Attention, candidates! The registration process for the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2020 has started on 23rd August 2019, and the examination will be held on Sunday, 5th January 2020. Register your names with the requisite fees of Rs.1700/- by 30th November 2019. You can register with an added late fee of Rs.300/- from 1st to 7th December 2019.
XAT is an entrance test, conducted annually at the national level. 150 institutes accept the XAT score and admit the qualifying candidates in their postgraduate management programmes. The examination will be held across 71 test centres (cities) with about 75,000 examinees (approx.). From last year’s 45 test centres, there has been a massive boost in the number of test centres, with another 26 cities added to facilitate and accommodate the examinees better than before.
You can download your admit cards from the official website of XAT (xatonline.in) till 3rd January 2020. This time, XLRI Jamshedpur will be the conductor of the examination. As per the authorities, the test centre can be changed till 30th November 2019.
For an easier understanding, we have created a table below to give you an overview of the XAT 2020:
| Name of the examination | Xavier Aptitude Test, also referred to as XAT |
| Conducting body | XLRI Jamshedpur |
| Type of examination | National Level Post-Graduate exam |
| Purpose of the Test | To qualify for admission to XLRI and 150+ B-schools |
| Mode of the Exam | Online (Computer-based) |
| Duration of the Exam | 3 hours |
| No. of Test Takers per year | Approx. 75,000 |
| Exam Pattern | Both objective and subjective questions are there |
| Negative Marking | Yes (0.25 marks or 1/4th of the total marks for each wrong answer) |
| XAT 2020 Convener | To be notified soon (XAT 2019 Convener – Fr Antony Uvari) |
| Programmes Offered by XLRI | Business Management (BM), Human Resource Management (HRM), Global Business Management (GBM) and General Management Programme (GMP) |
| Number of Test Centres (Cities) | 71 |
XAT Preparation 2020
Next in the queue is the chart of some essential key dates you need to keep in mind:
| Events | Important Dates |
| XAT 2020 Notification | August 23, 2019 |
| Application process starts on | August 23, 2019 |
| Application Process ends on (without late fee) | November 30, 2019 |
| Last date for changing XAT test centre (city) | November 30, 2019 |
| Late application deadline (with late fee) | December 1-7, 2019 |
| Admit card availability | December 20, 2019 onwards |
| XAT 2020 Mock Test Release | First week of January 2020 |
| XAT 2020 Exam | January 5, 2020 (9:30 AM-12:30 PM) |
| XAT Official Answer Key and release of candidate response sheet | Second week of January 2020 |
| Objection filing w.r.t. XAT Answer key | Second week of January 2020 |
| XAT 2020 Result | January 31, 2019 |
| XAT 2020 Cutoff | Third week of January 2020 |
With the general introduction done, the remaining important points are listed below:
Eligibility criteria of XAT 2020
The aspirants for management department appearing in XAT 2020 must fulfil the eligibility criteria as stated by XLRI Jamshedpur:
- The candidate must have a bachelor’s degree of at least 3 years in any discipline from a recognized board or university.
- Graduation students of final year can apply for XAT 2020 as well, provided, they graduate by June of 2020.
- The XLRI has declared no specific age limit under the eligibility criteria of the XAT 2019.
- Non-Resident Indians or foreign national candidates also have the provision of applying for XAT through their GMAT scores.
Stay connected with fellow students on PaGaLGuY for XAT 2019 | XLRI 2019 – Admit Card, Exam, Result
Pattern of examination
The online test of XAT 2020 includes four sections, as mentioned in the table below, explaining the pattern of the exam. The section of Essay writing was taken off the paper last year.
| Name of Sections | No. of Questions | Duration |
| Verbal and Logical Ability (VA & LR) | 74 | 180 minutes/ 3 hours |
| Decision Making (DM) | ||
| Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI) | ||
| General Knowledge (GK) | 25 |
Each question will carry one mark. In case of an incorrect answer, ¼ of the marks allotted per question will be deducted. There is also negative marking of 0.10 marks for unattempted questions.
Selection process
The selection of XAT 2020 will begin after the result and cut-off are announced. Note: the selection process may vary from one college to another. It is usually a two-step procedure.
First, candidates are shortlisted as per their XAT score and cut-off. The shortlisted candidates are then called for Writing Ability Test (WAT) or essay writing or group activity/discussion and personal interview.
Some institutes conduct GD and PI while others go through WAT and PI for the final selection. Criteria like previous academic records, work experience, may also be considered by the B-schools.
It’s high time you start preparing for one of the most competitive exams of the year, which will open your MBA avenues.
Good luck!