XAT Exam Analysis 2023 (Out): Check Detailed Analysis of XAT 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019

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XAT Exam Analysis 2023: XAT 2023 VALR section was moderate with RC passages being the most difficult. The overall difficulty level of QADI and Decision Making sections was similar to last year. In the essay writing section, candidates had to write a short essay of about 250 words on any 1 of the 3 given topics. 

Based on XAT Paper Analysis, candidates can also get an idea of the expected XAT 2023 Cut off. The marks of only the 3 sections in Part 1 will be considered for final percentile calculation. Based on the analysis of XAT 2023 question paper, an attempt of 35-40 questions in these 3 sections (DM, VALR, and QADI) is considered good. Check Expected XAT 2023 Cut Off

XLRI will release XAT Answer Key 2023 within 3-4 days of the exam, likely by Jan 12, 2023. Candidates who qualify XAT 2023 will be eligible to take part in the further XLRI selection process (GD & PI). Check XAT 2023 Selection Process

You can also find XAT paper analysis of previous year examinations (2022-2017) in this article.Candidates must go through the detailed XAT Exam Analysis given below to familiarize themselves with the paper pattern, difficulty level, and good attempts. 

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XAT Exam Analysis 2023

XAT Exam Analysis 2023 is updated here based on the initial reactions of the students. 

XAT Exam Section No. of Questions Important Topics with High Weightage Overall Difficulty Good Attempt
Verbal and Logical Ability 26 RC passages, Critical Reasoning, Grammar based questions, Para Jumbles Moderate 17-18
Decision Making 22 Decision Making Passages- Business, Social, Financial, Economic, Abstract etc. Moderate 11-13
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation 28 DI, Numbers, Arithmetic, Algebra Moderate to Difficult 14-16
General Knowledge 25 Static and Current Affairs Moderate to Difficult 10-12
Essay 1 (out of 3 options) 3 Topics Moderate 1
Overall 105 - Moderate to Difficult

Part 1: 35 to 45

Total: 55-60

The section-wise distribution of questions will be updated soon based on the analysis of XAT 2023 paper by experts.

XAT Exam Pattern 2023

Given below are the salient features of the revised XAT 2023 test pattern:

  • Number of Sections: 3 sections in Part 1, Mock keyboard testing in Part 2, and 2 sections in Part 3
  • Number of questions: 105
  • Type of questions: 101 MCQs and 1 Descriptive Essay (3 question options)
  • Total Marks: 101 (1 mark for every MCQ)
  • Negative Marking: 0.25 marks for wrong answers and 0.10 after 8 unanswered questions.
  • Total Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Must Read XLRI Placements & Salary 

XAT Exam Analysis 2022

XAT Exam Analysis 2022

XAT 2022 concluded on Jan 2, 2022. Given below is the overall exam analysis along with the number of good attempts. As per the test takers,​

  • The paper was of moderate to high difficulty. VALR and DM were not very tough and did not have too many tricky questions.
  • QADI has been reported to be the toughest with plenty of lengthy questions. Some students also reported that this section was more DI-oriented.
  • GK was the toughest. The questions were from geography, polity, science & tech, and current affairs.
  • Also, In the Essay Writing section, candidates had the option of selecting 1 out of the 2 question choices. Only 10 minutes were given for the essay writing section. The two topics of essay were:
    • Candidates with stellar academic record are preferred by B-schools for admission but they make average managers
    • Capitalism and democracy follow different logics
Section Name No of Questions  Difficulty Level Good Attempts
Verbal and Logical Ability 26 Easy-Moderate 18-22
Decision Making 21 Moderate 16-18
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation 28 Difficult 15-17
General Knowledge 25 Difficult 10-11
Overall 100 Moderate-Difficult 59-68

XAT Exam Analysis 2022: VALR 

The overall difficulty level of this section was easy to moderate. XAT VALR section had 26 questions:

  • 4 RC passages with 3 questions each. The topics of the passages were Stupidity, Conformism, Bullshit, and Lifestyles.
  • 2 poems with 3 questions each.
  • 2 fill in the blanks
  • 4 critical reasoning questions
  • 3 grammar-based questions
  • 2 para jumbles.

XAT Exam Analysis 2022: QADI

The overall difficulty level of QADI was high. There were 28 questions and DI dominated the section. There were 4 DI sets having 3 questions each. 7 questions of moderate difficulty were asked from Number system and probability accounted for only 1 question. The distribution of questions in XAT 2022 QADI is given below:

XAT QADI Topic

Number of Questions

Algebra

4

Arithmetic

2

Numbers

7

Geometry

2

Probability

1

DI (College Admissions)

3

DI ( Broken Pencils)

3

DI ( Stock Prices)

3

DI ( Correct Answers)

3

Total

28

XAT Exam Analysis 2022: DM (Decision Making)

XAT DM section had 7 passages of easy-moderate level having 3 questions each. The questions did not require any analytical skills and were doable in the stipulated time. The topics of the passages are tabulated below for your reference:

DM Passage Topics

Number of Questions

Dosa

3

Doctor SUV

3

FURCSA

3

A2Z Engineering

3

Future Leaders School

3

Assignment Submission

3

Passage 7 3

Total

21

XAT Exam Analysis 2021

Here are some highlights about the XAT 2021 Exam held on 3rd January, 2021 - 

  • Candidates found the Overall Difficulty Level to be Moderate to Difficult
  • The Decision Making Section was found to be the easiest to solve. 
  • However, the Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section was the most difficult section to solve. 
  • The Data Interpretation questions were lengthy and took extra time to solve. 
  • Here is a sectional breakdown of the sections for XAT 2021 - 
Section Name No of Questions  Difficulty Level
Verbal and Logical Ability 26 Easy
Decision Making 21 Moderate
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation 28 Difficult
General Knowledge 25 Moderate
Overall 100 Moderate-Difficult

XAT 2021 Verbal and Logical Ability Analysis

  • There were a total of 26 questions in the XAT VA section. The questions were similar to that of last year; inferential and application based.
  • There were 17 RC questions from 6 passages and 1 poem. Passages were about 150 to 350 words.
  • This section was found to be significantly more difficult than last year. 
  • The expected cut off for the Verbal Ability section would be around 9 to 10 marks according to various reports. 
  • The options were similar in nature which could have been confusing for some canidates.
Question Topics Total Questions Difficulty Level
Incorrect sentences 2 Medium
Correct sentences 1 Medium
Fill in the blanks (4 blanks) 1 Medium
Jumbled Paragraphs 2 Medium
Critical Reasoning 3 Medium to Difficult
Passage 1 3 2 Easy, 1 Medium
Passage 2 2 Difficult
Passage 3 2 Difficult
Passage 4 3 Medium to Difficult
Passage 5 2 Medium
Passage 6 2 Difficult
Passage 7 3 Medium to Difficult

XAT 2021 Decision Making Analysis

Given below are the major takeaways from XAT 2021 Decision Making - 

  • There were a total of 21 questions in the DM Section. Zero questions came from quant.
  • Most of the questions were short and understandable, whereas some questions were tricky and ambiguous. 
  • Most of the questions were Business Related in nature. 
  • The overall difficulty level of this section was found to be moderately difficult. 
  • Various reports suggest that the sectional cut off for this section would be around 8-9 marks.
  • Overall, questions were harder compaerd to previous year.
Question Topics No. of Questions Difficulty Level
Business Decision 3 Medium
Business Decision 3 Medium to Difficult
Business Decision 3 Medium to Difficult
Ethical Dilemma 3 Difficult
Ethical Dilemma 3 Difficult
Decision on Business 3 Medium to Difficult
Ethical Dilemma 3 Medium to Difficult

XAT 2021 Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation Analysis

  • There were around 28 questions from this section. 
  • This section was found to be the most difficult in the XAT 2021 paper. 
  • Most of the questions came from the Quant Section(22 questions), out of which 20 were standalone. 
  • The Data Interpretation section consisted of 6 questions. 
  • The DI section had 3 sets with 3 questions each.
  • The DI Section was very time consuming. 
  • Various sources suggest that the sectional cut off for this section would be around 10 to 12 marks. 
  • Here is the breakdown for the XAT 2021 QA/DI section: 
Question Topics Total
Arithmetic 5
Geometry 5
Modern Maths 3
Algebra 4
Numbers 1
Misc.(Logic) 1
Table 3
Venn Diagram 3
Scatter Plot 3
Total 9

XAT 2021 General Knowledge Analysis

  • There were a total of 25 questions to be attempted within 15 minutes. 
  • This section was moderate in difficulty. 
  • Most of the questions were based on Static General Knowledge questions. 
  • Static GK Questions were asked from the following topics - 
    • CEO/CM 
    • Olympics
    • National Parks
    • Mountains
    • Authors
    • History
Section No. of questions
Current Affairs 7
History 0
Economy & Business 4
Geography 5
Personality & Awards 2
Science & Tech 0
Polity 0
Books & Authors 1
Sports 2
Total 25
XAT Exam Analysis 2020

XAT Exam Analysis 2020

Previous Year Question Papers are the best guide to prepare for XAT. The section-wise detailed paper analysis of the previous is given below. 

XAT 2020 Verbal and Logical Ability Analysis

Chapter Number of Questions Difficulty Level Ideal Attempt
Reading Comprehension 4 passage with 3 questions each Moderate to Difficult 7
CR 5 Moderate to Difficult 3
Poem Comprehension 2 Moderate -
Analogy 1 Difficult -
Antonym 1 Moderate 1
Para Jumble 2 Moderate 1-2
Fill in the Blanks 3 Difficult 1-2

Key Highlights of XAT 2020 Verbal and Logical Ability Analysis:

  • The section had overall 26 questions with difficulty level a notch up than 2019 session.
  • Reading comprehension were coving arts, psychology and social issues.
  • XLRI focusses quite a lot on Verbal and language comprehension skills of a candidate. Thus this section is of prime importance. 
  • There was 1 poem which was moderate-difficult. 2 para jumble questions were moderate.
  • Fill in the blanks questions were difficult CR questions were quite difficult.
  • An ideal attempt was considered covering 16 to 18 questions with 70% accuracy.

Must Read 

XAT 2020 Decision Making Analysis

Decision making section was similar to previous years. 21 Situation decision making questions were to be answered.

  • Level of difficulty fo situational questions was moderate.
  • There were no singlets thus it was easy to attempt decision making. 
  • No questions were asked from mathematical or analytical reasoning
  • Decision making section in 2020 was rather boring according to students.
  • Many students avoided sequence questions.
  • 16-17 attempts is considered good for clearing the sectional cutoff.

XAT 2020 Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation Analysis

Chapter Number of Questions Difficulty Level
Arithmetic 4 Easy
Algebra 7 Moderate
Coordinate Geometry 4 Moderate
Geometry 4 Difficult
Data Sufficiency 2 Moderate
DI-Time Zone 3 Difficult
DI-Mixed Graphs 3 Moderate

Key Highlights of XAT 2020 Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation Analysis:

  • In comparison to XAT 2019 quants was comparatively difficult to attempt in 2020.
  • There were a total of 27 questions out of which 21 questions were prominently covered by Algebra and Geometry section.
  • DI questions consisted of tables, graphs, and sets.
  • One question was found to be incorrect and candidates were allotted buffer marks for that section.
  • An ideal attempt considered was 2-3 DI questions and 13-15 questions on quants. 

XAT 2020 General Knowledge Analysis

Aspect Number of Questions Level of Difficulty
History 1 Moderate
Geography 4 Moderate
Economy 7 Easy
Current Affairs 2 Easy
Personality and Awards 3 Moderate
Science and Technology 2 Moderate
Polity 2 Easy
Miscellaneous 2 Difficult
Sports 2 Moderate

Key Highlights of XAT Decision Making Paper Analysis:

  • General knowledge nerve lies in good time management as candidates have to attempt a total of 25 questions in 15 minutes.
  • Questions are asked from current affairs and static general knowledge.
  • At times there are multiple correct options for one question. Level of difficulty was not more or less compared to 2019.
  • Attempting 12-14 questions with accuracy is considered good attempt. 

Must Read:

XAT Exam Analysis 2019

Section Max. Questions Good Attempts Difficulty Level
Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning 26 16 – 18 Difficult
Decision Making 21 16 – 17 Moderate
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation 27 17 – 18 Moderate
General Awareness 25 12 – 14 Moderate

XAT Exam Analysis 2019: Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning

A brief about XAT Previous year paper for 2019 for the Verbal & Reasoning section is that the section had a total of 26 questions. 

  • This section was tougher than the last year, mainly because of questions from the Verbal section.
  • The section was dominated by Reading Comprehensions, having real time-consuming questions.
  • RC passages consisted of questions from art, psychology, and social problems.
  • Other questions were from topics like critical reasoning, poem comprehension, analogy, antonym, para-jumbles, fill in the blanks, etc. 
  • A well-prepared student could have attempted 16 – 18 questions with 65% accuracy.

Topic-wise distribution of the XAT VA & LR section for the 2019 exam:

XAT Exam Analysis 2019: Decision Marking & Analytical Reasoning

Previous Year analysis for XAT Decision Making tests helps you to get an idea that how prepared you are for a management level course.

  • The difficulty level of this section was again similar to last year. Decision Making questions dominated the section with 18 questions.
  • There were no questions from Mathematical/ Analytical Reasoning.
  • There were 3 questions that were similar to those that were there in the previous year’s papers. 
  • All questions were of moderate level.

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Topic No. of Ques. Good Attempts Difficulty
Situational Decision Making 21 16 -17 Moderate

XAT Exam Analysis 2019: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

The section was slightly tougher than last year’s.

  • A few questions were tricky and few of them were a little ambiguous.
  • Questions were mainly asked from Arithmetic, Algebra, Coordinate geometry, Trignometry, DI Time zone, etc. 
  • A good attempt would be 17-18 with an accuracy of 70%.
  • An ideal time to attempt this section would be about 65 – 70 minutes.
  • Questions were a mix of easy, moderate, and difficult questions.

The chart gives the topic-wise distribution of XAT Quantitative Ability & XAT Data Interpretation section for 2019:

Previous Years Exam Analysis XAT General Awareness 2019

Most of the questions were a single statement based. Some of the questions had more than one seemingly correct statement. The questions were mainly asked from sub-topics like Economy & Business, History, Geography, Sports, polity, etc. If you keep yourself updated with all these topics then you can easily score well in this section. There were 25 questions in total.

The chart below gives a fair idea about the Topic-wise distribution of the General Awareness section for the XAT 2019 exam.


XAT Exam Analysis 2018

XAT Exam Analysis 2018

Considering XAT 2018 was held in online mode, it was marred by a number of connectivity issues. Thus, in an official statement by XLRI, the exam was rescheduled for two of its exam centers (Kolkata & Gurgaon). The exam was of moderate difficulty level. XAT Previous Year topic wise analysis for 2018 is given below:

Section-wise XAT Analysis 2018

  • Quantitative Ability: This section had 27 questions of easy level.
  • Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning: This section had 26 questions of a moderate level.
  • Decision Making: This section had 22 questions that were tricky and time-consuming.
  • General Knowledge: This section had 25. About 50% were from current affairs.

XAT Cutoff for Different XLRI Programs

Program Offered Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning Decision Making Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation Overall (Percentage/ Marks)
Business Management 79.46% 76.84% 88.7% 96%
Human Resource Management 79.67% 71.628% 70.07% 92.55%
Global Management Programme 5 marks and above 5 marks and above 6 marks above 22 marks and above

Read: Top XAT Online Coaching Centres

XAT Previous Year Exam Analysis (2018/2017/2016)

Year 2018 2017 2016
Total Questions 100 98 104
Duration 3 hours 3 hours 3 hours
Mode of Exam Online Offline Offline
Type of Questions MCQs + Descriptive MCQs + Descriptive MCQs + Descriptive
Answer Options 5 5 5
Level of Difficulty Moderate to High Moderate to High High
Total Sections 3+2 3+2 3+2
Distribution of Questions

VALR - 26

DM - 22

NA & DI - 27

GK - 25

VALR - 24

DM - 21

NA & DI - 27

GK - 25

VALR - 26

DM - 23

NA & DI - 29

GK - 25

Special Case 0.05 marks per question if more than 8 questions were un-attempted 0.05 marks per question if more than 12 questions were un-attempted 0.05 marks per question if more than 13 questions were un-attempted
 
XAT Exam Analysis 2017

XAT Exam Analysis 2017

XAT 2017 Exam took place in a single slot on January 08, 2017, across multiple centers. The Paper was divided into 4 sections - Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning, Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability, and General Knowledge. The level of difficulty of the XAT Paper ranged from moderate to high. The exam was held in offline mode.

  • Verbal & Logical Ability: Multiple questions could have been easily attempted as RC passages were not very difficult. Para jumbles, however, were time-consuming. Critical reasoning was moderately difficult.
  • Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning: Unlike the previous year, there were no long passages on DM. The questions on cricket, snakes & ladder were confusing.
  • Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability: DI sets were quite tricky and geometry was also not easy. Few questions were ambiguous.
  • GK: Most questions this year were single statement-based. Maximum questions were from economics, geography, science, technology.

While the overall difficulty level of the exam was moderate. Questions in quantitative ability were comparably hard and the verbal ability section was slightly easier than the previous years. XAT Previous Year topic wise analysis is given below:

Section-wise XAT 2017 Analysis

Sections Questions Difficulty Level
Verbal & Logical Ability

26

Low to Moderate
Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning 22 Moderate to High
Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability 27 High
GK 25 Moderate

XAT Exam Analysis 2016

XAT vs CAT vs SNAP

Exam Name CAT SNAP XAT
Conducting Body IIMs Symbiosis International Deemed University XLRI
Exam Mode Computer-Based Test Computer-Based Test Computer-Based Test
Frequency of Exam Once a Year Once a Year Once a Year
Duration 2 Hours (120 Minutes) 1 Hour (60 Minutes) 3.30 Hours (210 Minutes)
Number of Sections 03 03 04
Sectional Time Limit Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) – 40 Minutes Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning – 40 Minutes Quantitative Ability – 40 Minutes No sectional Time

Part 1 - 175 mins

Part 2 – 5 mins

Part 3- 30 mins

Types of Question Format 66 Questions (MCQs + Non-MCQs) 60 MCQs 101 MCQs, 1 Descriptive
Option to Choose Order of Sections Candidates are not allowed to switch between sections The candidate can answer questions in any section Candidates can switch sections in part 1.
Total Marks 198 60 101 (Essay evaluated later only for PI shortlisted candidates)
Negative Marking for Incorrect Answer -33% -25%  -25%
Difficulty Level Moderate to Difficult Easy to Moderate Moderate to Difficult
Top MBA Colleges Accepting Exam Score 20 IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IMI, IMT, IITs, TAPMI, XIMB and hundreds of other B-schools SIBM Pune, SCMHRD Pune, SIIB Pune, SIBM Bangalore & all other Symbiosis institutes – Check more XLRI Jamshedpur, XIM Bhubaneswar, IMT Ghaziabad, MICA Ahmedabad, Great Lakes, TAPMI Manipal, GIM Goa, K J Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai, FORE New Delhi

XAT Exam Analysis FAQs

XAT Paper Analysis 2023 FAQs

Ques. Can you name a few B-schools that accept XAT scores?

Ans. This is the list of a few top B-schools that accept XAT scores:

  • XLRI Jamshedpur
  • XIM Bhubaneswar
  • MICA Ahmedabad
  • Great Lakes
  • TAPMI Manipal
  • GIM Goa
  • K J Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai
  • FORE New Delhi
  • IRMA Anand. 

Ques. What is the difference between BM and HRM offered by XLRI? 

Ans. Business Management (BM) is similar to MBA offered by IIMs that focus on skill future business managers in key areas such as Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Production, Operations and Decision Sciences, and Strategic Management.
Human Resource Management (HRM) solely focuses on Human Resource studies that include Human Resource Planning, Human Resource Information Systems, Selection, Performance Management, Training and Development, Compensation Administration, and developing harmonious Employer-Employee relations.

Ques. What are the important topics in Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation of XAT?

Ans. The topics in the Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation section of XAT are Arithmetic, Algebra, Coordinate Geometry, Mensuration, Number Systems, Geometry, Trigonometry, Data sufficiency, DI- Time Zone, DI- mixed graphs.

Ques. Does XLRI follow a policy for the reservation of seats?

Ans. No, XLRI does not provide any reservation in seats based on category and gender. However, the cut offs released by XLRI vary as per the gender and category of candidates.

Ques. Are there any descriptive questions in XAT 2023 exam?

Ans. Yes, this year XAT 2023 exam has a descriptive question in the essay section in part 3 of the paper. Apart from this, the question paper comprises only 101 multiple-choice questions divided into 4 sections- VALR, QADI, DM, and GK.

Ques. Which section consists of the highest number of questions in XAT?

Ans. The QADI section in XAT consists of the highest number of questions, i.e. 28. VALR, DM, and GK sections comprise 26, 22, and 25 questions respectively.

Ques. What is the expected cut off for admission in XLRI through XAT 2023?

Ans. XLRI XAT Cut off 2023 for BM & HRM programs is expected to be above 93 & 95 percentile for male candidates. For female candidates, the cut off will tentatively be above 91 & 93 percentile for the BM & HRM programs respectively.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.

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