XLRI Jamshedpur has provided the details of the XAT 2024 exam pattern on its official website. The exam consisted of three parts with specific time limits. It was conducted as a computer-based test on January 7, 2024, from 2 PM to 5:30 PM. The total duration of the exam was 210 minutes, with Part I lasting 175 minutes, Part II lasting 5 minutes, and Part III lasting 30 minutes. For more information about the XAT 2024 paper pattern, exam duration, sectional breakup of questions, and more, you can refer to the article. The XAT exam was conducted in English only and included sections on Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, Decision-making, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation, General Knowledge, and Analytical Essay Writing. PwD candidates were given an additional 20 minutes for every hour. The XAT paper consisted of 103 multiple-choice questions and 3 essay topics, from which candidates had to choose one.

XAT Exam 2024: Changes in Exam Timing

The XAT exam is a national-level entrance exam for MBA admissions, conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur. It is known for its tough standards. However, for the XAT 2024 exam, there was a change in the exam timing. Instead of being conducted in the morning, it was conducted in the afternoon, from 2 PM to 5:30 PM.

XAT Exam Pattern 2024: Highlights

The XAT 2024 exam consists of 5 sections, including:

• Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VA & LR)
• Decision-making (DM)
• Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI)
• General Knowledge (GK)
• Analytical Essay Writing (AEW)
• XAT exam time duration: The XAT exam has a total time duration of 205 minutes, with an additional 5 minutes for PwD candidates.
• Number of questions: There are a total of 101 questions in the XAT exam, along with 1 AEW (Analytical Writing and Essay) question.
• XAT total marks: The XAT exam is scored out of 101 marks.
• Language of paper: The XAT exam is conducted in English.
• Number of answer choices: Each question in the XAT exam has five answer choices.
• Mode of examination: The XAT exam is conducted online.
• XAT marking scheme: The marking scheme for the XAT exam is as follows:
  • +1 mark is awarded for a correct answer.
  • 0.25 marks are deducted for an incorrect answer.
  • 0.10 marks are deducted for leaving more than 8 consecutive questions unattempted.
  • The General Knowledge section of the XAT exam does not have negative marking.
• The XAT 2024 exam had a total of 103+1 AEW questions. The exam consisted of multiple choice-based questions from the sections of Decision-making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, General Knowledge, and Essay Writing. The duration of the exam was 210 minutes with no sectional time limit.

Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI)

This section assesses the quantitative aptitude of candidates who have a foundational understanding of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, mensuration, modern maths, etc. The questions on data interpretation focus on clear interpretation, summarization, and insightful analysis of the data.

XAT Part-II: Mock Keyboard Testing

Candidates will be asked to type the sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” to test the keyboard.

XAT Part-III: General Knowledge (GK)

In the GK section, there will be 10 questions on static GK and 15 questions on current affairs.

Analytical Essay Writing (AEW)

Candidates will choose one of three topics and write an essay of approximately 250 words. The essay should demonstrate coherence, logical consistency, and strong argumentation, serving as an assessment of the student’s analytical abilities.

XAT Marking Scheme 2024

The XAT marking scheme is different from other test papers. There is no negative marking for questions in the General Knowledge section. However, there is a penalty of 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer. If a candidate leaves 8 questions unattempted, there is a negative marking of 0.10 marks. The marking scheme is as follows:

• One mark will be awarded for each correct answer.
• 0.25 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer.
• 0.10 marks will be deducted for more than eight unanswered questions.
• There is no negative marking in the General Knowledge (GK) section.
• The scores of the General Knowledge section will not be considered for calculating the XAT score.

XAT Paper Pattern 2024: Sectional Break-Up of Questions

The distribution of questions in the XAT entrance exam is variable, with one section having more questions than another section. In addition to multiple-choice questions, there will be one essay writing section. The XAT 2024 question paper will include questions from different sections. Here is the breakdown of the sections and the number of questions in each section:

• Decision Making: 22 questions (total marks: 22)
• Verbal and Logical Ability: 26 questions (total marks: 26)
• Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation: 28 questions (total marks: 28)
• General Knowledge: 25 questions (total marks: 25)
• Essay (250 words): 1 question (candidates can choose 1 topic from 3 options, to be evaluated upon shortlisting)

Last 6 Year’s XAT Paper Format

More than 150 top B-schools accept XAT scores in India such as - XLRI Jamshedpur, MICA Ahmedabad, XIM Bhubaneshwar, IMT Ghaziabad, and S P Jain Mumbai. XAT is amongst the most transparent MBA entrance exam, as it releases question papers, and answer keys and also allows candidates to ask for a recounting of the score.

XAT Preparation 2024:

The XAT preparation includes understanding the XAT syllabus and exam pattern. For each correct answer, you will receive +1 point, for each incorrect answer, -0.25 points will be deducted, and for more than 8 unanswered questions, -0.10 points will be deducted. Please refer to the XAT books and study material recommended by experts and previous year toppers to understand the XAT test structure. It is also advised to take XAT mock tests regularly for better comprehension.

XAT Syllabus 2024

The XAT 2024 syllabus includes all the topics from each section that will be covered in the XAT test. Candidates can use the XAT syllabus 2024 to plan their preparation strategy. The topics related to the XAT syllabus are listed below:

Sections and Topics