XAT 2020 Result (Declared), Scorecard, Cut off, and Counselling

XLRI Jamshedpur conducted XAT 2020 on January 5 in online mode in a single session for 3 hours. Results for the 2020 session have been declared in the form of Scorecard by XLRI on January 16, 2020 at xatonline.in. XAT Score Cards are valid till December 31, 2020.

XAT 2020 is one of the last exams in the MBA entrance test season and a bright opportunity for candidates disappointed with other management entrance exams like CAT to make through other leading B schools like Xaviers management schools, SP Jain, TAPMI, IMT, MICA etc. There are approximately 700 B-Schools, which are offering MBA/PGDM programs, once the aspirants complete their XAT 2020 exam. 

Candidates can Download the 2020 session Scorecard by using their login credentials (XAT 2020 Registration Id and DoB.)

• Registration for XAT 2020 session closed on December 10, 2019. Around 80,000 candidates appeared for the aptitude test.
• Flow of applicants towards XAT has increased in the past few years, leading to more number of exam centers from 46 to 72 this year.
•  Unlike other MBA entrances, XAT inclines towards testing verbal and decision making skills of the aspirants. Decision making and General Awareness are two striking elements in XAT. There is no sectional time limit in XAT as well. 

Taking about the XAT Exam Pattern it has undergone a lot of changes in recent times. XAT 2019 was conducted online for the first time, given below are a few of the changes the management exam has undergone. It is useful for candidates to get a hold on the essence of paper and make a difference with the rest of MBA entrances. 

Know How to Prepare for XAT 2020?

XAT 2020 Highlights

Eligibility Criteria of XAT 2020

In order to appear in the XAT 2020 exam, you require to meet the below mentioned eligibility crietria:

• The applicants should have either a three years bachelor degree or an equivalent coursework from any recognised university.
• The final year students (who are waiting for their results) can also apply for the XAT 2020 exam. 
• Apart from the Indian students, the foreign students can also apply for XAT 2020 with their GMAT score. This eligibility criteria is not applicable for the students of Kathmandu and Dubai, since XAT exam centres are available there.
• Age is no bar, hence, everybody can apply for the XAT 2020 exam.

XAT 2020 Exam dates

Some of the essential dates related to the XAT 2020 exam are highlighted in the following table. These dates will be released in the official website of the exam that is xatonline.in. 

Program Eligibility for XAT 2020 Exam

The candidates are able to apply for several course works in one attempt. If the applicants apply for multiple programs, then they must be called for several group discussion or interview rounds. 

Application Process of XAT 2020

The XAT 2020 registration process will be started from August third week and will be continued till December second week, 2020. If you want to complete the registration process, you should visit the official website, xatonline.in. Read the following instructions to find the necessary steps:

Step 1: XAT 2020 Registration

• Go to the official website of XAT 2020 Exam that is xatonline.in
• Select the ‘Registration’ tab option and submit the personal information of the candidate like name, date of birth, contact number and email id.
• Once you submit the above mentioned details, you will get a XAT ID and password to your registered phone number and in your email.
• Do not forget to save your XAT ID and password for further requirements. 

Step 2: Submit the XAT 2020 Application Form

• Provide both your personal and academic information in detail. In addition, you have to fill the important sections like work experience, exam centre (preferable), and preferred course work. 
• You are advised to preview your form once, before you are going to submit. If you read it, you can click the ‘Final Submit’ option. 

Step 3: Upload the Documents

Find the following table to get the detailed information about the scanned photograph and signature of the candidates.

Step 4: XAT 2020 Fee Payment process

• The applicants require to pay the exam fee through online mode such as debit cards (Visa/Maestro/Master Card/RuPay) or Credit Cards or internet banking.
• XAT 2020 registration fee (without late) is 1700. The candidates should pay 300 INR extra if they need to enrol their names for XLRI program.
• XAT 2020 registration fee(with late) is 2000 INR. The candidates should pay 500 INR extra if they need to enrol their names for XLRI program.
• If the Indian applicants apply for GMP through GMAT, then they need to pay 2500 INR. 
• Lastly, the Foreign or NRI candidates have to pay 5000 INR for one or multiple programs through GMAT. 

Step 5: Download the Confirmation Page

• Once you complete your online payment process, you have to download the XAT 2020 Application form and then need to keep the e-receipt of the fee payment.
• Do not forget to print out the receipt for further requirements.

If you face any problem or difficulty related to the online payment process, then you can contact them by ringing to the helpdesk number that is 18002674008 (from 8 AM to 8 PM IST)

XAT 2020 Admit Card

XAT 2020 admit card will be issued from the third week of December, 2020. In order to download the admit card, the applicants need to visit the official website, xatonline.in. For downloading the admit card, you should only require to provide the password and student’s XAT ID. 

Once you download the admit card, you can get the exam centre, date, tinings, candidate’s detailed information along with the exam instructions. If you find any discrepancy in admit card with your submitted data, you need to resolve it, otherwise it will be difficult for you to appear in the exam). You should keep the XAT 2020 admit card safely until your admission process is completed.

Steps to Download the XAT 2020 Admit Card

• Visit xatonline.in and log in the page
• Do provide your registration number, password and date of birth.
• Now, a screen will open and you will be able to download your admit card (it will be available in PDF format).
• You are advised to print out the hard copy of the admit card for several purposes. 

What Are the Essential Documents Required with XAT 2020 Admit Card

The candidates not only require to carry the admit card, but also, they need to carry some of the other essential documents with them, these are:

• Aadhar card of the candidates
• Voter ID card
• Passport
• PAN card
• Driving License
• Photo ID proof

Exam Centres of the XAT 2020 

It is already mentioned that students will get the opportunity to choose their preferable exam centre during the time of registration XAT 2020. The exam centres will be published in the official brochure by XLRI Jamshedpur. 

XAT Exam Structure: Changes over the Years

Compared to other competitive exams XAT is considered a notch above when it comes to difficult levels. In order to ensure acceptability XAT over the past few years has reduced the number of questions along with difficulty level.

The same pattern was followed in subsequent years. XAT 2019 saw removal of Essay type questions and reduction in time duration. There was also a decline in the level of difficulty as well. Keeping in mind such constant changes, it is necessary to have a holistic view on the XAT 2020 exam pattern.

XAT 2020 Exam Pattern

It is a 180 minute long paper consisting of two parts to evaluate candidates' aptitude and general awareness. Part 1 consists of 74 questions on Verbal/Logical ability, Decision Making and Quantitative Aptitude is to be attempted in 165 minutes. Part 2 contains 25 questions on General Awareness with a time limit of 15 minutes.

XAT 2020 Marking Scheme and Time Allocation

The XAT 2020 questions will carry equal weightage marks irrespective of the difficulty of the questions. However, you will not be negatively marked in case of incorrect answers (this is applicable for only general knowledge section). In addition, the marks of this section will not be added with the overall marks. 

Nevertheless, you will be deducted by -.25 marks for every single incorrect answer of the other sections. If you do not attempt more than eight questions, then you will get a deduction of 0.05 mark for each wrong answer. 

XAT 2020 Syllabus

Getting Familiar with the type of questions to be asked is the essence to crack management entrance exams. Thus along with the exam pattern, knowing XAT syllabus is essential. 

• Section 1: Verbal Ability and Logical Ability Consist mainly of critical reasoning, parajumbles, sentence completion-correction and reading comprehension. Vocabulary questions are also asked in this section. A target of 16-18 questions out of 26 should be set. 
• Section 2: Decision Making has behavioral and mathematical decision making questions. Data is given in the form of a passage describing a situation. Answers have to suggest a desired action in the provided situation. A good number of 16-18 questions should be attempted out of 21.
• Section 3: Quantitative Ability has questions from areas like arithmetic, number system, algebra geometry. A decent command on quants should land you up in attempting 20 out of 27 questions asked. General Knowledge is not included in determining the overall percentile but is a paramount section in XAT paper. A low score in GK can function negatively for you. 

For General Knowledge Candidates should refer to General Knowledge by Manohar Pandey and XAT 2020 Simplified by Dsha Experts. Along with these Newspapers (The Hindu, Economic Times etc) reading on a daily basis is a healthy practice. Apart from Books, certain magazines like Business Line, Business Chronicle etc. 

XAT 2020 Preparation Strategy

Past few years Reading comprehension has comprised a major portion in Verbal and Logical Ability. Though not long enough, they are inferential and difficult to articulate. Candidates should try to attempt para jumbles, sentence completion and lighter questions and then switch to RC. Emphasise on understanding the passage and demand of questions rather than going through the passage again and again.

Decision Making is a unique section in XAT compared to other management exams. Questions test the understanding of decisions as well, thus applying the elimination theory. On a fair, legal and completely objective basis. Also, mathematical decision making should be considered as Data Interpretation but should be attempted after the behavioral questions are done. Analyse-think a possible answer-Eliminate the incorrect option is the go to way for decision making section. 

With a decreasing level of difficulty XAT Quantitative Aptitude is almost at the same level of CAT. Practicing past papers is essential for acing the exam. Solve sample papers weekly in a time restraint manner. As the XAT exam pattern kept on evolving, cue for the type of questions should be taken. A mock test is beneficial to formulate a strategy and identify areas to be worked upon. 

Time allocation: Spending time on each section depends on the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate. As every candidate is not equally comfortable with all the sections. On a neutral note equal time should be allocated to all the three sections in Part 1 that is 55 minutes each. In case any section specific is your strength try to spend additional few minutes on it. 

XAT 2020 Result 

Aptitude scores obtained by the candidate are a basic parameter for the institutes to shortlist candidates for the second round of selection. There are sectional as well as overall cutoffs by certain big institutes like XLRI, SP Jain and XIMB. Most of the B schools prepare their final merit list based on XAT score only. GD/PI rounds will be conducted in the month of February after release of XAT 2020 Result on January 16 on official website xatonline.in

XAT 2020 Answer Key and Question Paper-Prior to the release of result and score card, XLRI releases answer key along with the question paper for candidates to evaluate for themselves. In case of any discrepancy, candidates have the opportunity to raise objections. XAT score is calculated by the number of attempted, unattempted and correct answers. The following formula is undertaken: 

XAT Raw Score to Percentile is converted into percentile, the process for which is not disclosed by XLRI. Scores are calculated based on the marking scheme but shortlisting of candidates takes place based on percentile gained. 

If aiming for XLRI BM, a double digit score in each section should be acquired with an overall score of more than 35. Percentile is calculated on the basis of 2 sections only Verbal ability, Quantitative Aptitude and DEcision making. General Awareness is not considered in final scoring, but is definitely undertaken by institutes to shortlist desired candidates at interview stage.

XAT Score Vs Percentile

Steps to Download XAT 2020 Result

• Open the official website, xatonline.in
• Select the result tab and then provide the login ID and password
• Click the result to check the section wise marks
• Take a print out of the scorecard for future use

XAT 2020 Answer Key

• The candidates will find the answer key along with the response key in the XAT official website once the result will be released. You need to enter your XAT 2020 credentials such as the login ID and password. 
• By logging to the site, the applicants can download their answer key and response key both. 
• In order to claim your answer, you should select the ‘objection form’ taband fill the essential details like question paper (section name), question ID, Correct answer in contrast to the answer key and the evidence for supporting your claim. 

XAT 2020 Toppers

The XAT 2020 result was released on 16th January, 2020. Though, a lot of students get scores of more than 90 percentile, nonetheless, no one gets a perfect 100 percentile score. The names of the top rankers are mentioned in the following table:

XAT 2020 Cut off

XAT cut off is released by respective colleges, candidates have to check the same for the colleges they applied for. Once candidates have cleared the cut off they will be called for subsequent rounds of Group Discussion and personal Interview. Factors that determine the cut off are:

• Total number of applicants applied and appeared for the examination
• Difficulty level of the question paper
• Total number of seats available for each program and candidates applied for it
• Slightly dependent on previous years cut off trends

XAT 2019 Cut off for XLRI Programs (Sectional cut off as per category)

XAT 2020 Expected Cut off

XAT 2020 Selection Procedure

B Schools accepting XAT score do not rest on the aptitude score only. The next step is the GD/Essay and PI round. The shortlisting process varies from each institute. Generally these steps are undertaken:

1. Business Management Program: Group Discussion and Personal Interview.
2. Human Resource Management: Case Discussion/Exercise in Groups and Personal Interview.

Selection of questions to be attempted is a very crucial aspect of XAT compared to other exams. Accuracy needs to be focussed rather than a number of questions attempted. XAT in a few years has experienced low cut offs, targeted percentile should be 80 for verbal ability, 80 for decision making, 90 for quants and overall 95 percentile should work in favour of candidates to expect a call from XIMB, SP Jain and other top B schools accepting XAT 2020 scores.

XAT 2020 Seat Intake

The below mentioned table shows the seat intake of XAT 2020 exam and the respective fees of the colleges:

Score Normalisation Process of XAT 2020 Exam

In order to calculate the raw score of part 1 of XAT 2020 exam, the following formula is followed, which is consisting of VLR, DM and QA sectios:

Formula: (Number of correct answer*1)-(Number of incorrect responses*0.25)-(*0.1)

List of Top Participating Colleges/Institutes in XAT 2020 Exam

Approximately 150 colleges/institutes accept the marks XAT exam. In the following, name of some of the popular colleges are going to be mentioned: 

Merit List of XAT 2020 Exam

Merit list of the XAT 2020 exam is not only dependent upon the score of the XAT exam, but also relies upon the performance in GD and PI, work experience and also on academic records. 

XAT 2020 Counselling Process 

It was previously mentioned that the counselling of XAT 2020 exam would start from 2020 and will end in April. However, due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the date has been postponed. The students, who are on the top of the merit list (as per the score of GD, PI and XAT 2020), are called for the counselling process. 

• In order to be present in the counselling process, the applicants require to first register their names.
• You would have the choice and preference to fill and lock the preferable course of a specific institute. No alteration would be afterword.
• Now the final seat allotment would be made as per the choice filled by the applicants. 

For the counselling, the candidates require to carry few of the essential documents like:

• Original counselling letter
• Original and photocopy of the admit card of XAT 2020 admit card
• Bank draft
• Academic certificates (10+2 and undergraduation)
•  Score card
• Caste certificate
• Medical documents (if have any)
• Coloured and black and white passport size photo of the candidates.