XAT Syllabus 2021 (Updated): Important Topics and Preparation tips for XAT

Updated On - April 15th, 2020

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XAT Syllabus comprises of 4 major components: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, and General Knowledge. Moreover, the revised syllabus of XAT does not include the Essay Writing section so you can skip preparing for this part. As XLRI Jamshedpur the conducting body doesnot define syllabus based on XAT Exam Pattern and analysis, we have curated a structured syllabus and important topics.

There will be total of 99 questions to be completed in a duration of 180 minutes.
+1 mark will be awarded to each correct response and -0.25 for every incorrect response.
After 8 unanswered questions, 0.05 marks will also be deducted for a left out question.
From a total of 99 questions, 25 questions will be from GK with no negative marking and rest questions from other sections will have negative marking for wrong attempts.

Your XAT Preparation should be devised in accordance with the syllabus and exam pattern so that you can divide your time to prepare well for every section. The information about all the key changes and updates in the syllabus will help you to avoid unnecessary topics.

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XAT 2021 Syllabus Highlights

The key sections to determine the percentile, merit position, and test the candidates are Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension & Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation.

Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI): There are 15 topics of 27 marks. The difficulty level of this section is always high. An accuracy of 70% is considered good.
Verbal & Logical Ability (VA & LR): The section has moderate-high difficulty level questions. About 26 questions are expected this year.
Decision Making (DM): 21 questions are expected from this section.
GK: The section always has a moderate difficulty level and this section will have no negative marking for wrong answers.

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XAT Quants and DI Syllabus

XAT 2021 Syllabus: Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation (QA & DI)

The syllabus for this section is very wide and almost covers all the topics of maths. Candidates need to give more attention and extra efforts while preparing for this section.

Quantitative Ability: XLRI has brought significant changes in this section. Numbers, Geometry and Mensuration questions have become more prominent and around 50% of the Quant questions are based on these areas. Arithmetic, Venn diagrams, functions are other favorite topics on which questions are formed in XAT.

Data Interpretation: Data tables, graphs, charts, bar diagrams, data analysis & comparison are the major topics for DI and the questions are majorly asked in sets. Some key features of XAT Syllabus for Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation are given below:

There are 27 questions asked from this section and we suggest you not take more than 2 minutes and 17 seconds to solve each question.
QA and DI section is considered to be of the highest difficulty level.

Note: There is no percentage defined between the numbers of questions asked in the QA & DI section.

Important topics for Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation

Geometry	Mensuration – 2D and 3D
Probability	Algebra Functions
Profit and Loss	Speed & Distance
Statistics	Table
Trigonometry	Graphs
Arithmetic	Heights & Distance
Direction Sense & Time	Clocks
Data Interpretation – Table, Combination	-

Read How to Prepare Quantitative Aptitude for XAT?

XAT Verbal and Logical Ability Syllabus

XAT 2021 Syllabus: Verbal and Logical Ability (VA & LR)

This section will have questions of Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, and Logical Reasoning so we can say that this section is divided into 3 parts.

Verbal Ability: The syllabus you need to cover in this part is questions based on English vocabulary like fill in the blanks, synonyms, antonyms, correction of sentences, use of right words, etc.

Reading Comprehension: This part will take more time because you have to read the whole paragraph to mark the correct answers and also the share of questions from this part is high in VALR. The topics for RC could be form politics, economics or abstract.

Logical Reasoning: The syllabus for this part is analogy, clocks, inference & judgments, blood relations, seating arrangements, etc. The questions from this part are mostly asked in sets so if you are able to crack one LR question then it means you can answer at least 2-3 questions. Salient features of XAT Syllabus for English and Reasoning are given below:

26 questions of the objective type are expected to come from this section.
Approximately 56 minutes are required to complete this section.
The section can have moderate to high difficulty level questions.

Important topics for VA and LR in XAT

Important topics for VA and LR in XAT
Grammar	Para Completion
Vocabulary	Para Jumble
Critical Reasoning	Reading Comprehension
Arguments	-

Check Here:Top XAT Coaching Institutes to Boost your Preparation

XAT Decision Making Syllabus

XAT Syllabus 2021: Decision Making (DM)

The decision making section is going to be new for all the candidates because this section is not included by most of the MBA entrance exams. But there is no need to worry as this section is not going to be very difficult. Salient features of Decision Making XAT Syllabus are mentioned below:

Syllabus for this section is decision making in a situation, data arrangement tests, etc.
There are 21 questions expected from this section.
Set-based questions are asked.
The difficulty level of the DM section is moderate to tough.

Important topics in XAT Decision Making (DM)

Arithmetic	Analytical Reasoning
Situational	Conditions and Grouping Test
Data Arrangement Test	Reading Comprehension
Case lets	Decision Making in a situation

XAT GK Syllabus

Syllabus for XAT 2021: General Knowledge (GK)

To score in this section, a candidate needs to remain in constant touch with GK on a daily basis. Important features of General Knowledge XAT Syllabus are mentioned below:

Topics to be covered in this section are from history, politics, author names, business, economy, current affairs (national and international), etc.
25 questions will be asked in total.
You can spend 20 minutes to complete this section.
The difficulty level is moderate.
Most questions are on current affairs and some on GK.
60:40 breakup is defined for GK and Current Affairs.

General Knowledge Important topics

Politics	Nation and States
History	Literature
Sports	Awards and Recognitions
Business	Economics
International Relations	Society
Merger & Acquisitions	--

Previously asked questions in General Knowledge section:

Although, questions in the general knowledge section holds no bounds to a particular topic. Still, we have mentioned some of the sample questions to have an understanding of the type of questions been asked in the GK section.

Who acquired Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Healthcare
Which of the following is not the part of VIACOM 18
Highest import to India
Giga fiber to be launched by which company
Who is the SBI Chairman
What are the names of Parliament Budget Sessions
Name of Liquid for dissolving Gold
Name of Rajasthan Snake Dance

XAT Preparation Books

XAT Preparation Books for QADI/ VALR/ DM & GK

Books play an important role in the life of students. It is very important to choose the right books for proper preparation. Given below are some section-wise recommended books for candidates preparing for XAT 2021:

Book name	Section	Publisher / Author
Quantitative Aptitude for CAT	Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation	Nitish K. Sinha
PSC for VA for CAT	Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation	Nitish K. Sinha
Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT	Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation	Nitish K. Sinha
CAT 2017 Quantitative Aptitude	Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation	Gautam Puri
Wiley's ExamXpert XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)	Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation	Wiley India (Author)
Jabbing the XAT Mock Tests & Solved Papers	Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation	R K Jha
Study Notes Material On XAT Paperback – 2016	Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning	Sourav sir's classes
Verbal Ability Comprehension for CAT/ XAT/ IIFT/ CMAT/ MAT	Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning	Bharta Patodi and Aditya Choudhary
XAT 2016 Decision Making Online Coaching by Ravi Handa (Voucher)	Decision Making	Online book
Target XAT 2017 (Past Papers 2005 - 2016 + 5 Mock Tests)	Decision Making	Disha Experts
Objective General Knowledge	General Knowledge	Lucent’s
General knowledge	General Knowledge	Lucent’s

How to Crack XAT 2021?

XAT 2021 will be conducted on January 05, 2021 (tentatively) by XLRI. XAT Syllabus has no defined boundary, candidates appearing for it are suggested to practice as many sample papers and previous years question papers as possible. Listed below are major takeaways for XAT Preparations:

Before starting the preparations, it is advised to go through all the previous years’ papers to get an idea about all the questions asked in the exam. Doing this will help a candidate to know about the level of questions that are asked from XAT Syllabus.
Candidates must make sure to give equal importance to all the sections in order to fetch maximum marks to clear the sectional cut-off set by the conducting authority.
As the level of exam is difficult, so managing the time in an efficient way will prove to be an asset.
For the GK section, it is important to keep oneself updated with both static and current happenings around the world. As per the trends, knowing about the past 6 months' news will be sufficient for XAT preparation for this section.

Read 7 Tips to Gear up your XAT 2021 Preparation

XAT Syllabus FAQs

Ques. Is the calculator allowed in XAT exam?

Ans. Any type of electronic media is not allowed in the exam center.

Ques. If I opt for a 100-day study plan, what are my chances of getting selected in XAT 2021?

Ans. Well, a 100-day study plan, if followed precisely, will ensure that your study would be completed within time. But your dedication and commitment will make all the difference.

Ques. Can you give me a list of all the topics that are added to XAT 2021 syllabus over XAT 2018 syllabus?

Ans. Well, there are no additions that are officially announced in the XAT 2021 syllabus.

Ques. I have heard that switching between the sections is not allowed in the XAT online test. Is it true?

Ans. No, there is no such boundations on switching between the sections in the XAT. Still, it would be best for you that you complete 1 section and then move on to the next section.

Ques. I want to do some online preparation for the XAT 2021 syllabus. Can you give me the name of some of the websites that I can work with?

Ans. Sure, you can work with PaGalGuy, money control, test find, cracku, career launcher, and Handa Ka Funda. Also, along with the preparation of other management entrance exams, preparation for XAT can be done.

We hope this article was helpful during your XAT Preparation. Once you are thorough with the exam pattern and syllabus, the preparation journey becomes a smooth-sail. We wish you luck with the exam! In case of any query ask in the comments below.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College