XAT 2020 Exam Dates, Registration, Eligibility, Pattern and Syllabus

XAT 2020 is scheduled for January 5, 2020 (tentatively). Xavier Aptitude Test  (XAT) is an eminent national level aptitude test and is being conducted for more than 60 years now. It is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur on behalf of XAMI (Xavier Association of Management Institutes).

Approximately a lakh candidates applied for the test last year and over 600 business schools accept XAT exam score for admitting students in their MBA/PGDM programs.

 XAT 2020 – ESSENTIAL DETAILS

• XAT 2020 will be conducted in a single session throughout India as well as in Dubai and Kathmandu. Check XAT Exam Centers

• Eligibility criteria to apply for XAT 2020 is Graduation in any discipline. Candidates in their final year of Graduation are also eligible for XAT.

• XAT exam pattern comprises of four sections, evaluating candidate’s verbal and logical ability, decision making, quantitative ability and data interpretation and general knowledge skills.

• The questions asked in the test are multiple choice question type. However, unlike other exams, there will be 5 answer options per MCQ.

• The test duration from 205 minutes has been reduced to 180 minutes since 2018.

• XAT Registration 2020 will expectedly start from the fourth week of August, 2019 and go on till the month of November, 2019.

• XAT Cutoff differs for Human Resource and Business Management programs. Last year, the cut off for BM was 28 marks and HR was 26 marks. Check  XAT Cutoff 2020

Highlights of XAT 2020

XAT 2020 Dates

XAT 2020 Notification will be issued by XLRI tentatively on August 20, 2019. The tentative calendar of events for XAT 2020 is tabulated below. XAT aspirants are advised to keep tuning the official portal for any further updates or notifications regarding XAT 2020 Schedule.

XAT Eligibility Criteria 2020

Candidates applying for XAT 2020 should carefully go through the eligibility criteria before filling XAT application form. 

• Bachelor’s degree of minimum 3 years duration is required.
• Final year students can also apply provided they clear the qualifying exam by June 10, 2020.
• Candidates who did graduation in 1980s with a 2-year bachelor's degree are not eligible for XAT 2020. 
• No minimum aggregate marks criteria is applicable in XAT 2020. 
• NRI and Foreign Candidates are also eligible to apply through GMAT Scorecard (except Dubai and Kathmandu candidates)
• There is no age limit applicable in XAT 2020. 
• No restriction on the number of attempts

Check Detailed XAT 2020 Eligibility

XAT Application Form 2020

Candidates will be able to fill XAT 2020 Application Form at the official website from August 25, 2020 (tentative). XAT Registration process primarily involves the following steps:

Step 1: XAT Registration

• Visit the official website-xatonline.in 
• Click on the tab "Registration" and enter your Name, Date of Birth, Contact details and Email-id.
• A system generated XAT ID and Password will be sent to you through Email/SMS.
• Note down XAT ID and Password for future reference.

Step 2: Fill XAT Application Form 

• Fill in your personal and academic details, work experience, preferred course and exam centre.
• Preview your form carefully once as no changes will be entertained after clicking on “Final Submit”.

Step 3: Upload Documents 

Upload scanned images of your recent Photograph and signature as per specifications mentioned below: 

Step 4: XAT Application Fee Payment

• Pay XAT Application Fee by using Debit Cards (RuPay / Visa / Master Card / Maestro), Credit Cards or Internet Banking.
• XAT Registration Fee (without late fee) – Rs. 1700/-   (Candidates interested in XLRI programmes need to pay an additional fee of Rs. 300/- each.)
• XAT Registration Fee (with late fee) – Rs. 2000/-    (Candidates interested in XLRI programmes need to pay an additional fee of Rs. 500/- each.)

Step 5: Download Confirmation Page

• Download XAT Application Form and e-receipt of fee payment.
• Take a printout of them for further reference.      

Check Detailed XAT Registration 2020

Note: In case an applicant does not receive the registration confirmation mail along with provisional XAT UID & Password, within 24 hours of signing up, they are requested to write to admissions@xatonline.in citing the primary email ID and the issue or call the Helpdesk on 1800 419 2929 (08.00 a.m. till 08.00 p.m. IST)

XAT Admit Card 2020

XAT Admit Card will be released on the official website-xatonline.in. XLRI will not send XAT Admit Card via email or courier to any candidate. XAT Admit Card is a mandatory document that must be preserved till the admission process. 

How to download XAT Admit Card?

1. Visit the official website of XAT 2020. Click on “Download XAT 2020 Admit Card” link
2. Enter your XAT Registration ID and XAT password or your Date of Birth in DD/MM/YY format.
3. Download your admit card which will be available in PDF format
4. Print multiple hard copies for further use.

Read More 7 pointers to Check in XAT Admit Card

Candidates must carefully go through the details on XAT Admit Card before downloading and taking print out of the same. In case of any error or discrepancy in the information, candidates should immediately contact XAT officials.

Documents Required with Admit Card

Candidates are required to carry XAT admit card to the exam center along with any of the following photo ID proof:

• Aadhaar Card
• Voter ID Card
• Passport
• PAN Card
• Driving License
• Photo ID issued by current education institute or employer among others.

XAT Exam Centers 2020

The management exam is being held in about 49 Indian cities apart from the International exam centers in Kathmandu and Dubai. Here is a tentative list of exam cities for XAT 2020:

Tabulated below are the name of XAT 2020 test cities:

Read More XAT Exam Centers

XAT Exam Pattern 2020

XAT 2020 will be conducted in online mode i.e computer based test. The question paper is divided into 4 sections i.e. Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge. The following infographic and table gives the highlights of XAT Exam Pattern:

Check detailed XAT Exam Pattern

XAT Syllabus 2020

There is no officially prescribed syllabus for XAT 2020. The syllabus is based on past trends of XAT question papers and syllabus is drawn from the topics which have been asked in previous XAT exams. However, their composition, format, and number may change with each subsequent edition of XAT.

XAT 2020 is an objective type paper covering Data Interpretation and Quantitative Ability, English Language and Reasoning, and Decision Making. An indicative list of topics covered in these sections are:

Read Detailed XAT Syllabus

XAT Mock Test 2020

• XAT 2020 mock test will be released by XLRI in the first week of January 2020 (tentatively). 

• To ace in the preparation of XAT 2020, Candidates are advised to appear for the mock test released by the conducting body to understand the exam pattern and structure of the online XAT 2020 test.  

• In order to access the online assessment/mock test of XAT 2019, test takers had to enter the User ID and Password created during the XAT 2020 Registration.

XAT PREPARATION TIPS 2020

• Time table is a must: Candidates are advised to make a weekly time table which includes a schedule regarding time devotion to various sections, revisions and mock tests. To maintain the interest in the preparation and reduce the stress, candidates should take a day off from preparation, weekly.
• Take Regular Mock Tests: Candidates should start taking mock tests as soon as they start their preparation, this will help them analyze the pace of their preparation and assist them in improving their performance.
• Section wise Preparation: Candidates should go through the exam pattern and thoroughly understand the section wise syllabus. This will help the candidates identify their strong and weak areas and they can thus work towards the same in an organized manner.
• Make notes: Candidates may use different sources to study the same topic for a broad and a better understanding of it. However, it’s a must to keep your study material at one place. Making notes will be helpful for future references and a productive revision.
• Don’t Pile on: This is a common mistake and must be avoided. Candidates should try and not pile on topics like current affairs, as reading them everyday will not only enhance candidate’s grip over topics but also reduce the workload immensely.

For Section Wise Tips and Recommended Books, Check here.

XAT Result 2020

XAT 2020 Result will be announced online by XLRI Jamshedpur on January 14, 2020 as expected. Candidates can access their scorecards by visiting xatonline.in. Successful students having scores that match the released cut off can proceed to the advanced selection rounds of Group Discussion and Personal Interview. XAT Scores are valid for 1 year.

The scorecard can be downloaded from the official website in the following steps:

1. Visit the official website i.e. xatonline.in
2. Click on ‘Results’ tab to enter Login UID and password.
3. View result containing marks secured section-wise as well as overall rank.
4. Print the scorecard for future use.

Read more about XAT Result 2020 

Note: XLRI, Jamshedpur does not take the responsibility of sending hard copies of scorecards to candidates via courier or post.

XAT Cutoff 2020

XAT Cut-Off marks include the minimum percentile to be scored by each candidate in the test. On the basis of XAT 2020 Cut Off, candidates will be shortlisted for Group Discussion and Personal Interview Rounds for admission. XAT Cut off varies for different programs offered by XLRI, Jamshedpur. Other participating institutes also have their individual Cut Off scores.

The minimum percentage required for being considered for different programs at XLRI is tabulated here:

XAT Selection Procedure 2020

Candidates will be shortlisted for the selection procedure in XAT 2020 on the basis of their performance in the entrance exam and XAT Cut Off scores. While some institutes have both GD (Group Discussion) and PI (Personal Interview) rounds, others only have either of the two.

Group Discussion

• Groups of 8-15 participating candidates are formed and are asked to discuss a given topic for about 15-20 minutes.
• The topics would mostly be related to current affairs, politics, trending social issues, or any other issue concerning advertising, technology, business or education etc.
• Candidates are judged in mostly soft skills like communication skills, assertiveness, team management skills, ability to resolve conflicts, leadership qualities etc.

Personal Interview

• PI is usually the final round of the selection process.
• Candidates are required to appear for an interview with an interview panel if they are shortlisted on the basis of their performance in GD.
• The questions in the Personal Interview round are centered around candidates’ background, academics, achievements and motivation behind choosing a career in management.
• This round aims to determine the communication skills, confidence, and ability to think under pressure among candidates.

Read more about XAT Selection Procedure

XAT Merit List 2020

The Merit List of XAT 2020 is created by including different components such as XAT 2020 score, performance in GD & PI, academic records, work experience, and the overall profile of the candidate. The weight of these different components in XLRI is tabulated below. This division of scores applies to all the programs offered by XLRI.

It should be noted that post-XAT 2020, there will not be any centralized counseling procedure. Candidates will have to individually apply for each of the member Institutes of XAMI or other participating institutes of XAT 2020 with their scorecard. Candidates will be selected for admission to these Institutes on the basis of XAT 2020 cut-off score, performance in the GD/PI round and the final merit list prepared for the qualifying candidates.

XAT 2020 FAQs

Ques. I have done 5 years integrated course, so how will I enter my percentage?

Ans. Candidates who have done 5 years integrated course can fill up the same percentage as Graduation and PG.

Ques. How do I calculate the aggregate marks for CBSE /SSC? Is it the best 5 or all the subjects?

Ans. The candidate should take the aggregate of all the subjects for 10th.

Ques. Does internship/Articleship count as work experience?

Ans. No, these are not counted as work experience

Ques. I have less than 50% in graduation, am I eligible to apply for XLRI?

Ans. Yes, you are eligible to apply for XLRI.

Ques. How is past academic performance considered in the selection process?

Ans. XLRI does not have any cut off based on any of the following X, XII, graduation marks. The evaluation of candidates' academic competence will be evaluated holistically by XLRI based on candidates' performance in the interview, group discussion, and XAT written test.

Ques. How can I download the registration confirmation page?

Ans. You can log in to xatonline.in to download the confirmation page.

Ques. Can I edit the information given by me?

Ans. Once submitted the form cannot be edited.

Ques. I have paid twice using online payment option. What should I do?

Ans. Kindly send an email to xat2019@xlri.ac.in with your XAT ID, date of payment, cardholders name and the credit/debit card details (first four & last four digits and card expiry date).

Ques. What do I do if I am unable to make the payment online?

Ans. Online payments involve multiple agencies and there are chances that your payment is timed out or declined. If you encounter any such problems, you may write to xat2019@xlri.ac.in