XAT Exam Pattern 2024 will be released by XLRI for the academic session 2024-2026. As per the latest official updates, the authority has made slight changes in XAT Exam Pattern in 2023 with 3 time-bound sections and 105 questions in total. The candidates can expect the same XAT Paper Pattern for the upcoming exam.
XLRI Jamshedpur defines the XAT Exam Pattern and marking scheme on its website with complete details about the exam sections, time duration, and more. It is important for all aspiring candidates to know XAT Exam Pattern 2024 well and start preparation accordingly. It is a computer-based test, and all the questions will be in MCQ format, including five options with one correct option (except the Essay Writing section). Here, you will get all the details regarding XAT Exam Pattern 2024, marking scheme, negative marking, section-wise details, and time duration.
The candidates who are appearing in the upcoming exam must comprehensively understand the updated XAT Exam Pattern 2024 to score well and clear the cutoffs for XAT 2024. As per the latest official updates,XAT Question Paper is divided into 3 parts.
There will be a total of 105 questions, out of which the total number of MCQs will be 101. As per the official XAT Exam Pattern 2024, the MCQ Questions will be asked in 4 sections: Decision making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge. The Essay Writing section will have 1 subjective question. So, all the candidates aiming at the upcoming exam must begin their preparation as per the updated XAT Exam Pattern 2024.
☛ Check XAT Eligibility before applying for the exam.
As per the latest updates, the XAT Exam Pattern has been modified in 2023 by introducing the new section in Part B: Mock Keyboard testing round with a 5-minute total duration. Additionally, GK and Essay have been shifted to Part C, which was included in Part B, in 2022. No changes have been made in Part A chapters, but the total duration of this section is increased to 175 minutes. There will be 22 DM questions asked in the exam as per the updated XAT Exam Pattern. Have a look at the key highlights of XAT Paper Pattern 2024.
Key Components | Details |
Number of sections | 6 Sections: Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, Verbal & Logical Ability, Mock Keyboard Testing, General Knowledge and Essay Writing |
XAT Time duration | 210 minutes (3 Hours 30 minutes_ |
Number of Questions | 105 Questions |
Language of XAT Exam | English |
XAT Exam Pattern - Number of Answer Choices | MCQ+ Essay + Mock Keyboard Testing 5 Options in MCQs |
Mode of Exam | Online |
XAT Marking Scheme | +1 mark for the correct answer - 0.25 marks for an incorrect answer - 0.10 marks for more than 8 un-attempted consecutive questions No XAT Negative Marking in the GK section |
Exam Sections included in XAT Percentile Calculation | 3 Sections: Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, Verbal & Logical Ability (GK is not included in percentile calculation) |
XLRI has updated XAT Exam Pattern in 2023. As per the new paper pattern, there will be 3 parts, including 6 sections in total.
Note the table below to get a sectional XAT Paper Pattern, including the number of questions and total time duration. The candidates must check all the details for XAT Registration.
Section | Subjects | Number of Questions | XAT Time Duration |
Part-I | Decision Making | 22 | 175 minutes |
Quantitative ability and data interpretation | 28 | ||
Verbal and logical ability | 26 | ||
Part-II | Mock Keyboard Testing (new section) | - | 5 minutes |
Part-III | General Knowledge | 25 | 30 minutes |
Essay | 1 to be answered out of 3 | ||
Total | 105 Questions | 210 Minutes | |
As per the expert analysis of the XAT Exam Pattern 2024, there will be a total of 6 sections. The candidates will get MCQ questions from 4 sections: Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, Verbal & Logical Ability, and General Knowledge. In the Essay Writing Part, you have to write an essay of 300 words on a given topic. So, the candidates must be well-versed in the section-wise XAT Exam Pattern 2024, important topics, and other details to score well in the upcoming exam.
☛ Go through the previous year's XAT Cut Off to understand the trends of qualifying marks.
Note the below section to get a detailed overview of the Subject wise XAT Paper Pattern for the upcoming exam.
As per the previous year's XAT Analysis, this section will consist of 26 MCQ-type questions. The candidates will face grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and critical reasoning questions with moderate difficulty level questions. As per the official XAT Exam Pattern, the candidates will face questions from the below-mentioned chapters.
It is one of the most prominent sections as per the latest updates of the XAT Exam Pattern 2024. The candidates can get good scores easily from this section. Check XAT Syllabus for a better understanding.
As per the expert analysis, the difficulty level of this section is relatively high. As per the latest XAT Exam Pattern, individual questions and DI sets will be in each. You will get XAT Result online after the exam is over.
XAT GK Questions are the most dynamic as no defined set of questions can be asked. The syllabus is vast, and the candidates need rigorous preparation. The main criterion for XAT Exam Pattern for this section is that the number obtained will not be considered for the final score calculation.
This section is reintroduced after 2019 in 2022. As per the latest XAT 2024 Exam Pattern trends, this section is clubbed with GK in Part B. The candidates have to choose and write 1 short essay (note more than 300 words) out of 3 questions. Note the table below for an overview of the previous year's XAT Exam essay topics. Do your XAT Preparation by creating a timetable for every chapter of the exam.
Year | XAT Exam Pattern: Essay Topics |
2022 | Capitalism and democracy follow a different logic |
2018 | Ethical Practices and Sustainability: Do they Co-exist? |
2017 | Globalization and Jingoism always coexist |
2016 | Technology and Nature are natural enemies |
2015 | Listening is a dying art. We hardly listen to understand. We only listen to refute or reply |
The marking scheme is the most important factor in XAT Exam Pattern. As per the expert opinion, the XAT Marking Scheme is a little bit different from the other exams. In Part B GK Section, there will be no negative marking. Note the below points to know the marking scheme details in the XAT Exam Pattern. Get all the details for XAT Admit Card.
Note the table below to understand XAT Negative Marking clearly.
Parameters | Details |
Wrong Answer | -0.25 |
Eight of more than 8 unattempted answers | -0.10 |
As per the official updates, the overall time duration is increased to 3 hours and 30 minutes. It is further divided into 175 minutes in Part A, 5 minutes for Part B, and 30 minutes in Part B. Check the below table to get an overview of the time limit as per the official XAT Exam Pattern 2024.
Part | Section | Overall & Sectional Exam Duration | Overall & Sectional Exam Duration for PWD Candidates |
A | Verbal & Logical Ability | No Sectional Time Limit | No Sectional Time Limit |
Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation | No Sectional Time Limit | No Sectional Time Limit | |
Decision Making | No Sectional Time Limit | No Sectional Time Limit | |
Overall Part 1 | 175 minutes | 175 minutes to 240 minutes | |
B | Mock Keyboard Testing | 5 minutes | - |
B | General Knowledge | No Sectional Time Limit | No Sectional Time Limit |
Essay Writing | No Sectional Time Limit | No Sectional Time Limit | |
Overall Part 2 | 30 minutes | 30 minutes to 40 minutes |
☛ Also Check: Colleges Accepting XAT Score
It is important to note the changes in XAT Paper Pattern over the years to understand the question pattern better and be prepared accordingly.
Exam Year | Total Number of Questions | Section-wise number of questions | XAT Marking Scheme |
XAT Exam Pattern 2023 | 105 | VA & LR - 26 Decision Making- 22 QA & DI- 28 GK- 25 Essay: 1 to be answered out of 3 questions (to be evaluated upon shortlisting) 5-minute mock keyboard testing round is also included this year | Correct Answer: +1 Incorrect Answer: -0.25 More than 8 Unanswered Questions: -0.10 |
XAT 2022 | 100 | VA & LR - 26 Decision Making- 21 QA & DI- 28 GK- 25 Essay: 1 (to be evaluated upon shortlisting) | Correct Answer: +1 Incorrect Answer: -0.25 More than 8 Unanswered Questions: -0.10 |
XAT Exam Pattern 2021 & 2020 | 100 | VA & LR - 26 Decision Making- 21 QA & DI- 28 GK- 25 | Correct Answer: +1 Incorrect Answer: -0.25 More than 8 Unanswered Questions: -0.10 |
XAT Exam Pattern 2019 | 99 | VA & LR - 26 Decision Making- 21 QA & DI- 27 GK- 25 | Correct Answer: +1 Incorrect Answer: -0.25 More than 8 Unanswered Questions: -0.5 |
XAT Paper Pattern 2018 - 2017 | 97 | VA & LR - 24 Decision Making- 21 QA & DI- 27 GK- 25 One Essay | Correct Answer: +1 Incorrect Answer: -0.25 More than 12 Unanswered Questions: -0.5 |
The candidates wishing to appear in the upcoming XAT Entrance Exam 2024 must consider the below points.
CAT and XAT are both the most important MBA Entrance Exams in India. The difficulty level and competition for both are relatively higher than the other exams likeCMAT, MAT, and SNAP. If you are preparing for both XAT and CAT, then be sure that you are well-versed with the exam pattern, as there are some basic differences between the exam pattern of these two exams. Note the table below to get an overview of the exam pattern of XAT vs CAT.
Components | CAT | XAT |
Exam Sections | 3 Sections VARC QA DILR | 2 Parts Part A: Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, Verbal & Logical Ability Part B: Mock Keyboard Testing Part C: GK and Essay Writing |
XAT Exam Duration | 120 minutes (40 minutes sectional-time limit) | 190 minutes (165 minutes for Part A and 25 Minutes for Part B) |
XAT Total Questions | 66 questions (as per the previous year's analysis) | 105 questions |
Question Type | MCQ and TITA | MCQs with one subjective part (Essay Writing) |
As per the official updates of the XAT Exam Pattern, there will be a total of 101 questions, including the MCQs and one Essay Writing Part. It is divided into 3 parts: Part A (Decision making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability), Part B (Mock keyboard testing round) and Part C (GK and Essay Writing). The candidates preparing for this exam need to be well-versed with XAT Exam Pattern to prepare well.
XAT Negative Marking is quite different from the other MBA Entrance Exam. Note the below points to understand the marking scheme for XAT 2023.
As per the latest updates, the first, 3 sections have to be completed in 175 minutes, while 30 minutes will be given for the GK & Essay section. Apart from this division in time in XAT Paper Pattern, there is no separate time limit for the VARC, DM, and Quant sections in Part 1 of the paper. For the newly added section Keyboard testing, you will get 5 minutes.
As per the latest trends of the XAT Exam Pattern, the candidates can expect questions related to Data arrangement sets, Short Caselets, Situational sets etc. in the Decision Making section.
As of now, no changes have been made to XAT Exam Pattern 2024. But in 2023, the authority made little changes in the paper pattern before the exam date.
The total XAT Exam Duration is 210 minutes. Additionally, there is a time limit for each part. The candidates have to complete Part A within 175 Minutes (no sectional time limit between the sections in Part A). The time limit to complete Part B is 5 Minutes and Part C is 30 Minutes.
As per the official update, the XAT Question Pattern for Part B, there will be a new round, namely the keyboard testing round. This is newly added in 2023. We will share the XAT Exam Pattern for this section after the exam, as still now there is no clarity for this part.
The question paper of the XAT Exam is divided into 3 parts: Part A, Part B, and Part C. The Part A of the XAT Exam consists of 3 sections: Decision making, Verbal & Logical Ability, and Quantitative Ability. In Part B, there will be a new round: Mock Keyboard Testing. Part C will consists of GK and Essay questions (it was in Part B last year).
The exam mode for the XAT 2024 will be online, considering the previous years’ trends. The candidates have to appear for a computer-based online examination at the allocated Exam Centres.
Most of the questions in XAT are MCQ, with one subjective writing part in Part B. the candidates will get MCQ questions from Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge.
The candidates have to first solve the Part A sections to proceed further with Part B and C questions respectively. However, there is no such sequence to solve the sections in Part A.
As per the official update, there is a trend of negative marking for the unanswered questions in the XAT Exam. If you skip 8 or more consecutive questions, -0.10 marks will be deducted for each question.
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