XAT 2024 Registrations started, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Preparation Strategy

XAT 2024 will be a direct gateway for aspirants to get admission into XLRI Jamshedpur, one of India's leading private management institutes. Apart from XLRI, management institutes such as IMT Ghaziabad, XIMB, TAPMI, GIM, LIBM, FSM, Sir Balaji University, etc. also consider XAT scores for shortlist calls.

At XLRI, which is the main objective for aspirants appearing for XAT, you are given a chance to be a part of one of the oldest management institutes in the country. The faculty at XLRI Jamshedpur consists of individuals with decades of industry experience. You will have a peer group consisting of some of the brightest minds in the country.

What does XLRI look for in an ideal candidate? - Hear from the Dean of XLRI Jamshedpur!

At XLRI, you can pursue one out of two prestigious programmes - Human Resource Management or Business Management.

Both these programmes are revered in the industry, with the HRM programme being the more popular of the two.

Being a part of one of the top-5 B-Schools in the country, you will have the opportunity to interview with and get a job at huge global and Indian companies such as Hindustan Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser, Nestle, McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, ITC Limited, etc.

There is likely to be a significant escalation in your paycheck, along with the opportunity to work at some of the best offices across the globe.

All of this is possible only by appearing for XAT 2021 and being a part of the 98th+ percentile.

The eligibility criteria of XAT 2024 to fulfil for admission to all XAMI member colleges and other B-schools accepting XAT scores are as mentioned below –

• Candidates must have a three-year bachelor’s degree or equivalent in any discipline from a recognized university
• Candidates appearing for the final year examination of the bachelor's degree course or are awaiting their results can also apply for the XAT exam provided they submit their bachelor's degree certificate and mark sheet by the end of the admission year

Age Limit for XAT 2024:

There is no upper age limit to apply for XAT 2024. Fresh graduates, as well as working professionals, can apply for the XAT exam. Furthermore, only students who expect to finish their final examinations before June 10, 2024, are eligible to apply.

XLRI Eligibility Criteria 2024:

Candidates seeking admission to programmes offered by XLRI can check the below eligibility for each course -

 

How to fill out XAT Application Form 2024?

STEP 1: Register for XAT 2024

• Open XAT 2024 official website 
• Click on 'Registration'
• Enter details like name, phone number, email ID, password, and captcha code
• A unique XAT ID and registration link is shared on the verified email ID
• Click on the link to verify the registration

STEP 2: Submit the XAT Application Form

After XAT 2024 registration verification, follow the steps given below to fill out the application form:

• Go to XAT 2024 homepage
• Click on ‘login’
• Enter your email ID and password
• The XAT 2024 application form will be displayed
• Enter all the details asked in the form
• Cross-check the information before saving
• Pay the XAT 2024 application fee through credit/debit card, UPI, or net banking

Documents Required for XAT 2024 Registration

• Class 10 mark sheet
• Class 12 mark sheet
• Graduation mark sheet
• Email ID and mobile phone number
• Date of Birth proof
• Address proof
• Aadhaar card
• Category certificate (if applicable)
• A scanned digital photograph should be between 20 KB- 50 KB in JPG or JPEG format
• The scanned signature should be between 20 KB - 50 KB in JPG or JPEG format
• Debit/credit card for application fee payment

STEP 3: Payment of XAT Application Fee

The payment can be made by using Debit Cards (RuPay / Visa / Master Card / Maestro), Credit Cards, Internet Banking, IMPS, Cash Cards/ Mobile Wallets.

Agra, Ahmedabad, Aurangabad City (Maharashtra), Allahabad, Ambala, Amravati, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Berhampur, Bhatinda, Bhilai Nagar, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Bokaro Steel City, Chandigarh/Mohali, Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuttack, Dehradun, Delhi-NCR, Dhanbad, Dibrugarh, Durgapur/Asansol, Ernakulam, Gandhinagar, Goa, Gorakhpur, Guwahati, Gwalior, Hooghly, Hubballi(Hubli), Hyderabad, Indore, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Jammu, Jamshedpur, Johrat, Kannur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Kota, Kottayam, Kurnool, Kurukshetra, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Mysuru(Mysore), Nagpur, Nashik, Naharlagun, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Rajahmundry, Rajkot, Ranchi, Roorkee, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Siliguri, Shillong, Surat, Tejpur, Thiruvananthapuram Tiruchirappalli, Tirupathi, Tiruvallur, Udaipur, Udupi Vadodara, Varanasi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Warangal.

1. XAT Registration Fee (without late fee) – Rs. 2100/-
2. Candidates interested in XLRI programmes need to pay an additional fee of Rs. 200/- each.
3. Indian candidates can apply through GMAT/GRE for Ex-PGDM whereas an NRI/Foreign national can apply through GMAT for all the programmes. Kindly note GRE scores are only valid for EX-PGDM.
4. Fee for Indian Candidates applying for Ex-PGDM through GMAT/GRE– Rs. 2500/-
5. Fee for NRI/Foreign Candidates applying for one or more programmes through GMAT– Rs. 5000/-

The XAT exam pattern is divided into two parts: PART 1 and Part 2.

Part 1 contains 3 sections namely Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation and Decision Making. This part would be given 2 hours 45 minutes to solve, and switching between sections is allowed with no sectional time limit. Questions are in the form of MCQs and each question contains 5 options.

Part 2 contains General Knowledge and Analytical Essay Writing. Candidates have 25 minutes for this section after the time limit of Part 1 is over.

 

To prepare for XAT, one needs to be well aware of the exam syllabus and paper pattern.

The first step to acing any MBA entrance exam is to cover the basics and have enough practice of the different kinds of questions which can be asked. 

Once the basics are cleared, mock tests are an effective way to gauge your preparation level and identify improvement areas. 

While the quant and verbal sections are common in CAT and other MBA entrance exams, Decision Making is a completely new section and unique to the XAT exam.

To ace the XAT Decision Making section, one must follow the following steps:

1. Go through past year's XAT question papers and solve them.
2. While checking the answer key, try to understand the logic and point of view of the examination setter.

Practice more and more questions and give mocks. To help you practice better, we at InsideIIM have come up with a mini mock test series, which are free mock tests to help you prepare better for your MBA entrance exams. We also have XAT mock test series that along with XAT decision making mock tests, so do check them out. 

Below is the detailed syllabus for each of the sections in the XAT exam

Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning:

The XAT Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning Section is similar to the CAT exam, except that it has grammar and vocabulary questions which are not present in CAT. The VALR section in XAT contains the following:

• Vocabulary Questions
• Fill in the blanks
• Synonyms/ Antonyms
• Contextual Meaning of Words
• Jumbled paragraphs
• Correction of Errors 
• Correct Usage of Words
•  Sentences Completion
• Completion of Paragraph
• Cloze Test
• Poem-based Reading Comprehension
• Critical Reasoning Passages

Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation:

The Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation Section contains the following:

• LCM and HCF
• Percentages
• Profit and Loss
• Interest (Simple and Compound)
• Speed, Time and Distance; Time and Work; Averages; Ratio and Proportion and others
• Number System
• Algebra
• Geometry including Co-ordinate Geometry
• Mensuration
• Pure Math
• Venn diagrams
• Linear Equations
• Quadratic Equations
• Complex Numbers
• Logarithm
• Progressions
• Binomial Theorem
• Surds and Indices
• Inequalities
• Permutation and Combination
• Probability Functions
• Set Theory
• Mixtures and Allegations
• Trigonometry
• Charts
• Data Analysis
• Graphs

The Decision Making Section contains situations on which questions are based to determine the best course of action, keeping ethics at the forefront. It is a mix of logical reasoning and ethics as these questions are designed to put the candidates in a spot while making decisions and to test their Emotional Quotient as they would go on to become future managers.

 

While the XAT scores are accepted by more than 160 institutes, the top colleges which accept the XAT scores are:

• XLRI Jamshedpur(BM and HRM)/XLRI Delhi-NCR BM
• XIM University Bhubhaneshwar
• IMT Ghaziabad
• IMI Delhi
• MICA Ahmedabad
• Institute of Rural Management Anand
• Great Lakes Institute of Management Chennai
• TAPMI Manipal
• KJ Somaiya, Mumbai

 

Each college accepting the XAT scores would have its individual selection processes. However, for most of the colleges, there would be a second round which would be GD/PI/WAT, each college having its individual criteria for whether to conduct a Group Discussion, Written Ability Test, or Extempore while a Personal Interview would be common in most of them. 

Below is the selection procedure for XLRI:

• Fill out the XAT 2024 Registration and Application Form by the last date
• Apply to XLRI through the same application form selecting BM/HRM or both.
• Appear for the XAT test on January 7, 2024
• Check your XAT score and you would receive a shortlist mail from XLRI if selected for the interview stage.
• Fill out the Detailed SOP form and appear for the interview.
• Check the Final result and pay the acceptance fee by the specified date.

Q. What is the XAT 2024 exam date?

Ans. XAT 2024 date is 7th January 2024.

Q. Is the XAT exam tougher than CAT?

Ans. In general, XAT Verbal section is considered tougher than CAT verbal section. Also, Decision Making being a new section can prove to be a pain point for many. But with adequate practice, it all becomes easy.

Q. Can a final-year student apply for XAT?

Ans. Yes, students in their final year of graduation are eligible to apply.

Q. Are the XAT cutoffs different for BM and HRM courses at XLRI?

Ans. Yes, XLRI releases separate cutoffs for BM and HRM programs. The cutoff also differs based on the academic field and gender diversity.

Q. How many times is XAT held in a year?

Ans. XAT is held only once a year in January.

Q. Does XAT have a sectional time limit?

Ans. No, XAT does not have a sectional time limit, and switching between sections is allowed.

Q. Is the GK section considered for percentile calculation in XAT?

Ans. No, the GK section is not considered for percentile calculation, it is considered for the final list shortlisting.

Q. How many months are required for XAT preparation?

Ans: 6 to 12 months are optimum for CAT/XAT preparation. However, it also depends from person to person and their prior preparation level.

Q. Which are the top colleges accepting XAT scores?

Ans. Top colleges accepting XAT are, XLRI, XIMB, KJ Somaiya, TAPMI Manipal, IRMA etc.

Q. What is the XAT cutoff for XLRI?

Ans. XAT cutoff usually ranges between 87-93 percentile for HRM and 92-94 percentile for BM program. There are also sectional cutoffs.