The Xavier Aptitude Test or XAT is a national-level entrance exam conducted by XLRI – Xavier School of Management. Thousands of students aspiring to pursue postgraduate courses in management take the XAT every year to secure admission at the prestigious XLRI business school.
If you are an aspirant aiming to study at a top business school in India, then the XAT is one of the tests you should take to apply to XAMI (XLRI Associate Member Institutes) colleges and other institutes accepting XAT scores.
Read this article to learn more about the XAT entrance exam, its syllabus, and fees. Before we begin, let us know more about the XAT and where it is accepted.
What is the XAT?
The XAT is a national-level admissions test conducted every year by XLRI Jamshedpur for admissions to its highly-coveted PGDM course in management studies. In addition to this, the XAT entrance exam is also conducted for admitting candidates to other XAMI member colleges such as Xavier Institute of Management and Research in Mumbai.
You will be pleased to learn the XAT is also accepted for Xavier School of Management’s Executive MBA programme. Furthermore, the XAT is as challenging and competitive as other aptitude tests conducted in the country. The recent XAT exam 2022 was conducted on January 17 and the scores were made available on the 30th of the same month.
With a large number of students applying for the PGDM course at XLRI, the cut-off score is naturally in the upper 90’s spectrum. While the cut off for male applicants stood at 95 percent in 2022, the XAT exam cut off for female applicants was at 92 percent.
When comparing the XAT with other standardized tests, you will notice a lot of similarities such as the sections, time duration, and type of questions. Most MBA aspirants are faced with the GMAT vs XAT dilemma when they commence preparations to secure a Master’s admission. Now let us learn about the XAT syllabus and exam structure to get a better understanding of the exam.
XAT Exam Structure and Syllabus
Like most competitive entrance exams, the XAT is also divided into sections that mainly test an individual’s management skills. The purpose of the XAT is not only to filter candidates on the basis of merit but also to select the best entrepreneurial minds. The table below explains the XAT syllabus and its various components:
| Exam Particulars | Exam |
| XAT full form | Xavier Aptitude Test |
| Time duration | 3 hours and 10 minutes |
| Number of times conducted | Every year for an intake |
| Exam delivery | Online mode of deliver |
| Test language | English |
| Exam sections | Exam has four sections:Decision makingVerbal and logicalQuant and data interpretationGeneral knowledgeEssay writing |
| Question types | MCQs |
| Number of questions | 100 |
| XAT exam fee | INR. 1800 |
It can be gathered from the above table that the XAT is comparable to other competitive admission tests conducted by business schools across the world. Similar to the GMAT, the XAT is also 3 hours long and has four sections. Along with testing your time management and critical thinking skills (much like the GRE and GMAT test), the XAT also evaluates your aptitude related to essential business and managerial skills.
On the whole, competitive exams like the GRE, GMAT, and XAT, are challenging and require regular practice in order to secure a good score. Hence, you must begin by designing a study schedule that suits your routine and provides a balance between your work and preparation. You will be pleased to learn that preparing for the GRE and GMAT can help you in numerous ways, particularly by enhancing your overall critical thinking skills and by providing you exposure to a wide range of question types.
Now that we have provided you with all the details about XAT, its structure, and its fees, you are better positioned to plan your preparation for it.
All the best!
FAQs
1) Is the XAT the same as GMAT?
While the XAT and GMAT are both competitive admissions tests used to filter candidates and grant admission to MBA rigorous MBA programmes, the questions types may differ slightly. Overall, both the XAT and GMAT have four sections and focus on verbal, quant, writing, and data interpretation skills. Hence, preparing for one exam does complement the other by giving you exposure to a wide range of skills. However, not every business school accepts the XAT score outside India; whereas, the GMAT score is a universally accepted standardised test score.
2)How much does the registration fee cost for the XAT exam?
The XAT costs about INR. 1800 and can be taken annually.
3) Is it better to take the XAT or the CAT if choosing to study MBA in India?
While the CAT is conducted and administered by the IIMs and is accepted all over the country, the XAT exam is accepted by over 1000 MBA programmes and particularly the XAMI colleges. Nevertheless, the CAT and XAT are competitive tests you should take if you intend to pursue an MBA in India.