Xavier Aptitude Test or XAT is one of India’s oldest and most respected management entrance exams. XAT is a national-level management entrance examination conducted by XLRI, Jamshedpur for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes.
Apart from XLRI and 10 other XAMI member colleges, 250 B-schools accept XAT scores for admission to their post-graduate management programmes such as MBA, PGDM and Executive MBA.
XAT Exam Highlights
| Topic | Details |
| Conducting Body | XLRI, Jamshedpur |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| Exam Duration | 3 hours |
| Exam Syllabus | Decision Making Verbal and Logical Ability Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation General Knowledge |
| Exam Pattern | 95 Questions in MCQ Format |
| Exam Fees | INR 2,200 (all categories) |
| No. of Test Cities | 110 |
| Exam Website | https://xatonline.in/ |
XAT 2025 exam is scheduled on January 5, 2025 and the admit card is expected to be released anytime soon. The XAT 2025 admit card for the exam was supposed to be released on December 20, 2024 but was delayed.
XAT exam 2025 will be held in 110 cities across India. This year, the Essay Writing section has been removed and the XAT test duration has been reduced to 180 minutes. Apart from that, the number of questions in the GK section has been reduced from 25 to 20. Candidate’s performance in GK will also be evaluated during the XLRI selection process.
XAT Important Exam Dates
| Events | Dates |
| XAT Exam | 5 January 2025 |
| XAT response sheet release | To be announced |
| XAT Result | To be announced |
| XAT Cutoff Release | To be announced |
Steps to Download XAT 2025 Admit Card
- Visit the official website of XAT 2025
- Click on ‘Download admit card’ tab
- Enter details like XAT User ID and date of birth and click on ‘login’
- In the dashboard, click on admit card tab
- Download XAT admit card pdf
XAT Exam Syllabus
XAT Decision Making
This section will include scenarios drawn from both personal and professional lives. Candidates will be required to apply critical thinking, problem solving skills, and prioritization to make informed decisions.
XAT Verbal and Logical Ability
This section includes questions from Critical and Analytical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, English Grammar, Vocabulary, Parajumbles, Cloze Test, etc.
XAT Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
This section includes topics like Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math, etc.
XAT General Knowledge
This section includes topics like politics, culture, society, personalities, business, art & entertainment, sports, inventions, innovation, world, economy, science, technology, books, etc.
XAT Exam Pattern
| XAT Section | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
| Decision Making | 21 | 21 |
| Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | 26 |
| Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | 28 |
| General Knowledge | 20 | 20 |
| Total | 95 | 95 |
Conclusion
The XAT exam will be conducted in a single session at more than 100 test centres across India. The duration of the XAT exam is 3.5 hours, and it will be conducted in computer-based test (CBT) mode.
Aspirants who want to take admission in XLRI and other top B- schools in India are taking the XAT exam.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is XAT tougher than CAT?
XAT and CAT both exams are difficult but many students find XAT more difficult than the CAT exam.
Is XAT accepted in IIM?
Yes, IIM Lucknow accepts the XAT score for the admission into the executive MBA course offered by the institute.
Does XAT have negative marking?
The marks scored in the GK section will not be included in the Final XAT score. -0.25 marks are deducted, for every incorrect answer. Additionally, -0.10 marks are deducted for 8 consecutive or more unattempted answers.
Who is eligible for the XAT exam?
The candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree of minimum three-year duration or equivalent in any discipline from a UGC recognized university.
Is the XAT exam online or offline?
The XAT exam is conducted online.