XAT 2025 exam was held on January 5, 2025. Result has been released on Januatry 17, 2025. Know all about the XAT exam 2025, including dates, question paper analysis, exam pattern, syllabus, preparation, test cities, etc.
XAT 2025 was held on January 5, 2025. The XAT question paper 2025 was of moderate difficulty level. Xavier Aptitude Test or XAT is conducted for admission to MBA programmes of XLRI and over 800 other B-Schools in India. The XAT exam is conducted in Computer Based Test mode at various exam centres in over 70 cities across India. The XAT question paper consists of questions from four subjects – Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge. Read below all about XAT 2025 exam.
Latest Updates: XAT 2025 Result OUT live updates - Check scorecard download link, process, cut offs
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Q: What is sectional cut off for XAT?
Sectional cut off for XAT refers to the minimum percentile fixed for each section of the exam that candidates have to meet. For example, if the Quantitative Aptitude cut off is 85 percentile for XAT, that means a candidate must have scored 85 percentile or more in the section of XAT to be eligible for group discussion and personal interview shortlisting. Check the below tables for PGDM BM and PGDM HRM for XAT 2023.
XAT Sectional cut offs for PGDM BM
General Engineers | VA | DM | QA | Overall |
---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 75 | 75 | 85 | 95 |
Females | 75 | 75 | 80 | 92 |
General Non-Engineers | VA | DM | QA | Overall |
Males | 75 | 75 | 85 | 95 |
Females | 75 | 75 | 80 | 92 |
XAT Sectional cut offs for PGDM HRM
General Engineers | VA | DM | QA | Overall |
---|---|---|---|---|
Males | 90 | 75 | 85 | 93 |
Females | 90 | 75 | 65 | 91 |
General Non-Engineers | VA | DM | QA | Overall |
Males | 90 | 75 | 70 | 90 |
Females | 75 | 75 | 60 | 88 |
Q: What is the cutoff for XAT 2024?
XAT 2024 cut-offs are listed below, course-wise:
XLRI XAT cut off: Human Resource Management
Category | Overall XAT percentile | QA percentile | VALR percentile | DM percentile |
---|---|---|---|---|
Engineer Male | 95 | 80 | 90 | 85 |
Engineer Female | 90 | 73 | 85 | 78 |
Non-engineer Male | 93 | 75 | 90 | 85 |
Non-engineer Female | 88 | 68 | 85 | 78 |
XLRI XAT cut-off 2024: Business Management
Category | Overall XAT percentile | QA percentile | VALR percentile | DM percentile |
---|---|---|---|---|
Engineer Male | 96 | 86 | 83 | 85 |
Engineer Female | 91 | 81 | 80 | 80 |
Non-engineer Male | 95 | 85 | 83 | 86 |
Non-engineer Female | 90 | 80 | 80 | 81 |
Q: How is the XAT percentile calculated?
XAT Result 2025
XAT result 2025 has been. The XAT 2025 result cum scorecard will be available for download from the official website. To check XAT 2025 result, candidates need to follow the below mentioned steps:
- Go to the official website of XAT 2025
- Click on 'Download XAT 2025 scorecard'
- Enter XAT ID and password
- Enter the security text
- Click on candidate scorecard and download it
Also Read:
What After XAT Result 2025?
After the XAT result 2025 announcement, the XLRI and other MBA colleges will begin the admission process for PGDM/MBA courses. The GE-PI round will begin with release of XAT cut off and PI shortlisting in February 2025. The XLRI admission process includes three stages:
Stage 1: PI shortlisting of candidates basis XAT score
Stage 2: Conduct of Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI)
Stage 3: Final selection of candidates for admission and release of merit list
For the admission process, the institute takes into consideration certain criteria. Given below are the main selection criteria taken into account for admission.
XLRI Selection Criteria |
|
---|---|
XAT exam score |
Gender diversity |
GD/PI performance |
Academic diversity |
Academic scores |
Work Experience |
Also Read:
- XAT cut offs
- XLRI shortlist through XAT
- XAT selection process and admission criteria
- What after XAT result?
- MBA colleges Accepting XAT score for admission
- XLRI GD topics of past few years
- 80 GD topics for MBA admission
- 32 Common Questions Asked in PI
XAT Answer Key 2025
The XAT answer key has been released on January 10, 2025. The test takers can download the XAT 2025 answer key by using login credentials. Here’s how to download XAT official answer key:
- Open XAT 2025 website in a new window
- Click on 'xat keys and objection form' tab
- Log in to XAT official website with user ID and password
- XAT answer key will be displayed
- Download the PDF and save on desktop
After downloading the XAT 2025 answer key check the correct options, marked in green, and your response mentioned after question ID to calculate your raw score. If any test taker feels any of the answer keys is incorrect, they can raise objection by filling the ojection form and uploading a supporting document.
Also Read: XAT 2025 answer key
Q: Which MBA colleges are available with XAT cut offs of 85 percentile and above?
If you score above 85 percentile in XAT you may get selected for admission to top tier 1 and tier 2 MBA colleges such as XIMB-Bhubaneswar, SPJIMR-Mumbai, IMT-Ghaziabad, GIM-Goa, TAPMI-Manipal, IRMA-Anand, MICA-Ahmedabad, Great Lakes Institute of Management, LIBA-Chennai, KJ Somaiya-Mumbai, Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad, Institute of Finance and International Management, Bangalore, Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, Amity Business School, Noida, Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad, Xavier Institute of Social Services, Ranchi.
The XAT cut offs of the abovementioned colleges fall in the range of 85 to 95 percentile. However, in different admission years, the cut offs could be different. You should check the XAT cut offs for these colleges individually to have a better understanding of admission process for that year.
Q: How important is XAT cut off for selection to XLRI's PI round?
XAT cut off is the most important factor in selection of candidates for XLRI Jamshedpur’s Personal Interview or PI round. Those who do not meet the cut off are not even taken into consideration for PI shortlisting. The two main parameters upon which candidates are short listed for the PI round are academic scores (class 10,12 and graduation) and XAT cut off.
Aspirants must note that they need to score as much or above the XAT cut off and should have a consistent academic record of high score to have greater chances of getting selected. It is not necessary that they will be called for the PI round if their XAT score matches the cut off. If any candidate with the same score has a better academic record, he/she will be selected over the other.
Q: Can I get into XLRI with 90 percentile?
Xavier School of Management cut off for XAT has been released as a selection criteria to appear for the PI round. As per the official cutoff data released by XLRI, the overall sectional XAT cut off 2024 for Male engineers is 96 percentile for Business Management (BM) programme and 95 percentile for Human Resource Management (HRM) programme. The XAT 2024 cut offs for Female engineers is 91 percentile for BM programme and 90 percentile for HRM programme.
So basis the recently released sectional XAT cutoff 2024, it is difficult to get into XLRI with 90 percentile for General AI category students.
Q: Can I get KJ Somaiya at 80 percentile?
KJ Somaiya cutoff 2024 is yet to be released for admission to the Management courses. During the 2023 cutoff, the CAT and XAT percetiles were 86 and 84, respectively for the General AI quota. For CMAT, the cutoff stood at 95. So, considering the previous year exam-wise cutoffs, yes, students with a cutoff percentile of 80 have higher chances of getting a seat at K J Somaiya Institute of Management. Candidates can refer to the table below to check out the last three years cutoff trends for CAT, XAT and CMAT:
Exam | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|
CMAT (percentile) | – / – | 95 | 95 |
CAT (percentile) | 86 | 86 | 86 |
XAT (percentile) | 85 | 84 | 84 |
Q: What is the lowest percentile to get into XLRI?
XLRI admission 2025 to PGDM in Business Management is based on XAT scores, followed by a PI round. XLRI Jamshedpur cutoff 2025 is yet to be released for admission to its BM and HRM courses. Aspirants seeking admission to XLRI have to meet both the overall and sectional cutoffs. During the XLRI cutoff 2024, the XAT cutoff percetile was 93 and 95 for the HRM and BM courses, respectively. So considering the preious years' cutoff, the lowest percetile to get into XLRI for BM and HRM courses ranges between 93 and 95 percetile for the students belonging to the General AI quota.
XAT Admit Card 2025
The XAT 2025 admit card could be download their XAT admit card/hall ticket from the official XAT website using their User ID and password. Given below are the steps to download the admit card below:
- Visit the official website of XAT 2025: xatonline.in
- Click on 'download admit card' tab
- Enter XAT User ID and date of birth and click on login
- Next, click on admit card tab
- Option to download XAT admit card will appear
- Click on download and save as pdf
XAT Eligibility Criteria 2025
- The candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree of minimum three-year duration or equivalent in any discipline from a UGC recognized university.
- Students in their final year of bachelor's degree or awaiting their results are also eligible to appear in XAT.
- There is no minimum score requirement for XA, but for participating institutes, the minimum score requirement is 50 percent for General category and 45 percent for Reserved category.
Also Read: XAT Eligibility Criteria, Age Limit, Reservation Criteria, Work Experience
XAT Exam Dates 2025
The XAT 2025 dates were announced by XLRI at the official website. Check the table below for schedule and important dates of XAT 2025:
XAT 2025 Events |
XAT 2025 Dates |
---|---|
XAT 2025 registration start date |
15-Jul-2024 |
XAT 2025 registration last date |
30-Nov-2024 10-Dec-2024 |
XAT admit card 2025 download begins |
20-Dec-2024 26-Dec-2024 |
XAT exam 2025 |
05-Jan-2025 |
XAT 2025 answer key release and challenge |
10-Jan-2025 |
XAT 2025 result announcement |
Third week of January, 2025 |
XAT Registration Process 2025
The XAT application form 2025 is available at xatonline.in website. Aspirants are required to fill the XAT form by creating an account on the website. Check below, XAT 2025 registration cum application process:
- Open XAT 2025 website in a new window: https://xatonline.in/
- Click on 'Registration' tab
- Enter name, phone number, email ID, password and captcha code
- A unique XAT ID and registration link will be shared in the verified email ID
- Click on the link to verify your registration
- Go to XAT 2025 homepage again
- Click on ‘login’
- Then enter email ID and password
- Enter all the details asked in the form and upload photo and signature
- Cross check the information before submitting the form
- Pay the XAT application fee of INR 2,200 through credit/debit card, UPI or net banking
- If you select XLRI Jamshedpur as preferred college in the form then you will have to pay additional amount of INR 200.
XAT Test Cities 2025
The XAT exam will be conducted 110 cities. The examination body has increased 34 new cities to the test city list. Candidates can choose up to six cities for test centre allotment during XAT registration. Check the list of XAT test cities below:
XAT Test Cities 2025 |
|
---|---|
Agra |
Dibrugarh |
Ahmedabad |
Durgapur/Asansol |
Aurangabad City (Maharashtra) |
Ernakulam |
Allahabad |
Gandhinagar |
Ambala |
Goa |
Amravati |
Gorakhpur |
Amritsar |
Guwahati |
Bengaluru |
Gwalior |
Berhampur |
Hooghly |
Bhatinda |
Hubballi(Hubli) |
Bhilai Nagar |
Hyderabad |
Bhopal |
Indore |
Bhubaneswar |
Jabalpur |
Chandigarh/Mohali |
Jalandhar |
Chennai |
Jaipur |
Coimbatore |
Jammu |
Cuttack |
Jamshedpur |
Dehradun |
Kannur |
Delhi-NCR |
Kanpur |
Dhanbad |
Kolkata |
Kota |
Kottayam |
Kurnool |
Madurai |
Lucknow |
Mangalore |
Mumbai |
Mysuru (Mysore) |
Nagpur |
Nashik |
Patna |
Siliguri |
Pune |
Surat |
Raipur |
Thiruvananthapuram |
Rajahmundry |
Tiruchirappalli |
Ranchi |
Tirupathi |
Roorkee |
Tiruvallur |
Rourkela |
Tejpur |
Sambalpur |
Udaipur |
Vadodara |
Udupi |
Vijayawada |
Varanasi |
Warangal |
Visakhapatnam |
Rajkot |
Jorhat |
Shillong |
Naharlagun |
Newly Added XAT Test Cities |
|
Anantapur | Chikkaballapur |
Arrah |
Davanagere |
Bhagalpur |
Hazaribagh |
Darbhanga |
Hisar |
Muzaffarpur |
Kalaburagi |
Bilaspur |
Kurukshetra |
Mehsana |
Shimla |
Baddi |
Ajmer |
Balasore | Bikaner |
Dhenkanal |
Jodhpur |
Kolhapur |
Nanded |
Patiala |
Sikar |
Ujjain |
Karimnagar |
Salem |
Vellore |
Aligarh |
Bareilly |
Haldwani |
Moradabad |
Muzaffarnagar | Kalyan |
XAT Pattern 2025
XAT exam pattern has been revised. In 2025, the XAT will be conducted for 180 minutes only. The question paper will be divided into two parts with sectional time limit. There will be no essay writing section in XAT 2025. Check the highlights of XAT exam pattern 2025 as shared by XLRI below:
XAT Exam Structure |
Details |
---|---|
Exam sections |
Decision Making Verbal & Logical Ability Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation General Knowledge |
Duration of exam |
180 minutes |
Number of questions |
95 |
Total marks |
95 |
Language of paper |
English |
Number of answer choices |
Four |
Mode of examination |
Online |
XAT marking scheme |
+1 mark for correct answer - 0.25 marks for incorrect answer - 0.10 marks for more than 8 un-attempted questions No negative marking in GK section |
Also Read: XAT 2025 exam pattern revised; essay writing scrapped
XAT Syllabus 2025
XAT syllabus includes all the important topics from Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation, Verbal & Logical Ability and General Knowledge. It has a unique section called Decision Making which is all about business decision. Preparation for XAT is to be done on the basis of topics included in the syllabus. Given below are some of the main topics of XAT syllabus 2025:
XAT Sections |
XAT Topics |
---|---|
Verbal and Logical Ability |
Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Analogy, Para Jumble, Grammar, Critical Reasoning, Fill in the Blanks |
Decision Making |
Seating Arrangement, Logical Sequencing, Assumptions, Premises, Conclusions, etc. |
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
Tables and Caselets, Percentage, Surds and Indices, Algebra, Mensuration, Bar Diagrams, Pie Charts, etc. |
General Knowledge |
Science, Economy, Business, Politics, Static GK, Sports, Prize and Award, World, Government, Constitution of India, etc. |
XAT Question Paper 2025
XAT question paper 2025 will have two parts. The format of questions will be MCQ. Given below is the table indicating XAT question paper break up and marking scheme:
Parts |
XAT Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
---|---|---|---|
Part 1 (170 minutes) |
Decision Making |
21 |
21 |
Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 |
26 |
|
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
28 |
28 |
|
Part 2 (10 minutes) |
General Knowledge |
20 |
20 |
-- |
Overall |
95 |
95 |
Download:
- XAT 2024 Question Paper
- XAT 2023 Question Paper
- XAT 2022 Question Paper
- XAT 2021 Question Paper
- XAT 2020 Question Paper
- XAT 2019 Question Paper
- XAT 2018 Question Paper
XAT Preparation 2025: Tips and Strategy
XAT preparation 2025 should be thorough as the exam is one of the toughest MBA entrance exams. Start preparing for the XAT atleast 6 months before. To help you in XAT exam preparation, we have listed down some key preparation articles:
XAT Exam Preparation Articles |
|
---|---|
XAT Preparation 2025: All About Decision Making – Tips and Tricks |
|
|
XAT Mock Test 2025
Candidates must practice about 40-50 XAT mock tests during the preparation phase to be in full control of the syllabus as well as time duration. Official XAT mock test can be accessed at xatonline.in. Shiksha has prepared free XAT mock tests for candidates to practice. Click on the links below for access.
XAT_Mock_Test_1 | MAT_Mock_Test_Solution-1 |
XAT_Mock_Test_2 | XAT_Mock_Test_Solution-2 |
FAQs on XAT 2025
Q: What is the XAT 2025 exam date?
A: XAT 2025 exam date is January 5, 2025. The exam date was officially announced by XLRI Jamshedpur on July 15, 2024. The exam will be held in over 110 cities across India. Candidates will have to select the test city for exam centre allotment in the XAT 2025 application form.
Q: When will XAT 2025 registrations start?
A: XAT registration process 2025 started from July 15, 2024. The registration process will go on till December 10, 2024 and candidates will be able fill the exam form at the XATonline.in website.
Q: What is the syllabus of XAT exam?
A: The syllabus of XAT exam includes all the topics of Decision Making, Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, General Knowledge and Essay Writing. The Essay is evaluated only if the candidates is selected for PI on the basis of their score in VA, DM and QA sections.
Q: What type of questions are asked in XAT? Is there negative marking in XAT?
A: The XAT has multiple choice type questions with four options. The candidate has to choose the right answer from the given options only. There is negative marking of 0.25 marks in XAT and 0.10 marks are deducted for consecutive unanswered questions.
Q: Is XAT tougher than CAT?
A: Both XAT and CAT are exams of high difficulty level, and have their own challenges. While CAT has extremely difficult RC passages, XAT has Decision Making section which unique and requires business acumen to solve questions. XAT also has GK and Essay Writing. However, since XAT is conducted after CAT, aspirants can build on the experience from CAT to improve their performance in XAT. Also Read: Is XAT tougher than CAT?
Q: In how may months can I prepare for XAT exam 2025?
A: Ideally, candidates must devote at least nine months to prepare for XAT exam. However, every candidate must decide upon the duration and plan of XAT preparation according to their capability and strengths and weaknesses viz. the XAT syllabus. So, plan your XAT 2025 preparation accordingly.
Q: What is the XAT application fees?
A: XAT application fee is INR 2,200, which is to be paid at the time for form filling. If a candidate wishes to apply to XLRI too, they have to pay an additional amount of INR 200. There is no fee relaxation for Reserved category students.
Q: Is only a good XAT score enough for admission to XLRI Jamshedpur?
A: No. Only having a good XAT score is not enough. You need to have a good academic record as well. XLRI admission process includes Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) as well. The test takers who meet the minimum XAT cut off are selected for GD and PI. Final selection for admission is based on candidate’s performance in XAT exam, GD, PI and academics.
Q: How many B-schools accept XAT score for MBA admission?
A: Apart from XLRI Jamshedpur, XAT score is accepted by over 1000 B-schools in India. Some of the top MBA colleges accepting XAT score are XIMB-Bhubaneswar, IMT-Ghaziabad, GIM-Goa, TAPMI-Manipal, IRMA-Anand, MICA-Ahmedabad, Great Lakes Institute of Management, LIBA-Chennai and KJ Somaiya-Mumbai.
Q: How many students appear for XAT exam on an average?
A: XAT usually receives about 90,000 applications every year, but for XAT 2024, the total number of applications received was 1.35 lakh. For XAT 2023, about 98,000 candidates had filled the online application form.
Q: For how long is XAT exam score valid for MBA admission?
A: XAT exam score is valid for admission to MBA courses of XLRI and top colleges for one academic year only. For example, XAT 2024 score is valid for 2024 academic year XAT 2025 score will be valid for 2025 academic session only. However, there are a few MBA colleges in India that accept XAT score from previous years too.
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Student Forum
Answered Yesterday
Dear Sanjevani,
A XAT percentile of 7.2471 is approximately equivalent to a score of 17-18 out of 100. This score is below the typical cutoff for most top MBA colleges that accept XAT scores. For instance, institutions like XLRI Jamshedpur and MICA Ahmedabad generally require a minimum percentile o
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 days ago
Yes, it is possible to crack XAT exam in first attempt. But for that, one needs to have a proper plan and start the preparation about 9-10 months before the exam. XAT is a high difficulty level exam and one needs to cover the exam syllabus end to end to be able to score well. Covering the entire XAT
A
Beginner-Level 2
Answered 4 days ago
Candidates can take reference of subjects and topics from CAT study material for Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation and Quantitative Aptitude, but XAT preparation has to be exam specific and must include exam specific study material. Aspirants can use CAT sample questions too for practice purpose,
E
Beginner-Level 2
Answered 4 days ago
XAT syllabus for Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation and Quantitative Aptitude are same as CAT syllabus. Decision Making and General Knowledge syllabus are not a part of CAT syllabus. Thus, XAT aspirants have to study more than CAT aspirants, which is why one needs to have a XAT specific preparation
N
Beginner-Level 2
Answered 4 days ago
There are no non-MCQs in XAT. All the questions are in MCQ format with four options to choose the correct answer from. There are neither Type in the Answer and nor subjective answer type questions. Earlier, there used to be essay writing which required candidates to type a short essay on screen.
S
Beginner-Level 2
Answered 4 days ago
As per the latest XAT exam pattern, the question paper has only 2 parts. Part 1 consists of VALR, DM and QA DI questions. Part 2 consists of GK questions. Essay Writing is not a part of the online test. The total time duration is 180 minutes or 3 hours. Part 1 is of 170 minutes and Part 2 is of 10 m
P
Beginner-Level 2
Answered a week ago
XAT score calculation process is simple as the marking scheme is pretty straightforward. The total marks of XAT 2025 is 95. The test has 95 questions each carry 1 mark. Section wie distribution is:
VALR: 26 marks
DM: 21 marks
QADI: 28 marks
GK: 20 marks
However, since GK marks are not to be included in X
S
Beginner-Level 2
Answered 2 weeks ago
Hello Sudhanshu,
If you're aiming for MBA colleges that accept XAT scores up to the 90th percentile and require separate registration before the exam, here are some options:
XLRI Jamshedpur
XAT Cutoff: 94-95 percentile Fees: ?24.80 Lacs Average Salary: ?32.70 LPA Registration: Separate registration re
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 weeks ago
For the General AI category students, the Manipal University XAT cutoff 2023 was 85 percentile for admission to the MBA in Banking and Financial Services, MBA in Human Resources Management, MBA in Marketing, and MBA in International Business courses. For Master of Business Administration (MBA), the
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, Osmania University does accept XAT scores for admission to their MBA program. However, the cutoff for XAT scores can vary each year based on the number of applicants and the competition. For the academic year 2024-25, the cutoff for XAT scores is around 25-27 percentile.
It's always a good idea
A
Contributor-Level 8
Which MBA colleges I can get withh XAT 7.2471 percentile