XAT 2021: Registration, Exam Date, Syllabus, Pattern

What is XAT Exam?


XAT full form is Xavier Aptitude Test. It is the Admission Test for admission to MBA/PGDM programs in XLRI and other top MBA colleges like SPJIMR Mumbai, IMT Ghaziabad, XIMB Bhubaneswar, TAPMI Manipal and 150 other top MBA colleges in India. XLRI will offer admission on the basis of XAT 2021 only and will not accept any other test score. There are more than 70 cities and more than 100 venues where XAT 2021 will be conducted in India.

XAT 2021 exam

 

Key Description of XAT Exam


Organizing Institute: XLRI

Website: www.xatonline.in

Social Network: Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

 

 

XAT 2021 Exam:


Xavier Aptitude Test, popularly known as XAT, is one of the largest MBA Entrance Exam for Admission to XLRI, SPJIMR, IMT, XIMB, TAPMI and 150+ MBA Colleges in India.

Every year more than 1,00,000 candidates from all disciplines including Engineering, Commerce, Humanities, Science, Law apply and appear in XAT exam to get into of the various MBA programs offered by these top B-schools. Over the years, XAT has become an easier test but to get a high percentile (90+) in XAT requires 4-5 months of serious preparation.

Based on past trends, XAT in 2021 will be held on Sunday January 3, 2021. XAT is conducted annually by XLRI Jamshedpur and is therefore known as XLRI-XAT.

XLRI will release XAT Notification in the third week of August 2020. Immediately after the release of notification, registration process for XAT will begin. In this article, you will read all key points to plan your XAT 2021 journey, including important dates, syllabus & pattern, how to prepare, past XAT toppers interviews and much more.

You will also find important links to Free XAT Mock Tests and genuine Past XAT Test Papers released by XLRI. So, read through the article till the end.

 

XAT 2021: Key Changes in Test Pattern


Following changes have been introduced in XAT by XLRI:

  • XAT is now changed to a computer based test from paper based test
    Single slot exam
  • Test timing changed - 9.30AM to 12.30PM from 10AM to 1 PM
  • Total questions increased to 100 from 99
  • No Essay Writing test
  • NAT Questions without negative marking introduced
  • All questions are of MCQ type
  • GK section not counted for percentile calculation
  • ¼ Negative Marking for wrong answer
  • Visually impaired candidates with scribe are given additional 25 minutes to solve Part 1 of the exam
  • Marks for every correct answer : 1
  • No Negative marking for General Knowledge section in part-2
  • All the MCQ type questions have five options with one correct option

 

Xavier Aptitude Test 2021: Highlights & Key Features


Following are the salient features of XAT with details on XAT exam date 2021, XAT Notification, XAT eligibility among other key points.

Test Conducting Body Xavier School of Management (XLRI) Jamshedpur
Number of MBA colleges under XAT 150+
Mode of Exam Computer Based Online Exam
Application Process Online; Simultaneously apply for entrance exam and for XLRI PGDM Programs
Application Fee Rs.1700/-
XAT Full Form Xavier Aptitude Test
Cut offs for XLRI 96 to 97 XAT percentile
Total Questions in the Exam 100
Sectional Division of Test 4 Sections with different number of Questions in Each Section.
Section which is not counted to prepare merit for shortlisting GK
Exam Difficulty Level Moderate to Difficult

XLRI conducts XAT in the month of January every year. After releasing the XAT Notification 2021 and finalizing the XAT exam date 2021, XLRI will announce the complete schedule and all XAT 2021 important dates.

Although XLRI will accept only XAT score, the other associated top MBA colleges will accept other exam scores also. XLRI has been conducting XAT for more than 60 years. Earlier it was paper based test, but since 2018 XAT has become a computer based test

 

XLRI & Other Top MBA Colleges Cut offs, Fee, Intake


Check the fee, number of seats and programmes offered by XLRI and other MBA colleges accepting score of Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) in the table given below:

Institute Name Fee (Rs.in Lakhs)* Seats* Flagship PGDM Programme
XLRI Jamshedpur 23.60 360 PGDM-BM; PGDM-HR
SPJIMR Mumbai 17.50 276 PGDM
XIM Bhubaneswar 17.30 360 MBA
IMT Ghaziabad 19.00 180 PGDM
IRMA Anand (Gujarat) 12.10 180 PGDRM
MICA Ahmedabad 20.00 180 PGDM-C
TAPMI Manipal 16.90 285 PGDM

 

XAT 2021 Important Dates


XLRI will announce the complete XAT schedule in the third week of August 2020 with XAT application fee, XAT admit Card date, XAT result date among other XAT 2021 important dates. The tentative dates are as under:

XAT Schedule 2021 Important Dates
XAT Notification Date August 20, 2020
Date for Registration start August 23, 2020
Last date for Registration & Application submission online without late fee November 30, 2020
Registration Last date with late fee December 10, 2020
Admit Card download Start Date December 20, 2020
Last date to Download Admit Card January 3, 2021
Exam Date January 3, 2021 (9.30 AM to 12.30 PM)
Result date By January 31, 2021 (Expect on Jan 25)

 

Exam Details: Pattern, Questions, Scoring


XAT is online computer based test. The aggregate maximum marks in XAT are 100 for 100 questions divided in 4 sections. Each correct answer is awarded +1 mark and each wrong answer will attract the penalty of -0.25 mark. Total time duration for the exam is 3 hours. XAT 2021 exam pattern is as below:

Sections in Exam Number of questions Overall Time Duration
Part-1 75 Total MCQs 165 Minutes
Verbal and Logical Ability 26 No Sectional Time Limit
Decision Making 21 No Sectional Time Limit
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation 28 No Sectional Time Limit
Part-2 25 Total MCQs 15 Minutes
General Knowledge 25
Total questions (Part 1 + Part 2) 100

 

 

XAT Exam 2021 Eligibility


XAT eligibility criteria 2021 need only a pass in your bachelor’s degree while other exams need a particular percentage of marks. The eligibility to appear in XAT is probably the simplest one among all the National Level MBA entrance exams. Read More

 

How to Apply for XAT?


The exam registration process is online and can be completed in six simple steps at official XAT website. It starts on August 23, 2020 and will close on November 30, 2020 without late fee. Read More

 

How to Prepare for XAT?


XAT exam full form – Xavier Aptitude Test comprises 3 major sections which are very important for shortlisting and determining your merit position.

The 4th section on GK is not taken in account to determine the merit. The XAT preparation should be in accordance with revised pattern of entrance exam and as per its syllabus.

The exam calls for special preparation for Decision Making section apart from other XAT topics. You need to focus on following while preparing for XAT:

  • Follow the XAT Pattern: Thoroughly understand the structure, number and type of questions
  • Scan thoroughly XAT Syllabus
  • Decide, if you need Online XAT preparation with coaching or wish to self-prepare for the exam
  • Get best Books for XAT preparation
  • Attempt XAT Mock Tests & XAT Previous Test papers
  • Devise strategy to crack XAT with 95+ percentile

 

 

XAT Score Accepting Colleges


There are 150+ MBA colleges who will accept XAT score. Some of the top MBA colleges accepting XAT score for MBA admission 2021 are:

  • XLRI Jamshedpur
  • SPJIMR Mumbai
  • IMT Ghaziabad
  • XIM Bhubaneswar
  • TAPMI Manipal
  • XIME Bangalore, Kochi, Chennai
  • BIMTECH, Greater Noida
  • FORE School of Management, New Delhi
  • GIM Goa
  • Great Lakes, Chennai
  • LIBA Chennai

 

XAT Date for Notification 2021


XAT exam information with exam date, and other related dates will be released on XAT 2021 website in August 2020 third week. XAT 2021 Notification containing exam details, exam format, exam centres and all the XAT exam dates 2021 will be released in the leading news papers also.

It is expected that around 1 lakh candidates will appear in XAT as the number of candidates going for XAT registration 2021 are expected to increase again.

Over the years the candidates applying for Xavier Aptitude Test have increased as the data for past XAT exam registration also reveal this fact.

 

XLRI-XAT: Searching for Cream of Talent


XAT MBA entrance exam attracts the cream of talent in India. The best talent of country aspires for XAT accepting colleges.

The admission to XLRI is possible only through high scores in XAT MBA entrance exam. Return on investment at XLRI is high. 2 years fee and other expenses at SPJIMR, XLRI come to around Rs.16 to 20 lakhs.

Top recruiters from India and the world eye these institutes for their placement season. The offered salary packages go as high as Rs.25 to 35 lakhs per annum to the students of XLRI, SPJIMR, IMT among others who offer admission on the basis of XAT exam scores.

 

XAT 2021: Offers Level Playing Field


XLRI conducts XAT on behalf of XAMI. XLRI believes that single testing session with same difficulty level will provide level playing field to all the XAT test takers without any discrimination.

Around 90 thousand to 1 lakh candidates explore admission opportunities in XLRI and other member and associate MBA colleges accepting XAT scores.

Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT full form) is the second largest MBA entrance test to pursue MBA/PGDM in 11 member institutes and 140 Associate institutes accepting XAT scores.

Till 2017 XAT remained a paper based test. With effect from 2018, XAT has become an online computer based test. XLRI – the XAT conducting authority has announced the XAT 2021 exam date as January 3, 2021.

The XAT date is same across the country. On a single date, the exam will be held in 46 XAT test cities in India. However, the 2 cities abroad namely, Kathmandu and Dubai are no longer the XAT test cities.

 

 

XAT in 2021: Summary


  • XAT is one of the oldest MBA entrance exams being held for last 60 years.
  • XAT date is January 3, 2021
  • XAT pattern is now changed to online computer based test
  • XAT will be of 3 hours duration from 9.30 AM to 12.30PM
  • XLRI Jamshedpur conducts XAT every year in the month of January
  • XAT question paper is divided in 4 sections
  • Only 3 sections in XAT are taken into account to calculate the XAT percentile score and XAT merit list for written exam
  • Total questions are 99 and are of MCQ type
  • There is no Essay Writing Test in 2021 XAT Test
  • Apart from XAT registration and filling up the XAT application, candidates need to apply separately to their preferred MBA colleges including XLRI, SPJIMR and others.
  • Correct answer for each MCQ in XAT will get 1 mark
  • Negative marking 0.25 (¼) for MCQs from Sl no.1 to 75
  • No negative marking for MCQs from Sl No. 76 to 100 (GK questions)
  • Each question in XAT is followed by 5 answer options.