XAT Syllabus 2025 - Download Section Wise Syllabus PDF, Best Books to Prepare

Xavier Aptitude Test

Last Date to Apply
05th December, 2025

Ravi Upadhyay
Ravi Upadhyay

Table of Content

The XAT 2025 Syllabus is given and set by XLRI. The syllabus is same as last year, and includes topics from Quantitative Aptitude, Decision making, Logical & Verbal Ability, General Knowledge, and Essay Writing. Essay Writing was re-introduced as a part of the exam in 2023 by XLRI Jamshedpur.

The decision making, essay writing, and general knowledge sections make the XAT exam difficult to crack as compared to the other MBA exams. The candidates require a different skill set to ace these sections and the overall XAT exam. This page covers the entire XAT exam syllabus and the weightage each part carries along with the reference books.

XAT Syllabus Highlights

Refer to the below table to check the important highlights of the XAT Exam Syllabus.

XAT SectionsNumber of QuestionsFormatNegative Marking
Quantitative Aptitude28MCQYes
Logical & Verbal Reasoning26MCQYes
Decision Making22MCQYes
General Knowledge25MCQNo

XAT Exam Pattern

To understand the XAT syllabus, it is also important for the applicants to understand the XAT 2025 Exam Pattern. Refer to the below table to check the XAT Exam Pattern 2025.

XAT SectionsNumber of QuestionsTotal Marks
Decision Making2121
Verbal and Logical Ability2626
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation2828
General Knowledge2020

XAT Exam Pattern Highlights

XAT Exam StructureXAT Exam Details
Number of sections4(Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge)
XAT time limit3 hours (180 minutes)
Number of questions95
Total marks95
Number of answer choicesFive
Mode of examinationOnline
XAT marking scheme
  • +1 mark for correct answer
  • - 0.25 marks for incorrect answer
  • - 0.10 marks for more than 8 consecutive un-attempted questions
  • No negative marking in GK section

XAT Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation

The XAT Quant and DI Syllabus is vast and often considered the most difficult section. The section has 28 questions with a negative marking scheme. Candidates are advised to go through the section thoroughly and check the syllabus given below.

Topics Covered - QA & DI

PercentageTables and CaseletsLinear and Quadratics Equations
Profit and LossProbabilitySurds and Indices
Ratio and ProportionCritical PathInequalities
VariationAverages and PartnershipsLogarithms
Time and WorkAlligations and MixturesNumbers
Time, Speed and DistanceAlgebraMensuration
LCM and HCFSimple and Compound InterestGeometry
Pure MathsVenn DiagramTrigonometry
Data TablesData ChartsBar Diagrams
GraphsPie ChartsData Analysis

XAT Syllabus for Logical & Verbal Reasoning

The VALR sections assesses the candidates on English & Grammar skills. The questions are asked from Reading Comprehension and grammar based knowledge. Check the complete syllabus below. The section covers 26 questions in total.

Topics Covered - Verbal & Logical Ability

Reading ComprehensionFill in the BlanksAntonyms/Synonyms
Jumbled ParagraphsContextual Usage of VocabularyCorrection of Errors in Sentence
Word UsageSentence CompletionParagraph Completion

XAT Syllabus for Decision Making

The DM section is a complex section and the questions are based on case studies. Candidates need to improve their critical thinking and problem solving abilities. The syllabus and topics covered are given below.

Topics Covered - Decision Making

Analytical ReasoningLogical ReasoningComplex Arrangement
Data ArrangementCaseletsConditions and Grouping
SituationsAssumptionsDecision Making

XAT Syllabus for General Knowledge

For the GK section there is no defined syllabus and the candidates can refer to the below table to check the syllabus for the GK section.

Topics Covered - General Knowledge

Awards and winnersHistory and GeographyStatic GK
Business and PoliticsConstitution of IndiaPersonalities
Government and EconomyWorld EventsCurrent Affairs

XAT Preparation Tips

Preparing for the XAT exam can be overwhelming and requires a lot of dedication. The best way is to start as early as 6 months before the exam, so that all the topics can be covered and the candidates have enough time to revise the syllabus. The last few days should be dedicated to tracking the progress made, and solving mock tests. Below are the links to help you prepare for the XAT 2025 exam.

XAT Preparation Tips and Techniques
XAT Preparation TipsXAT Study Material
XAT 2025 PreparationBest Books to prepare for the XAT exam
How to prepare for XAT in 6 monthsHow to prepare for XAT in 3 months

XAT Best Preparation Books 2024

Finding the right books to prepare for the XAT exam with no specific syllabus is crucial. It is important to choose the right books and at the same time it is also essential to not follow too many different books for a single subject. Below is the list of a few best books to prepare for XAT exam.

BookAuthor/Publisher
High School English GrammarWren and Martin
A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal ReasoningR.S. Aggarwal
Verbal Ability & Reading ComprehensionAjay Singh
9th and 10th Grammar Books-
A Modern Approach to Logical ReasoningR.S. Aggarwal
Data Interpretation & Logical ReasoningGautam Puri
Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive ExaminationsRS Aggarwal
Quantitative Aptitude for All Competitive ExaminationsAbhijit Guha

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the weightage of GK Section in XAT Exam?

The General Knowledge of XAT Exam will consist of 25 questions. 1 mark is awarded for every question answered correctly. Candidates are advised to attempt this section in the end and they should not allot more than 15 minutes to this section.

Is XAT Exam easy?

XAT is one of the toughest MBA Exams after CAT Exam. The only difference is in the sections and topics asked in the paper. CAT Exam does not consist of General Knowledge and Decision Making sections while XAT does.

Is General Knowledge section is considered in XAT Exam?

The General Knowledge section of XAT Exam is not considered for sectional cutoff or XAT Percentile Calculation but it is taken into account at the time of admission.

Is there Essay Writing in XAT Exam?

Yes. The Essay Writing section was omitted from XAT Question Paper in the last year but as per the recent notification, the section will be reintroduced in XAT Exam Pattern.

In how many months I can complete XAT Exam Syllabus?

A proper time duration of six to nine months with rigorous preparation. The minimum time required to complete the Syllabus of XAT Exam is 5 months.

Where can I find the study material for Decision Making section of XAT Exam?

Decision Making study material of XAT Exam is not readily available as this is one uncommon section asked in the exam. The best way to prepare for this section is to go through XAT Previous Year Question Papers.

Are Scatter Points included in the syllabus?

Yes, Scatter Plots are included in the XAT Syllabus 2025 for Quantitative ability and data interpretation. It is to be noted that there is no official format for the XAT syllabus. It is based on the past year’s papers.

Does XAT provide official mock tests?

Yes, XAT offers official mock test. The official XAT mock test is released after the admit cards are issued and is accessible to registered candidates only.

Can I prepare for XAT with the help of CAT study material?

Yes, since the syllabus of XAT and CAT are similar, one can prepare for both exams from the same study material. The candidates will have to study separately only for Decision Making section of XAT as this section is not a part of CAT syllabus.

Where can I find study material for the Decision Making section of the exam?

Since Decision Making section is unique to XAT, study material for the same in not readily available, thus the best source is previous years’ question papers of XAT exam.

Are the RC passages of XAT exam tough?

Yes, the RC passages of XAT exam are tougher than that of other MBA entrance exams, but if the candidate is in habit of reading English newspapers and journals, they can handle RC passages well.

What is the duration of the exam?

Candidates will get a total of 180 minutes (3 hours) to solve the entire question paper of XAT 2025. For the essay writing section, there will be an additional 10 minutes.

How many months are required to complete the syllabus for XAT realistically?

Ideally, XAT preparation takes six to nine months, but if candidates have prepared for CAT too, XAT preparation be done in lesser time as one will have to only work on Decision Making and GK topics. Time required to complete the XAT syllabus is minimum th

How do I calculate my XAT 2025 score?

Your XAT 2025 score is determined by adding the raw scores obtained in each individual section, with +1 for a correct answer, -0.25 for an incorrect answer, and 0 for unanswered questions.

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