XAT Syllabus

There is no set time limit to prepare for the XAT exam, but you need a minimum of six months for preparation. Ideally, candidates need to start XAT preparation by April, however, if they start by June or July too, they can complete the syllabus within time and have ample time for practice of sample papers and mock tests. Candidates aiming to clear XAT must dedicate nearly 6 months to effectively enhance their exam preparation and qualify with 95 percentile or higher. Ideally, XAT preparation takes six to nine months, but if candidates have prepared for CAT too, XAT preparation can be done in less time as one will have to only work on Decision Making and General Knowledge topics. Those who are weak in English Comprehension must start reading practice early on.

If you are planning to prepare for XAT 2025 exam by self study, you need to start early. At least six months before. The XAT exam is conducted on the first Sunday of January every year. So, if you start preparing for the XAT 2025 in June or July, you will have a good six months to prepare. Make a preparation plan that includes XAT syllabus coverage, problem solving sessions, mock tests and revision. Get hold of the best books for XAT. Consult mentors or previous year toppers for selecting the best books for preparation. Join online study groups where you can get the help of mentors and peers for problem-solving and clearing doubts in topics. Work on tough topics first and then move to easier topics. Solve a large number and variety of XAT mock tests to master the syllabus. You will need to do rigorous work on XAT mock tests as candidates who opt for self study, have to rely on practice.

The lengthiest section in the XAT question paper is Part 1, which includes Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VA & LR), Decision Making (DM), and Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI). Part 1 has a total duration of 175 minutes, making it the longest among the three parts. Within this duration, candidates need to navigate through about 26 questions in VA & LR, approximately 22 questions in DM, and around 28 questions in QA & DI. The extensive time allocation to Part 1 indicates the significance and complexity of these sections, emphasizing the need for candidates to manage their time efficiently to address the varied question types and topics in this segment.

It is a fact that institutes want diversity in their batches. There is no restriction on educational background for appearing in the XAT. If the candidates meet the basic eligibility criteria, they can appear for XAT. While the XAT exam may be a little tough for candidates from non-engineering backgrounds but any candidate with good critical thinking skills and the ability to learn new things can prepare for the exam and qualify.It is usually seen that engineering students have better knowledge of mathematics and non-engineering students have better communication skills which help them to solve RCs better, to qualify in the XAT exam, students should develop a strategic approach.

The XAT exam syllabus consists of Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge sections. The exam has one unique section - Decision Making. XAT sectionsNumber of questionsMarks allotted (Weightage)Decision Making2222Verbal and Logical Ability2626General Knowledge2525Quantitative Ability & Data  Interpretation2828Essay Writing3 topics (candidates can choose one)To be assessed at the time of PI shortlistingThe question paper will be divided into three parts:Part 1- Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation Part 2-  Mock Keyboard Testing Part 3-  General Knowledge + Essay Writing 

The XAT exam syllabus includes Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge. There is a lot of free content available online as well as offline.A variety of books avaiable for each section.Students are advised to start their study early as they want to cover syllabus by self-study and must go through the syllabus once so that they can get an idea of how to prepare and which topics are important and carry more marks. Best books for XAT: Quantitative Aptitude (QA) & Data Interpretation (DI)Best Books for XAT PreparationAuthor/PublisherHow to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CATArun SharmaQuantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT Common Admission Tests For Admission into IIMsSarvesh K VermaQuantitative Aptitude For Competitive ExaminationsGuha Abhijit Best books for XAT: Verbal AbilityBest Books for XAT PreparationAuthor/PublisherObjective General EnglishDr RS Agarwal and Vikas AgarwalHigh School English GrammarWren & MartinThe Students' Companion BookD Best 

Ideally, XAT preparation takes six to nine months, but if candidates have prepared for CAT too, XAT preparation can be done in lesser time as one will have to only work on Decision Making and General Knowledge topics. Those who are weak in English Comprehension must start reading practice early on. The ideal time to start XAT preparation is May, so you can cover the whole syllabus by October and dedicate two months to mock test practice.If you start studying for XAT late, by July or so, make sure you complete the syllabus by October only. Remember that XAT syllabus is tough, so you’ll need to study at least 6-8 hours daily from start until the end. Give ample time to yourself to complete the XAT syllabus.

Yes, the XAT exam has negative marking of -0.25 marks for wrong attempt. Unanswered questions have no negative marking but if there are 8 consecutive unanswered questions, 0.10 marks will be deducted. Thus, the candidates must select questions to solve very carefully in the XAT exam. They should solve only those questions which they know they can solve accurately. The XAT exam has sectional time limit too, so you may not want to waste time on a question that you cannot solve accurately. You stand to lose both time and marks. So be careful in selecting questions in the XAT exam.  The sectional cut off for XAT is usually 80 percent accuracy. Practice a lot of mock tests to develop this skill. 

Since Decision Making section is unique to XAT, study material for the same in not readily available. Thus the best source of preparation material for Decision Making section is XAT previous years’ question papers. This section has passages related to business situations. Candidates have to select the closest solution to the given situation from the list of four options. You have to make an informed decision regarding the decision which has be in favour of the larger good. This section essentially tests your ability to take objective decisions regarding various business situations and activities. Candidates can practice Decision Making questions from XAT question papers of previous years to know the types and difficulty level. In a way, this section is similar to Reading Comprehension and requires same skills as that.