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XAT Examination Guide: XAT Exam Pattern 2020
XAT 2020 Exam Pattern
The XAT exam pattern for the 2020 exam remains unchanged and it is the same as last years. The question paper includes four sections – Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge. Each section will have a total of 22-27 questions in MCQ format. XAT 2020 will be conducted in online mode and for a total duration of three hours. Here’s all you need to know about the XAT exam pattern 2020.
XAT Exam Pattern 2020: Highlights
XAT exam is conducted as an online examination. The XAT question paper consists of about 99-100 MCQs to be answered in 180 minutes. Here are the key points of the XAT exam pattern.
| Exam Structure | Details |
| Number of sections | 4 (Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge) |
| Duration of exam | 180 minutes |
| Number of questions | 99-100 |
| XAT Exam Total Marks | 100 |
| Language of paper | English |
| Number of answer choices | 4 |
| Mode of examination | Online |
| XAT Marking scheme | +1 mark for the correct answer – 0.25 marks for an incorrect answer 0.10 marks will be deducted for more than 8 un-attempted questions No negative marking in the GK section |
Section Wise XAT Exam Pattern
XAT 2020 question paper will have 100 questions in MCQ format spread over four sections. The table below indicates a section-wise break-up of questions and marks allotted.
| Sections | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
| Decision Making | 21 | 21 |
| Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | 26 |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation | 27 | 27 |
| General Knowledge | 25 | 25 |
| Total | 99 | 99 |
XAT Marking Scheme
- One mark is scored for each correct answer
- 25 marks will be reduced for each incorrect answer
- -0.10 marks will be deducted if more than eight questions are unanswered
- The General Knowledge section has no negative marking
- The scores earned in the General Knowledge section will not be considered for calculating the XAT score
XAT Exam Pattern Over the Years
The XAT question paper has not undergone many changes in the last six years, apart from the removal of the essay writing section in 2019. The table below gives a comparison of the XAT exam pattern and difficulty level of the questions over the last six years.
| Exam Year | Total Number of Questions | Section-wise number of questions | Marking Scheme | Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XAT 2019 | 99 | VARC: 26 | +1 for each right answer | Moderate to difficult |
| DM: 21 | -0.25 for each wrong answer | |||
| QA & DI: 27 | -0.5 for more than eight unanswered questions | |||
| GK: 25 | ||||
| XAT 2018 | 97 | VARC: 24 | +1 for each right answer | Moderate to difficult |
| DM: 21 | -0.25 for each wrong answer; | |||
| QA & DI: 27 | -0.5 for more than 12 unanswered questions | |||
| GK: 25 | ||||
| One essay topic | ||||
| XAT 2017 | 97 | VARC: 24 | +1 for each right answer | Moderate to difficult |
| DM: 21 | -0.25 for each wrong answer; | |||
| QA & DI: 27 | -0.5 for more than 12 unanswered questions | |||
| GK: 25 | ||||
| One essay topic | ||||
| XAT 2016 | 103 | VARC: 26 | +1 for each right answer | Moderate to difficult |
| DM: 23 | -0.25 for each wrong answer; | |||
| QA & DI: 29 | -0.5 for more than 13 unanswered questions | |||
| GK: 25 | ||||
| One essay topic | ||||
| XAT 2015 | 114 | VARC: 28 | +1 for each right answer | Moderate to difficult |
| DM: 23 | -0.25 for each wrong answer | |||
| QA & DI: 33 | ||||
| GK: 30 | ||||
| One essay topic | ||||
| XAT 2014 | 113 | VARC: 28 | +1 for each right answer | Moderate to difficult |
| DM: 24 | -0.25 for each wrong answer | |||
| QA & DI: 31 | ||||
| GK: 30 | ||||
| One essay topic |
XAT 2019 Question Paper Pattern and Analysis
Given below is the section-wise breakup of the XAT 2019 question paper and the difficulty level of each question type. Also, listed below is the analysis of the XAT exam paper for the last five years. Read on to understand the pattern and difficulty level of the exam.
Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning
This section was quite difficult in general. This section had maximum questions from Reading Comprehension with a total of four passages and three questions each. Overall, this section was time-consuming and lengthy. Here’s a break-up of the Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning section:
| Topic | Number of Questions | Difficulty |
| Reading Comprehension | 12(4 passages of 3 questions each) | Moderate-Difficult |
| CR | 5 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Poem Comprehension | 2 | Difficult |
| Analogy | 1 | Difficult |
| Antonym | 1 | Moderate |
| Para-Jumble – 5 sentence | 2 | Moderate |
| FIB-3 blanks | 3 | Difficult |
| Total | 26 | Difficult |
Decision Making and Analytical Reasoning
This section in last year’s paper was of moderate difficulty and it included three caselets and no singlets. Eighteen questions were on situational decision-making. The break-up of this section is given below:
| Topic | Number of Questions | Difficulty |
| Situational | 21 | Moderate |
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
This section was also quite tough and it included a complicated DI set and a few vague questions. Here is the break-up of the QA & DI section:
| Topic | Number of Questions | Difficulty |
| Arithmetic | 4 | Easy |
| Algebra | 7 | Easy-Moderate |
| Co-Ordinate Geometry + Trigonometry | 4 | Moderate |
| Geometry | 4 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Data Sufficiency | 2 | Moderate |
| DI (Time Zone) | 3 | Moderate-Difficult |
| DI (Mixed Graph) | 3 | Easy-Moderate |
General Knowledge
This section was similar to XAT 2018 in terms of its difficulty levels. The break-up of this section is given below:
| Topics | Number of Questions | Difficulty |
| History | 1 | Moderate |
| Geography | 4 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Economy & Business | 7 | Easy-Moderate |
| Current Affairs | 2 | Easy |
| Personality & Awards | 3 | Moderate |
| Science & Tech | 2 | Moderate |
| Polity | 2 | Easy |
| Miscellaneous | 2 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Sports | 2 | Easy-Moderate |
| Total | 25 | Moderate |
FAQs Regarding XAT Exam Pattern
Q: Can I answer the questions in XAT in any sequence?
A: Yes, you can choose to answer questions in any sequence, of your choice.
Q: How much time has been allotted for each section of XAT?
A: There is no time limit for each section in XAT. All the 100 questions have to be answered within 180 minutes.
Q: Is there an option to preview my answers before submitting my test?
A: Yes, you can preview the answers before submitting your test by clicking on ‘Preview Submit’ in the XAT question paper.
Q: What will happen if I do not answer a question in XAT?
A: There is no negative marking for unanswered questions, but if you leave more than eight questions unanswered, 0.5 marks will be deducted.
Q: Which section of XAT 2020 exam paper will have maximum questions?
A: The maximum number of questions will be from the Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation section – 27 questions. The Verbal and Logical Ability section – 26 questions. GK section has 25 questions and Decision Making has 22 questions.
Q: Is XAT conducted in offline mode too?
A: No. Since 2018, the XAT exam is conducted in online mode alone.
Q: Are there any changes in the XAT 2020 exam pattern from last year?
A: The XAT exam pattern for this year remains unchanged. It is same as the previous year.
Q: What is the marking scheme followed in XAT 2020?
A: For each correct answer 1 mark is scored. The entire question paper is scored on a total of 100 marks.
Q: Is there negative marking in XAT?
A: Yes, for every incorrect answer 0.25 marks will be deducted.
Q: What are the important topics of Quant in XAT?
A: Some of the important topics of Quant are Algebra, Geometry, Co-ordinate Geometry, Number System, Probability, Mixtures, Arithmetic Sequences, Tables Chart, Multiple Graph, Percentage, Profit and Loss, Interest, Average, Logarithm, etc.
Q: What is the format of questions in XAT?
A: The questions in XAT will be in MCQ format and there will be four options to choose the correct answer from.
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