Indus Business Academy (IBA), Bangalore PGDM Admissions 2025
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XAT 2024 Exam Analysis by IMS Learning - XLRI Jamshedpur will conduct XAT 2024 on the 7th January 2024. The application process for XAT 2024 will start tomorrow, July 15, 2023. After the XAT exam is over, the XAT exam analysis will be released by IMS Learning and other coaching institutes. The exam analysis of XAT will be based on candidates' reaction and will contain the difficulty level, type of questions, and expected cutoff for XLRI.
XAT 2024 is a computer-based test likely to be held in 79 exam cities spread across India. The entrance exam will be of 3 hours 10 minutes and there will be a single slot, starting from 2 PM to 5:10 PM. Students who appear in the XAT entrance exam will be able to check their results by the last week of January 2024 on the official website. The scorecard of XAT 2024 will mention the candidate’s sectional as well as the overall score. Check this complete article to know the XAT 2024 analysis by IMS Learning.
The XAT exam pattern 2024 will likely remain the same as last year. There will be an essay section that was reintroduced in 2022. Candidates should note that the essay of only shortlisted candidates will be evaluated.
The structure of the XAT 2023 test along with suggested time allocation, good attempts, and estimated cut-offs based on the feedback from IMS students and experts are in the table below:
Section | No. of Questions | Marks per question | Total marks | Suggested time allocation | Good Attempts |
PART – A (175 minutes) No Sectional Timing within Part – A | |||||
Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | 1 | 26 | 55-60 | 13-14 |
Decision Making | 22 | 1 | 22 | 50-55 | 11-12 |
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | 1 | 28 | 55-60 | 17-18 |
Total | 76 | 76 | |||
PART – B (5 minutes) Keyboard check | |||||
PART – C (30 minutes) No Negative Marks | |||||
General Awareness | 25 | 1 | 25 | No Negative Marks | 12 |
Essay | The essay will be assessed if the candidate is shortlisted for the interview. |
The Question Paper consisted of two time-bound parts.
Section | No. of Questions | Marks per question | Total marks | Suggested time allocation | Good Attempts |
PART – I (165 minutes) No Sectional Timing within Part - I | |||||
Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | 1 | 26 | 55-60 | 13-14 |
Decision Making | 21 | 1 | 21 | 50-55 | 12-13 |
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | 1 | 28 | 55-60 | 16-18 |
Total | 75 | 75 | |||
PART – II (15 minutes) No Negative Marks | |||||
General Awareness | 25 | 1 | 25 | No Negative Marks | 15 |
Part A questions invited negative marks of – 0.25 for each incorrect response. In addition, there was a penalty of -0.1 mark for every un-attempted question after 8 un-attempted questions.
Verdict
Overall, XAT 2023 was similar in difficulty level to XAT 2022. The DM section was on par with the same last year with a few questions in DM being difficult. The VALR section was slightly more challenging than the same section in XAT 2022. The QA-DI section was slightly easier compared with XAT 2022.
Also, Read
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Based on the inputs received from students and IMS mentors who appeared for the test and based on the actual cut-offs over the last two years, the following cut-offs for XLRI BM and HRM programs were estimated:
XLRI BM Program
Gender | VARC section | DM section | QA-DI section | Overall |
Male candidates | 6-7 | 5-6 | 9-10 | 30-32 |
Female candidates | 5-6 | 4-5 | 8-9 | 28-30 |
XLRI HRM Program
Gender | VARC section | DM section | QA-DI section | Overall |
Male candidates (Engineers) | 7-8 | 5-6 | 8-9 | 29-31 |
Female candidates (Engineers) | 6-7 | 4-5 | 7-8 | 27-29 |
Male candidates (Non-Engineers) | 7-8 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 27-29 |
Female candidates (Non-Engineers) | 6-7 | 4-5 | 6-7 | 26-28 |
Also Read: Top B-schools Accepting XAT Scores and Cutoffs
The Verbal and Logical Ability section of XAT 2022 was at par with XAT 2021 exam paper. There were 14 Reading Comprehension questions and 12 Verbal Ability/Reasoning questions. The Verbal ability/Verbal Reasoning questions were a fair mix of grammar, vocabulary, and reasoning- based questions (Critical Reasoning, Correct/Incorrect statements and Jumbled Paragraphs). The 14 RC questions were distributed among four passages and one poem. The poem-based RC was an abstract one and had 11 lines. The remaining four passages were of 300 - 450 words each approximately; they had a mixture of mostly medium to difficult questions. Many of the questions were inferential and application-based. The options were close and the directions emphasized choosing the ‘best’ one among them.
Area/Questions | Number of questions | Level of difficulty |
Verbal Ability / Reasoning | ||
Grammatically incorrect sentence | 2 | 2 Medium |
Grammatically incorrect sentence | 1 | 1 Easy |
Grammatically incorrect sentence | 1 | 1 Medium |
Grammatically incorrect sentence | 2 | 2 Medium |
Grammatically incorrect sentence | 4 | 3 Medium, 1 Difficult |
Grammatically incorrect sentence | 1 | 1 Medium |
Grammatically incorrect sentence | 1 | 1 Medium |
Reading Comprehension | ||
Passage 1 (How lying differs from bullshitting - 300 words) | 3 | Medium |
Passage 2 (A psychologically rich life can be a good life - 450 words ) | 3 | Medium |
Passage 3 ( Stupidity as a cognitive failing - 350 words) | 3 | Medium |
Passage 4 (Publicness is as important to progress as sociability or privacy - 350 words) | 3 | Difficult |
Passage 5 (Poem - Immigrant by Tabish Khair) | 2 | Difficult |
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An attempt of about 13-14 questions in this section in about 55-60 minutes, with about 75-80% accuracy would be considered a good attempt.
This section consisted of 21 questions, and like last year, none of the questions were quantitative. The section consisted of 7 sets of 3 questions each. Most of the questions were on Ethical Dilemma. The passages were short and easy to read. As usual, some questions had a fair deal of ambiguity – in that either no answer seemed correct or more than one option appeared correct. Overall, the questions were of medium difficulty. Therefore, the choice of sets/questions to attempt would have depended mainly on your personal preferences and strengths. Overall, the section was on par with last year's test.
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 | Medium |
Case 2 - Regarding an individual’s use of a vehicle (diesel-based) that is non-compliant with pollution rules | 3 | Medium |
Case 3 - Regarding recruitment and confirmation of faculty members in an engineering college | 3 | Medium |
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 | Medium |
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 |
In about 50-55 minutes, an attempt of about 12-13 questions with about 75-80% accuracy would be considered to be good.
This section was of moderate level of difficulty. As a whole, it was one notch easier than XAT- 2021. Out of the 28 questions in the section, 16 were on Quantitative Ability and 12 were on Data Interpretation. There were four sets of Data Interpretation with 3 questions each. Two sets were somewhat logical in nature- one involved table and the other bar graph. LOD was medium though one question in each set was tricky. The remaining two sets were based on Calculations and Observation. Out of these two sets, one was on candlestick and the other was on Line graph. LOD of these two sets was medium.
Following is the break-up of the questions in the section:
Quantitative Ability (16 Questions) | ||||
Easy | Medium | Difficult | Total | |
Arithmetic | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Geometry | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Modern Math | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Algebra | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Numbers | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
Total | 7 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
Data Interpretation (12 Questions) | ||||
Table | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Bar Graph | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Candlestick | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Line Graph | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Total DI | 0 | 10 | 2 | 12 |
Total QA-DI | 7 | 16 | 5 | 28 |
An attempt of about 16-18 questions (with about 80 percent accuracy) in about 55-60 minutes would be considered a good attempt.
Also Read:
There was no break between Part-I and Part-II.
The 25 GK questions comprised 13 current affairs questions and 12 static GK questions. Overall, the GK section was of the same difficulty as last year’s test. 16 to 17 questions were based on national events, 7-8 questions were based on international events and miscellaneous topics As usual, the questions covered a wide range of areas and gave no special advantage to specialists in any one area.
To maximize the score in this section, one should have attempted 15 questions seriously. Additionally, as there was no negative marking in this section, all the remaining questions should also have been attempted. A score of 6 - 7 would be a good score in this section.
Essay Writing
Two topics were provided. The test-taker had to select one topic and write an essay in around 250 words.
The topics for the essay writing task were:
Source: IMS Learning Official Website
Yes, it is definitely possible for you to get an interview call from Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai for their PGDM program, even with a 73 percentile in XAT 2025. While the typical cutoff for XAT may be higher, around 85 percentile, Great Lakes considers a variety of factors in their selection process, including academic performance, work experience, and diversity in the class.
Since you are a non-engineer female candidate, that diversity is seen as a positive aspect. Even with your XAT score, if you have a strong academic record, relevant work experience, and a clear passion for management, you can still stand out in the application process.
To increase your chances:
Prepare thoroughly for the interview by focusing on your experiences, what drives you, and how you align with the program’s values.
Highlight your unique background and any leadership roles you’ve had.
Show how Great Lakes fits with your career goals.
While the competition can be tough, if you present a well-rounded application and give your best in the interview, you can definitely convert the call into an offer.
With a 74 percentile in the XAT 2025 exam, you are eligible to apply to several reputable MBA colleges in India. Some of the top institutions that typically accept candidates within the 70-80 percentile range include KIIT School of Management (KSOM), Bhubaneswar; Jaipuria Institute of Management (multiple campuses); Welingkar Institute of Management (WeSchool), Bangalore; Woxsen University, Hyderabad; IFMR Graduate School of Business at KREA University, Sri City; BIM Trichy (Bharathidasan Institute of Management), Tiruchirappalli; and XIME Bangalore (Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship).
To proceed, research each institution's application deadlines and procedures and ensure you submit all required documents promptly. Be prepared for further selection stages such as group discussions, personal interviews, and written ability tests. Evaluate each program's curriculum, faculty, placement records, and campus culture to determine the best fit for your career goals. While your XAT percentile is significant, remember that your overall profile, including academic records, work experience, and extracurricular activities, also plays a crucial role in the selection process.
Admission to MICA's PGDM and PGDM-C programs involves a multi-stage selection process. The final composite score is calculated with the following weightage:
Your XAT score is 73, performing exceptionally well in MICAT can enhance your chances of being shortlisted for the GE and PI rounds. Specific score requirements for MICAT are not publicly disclosed, focusing on thorough preparation and aiming for high performance in each section will strengthen your application.
Hi,
Based on the previous year analysis, According to your XAT percentile some of the colleges in which there is chances to get a seat are the following
There are many other colleges and Institute thay offer admission with 43 percentile in XAT. You can predict the colleges using the XAT college predictor tool.
Hope this information will help you
Based on your high academic background (a CGPA of 9.5), you have a strong profile overall. Regarding your XAT score of 32.7 percentile, it's important to keep in mind that different institutes have varying cutoff criteria and selection processes.
XIME typically considers the following criteria for admissions:
Your XAT percentile is on the lower side, getting a direct call for GD/PI from XIME may be unlikely, as they generally prefer candidates with higher percentiles (around 50 or above). However, the fact that you have an excellent academic record can make you a standout candidate in the holistic evaluation process.
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Round 03 Applications Deadline - 21st March 2025 | Average CTC 15.10 LPA
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