XAT Previous Year Paper 2025

This full-length paper represents the actual admission test for XLRI and other top B-schools conducted on January 5, 2025. It serves as the ultimate benchmark for aspirants to gauge their readiness under real exam conditions. The paper is structurally divided into two parts:

• Part 1: The Core Sections (Scored for Percentile)

  • Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning (26 Questions): A mix of critical reasoning and dense reading comprehension. Key passages included "Meritocracy is a Myth" and "Greedy Work," along with a poem by Sujata Bhatt.

  • Decision Making (21 Questions): The defining section of XAT, featuring complex business and ethical caselets like the "Sundaram Store" financial dilemma and the "Humane Dynamix" HR conflict.

  • Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation (28 Questions): A rigorous section heavy on Arithmetic and Geometry, with data sets requiring intense calculation and logical deduction.

• Part 2: General Knowledge (Not Scored for Percentile)

  • General Knowledge (20 Questions): Reduced from previous years, this section focuses on static GK and current affairs without negative marking.

  • Real 2025 Questions Included:

    • Current Affairs: Winners of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics (Acemoglu, Johnson, Robinson) and the Booker Prize (Samantha Harvey for Orbital).

    • Static GK: Questions on the Dhimsa folk dance (Andhra Pradesh) and the world's only floating national park (Keibul Lamjao, Manipur).

    • Personalities: Identifying Sirimavo Bandaranaike as the world's first female Prime Minister.

• Exam Features:

  • Total Duration: 180 minutes (Revised from 210 minutes).

  • Marking: +1 for correct, -0.25 for incorrect (Part 1 only), and a special penalty of -0.10 for leaving more than 8 questions unattempted.

  • Note: The Essay Writing section was removed from the main exam pattern for this specific year.