XAT 2025 paper analysis: Exam moderate to difficult, cut-offs expected to be lower than last year; check analysis here

As per the paper analysis by Supergrads-Toprankers, the cut-off for XAT 2025 is expected to be a little lower as compared to previous year.

XLRI - Xavier School of Management conducted the Xavier Aptitude Test or XAT 2025 on January 5, 2025. The examination, conducted across 110 cities between 2 PM to 5 PM, consisted of two parts- Part I and 2. The Part I sections included Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VA & LR), Decision Making (DM) and Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI), whereas Part 2 consisted of General Knowledge (GK).

Check the detailed paper analysis of XAT 2025 here. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/ Representational image)

Now, how difficult was the paper? To get an insight of XAT 2025, we have a detailed paper analysis by experts from Supergrads-Toprankers who said the overall difficulty level of the examination was moderate to high. Besides, the overall paper was doable despite changes in the XAT exam pattern this year as compared to XAT 2024.

“An overall attempt of 46-48 questions with a high degree of accuracy is anticipated to be competitive. The cut-off for XAT 2025 is expected to be a little lower as compared to previous year's paper," said Karan Mehta, the co-founder of Toprankers.

This year, there were a few surprising elements in XAT 2025. These include:

• Introduction of Probability based questions in the QA section.

• Cartoon-based DI question from New York Times (Image was given in a critical reasoning questions).

• There was no question of Time & Work was asked in QA.

Additionally, the new pattern of XAT exam consisted of only 4 sections with overall 95 questions asked in MCQs format. There was no essay writing section, and the questions asked in the GK section were reduced to 20 from 25.

Section-wise analysis

Following is the section-wise analysis of XAT 2025:

1. The Decision Making section was moderate to difficult in terms of difficulty. Several questions ranged from moderate to challenging. Candidates who attempted 12-14 questions with accuracy are expected to score well in this segment.

2. The Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) section was comparatively more accessible than the previous year, featuring a greater number of straightforward questions. A good number of attempts for these sections is 16-18 questions.

3. The Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI) section scaled moderate to difficult in the difficulty level. Topics included Linear Equations, Coordinate Geometry, Mensuration, and Data Interpretation sets. An attempt of 17-18 questions with high accuracy would be considered commendable.

4. The General Knowledge (GK) section featured questions of easy to moderate difficulty, encompassing a static and current event. Good attempts for GK sections are 10-11 questions.