Xavier Aptitude Test or XAT is a national-level entrance test conducted by XLRI, Jamshedpur for admissions to management programs. The XAT score is accepted by XLRI, 10 other Xavier Association of Management Institutes (XAMI) members and over 700 B-schools. XLRI started offering management courses in 1949 before setting up a two year, full-time program in industrial welfare in 1953. It is one of the oldest competitive exams in India for students who wish to pursue a course in management. The exam is being conducted online since 2018.

XAT 2020 is scheduled to be held on January 5, 2020 and the admit cards will be available from December 20, 2019.

XAT Participating Institutes 2020

PGDM Business Management (BM)

The two year program prepares a student for a career in industry and services. The program facilitates learning the practical areas of management and equip students with an integrated approach to management function. The key focus areas of the programme are: Economics, Finance, General Management, Information Systems, Marketing, Production, Operation & Decision Sciences and Strategic Management.

PGDM Human Resource Management (HRM)

The program is designed to permit desirable flexibility to keep pace with the ever growing explorations in management education with special emphasis towards the human side of enterprise. Key focus areas include Human Resource Planning, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), Performance Management, Training & Development and Compensation Administration.

PGDM General Management (GM)

It is one of the flagship programs by XLRI and aims to augment the skill-sets and competencies of practicing managers. It is a 15 month, full time course which incorporates a 3-month field based training in a functional area. The Core courses offered during the program include Economics, Finance, Marketing,  Operations, Strategy, Business Ethics and Sustainable Development.

The 2019 placements were concluded in 2 days with 100% placement. The Average salary has gone upto Rs.22.35 Lakhs in 2019 from Rs.20.10 lakhs last year, with the highest salary of Rs.50 Lakhs.

Top recruiters at XLRI include Boston Consulting, Amazon, Microsoft, P&G, Aditya Birla Group, ITC, Hindustan Unilever, McKinsey & Co., Bain & Co., Accenture, Deloitte, PWC, AON, Mercer, KPMG, Asian Paints, Samsung, Citibank, HSBC among others.

There is a change in the eligibility criteria for PGDM 2020-22 commencing June 2020.

Eligibility Criteria for PGDM (BM) & PGDM (HRM) -

The candidate is required to hold a bachelor’s degree of minimum three year duration or equivalent in any discipline. Final year students completing their examination by June 10, 2020 are also eligible to apply. There is no minimum percentage of marks in graduation prescribed for XLRI admission 2020. Work experience is not mandatory and fresh graduates will be considered.

Eligibility Criteria for PGDM (GM) -

While other key eligibility criteria for admission to PGDM (GM) is similar to the above mentioned programs, additionally it requires at least five years of full time work experience. No fresh graduates can apply to this program.

The Admission Procedure can be divided into the following stages:

1. Register and apply for XAT 2020
2. Take XAT 2020 exam on January 5, 2020 and score well
3. XLRI will announce Shortlist for next phase of selection round based on XAT exam score
4. The Final Round comprises Group Discussion, Written Ability Test and Personal Interview which will be held in the months of February & March 2020.
5. The Final Admission offer will be made in the month of April 2020 on the basis of parameters which include XAT score, GD-PI-WAT score, academic profile and work experience.

XAT 2020 exam pattern comprises of 4 sections -

1. Verbal and Logical Ability (VA & LR)
2. Decision Making (DM)
3. Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI)
4. General Knowledge (GK)

There has been a change in XAT 2020 and will not have an essay this time. The duration of the exam is 180 minutes and candidates are allowed to switch between sections.

A look at the previous year question types and pattern is essential to understand the do's and don’ts for the exam. Anyone who looks to clear the exam needs to have a thorough understanding of the basics of verbal ability, quantitative aptitude and logical reasoning.