Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT)

What is XAT?

Xavier Aptitude Test or XAT is one of the renowned MBA entrance exams in the country. It is conducted by the Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur on behalf of the Xavier Association of Management Institutes (XAMI). 

• Exam Details
• Exam Dates
• XAT Registration Process
• Exam Centres
• XAT Syllabus and Books
• XAT Exam Pattern
• XAT Preparation Tips
• Admit Card
• Results
• Cutoffs
• XAT Eligibility Criteria

Every year more than 1 lakh aspirants appear for the XAT exam in order to get into some of the best B-schools in India. 

XAT Colleges in India: 

Following are some of the renowned XAT colleges in India: 

• Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur
• Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB)
• Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad
• TAPMI Manipal
• KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai
• Goa Institute of Management, Goa
• FORE School of Management, New Delhi
• Great Lakes, Chennai
• Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA), Chennai
• Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME), Bangalore

In addition to the above colleges, over 200 other colleges also accept XAT marks for granting admission to either their MBA or PGDM Programs. Aspirants can also check out some of the best MBA colleges in Bangalore. 

Candidates can check out the requirements of these colleges and seek admissions in Bangalore to pursue an advanced pedagogy in this field. 

XAT 2023 is scheduled to be conducted on the First week of January 2023. Aspirants have to complete their graduation to appear for this exam.

XAT Exam Details:

XAT Exam Dates: 

XAT Registration Process:

Candidates can register for the exam by following the below-mentioned steps: 

Step 1: Visit the official website of XLRI- XAT 2023. 
Step 2: Click on the Register button. 
Step 3: Enter Name, E-mail ID, Mobile Number, Preferred Password, Select the State, and the captcha code. 
Step 4: On submitting the above details, a Unique ID and Registration Link will be sent to the Email ID and Phone Number of the Student. 
Step 5: Students should click on the Registration Link to verify the details. 

How to fill-up the XAT Application form?

Step 1: Visit the official website of XLRI- XAT 2023. 
Step 2: Click on Login. 
Step 3: Enter the Unique ID and Password generated at the time of registration. 
Step 4: Fill up the following details:

• Personal Information
• Details of the Government ID (the same is to be carried on the day of examination)
• Contact Details
• Educational Qualifications
• Work-experience Details (If Any)
• Preference of Programs

Step 5: Scanned copies of the Photograph and Signature needs to be uploaded in the required size and format mentioned. 
Step 6: Students have to choose the Exam Centres. 
Step 7: Students have to pay the XAT Fees and click on the final declaration form and submit the form. 

Students should go through the form properly before submitting it, as there is no correction window for the XAT form-filling process. 

XAT Exam Fees:

Documents Required: 

• Scanned copy of a recent passport-size photograph (Maximum Size: 50 KB; Format: JPEG or PNG)
• Scanned copy of candidate's signature (Maximum Size: 20KB; Format: JPEG or PNG)
• Class 10th Marksheet or Equivalent
• Class 12th Marksheet or Equivalent
• Graduation Marksheet
• Government Documents for proof: Aadhar Card, PAN Card, Driving License, Voter ID or Passport
• Category Certificate (if applicable)

XAT Exam Centres:

XAT is conducted in over 90 cities all over India. Following are some of the important cities where the exam is conducted: 

XAT Syllabus and Books:

Section A: Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, & Logical Reasoning

Verbal Ability:

Reading Comprehension: 

Following are the topics on which the reading comprehensions will be based on: 

Logical Reasoning: 

Books for Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, & Logical Reasoning:

Section B: Decision Making

Books for Decision Making:

Section C: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

Below are the topics for Data Interpretation:

Books for Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation:

Section D: General Knowledge:

The General Knowledge section is not bound by a syllabus as questions can come from any topic.  Students have to read all kinds of sources to ace this section. Some of the popular topics have been mentioned below as questions from these topics have been asked in the previous years.  

Below is a list of those topics:

Books for General Knowledge:

Below are the books and resources needed for General Knowledge:

• Manorama Year Book 2021
• GK Question Bank with Current Affairs and Static GK
• Daily English Newspapers such as The Hindu, Times of India, Economic Times, Financial Express, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Business Insider, and others
• GK Mock Tests for XAT and other competitive examinations
• Previous year GK questions of XAT 
• General Knowledge 2020 by Manohar Pandey
• XAT 2023 Simplified by Disha 

XAT Exam Pattern:

XAT Preparation Tips:

Candidates can follow the below-mentioned steps to prepare for the exam: 

• Proper Knowledge of Syllabus:
  Aspirants should have proper knowledge of the syllabus to help them smoothly go about the preparation process.
  Having proper knowledge of the syllabus shall help the students to prepare for the examination strategically.
  It shall also help in the proper selection of resources for the exam and the planning and strategizing of the preparation process. 

• Acquiring proper resources for Exam:
  Proper knowledge of the exam syllabus shall help in the proper selection of the resources for the examination.
  Students should select their preferred books and resources based on their level of understanding and exam compatibility. 

• Preparing and following a strict preparation schedule:
  The exam requires a strict preparation schedule. Preparation schedules are a vital part of the process as it helps the students to prepare for the exam efficiently. 

• Proper revision and recap of all the topics: 
  For any entrance examination, revision forms an important part of the process. It helps the students to be in touch with the topics.
  Losing this touch shall allow further wastage of time as students have to prepare the topics all over again.
  Revision of the topics can lead to discovering new ways to answer the questions that shall help the students to apply new tips and tricks for the process. It assists the students to answer a question in a faster and better way. 

• Practising XAT Mock Tests and Previous Year Question Paper:
  Mock tests and previous year question papers are an integral part of the preparation process.
  It helps the students get an idea of the kind of questions asked and the exam pattern. Acclimatizing to these conditions allows the students to answer the questions in a better way on the exam day.
  Students should answer at least 10 to 15 mock tests to get properly familiar with the exam.
  Solving multiple mock papers shall also help decide the sequence in which the exam is to be answered. 

• Maintaining proper health during the XAT preparation process: 
  Entrance exams such as XAT, can take a huge toll on the mental and physical health of the students.
  Students need to have proper food and drink water regularly. In addition to this, they should also exercise regularly to maintain proper physical and mental health.
  Students should take regular breaks during the preparation process. It will allow them to rejuvenate and come back fresher for the preparation process. 

XAT Admit Card:

Candidates can download the XAT Admit Card by following the below-mentioned steps: 

Step 1: Visit the official website of XLRI.
Step 2: Click on Login. 
Step 3: Enter the Unique ID and Password generated at the time of registration. 
Step 4: After logging in, click on Admit Card. 
Step 5: Click on the PDF file to view the Admit Card. 
Step 6: Check the details of the XAT Admit Card. In case of any discrepancy, contact the concerned officials. The new admit card shall be uploaded on your dashboard within a few days. 
Step 7: If no discrepancies are detected, then the print out of the Admit Card should be taken out on an A4-sized sheet. 

XAT Results:

Candidates can download their XAT scorecard by following the below-mentioned steps: 

Step 1: Visit the official website of XLRI.
Step 2: Click on Login. 
Step 3: Enter the Unique ID and Password generated at the time of registration. 
Step 4: After logging in, click on Results.
Step 5: Click on the PDF that says, "XAT 2023 Result".
Step 6: View the result and take out a print out on an A4 size sheet. 

XAT Cut offs:

XAT cut offs are separate that are released by the colleges. Some of the colleges accept the exam's Score Card directly, while some want it to be uploaded on their portal after the results. 

Students shall be called for the further process based on the cut off of these colleges. 

Below is the XAT cut off for some of the popular colleges:

Selection Process after XAT:

Each college has its method of selecting the students after they clear the cut-offs. 
The final selection process consists of either a Group Discussion (GD) or Written Assessment Test (WAT) or both and a Personal Interview (PI). Students who have cleared the cut-offs shall be given a call letter for the process. 

Each of the colleges has different distribution and weightage of marks for these processes based on which they conduct the final selection of the students.