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Updated By Shivangi Ahirwar on 09 Jul, 2025 15:33
Predict your Percentile based on your XAT performance
Predict RankThe XAT question paper 2022 PDF is now available here. XAT 2022 was conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur through online mode on January 2, 2022, between 9:30 AM and 12:40 PM. The structure of the exam was no different than that of 2021 except that the Essay Writing task was reintroduced after a gap of 3 years.Two essay topics were provided out of which the test-taker had to select one. The overall difficulty level of the XAT Question Paper 2022 was similar to that of XAT 2021, i.e. it ranged from moderate to difficult. Questions from the Decision Making section were framed on the same lines as 2021 and few questions were difficult to answer. However, compared to 2021, the VA & LR section was slightly more challenging.
There was a negative marking of 0.25 for each incorrect response in Part A. Additionally, there was a penalty of -0.1 mark for every unattempted question after 8 unattempted questions. There was no negative marking in the GK section. The XAT Question Paper 2022 consisted of two timed parts. The structure of the XAT exam 2022 exam along with suggested time allocation, good attempts, and estimated cut-offs have been provided below.
Candidates preparing for the next XAT exam must go through the XAT Question Paper 2022 PDF provided below to get an idea of the types of questions asked in the exam and know the weightage of topics (units from which maximum questions are asked).
XAT Question Paper 2022 |
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XAT 2022 had 100 MCQ questions and an essay writing question to be solved in 190 minutes. The first part constituted three sections: VALR, DM, and QADI, and the total time allotted for attempting these sections was 165 minutes. In the second part, there were 25 General Awareness questions and one essay writing question to be solved in 25 mins. The overall highlights of the XAT 2022 question paper have been tabulated below:
Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
Exam Mode | Computer Based Test |
Syllabus | Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, General Knowledge, Essay Writing |
Total Number of Questions | 101 |
Question Type | MCQs + Essay Writing |
Exam Duration | 3 hours and 10 minutes |
Exam Pattern for MCQs | 5 answer options for each MCQ |
Scoring Pattern | +1 Mark for each correct answer for MCQs |
Negative Marking |
|
Percentile Calculation |
|
Sectional Time Limit |
|
Marks for Essay Writing Test | Essay writing test was evaluated only for those candidates who were shortlisted for the interview process. |
Notably, there was no sectional timing in Part A and no negative marking in Part B. The section-wise highlights of the XAT 2022 question paper have been tabulated below:
Section | Number of Questions | Marks Per Question | Total Marks | Suggested Time Allocation | Good Attempts | Marking Scheme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PART - A (165 minutes) | ||||||
Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | 1 | 26 | 55 - 60 minutes | 13 - 14 questions |
|
Decision Making | 21 | 1 | 21 | 50 - 55 minutes | 12 - 13 questions |
|
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | 1 | 28 | 55 - 60 minutes | 16 - 18 questions |
|
Total | 75 | - | 75 | - | - | - |
PART - B (25 minutes) | ||||||
General Awareness | 25 | 1 | 25 | - | 15 questions | +1 Mark for each Correct answer No Negative Marking for incorrect answer |
Essay | The essay was evaluated if the candidate was shortlisted for the interview. | Descriptive | ||||
A total of 26 questions were asked from this section. The questions in the Verbal and Logical Ability section of XAT 2022 were framed on the lines of last year’s paper. 14 questions were asked from 4 Reading Comprehension passages and one poem. The RC based on the poem of 11 lines was an abstract one. The 4 RC passages were of 300 – 450 words each approximately and the questions based on them varied from moderate to difficult. Passages were based on Psychological richness, Arendt's public consciousness, Bullshit, and Stupidity. A large section of the questions were inferential and application-based. The options were close and candidates were required to choose the most inappropriate answer out of them.
In the Verbal ability/ Verbal Reasoning section, there were 12 questions that were a fair blend of grammar, vocabulary, and reasoning-based questions (Critical Reasoning, Correct/Incorrect statements and Jumbled Paragraphs). There were 2 Paragraph Jumble questions that were difficult due to lack of continuity. The questions on grammar were easy enough to answer. Vocabulary-based questions were in the form of paragraph completion with three and four blanks. The five-sentence paragraph jumbles were difficult to answer. An ideal attempt in this section was 13-14 questions in about 55-60 minutes with 75-80% accuracy.
Area/ Questions | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
Verbal Ability/ Reasoning | ||
Grammatically incorrect sentence | 2 | 2 Moderate |
Grammatically correct sentence | 1 | 1 Easy |
Fill in the Blanks (3/4 blanks to be filled in a very short paragraph) | 1 | 1 Moderate |
Paragraph Jumble (5-sentence para jumbles on Education and Coding) | 2 | Difficult |
Jumbled Paragraphs | 2 | 2 Moderate |
Critical Reasoning (4 questions on Geology, Swiss Cheese theory, Labour-work, Social Conditioning) | 4 | 3 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
Poem-based Inference | 1 | 1 Moderate |
Cloze Passage (4 blanks) | 1 | 1 Moderate |
Reading Comprehension | ||
Passage 1 (How lying differs from bullshitting – 300 words) | 3 | Difficult |
Passage 2 ('Hedonic/Eudaimonic'- Contrast/ Define/ Conclusion) | 3 | Moderate |
Passage 3 (Stupidity as a cognitive failing – 350 words) | 3 | Moderate |
Passage 4 ('Arendt - Behaviour/Public responsibility' - Categorize/ Describe/ Reason) | 3 | Difficult |
Passage 5 (Poem on 'Smile in the Library' - Inference question) | 1 | Moderate |
Poem on 'Voice/Legs' - Theme and Meaning | 2 | Difficult |
A total of 21 questions were asked from this section. Like 2021, none of the questions were quantitative. 7 sets were given and 3 questions were asked from each section. Most of the questions were based on Ethical Dilemma. The passages were easy to read and not lengthy. As usual, there was a fair deal of ambiguity in some questions, in which either no option could be identified as an appropriate answer or more than one option appeared correct. Overall, the difficulty level of the questions was moderate. Therefore, the candidates’ personal preferences and strengths had a direct impact on the choice of sets/ questions to attempt. An ideal attempt in this section was 12-13 questions in about 50-55 minutes with 75-80% accuracy.
Area/ Questions | Number of Questions | Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
Case 1 – Allotment of accommodation to scientists (of 3 different seniority levels) in a research institute | 3 | Moderate |
Case 2 – Regarding an individual’s use of a vehicle (diesel-based) that is non-compliant with pollution rules | 3 | Moderate |
Case 3 – Regarding recruitment and confirmation of faculty members in an engineering college | 3 | Moderate |
Case 4 – Running a dosa Stall in a hospital; business | 3 | Difficult |
Case 5 – Regarding school fees payment by financially able parents during the pandemic | 3 | Moderate |
Case 6 – Regarding an assignment submission in a management college | 3 | Difficult |
Case 7 – Regarding the concerns of residents of an island village about how a proposed new bridge connecting their island to the mainland might impact them, business and ethics | 3 | Difficult |
A total of 26 questions were asked from this section in which 16 questions were from Quantitative Ability and 12 questions from Data Interpretation. Overall, the difficulty level of the questions was moderate and the paper was easier than XAT 2021. Four sets of Data Interpretation with 3 questions each were given out of which two sets were somewhat logical in nature (one was based on table and the other on bar graph). The level of difficulty was medium although candidates encountered one tricky question in each set. The remaining two sets were calculation-intensive and required a lot of observation. 2 questions of medium difficulty were asked from candlestick and Line graph. An ideal attempt in this section was 16-18 questions in about 55-60 minutes with 80% accuracy.
Topic | Number of Questions | Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
Clocks | 1 | Difficult |
Modern Maths | 4 | 1 Easy, 2 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
Numbers | 4 | Easy - Moderate |
Algebra | 1 | Easy |
Data Sufficiency | 1 | Moderate |
Table | 3 | 2 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
Bar Graph | 3 | 2 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
Candlestick | 3 | Moderate |
Line Graph | 3 | Moderate |
Functions | 1 | Easy |
Geometry & Mensuration | 1 | Moderate |
Heights & Distances | 1 | Moderate |
Inequalities | 1 | Difficult |
Percentages, Profit & Loss | 1 | Moderate |
Probability | 1 | Moderate |
Progressions | 2 | Moderate-Difficult |
Quadratic Equations | 1 | Easy |
Simple Equations | 1 | Moderate |
DI 1 - College Admissions | 3 | 2 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
DI 2 - Broken Pencils | 3 | 2 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
DI 3 - Stock Prices | 3 | 2 Moderate, 1 Difficult |
DI 4 - Correct Answers | 3 | 1 Moderate, 2 Difficult |
13 current affairs questions and 12 static GK questions were asked in this section. 16 to 17 questions were based on national events, 7-8 questions were based on international events and miscellaneous topics. Science & Technology, history, geography, sports, business, etc. dominated this section. A minimum of 15 questions must be answered seriously in this section and a score of 6 - 7 would be a good score in this section.
Area | Number of Questions |
|---|---|
Arts & Culture | 3 |
Business | 3 |
Current Affairs | 3 |
Geography | 1 |
History | 3 |
Politics | 2 |
Science & Technology | 8 |
Sports | 2 |
Two topics were provided out of which the test-takers had to select one topic and write an essay in approximately 250 words. The topics in the Essay Writing segment were:
For both the BM and HRM programs of XLRI Jamshedpur, the overall cutoff is significantly greater than the sum of the sectional cutoffs. Based on expert analysis, the cut-offs for XLRI BM and HRM programmes were fixed on the lines of the past few years.
XLRI BM Program
Category | VA - LR Section | DM Section | QA - DI Section | Overall (Part A) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Male candidates | 6 - 7 | 5 - 6 | 9 - 10 | 30 - 32 |
Female candidates | 5 - 6 | 4 - 5 | 8 - 9 | 28 - 30 |
XLRI HRM Program
Category | VA - LR Section | DM Section | QA - DI Section | Overall (Part A) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Male (Engineers) | 7 - 8 | 5 - 6 | 8 - 9 | 29 - 31 |
Female (Engineers) | 6 - 7 | 4 - 5 | 7 - 8 | 27 - 29 |
Male(Non Engineers) | 7 - 8 | 5 - 6 | 7 - 8 | 27 - 29 |
Female (Non Engineers) | 6 - 7 | 4 - 5 | 6 - 7 | 26 - 28 |
To excel in the exam, candidates must practice with a variety of XAT previous year question papers. You can find a collection of XAT question papers from previous years below.
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