XAT 2016: Pattern and Syllabus

Xavier’s Aptitude Test (XAT) is the MBA entrance exam conducted by Xavier Labour Relation Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur to screen students for its MBA and other PGDM programs. XAT is considered as one of the toughest exams in India. XAT 2016 will be conducted on 3 January, 2016 and the registration will end on 30 November, 2015.

XAT exam consists of two sections- Aptitude Test and the Essay and GK section. The Aptitude section comprises of Verbal and Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation, and Decision Making. There are a total of 90 questions in the Aptitude Test section and the total time allotted is 140 minutes. The second section i.e. the Essay and GK section will comprise of 30 GK questions and 1 essay writing question. The total time allotted to this section is 40 minutes.

There is no fixed XAT syllabus but it tests a student’s skill in logical reasoning, quantitative aptitude, decision making and data interpretation. One can always refer to previous year papers to form an idea of the paper. The General Awareness section usually covers questions from Business, Economics and Politics related to Business Environment. One has to attempt both, general Knowledge questions as well as the essay.

The marking scheme of XAT has some alterations but the official notification regarding the same has not yet been released. There may be a negative marking for the incorrect as well as the unanswered questions. The negative marking for both the types will be different. This will altogether be non- beneficial for the students as they would lose marks even for skipping the questions. There are many questions to be solved in comparatively less time. Hence, the candidate must know which questions to attempt so as not to waste time.

The test will be held in 47 cities and two international cities. One can register online for XAT and also apply for colleges which accept the score of XAT. One has to hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline. Final year students can also apply if their result would be out before the commencement of admissions. Payment has to be made separately for XAT 2016 and for the colleges. All these payments can be made online on the official site of XAT.

Anshika Srivastava, an English(H) graduate from Delhi University, currently covering all the relevant aspects of education through writing.