| FORE New Delhi | 85.25 |
| IRMA | 80 |
| LIBA Chennai | 80 |
| BIMTECH Greater Noida | 75 |
| IFMR | 75 |
XAT Mock Test 2021
Like every year, this year also XLRI will release a mock test just few days prior to the scheduled XAT exam date. All the XAT Exam candidates are advised to appear for the mock test released by the conducting body to understand the exam pattern and structure of the online test. To access the online assessment/mock test, test takers had to enter the User ID and Password created during the XAT 2021 Registration.
