XAT or Xavier Aptitude Test is an online CBT (computer based) management entrance exam which grants the eligible candidate's admission for MBA/PGDM courses offered by XLRI Jamshedpur, XIMB Bhubaneswar, SPJIMR Mumbai, IMT Ghaziabad, etc along with other 156 management institutes the country. The exam is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur, which is the same league as that of the top IIMs of the country, in association with XAMI (Xavier Association of Management Institutes). It is the one of the most widely attempted MBA entrance exam after CAT with more than 75000 students enrolling for XAT each year.
The XAT 2021 notification had been released on 7th September 2020 and the registration had begun on 12th September 2020(Saturday). The registration was extended till 10th December 2020 till 12: 00 AM. The XAT 2021 Admit Card has been released on 21st December 2020 and contains some essential details regarding the XAT 2021 Exam including:
The exam will be held on the 3rd of January, 2021 which is the first Sunday 2021 in a single day session from 9:30 AM in the morning to 12:30 PM in the afternoon. The exam will be held in 71 test cities across the country.
The XAT 2021 Exam Result will likely be declared a couple of weeks after the XAT test. Read on to find more about XAT 2021 notification, Exam dates, Exam Registration. Exam Pattern, Exam Syllabus, Eligibility etc.
XAT (Xavier's Aptitude test) is a management entrance examination which is regulated by XLRI (Xavier Labor Relations Institute) in association with XAMI (Xavier Association of Management Institutes). XAT is conducted in an online mode and the XAT 2021 Exam Pattern will be based on the updated syllabus, eligibility criteria, marking scheme and type of questions that were asked in the previous years' question papers.
XAT was always primarily a pen-and-paper test but has shifted gears in recent times. XAT 2019 was the first time that the XAT Exam was conducted online. The XAT Exam contains two papers: the aptitude paper and the general knowledge paper. The candidate needs to attempt both sections to complete the test although the first paper scores are the only ones counted by most colleges.
The XAT 2021 Notification is considered by most aspirants to be the first step towards the march to the XAT 2021 Exam. The XAT 2021 notification was released by XLRI on 7th September 2020. It also gives some important details about the XAT 2021 Exam such as the XAT 2021 Exam Date, the XAT 2021 Registration process and a broad XAT 2021 Exam Pattern.
Following the release of the XAT 2021 Notification, the XAT 2021 Registration begins. The exact dates of the XAT 2021 Registration beginning and ending will be given in the XAT 2021 Notification. For XAT 2020, the XAT Registration began on 23th August 2019 and ended on 30th November 2019. For XAT 2021, the registration had begun on 12th September 2020 and will go on till 10th December 2020, as per XLRI guidelines.
Click on this link to get detailed information on XAT 2021 Notification.
Here is some important information you must know about XAT 2021:
1. XAT 2021 will be held in a single day session I.e. Morning 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM in the afternoon.
2. The test will be conducted following the proper covid-19 guidelines issued by the Government of India and XLRI Jamshedpur.
3. XAT 2021 will be conducted in an online CBT (computer-based) mode.
4. The medium of instruction will be strictly English and the registration fees has been increased from Rs 1700 to Rs 1750.
Click on this link to get detailed information on XAT 2021 Notification.
Exam Details |
Exam Dates |
Official notification release by XLRI |
7th September 2020 |
Starting of registration |
12th September 2020 |
Application Deadline |
10th December 2020 |
Downloading of admit card |
Starts 21st December 2020 |
Last date to download admit card |
3rd January 2021 |
XAT 2021 Exam Date and day |
Sunday, 3rd January 2021 |
Declaration of Result |
Between 25-31st Jan, 2020 |
Registration deadline for candidates applying through GMAT ( PGP - BM,HRM,GMP & FPM) |
31st December 2020 |
Here are the expected dates related to Post-XAT 2021
Post XAT 2021 Events |
Expected dates |
XAT 2021 Answer sheet |
First or second week of January 2021 |
XAT 2021 solution key |
Second week of January 2021 |
Objecting against XAT 2021 solution key |
Second week of January 2021
|
XAT 2021 result Announcement |
Third week of January 2021 |
XAT 2021 Cutoff Percentile |
Final week of January 2021 |
The XAT 2021 Registration is completely online and is quite straightforward as well. The XAT 2021 Registration constitutes of the candidates:
Clicking on new users on XAT official website and registering through email ID and phone number.
Login into the profile created in order to fill the XAT 2021 Registration form
The XAT 2021 Registrations would require the candidate to fill in their personal, professional and academic details. The candidate is also required to upload their signature, photograph and academic mark sheets of 10th, 12th and graduation.
These details are followed by the candidate filling their preferences for programs at XLRI Jamshedpur, in case they get an interview call
The final step of the XAT 2021 Application process is the payment of the application fee
Submit the application form and take a printout of the same for future reference.
The XAT 2020 Application fee is expected to be around:
Indian Applicants
Rs 1750 for XAT 2020 Registration on time and Rs 3oo for additional XLRI management program
Rs 2050for XAT 2020 Late Registration and Rs 500 for additional XLRI management program
Rs 2500 for candidates opting for XLRI-Global Management Program through GMAT
Foreign nationals
$50 for XAT 2020 registration and $25 for every additional XLRI Management Program I.e Rs 5000 or above.
The XAT 2021 Registration is likely to contain a field where the candidate is expected to fill their preferences in terms of programs. The fee for each program is Rs 300 if the candidate fills it on time and Rs 500 if it is filled during the late registration window. The candidate can make the application fee payment through debit card, credit card, net banking or mobile wallet. Also, in case you have made the transaction but did not receive the respective receipt of the transaction, XLRI will solicit you to wait for 1-2 days before your XAT 2021 dashboard will be updated and the e-receipt will be sent to your registered email ID. The application form fees for XAT stays the same for students across all social categories. Also, the registration fees stay constant for all PGDM programmes.
The XAT aspirants need to be cautious regarding the imperative eligibility criteria to accord well with the registration guidelines of XAT 2020. It is mentioned as follows:
Candidates must complete a minimum of three-year time duration degree or a UGC equivalent from any stream, devoid of backlogs. Due to this, candidates with 2-year diplomas are ineligible unless it is from a program with a duration of 3 years.
Indian candidates, foreign nationals and NRI applicants are all eligible to go for XAT 2021 on an additional evaluating agent I.e. GMAT. Candidates from Dubai, UAE or Kathmandu, Nepal can appear for the examination from their domicile
There is no age limit in the XAT 2021
Candidates in their final year can also appear for XAT 2021 but their selection is conditional on their completing the bachelor’s degree.
The XAT 2021 Exam Pattern is likely to be quite different from other MBA Entrance Exams. The XAT 2021 Paper is expected to have 4 sections:
Verbal and Logical Ability
Decision Making
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
General Knowledge
The XAT 2020 Exam was conducted in the form of two papers. The first paper consisted of the first three sections and has 75 questions which had a time limit of 165 minutes. The other paper consists of general knowledge questions (25) for a period of 15 minutes. Therefore, the total time limit for the exam is 180 minutes with no sectional time limits.
The marking scheme for the XAT 2020 Exam was:
For the MCQs, each correct response carried a reward of 1 mark.
Any incorrect response in the MCQs lead to a penalty of 0.25 marks.
If the candidate left over 8 questions in the XAT 2020 Paper, there is a penalty of 0.10 marks for every question after the 8-question mark.
The rule for the number of questions which can be left is modified quite frequently. However the addition of this rule means that the candidate has to decide on exactly how many questions can they afford to leave especially since the penalty for an incorrect response is 2.5 times the penalty for leaving the question.
The XAT 2021 Exam Pattern is likely to follow the XAT 2020 Pattern and will be as follows:
XAT 2021 Paper 1
Section Name |
Expected Number of Questions |
Expected Marking Scheme |
Sectional Time Duration |
Expected Total Marks |
Expected Time Duration |
Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 |
+1/-0.25 |
Not Applicable |
26 |
165 Minutes |
Decision Making |
21 |
+1/-0.25 |
Not Applicable |
21 |
|
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation |
28 |
+1/-0.25 |
Not Applicable |
28 |
|
Total |
75 |
|
100 |
165 Minutes |
XAT 2021 Paper 2
Section Name |
Expected Number of Questions |
Expected Marking Scheme |
Sectional Time Duration |
Expected Total Marks |
Expected Time Duration |
General Knowledge |
25 |
+1/-0.25 |
Not Applicable |
25 |
25 Minutes |
Total (Paper 1+ Paper 2) |
100 |
- |
100 |
180 Minutes (3 hours) |
Here are a few predictable pointers regarding expected exam patterns that all candidates must remember while preparing for XAT 2021.
XAT will be held in an online CBT (Computer based) mode. XAT will be held in a single slot I.e. 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
Number of questions is expected to be 100.
XAT 2021 will be of 3 hours I.e 180 minutes time duration.
The questions are expected to be multiple choice based with 5 answer options available for students to choose the correct option from and TITA based where the candidate needs to type in the answer using on-screen keypad (only applicable for NAT questions in the Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation section).
Students could be able score at most 100 percentile in XAT 2021.
Negative marking is only expected to be applicable to the first 75 questions from three sections I.e Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation.
There will be no essay writing assessment in XAT 2021.
The General Knowledge section score will not be included in percentile calculation and the questions belonging to this section will be free of negative marking.
The marking scheme for the XAT 2020 Exam is:
For the MCQs, each correct response carries a reward of 1 mark.
Any incorrect response in the MCQs leads to a penalty of 0.25 marks.
If the candidate leaves over 8 questions in the XAT 2020 Paper, there is a penalty of 0.10 marks for every question after the 8-question mark.
The rule for the number of questions which can be left is modified quite frequently. However, the addition of this rule means that the candidate must decide on exactly how many questions can they afford to leave, especially since the penalty for an incorrect response is 2.5 times the penalty for leaving the question.
As a candidate, you must understand that only a thin layer (creamy layer) of candidates surpass the XAT exam and are directed to the ground of XLRI. To be one of those, there are some ground checks that a candidate must be aware of. These checks can be made keeping your psychological and strategical state of mind in place. Here are some important highlighters that would make you stand out from the rest of the candidates who step in to take XAT 2021: You would have to submit your question paper half an hour after the examination starts.
Let us have a look at the XAT 2021 Marking scheme a bit more carefully.
Here are the expected changes that a candidate can observe and should be prepared for XAT 2021 exam:
XAT (Before 2019) |
XAT (After 2019) |
XAT 2021 (Expected) |
Pen-Paper mode |
Online CBT (Computer Based) mode |
Online CBT (Computer Based) mode |
Two sessions in one day |
Single session in one day |
Single session (9:30 AM to 12:30 AM) |
99 total questions |
100 total questions |
100 questions |
Essay Writing test |
No essay writing test |
No essay writing test |
Negative marking in NAT (Numerical Ability test) questions |
No negative marking in NAT questions |
No negative marking in NAT questions |
MCQ + TITA questions |
Only MCQ type questions |
MCQ + TITA questions |
General Knowledge section included during percentile calculation |
General Knowledge section not included during percentile calculation |
General Knowledge section not included during percentile calculation |
Negative marking for GK section |
No negative marking for GK section |
No negative marking for GK section |
0.05 marks deduction after leaving 12 questions in a row |
0.10 marks deduction for after leaving 8 questions in a row. |
0.10 marks deduction for after leaving 8 questions in a row. |
The XAT 2021 Exam does not have a definitive syllabus because of which the XAT Preparation can become quite difficult. In order to study the XAT 2021 Syllabus, one should ideally go section by section so that they can cover as much ground as possible even if it is impossible to completely cover it owing to its ambiguous nature. The sections, as mentioned above, are:
Verbal and Logical Ability
Decision Making
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
General Knowledge
This section is the first section of the XAT exam paper and is expected to have 26 MCQ based questions. This section can be further split into following sub sections:
Reading Comprehension
Verbal Ability
Logical Reasoning
This section is considered to be slightly more difficult than CAT as it can involve challenging topics such as analogy of unlike statements, critical reasoning, assertive reasoning, synonyms and antonyms, idioms and phrases, jumbled paragraphs etc. A part of the reason for this belief is that there are no sectional time limits in the XAT 2020 Exam. Due to this, most candidates tend to finish this section in a hurry whether it be in the beginning of the paper or the end. This leads to a fall in the average score of the candidate in the section and gives it the reputation of being quite difficult.
This is a part of the second section and one of the most important sections of the XAT examination. This subsection is expected to have almost 22 questions. The Decision-Making section is unique amongst all the other MBA Entrance Exams in India. It does not have any fixed syllabus because it consists of small cases and drawn-out case studies. The students need to predict or forecast the solution in order to make a decision regarding the solution.
QA is the second part of the second section in the XAT examination and is expected to comprise 27 questions in total. The QA section is a combination of Mathematical problems and Data Interpretation questions. It consists of several different components such as:
Geometry
Percentages
Arithmetic
Trigonometry
Statistics
Commercial Maths
Speed and Distance
Clocks
Data Sufficiency
Line, Bar and Mixed Graphs
Caselets
These are a few of the more commonly tested topics in the XAT Exam. Apart from these topics, there are also questions based on data interpretation. Time Management is extremely important in this section because of the inherently lengthy nature of the section.
The GK section will be the last section of the XAT examination and is expected to comprise 25 questions. This particular section of the XAT 2021 Exam will not be counted in the overall score when deciding the cutoff but does play some role in the final selection of the candidate. The major topics pertaining to the General Knowledge section might be related to static and current affairs, summits and conferences, famous entrepreneurs, business and economy, books and authors, banking and finance, scientific discoveries etc. Therefore, the candidates should not ignore the section completely. The vast nature of the general knowledge section means that no candidate can be completely confident in their preparation of this section. The only bonus, in this section, is that there is no negative marking which means that the candidates should be attempting each question with at least their best guess.
This is a general look at the XAT 2021 Syllabus. For more information, please visit this page.
The XAT Exam is one of the toughest MBA Entrance Exams in India. Therefore, it is extremely important for each candidate to understand exactly how to prepare for XAT 2021.
The candidate needs to have some basic information about the XAT Exam when they begin to prepare for XAT 2021. This information is given above in the form of the exam pattern and the syllabus. Based on the XAT 2021 Exam Pattern and their own status in terms of the XAT 2021 Syllabus, the candidate can build a roadmap for their preparation of XAT 2021.
The basic structure of preparing for any MBA Entrance Exam is always similar:
The candidate needs to revise the basics of Maths and English from Class 8 to 10
The candidate practice questions of different difficulty levels to identify their strengths and weaknesses
The candidate needs to give as many mocks as possible to ensure that they are familiar with the paper pattern and can attempt it irrespective of the difficulty level.
These are a few basic steps that must be taken so that the candidate can crack the XAT Exam. There is obviously much more that can be done while preparing for the XAT Exam however these basic steps should serve as a guideline to the specific plan that the candidate makes for their own preparation.
Read in detail: How to prepare for XAT 2021
To read more, click on this link.
The official mock of XAT 2021 has not been released yet but will be released soon by XLRI Jamshedpur. Solving the official mock will be a âXAT before XATâ experience for the aspirants. Students will get the look and feel of XAT 2021 and an idea of the kind of questions and concepts asked in the examination. Knowing the same, students will be able to fine-tune XAT 2021 preparation strategy and acknowledge the LOD (level of difficulty) of XAT for the year 2021.
The XAT 2021 Exam is expected to be held in the first week of January 2020 (most likely on 3rd January 2020). One of the key documents that each candidate has to produce at the XAT 2021 Exam is the XAT 2021 Admit Card.
The XAT 2021 Admit Card is expected to be released in the third week of December 2020. It can be downloaded from the official XAT website by logging in with the Username and Password used for the XAT 2021 Registration. It contains certain details of the candidate for verification at the XAT 2020 Exam Center. Some of these details include:
Name of the candidate Date of Birth of candidate
Signature and Photograph of the candidate
Exam Duration
Exam Center Name and Address
Date and reporting time of the Exam
Gate closing time of exam centre
XAT Registration Number
Exam Instructions and Invigilator signature
Some of the details are used to verify the candidate’s identity at the XAT 2021 Exam Center to remove any doubt of foul play.
Given below are the steps to download the admit card of XAT 2021:
Visit the XAT 2021 Registration Link
Enter your login credentials
Click on the drop-down menu and select “admit card” from the options
Click on the download icon. The file will be downloaded in pdf format
Take a printout of the same. It is mandatory for you to carry your admit card along with a govt ID proof and one passport size photograph. In case you are found missing of these documents, your candidature will be cancelled.
XAT 2021 Admit card hasn’t been released yet.
It is always important to have a destination that you are working towards. Keeping this in mind, it is important for the candidate to have some idea about the XAT 2021 Exam Date. For this purpose, the candidate can have a look at the XAT Exam Dates of the previous years to find the trend.
XAT Exam Year |
Date of Exam |
XAT 2016 |
3rd January 2016 |
XAT 2017 |
8th January 2017 |
XAT 2018 |
7th January 2018 |
XAT 2019 |
6th January 2019 |
XAT 2020 |
5th January 2020 |
XAT 2021 |
3rd January 2021 |
These XAT Exam Dates do reveal the logical trend that all the XAT Exams are held on the first Sunday of January if it is not a public holiday. True to this, XAT 2021 will be held on the first Sunday of 2021 i.e 3rd January 2021
The XAT Result is usually uploaded on the official XAT website. The declaration of the XAT Result is usually quite prompt in terms of when it is declared. The XAT Exam will be held on 3rd January 2021 and the XAT Result is declared within three weeks of the XAT Exam.
Before the XAT 2021 Result is declared, XLRI also releases the XAT 2021 Answer key as well as the response sheet. This allows the candidates to get an idea of their performance in the test and how they should proceed going forward.
The XAT 2021 Result is most likely to be released in the fourth week of January 2021.
XAT scores are accepted by more than 160 institutions across the country. A 95 percentile in XAT 2021 can land you in some of the top listed B schools without a second thought. However, there is always a tough competition amongst XAT aspirants when it comes to the flagship institution that accepts XAT score I.e XLRI Jamshedpur. This college has an intake of 360 candidates for PGDM- Business Management and Human Resources only based on XAT scores and 160 for PGDM- Global Management Program only based on GMAT score. The 11 member institutes of XAMI go for only 1% of the students who appear for XAT examination. This is why students passing out from such prestigious colleges attract salary packages upto 30 lakhs per annum. The top XAT 2021 score accepting colleges are:
Out of these XAT 2021 Colleges, the colleges which are most sought after are XLRI Jamshedpur and SP Jain (SPJIMR). These two colleges are some of the best in the country and XAT 2021 represents a chance to get into these esteemed institutes. XLRI Jamshedpur uses only the XAT 2021 and the GMAT Exam as the qualifying exams while SP Jain is comparatively more liberal by allowing candidates to qualify through CAT 2020, XAT 2021 and the GMAT. No college entertains any sort of bias or discrimination while evaluating candidateâs XAT scores before declaring the final result.
Overall, there are over 160 colleges which are likely to accept the XAT 2021 Score as the qualifier for their admission processes.
XAT 2021 will be held in an online Computer Based (CBT) mode across more than 72 test centres in the country. Earlier, XAT used to be conducted in Nepal (Kathmandu) and UAE (Dubai) as well. However, these two cities have been exempted from hosting the XAT 2021 examination. For a complete and accurate list of XAT 2021 test cities, visit the official website of XAT 2021.
The XAT 2021 Cut Off is the minimum percentile that a candidate needs to attain in order to get a call from the college they have applied to. While the exact XAT 2021 Cut Off can only be speculated since it depends on several factors such as:
Difficulty of the XAT 2021 Exam
Number of candidates appearing for the XAT 2021 Exam
Number of Seats available
However, the cut off for the top colleges in XAT 2021 has remained relatively constant over the past few years. The cut off for the BM program at XLRI Jamshedpur is likely to remain around 96%ile while the same for the HRM program is likely to stay at around 94%ile. The reason for the difference between the two percentiles is the fact that there are less candidates interested in the HRM Program at XLRI Jamshedpur.
The official XAT 2021 Cut Off will only be known post the XAT 2021 Result. The cut off for XLRI is likely to range between 95-97 percentile.
The XAT 2021 marksheet can be easily downloaded by visiting the official website of XAT 2021. The result will arrive between January and March 2021
The XAT 2021 Exam is simply the qualifier for candidates and as such there are generally several processes that Business Schools follow before they decide on whether they wish to select a candidate or not.
Some of the most common selection procedures which are followed are:
WAT (Written Assessment Test)
GD (Group Discussion)
PI (Personal Interview)
In XAT 2020, there was also a self-assessment and recorded interview round however it is not guaranteed that the rounds will be repeated in XAT 2021
These are the staple selection procedures amongst all the B-Schools and especially among the top B-Schools. However, this should not be taken as gospel since the B-School has the authority to change the selection procedures as per their wishes.