XAT Exam Pattern - Past Year Papers

XAT is the arguably the second most sought after MBA exam after the CAT and one of the last few exams of the MBA Season (CMAT & MHCET the other ones). Many good B-schools accept XAT score with some of the top colleges listed below. We'll also have a look at the XAT exam pattern and its differences from other MBA exams. Click here to sign up for XAT Mock Tests & Decision Making Course.

Top Colleges Accepting XAT Score

XLRI, Jamshedpur

SP Jain IMR, Mumbai

IMT Ghaziabad

TAPMI, Manipal

XIM, Bhubhaneshwar

Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai

Prin. LN Welingkar IMDR, Mumbai

Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai

GIM, Goa

XIME, Bangalore

XAT Paper Pattern:- 

XAT is a paper-based test typically conducted in one slot on the first Sunday of the year. 
Like other MBA exams, XAT has an aptitude section (Quant, Resoning & Verbal) but along with that it has a Decision Making section as well. This is unique to the XAT exam.
The objective of the Decision Making questions is to test the ability of a candidate to analyze a given situation, evaluate the various options available to him along with its consequences, and then pick the best or the most effective option.  A real or a hypothetical case is presented with a problem facing one of the stakeholders in the case along with five options, each option being a course of action that can be taken. The student has to understand the case, analyze the main problem and select an action that will solve the problem in the most effective manner. The best way to solve such questions is to eliminate options one by one. 


The other difference in the XAT exam (compared to CAT and others) is that it has a GK + Essay section but whose score is not used initially while shortlisting of candidates. The GK score is used only during subsequent rounds of elimination. The initial shortlist is made on the aptitude section alone. The Essay (one essay to be written) writing is present to test your writing skills. The aptitude section is timed separately and distinct additional time is available for the GK & Essay portions. 

XAT has historically varied the number of questions in the exam every year. Here's a look at how it has been for the last three years.
Scoring Pattern: +1 for correct and -0.25 for incorrect answers.

Number of Questions by section over the last three years. 

	XAT 2014	XAT 2013	XAT 2012
Quant + DI	31	36	28
Verbal Ability	28	30	32
Decision Making	24	25	25
Total	83	91	85
GK	20	30	0

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