XAT Paper Analysis 2019: XAT 2019was conducted on January 6 in a single session.As per the students, there were some difficult Verbal questions and some tricky DM questions. Overall the difficulty level of XAT 2019 was moderate to difficult. Check XAT Cutoff
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HIghlights of XAT 2019 Paper
- The exam was conducted in CBT mode from 10 am to 1 pm.
- This session paper was divided into two parts viz.
- First part was the usual XAT exam which had questions divided into three sections (VALR, DM and QADI) to be attempted within 165 minutes.
- Second part consisted of General Awareness questions to be attempted within 15 minutes.
Check XAT 2019 Score Vs Percentile
Tabulated below is a detailed XAT 2019 Paper Analysis:
| Section | Max. Questions | Good Attempts | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning | 26 | 16 – 18 | Difficult |
| Decision Making | 21 | 16 – 17 | Moderate |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation | 27 | 17 – 18 | Moderate |
| General Awareness | 25 | 12 – 14 | Moderate |
XAT Paper Analysis 2019: Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
- This section was tougher than the last year, mainly because of questions from the Verbal section.
- The section was dominated by Reading Comprehensions, having real time-consuming questions.
- A well-prepared student could have attempted 16 – 18 questions with 65% accuracy.
| Topic | No. of Ques. | Good Attempts | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 12 (4 passages X 3 ques. each) | 7 – 8 | Moderate to Difficult |
| CR | 5 | 3 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Poem Comprehension | 2 (1 poem) | (-) | Very unusual |
| Analogy | 1 | 1 | Moderate |
| Antonym | 1 | 1 | Moderate |
| Para-jumble (5 sentences) | 2 | 1 – 2 | Moderate |
| Fill in the Blanks | 3 | 1 – 2 | Difficult |
| Total | 26 | 16 – 18 | Difficult |
XAT Paper Analysis 2019: Decision Marking & Analytical Reasoning
- The difficulty level of this section was again similar to last year.
- Decision Making questions dominated the section with 18 questions,
- There were no questions from Mathematical/ Analytical Reasoning.
- There were 3 questions which were similar to those that were there in previous year’s papers.
| Topic | No. of Ques. | Good Attempts | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Situational Decision Making | 21 | 16 -17 | Moderate |
XAT Paper Analysis 2019: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
- This section was slightly tougher than last year’s.
- Few questions were tricky and few of them were a little ambiguous.
- An ideal time to attempt this section would be about 65 – 70 minutes.
| Topic | No. of Ques. | Good Attempts | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 4 | 3 | Easy |
| Algebra | 7 | 4 – 5 | Easy – Moderate |
| Coordinate Geometry + Trigonometry | 4 | 2 – 3 | Moderate |
| Geometry | 4 | 2 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Data Sufficiency | 2 | 1 | Moderate |
| DI (Time Zone) | 3 | 1 | Moderate-Difficult |
| DI (Mixed Graph) | 3 | 2 | Easy – Moderate |
| Total | 27 | 17 – 18 | Easy – Moderate |
XAT Paper Analysis 2019: General Awareness
- The difficulty level was similar to that of last year’s.
- Most of the question were a single statement based.
- Some of the questions had more than one correct statement.
| Topic | No. of Ques. | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| History | 1 | Moderate |
| Geography | 4 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Economy & Business | 7 | Easy – Moderate |
| Current Affairs | 2 | Easy |
| Personality | 3 | Moderate |
| Science & Technology | 2 | Moderate |
| Polity | 2 | Easy |
| Miscellaneous | 2 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Sports | 2 | Easy – Moderate |
| Total | 25 | Moderate |
XAT 2018: Paper Analysis
Considering XAT 2018 was held in online mode, it was marred by a number of connectivity issues. Thus, in an official statement by XLRI, the exam was rescheduled for two of its exam centres (Kolkata & Gurgaon). The exam was of moderate difficulty level.
Section-wise XAT 2018 Analysis
- Quantitative Ability: This section had 27 questions of easy level.
- Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning: This section had 26 questions of moderate level.
- Decision Making: This section had 22 questions that were tricky and time-consuming.
- General Knowledge: This section had 25. About 50% were from current affairs.
XAT Cutoff
The below tables describes the percentage required for different programs of XLRI:
| Program Offered | Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning | Decision Making | Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | Overall (Percentage/ Marks) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Management | 79.46% | 76.84% | 88.7% | 96% |
| Human Resource Management | 79.67% | 71.628% | 70.07% | 92.55% |
| Global Management Programme | 5 marks and above | 5 marks and above | 6 marks above | 22 marks and above |
XAT Analysis (2018/2017/2016)
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Questions | 104 | 98 | 100 |
| Duration | 3 hours | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Mode of Exam | Offline | Offline | Online |
| Type of Questions | MCQs + Descriptive | Same as 2016 | Same as 2016 |
| Answer Options | 5 | Same as 2016 | Same as 2016 |
| Level of Difficulty | High | Moderate to High | Moderate to High |
| Total Sections | 3+2 | Same as 2016 | Same as 2016 |
| Distribution of Questions | VALR – 26DM – 23NA & DI – 29GK – 25 | VALR – 24DM – 21NA & DI – 27GK – 25 | VALR – 26DM – 22NA & DI – 27GK – 25 |
| Special Case | 0.05 marks per question if more than 13 questions were un-attempted | 0.05 marks per question if more than 12 questions were un-attempted | 0.05 marks per question if more than 8 questions were un-attempted |
XAT 2017 Analysis
XAT 2017 Exam took place in the single slot on January 08, 2017 across multiple centres. The Paper was divided into 4 sections – Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning, Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability and General Knowledge. The level of difficulty of the XAT Paper ranged from moderate to high.
While the overall difficulty level of the exam was moderat. Questions in quantitative ability were comparably hard and verbal ability section was slightly easier than the previous years.
Section-wise XAT 2017 Analysis
| Sections | Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal & Logical Ability | 26 | Low to Moderate |
| Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning | 22 | Moderate to High |
| Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability | 27 | High |
| GK | 25 | Moderate |
Read complete XAT 2017 Analysis
XAT 2016 Exam Analysis
XAT had the same structure as expected in XAT 2015. There was a total of 78 questions asked in Section I and 25 questions in Section II. Candidates are advised to stay updated with the basic sciences and current events to score well in General Awareness section of XAT 2017 Exam. However, Marks scored in General Awareness is not included in percentile calculation at the first stage.
Verbal & Logical Ability
Candidates are advised to pay extra attention to questions based on reading comprehension. Comprehensions on the philosophy of approximation and Communication was asked with a maximum number of questions from them. Candidates are suggested to practice and focus on these type of questions a bit more.
| Topic | Number of Questions | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Reading comprehension | 14 | Difficult |
| Vocabulary | 1 | Moderate |
| Para-Jumble | 2 | Easy-Moderate |
| Para-completion | 1 | Easy |
| CR | 7 | Difficult |
| Pronunciation | 1 | Moderate |
Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning
The decision-making section had a similar difficulty level as previous year papers. The only difference was that the passage given for reading and interpretation was smaller in size. This gave the students a chance to score higher marks. Detailed analysis of Questions in Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning is mentioned below.
| Topic | Total Questions in XAT 2016 | Difficulty level in XAT 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Situational | 18 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Mathematical + Analytical reasoning | 5 | 3-Easy 2-Difficult |
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
This section experienced a maximum number of correct attempts than any other section. Quantitative Ability of XAT 2016 was easier as compared to previous year exams. The questions were mainly asked from Algebra, Geometry and Number systems. The cutoff of this section went high because of maximum correct attempts from the section.
XAT 2016 DI questions had 2 sets, the total number of questions were 7. An applicant could easily attempt 2-4 DI questions in 20-25 minutes.
The XAT 2016 Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation section breakup are mentioned below. Candidates are advised to check the section breakup to understand the subject areas from where the questions were asked.
| Topic | Questions in XAT 2016 | Difficulty level |
|---|---|---|
| P & L | 2 | Easy-Moderate |
| TSD, Work | 2 | Easy-Moderate |
| Number System | 2 | Easy-Moderate |
| Algebra | 3 | Easy-Moderate |
| Puzzles | 1 | Easy-Moderate |
| Geometry, Mensuration | 8 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Clocks | 1 | Moderate |
| Trigonometry | 1 | Easy |
| Functions | 1 | Easy |
| Set Theory | 1 | Moderate |
| DI- Table based | 3 | Difficult |
| DI-Combination | 4 | Difficult |
XAT 2016 Part B
General Awareness
XAT 2016 GA Section had questions mainly from Economy, Geography, Science, and Technology. The knowledge of current affairs was tested mainly through Business economics. Most of the questions were statement based. Questions with more than one correct answers were also asked. The overall difficulty level can be stated as “moderate-difficult”. An attempt of 10-11 questions was considered good.
XAT 2015 Paper Analysis
The XAT 2015 exam had 3 sections in part I of the exam. Part II of the XAT 2015 exam had 2 sections. The part I was MCQ based exam. The candidate had to choose an answer from the five options given for each question. The total time duration for the part I was 140 minutes. The time duration for part II of the exam was 40 minutes.
| Section Name XAT 2015 | No. of Questions XAT 2015 | Optimal time per section XAT | Difficulty level | Good attempts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Verbal Ability | 28 | 30 | Moderate-difficult | 14 |
| Quantitative Ability | 33 | 65 | Moderate- difficult | 14 | |
| Decision making | 23 | 45 | Moderate-difficult | 14 | |
| Total | 84 | 140 | — | 42 | |
| Part 2 | General Awareness | 30 | 40 | Easy-Moderate | 15 |
XAT 2015 Part A
Verbal and Logical ability
The logical ability section was relatively tough in XAT 2015 exam. In XAT 2015 there was no Grammar question. The pattern was similar to the previous year exam for this section. The section had 5 Reading comprehension passages. So there was a total of 17 questions in the Reading Comprehension section. Also, 1 question from Vocabulary based cloze test, 1 question from sentence completion and 2 questions from Vocabulary. There were 2 questions each from Para- Jumbles and Para- Completion. The 2 questions out of 3 questions of Critical Reasoning were difficult. The 10 questions in the section were easy and could be attempted with almost 80% accuracy.
Decision Making and Analytical Ability
The questions from decision making were quite difficult and complex to solve. Though the level of questions was relatively simpler than the previous year, candidates found it tough to solve the Decision-making problems. Analytical Ability section was designed to test the candidates’ rational thinking and to judge them on their ability to solve problems over such a topic.
| XAT | XAT CUT OFF | XAT COUNSELLING | XAT SELECTION PROCESS THROUGH XLRI |
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
Quantitative Ability section in XAT paper demands the candidates to solve the problems efficiently and quickly. There were 25 questions in this section in XAT 2015. The questions from Arithmetic were easy and that from Geometry and Algebra were difficult. Problems on directions were also difficult to work with. A candidate on an average could attempt 9-11 questions. The time of 35-40 minutes was assumed sufficient.
The DI section had 2 sets in which there were 4 questions each. The graphical question was easy while the table based question required intensive calculation. In the time duration of 20-25 minutes, 3-5 DI questions could be done easily.
XAT 2015 Part B
General Knowledge
The GK section of XAT 2015 was difficult as compared to XAT 2014. There were 30 questions in the section consisting of two questions from History and 6 from Geography. There were 6 questions on Economy which were difficult. There were 7 questions based on Current Affairs and 4 questions on Sports. Five questions with moderate difficulty level were asked. An attempt of 12-14 questions could get an applicant a score of 8-10 questions.
XAT 2014 Paper Analysis
The XAT 2014 exam turned out to be difficult from its previous edition. There was a decrease in the number of questions that were given. The total number of questions was 83 in XAT 2014 and the total time allotted to attempt the questions was 150 minutes. In 140 minutes the candidate could complete the 3 main sections and in last 10 minutes the GK section.
A pattern shift was observed in XAT 2014 which was followed in later on in XAT 2015 and XAT 2016. XAT 2017 exam is also supposed to be conducted along the same lines.
| XAT 2014 PAPERS | SECTION NAME XAT 2014 | NUMBER OF QUESTIONS XAT 2014 | DIFFICULTY LEVEL |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAPER 1 | VERBAL ABILITY | 28 | MODERATE |
| DECISION MAKING | 24 | MODERATE TO TOUGH | |
| QUANTITATIVE ABILITY | 31 | TOUGH | |
| TOTAL | 83 | MODERATE-TOUGH | |
| PAPER 2 | GENERAL AWARENESS | 20 | EASY-MODERATE |
XAT 2014 Part A
Verbal Ability
There was a total of 28 questions of moderate- tough difficulty level partly due to the subject matter. A new type of questions was introduced with the main objective to test the fundamental understanding of the candidate’s critical reasoning. The vocabulary was tested through Fill in The Blanks type of questions.
Questions on Grammar were also asked, which were rather simple as compared to the rest of the paper. Reading Comprehension passages were set and designed to test candidates’ ability to reason and infer from the matter in the subject.
Sectional Analysis of Verbal Ability is mentioned below
| VA Question description / Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| RC | 15 |
| VR | 4 |
| Grammar | 2 |
| Sentence Rearrangement | 2 |
| Sentence completion | 5 |
Decision making
The Decision-making section had 24 questions in total. At least 14 questions were easy enough to be attempted and a score of 9 marks was easy to obtain. Candidate’s with logical reasoning aptitude scored well in this section.
Quantitative Ability
The section was difficult with very moderate questions. There were no direct problems and candidates had a tough time doing it. The graphs were also very difficult. A lot of calculation based questions were seen in the section. Most of the questions from this section required a sound knowledge of the topic. Sectional analysis of Quantitative Ability is mentioned below.
| Quantitative Ability Topics | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Algebra and Functions | 2 |
| Number System | 5 |
| Geometry | 9 |
| Average | 1 |
| Arithmetic sequence | 1 |
| Ratio and proportion | 1 |
| Probability | 2 |
| Tables | 6 |
| Line Graphs | 3 |
| Logarithms | 1 |
The good attempts for the section came around 8 and the achievable score was 6. A candidate with more practice could score more.
XAT 2014 Part B
General Awareness
The GK section in XAT 2014 was a little difficult. The questions were random in nature and came from different topics. Questions on national and international awards were asked. Apart from these, questions came from world Geography and history. Stats based questions were also asked. A well-read person would be able to attempt at least 10-12 questions easily.