CAT vs XAT: Which Is A Tougher Nut to Crack?

Most individuals looking to build a career in management often undertake admission into an MBA program. MBA stands for Master of Business Administration. It's a post-graduate course offered as both, a degree and a PG diploma in India. CAT is the most well-known management entrance examination in India. And also one of the toughest. However, it's certainly not the only management entrance exam in India. 

Lakhs of students preparing for management entrance exams every year are often perplexed about attempting the CAT exam or XAT. The discussion on CAT vs XAT is pretty common among management aspirants. Though the two competitive exams are quite similar to each other, it is necessary for the candidates to understand certain subtle differences between the two entrance examinations to devise a proper preparation strategy.

• CAT (Common Admission Test) is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management. It's a prerequisite for admission to various management programs of IIMs.
• There are several other non-IIM member institutions that also use the CAT score for admission to their MBA programs.
• XAT(Xavier Aptitude Test) is conducted by XLRI (Xavier School of Management) at an all-India level to select the most appropriate students for management education.
• XAT score is used by more than 160 institutions for admission to their MBA programs.
• Some of the prominent institutes that consider XAT score for admissions are, XLRI Jamshedpur, XIM Bhubaneswar, S P Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mudra Institute of Communication Ahmedabad, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Institute of Rural Management Anand, FORE School of Management, Goa Institute of Management, K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research and T A Pai Management Institute.

XAT vs CAT Differences & Similarities

To understand the similarities and differences between the CAT and XAT exam, candidates can refer to the following table. It will give them a better idea of the syllabus, exam pattern, and other details of the two exams:

Is XAT More Difficult Than CAT?

Both XAT and CAT are difficult exams but many students find XAT more difficult than the CAT exam due to two sections in the XAT question paper- the Decision-Making section and the Verbal section.

The verbal section of the XAT consists of passages longer than that of the CAT exam. The Decision-Making section in XAT acts like a make-or-break factor of the entire test. 

Some tips for preparation of Decision Making section of XAT are as follows:

1. Candidates will have to follow a logical approach while answering the questions in this section rather than following an emotional approach. 
2. In many questions, the candidate will get confused regarding the correct answer because most of the answer options will be pretty close to each other. In such questions, the elimination method can be used to come to the right option among the given answer choices. 
3. Like any other competitive examination, solving past year's question papers can play a very important role in your exam preparation since it will give you an insight into the type of questions asked. Candidates can solve the decision-making questions of these papers which will give them a good hold over this section of the XAT exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below you'll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the differences between CAT and XAT exams, management entrance exams in general, and the MBA admission process: 

Q. What are the key differences between CAT and XAT in terms of the marking schemes?

These are the major differences between the marking schemes of the CAT and XAT exams: 

• Marks deducted for a wrong answer in CAT: 1
• Marks deducted for a wrong answer in XAT: 0.25 However, 0.10 marks will be deducted for more than 8 unanswered questions.
• Marks for a correct answer in CAT: 3
• Marks for a correct answer in XAT: 1
• Maximum marks in CAT: 198 (66*3)
• Maximum marks in XAT: 100 (100*1)

Q. Which examination is necessary for admission into a B-School in India, CAT, or XAT?

XAT and CAT are the flagship management entrance exams for XLRI and IIMs, respectively. Thus, if you're looking for an admission opportunity in XLRI, it's compulsory to take the XAT exam. And if you're looking for an admission opportunity into any of the IIMs then it's compulsory to take the CAT exam.

Apart from these two colleges, most premiere B-schools accept the CAT score. To sum it up, the CAT score is accepted by 20 IIMs and over 1000 other B-schools in India. The XAT score is accepted by XLRI and 160 other management institutes in India. 

Q. What are some of the other management exams?

Listed below are some of the other national-level management exams conducted in India, apart from XAT and CAT:

• SNAP Exam - Symbiosis National Aptitude Test
• MAT Exam - Management Aptitude Test
• CMAT - Common Management Admission Test
• NMAT - NMIMS Management Aptitude Test

These are some of the most common exams for admission into a management college or course in India. More information about the respective exams is available on the official exam websites.  

Q. Are there any similarities between CAT and XAT?

There are many differences between CAT and XAT but the two also have certain similarities. Apart from the fact that both are management entrance exams, both CAT and XAT have different types of questions on Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, and Verbal and Logical Ability or Logical Reasoning. Though the topics are the same, the difficulty level and type of question may differ between the two exams. For example, critical reasoning questions in XAT may require additional preparation. 

Q. What additional preparation is required for XAT?

Unlike CAT, XAT also tests general knowledge and has an additional essay writing section. This may require additional preparation. Candidates need to study current affairs and practice writing to attempt this section. GK and Essay writing is a separate section and has a sectional limit (time duration) of 30 minutes. 

Q. What are the top MBA colleges in India?

As per the NIRF 2023 rankings, the top three management colleges in India are: 

i) Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (Rank 1)

ii) Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru (Rank 2)

iii) Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (Rank 3)

XLRI is ranked ninth on the list. NIRF stands for National Institutional Ranking Framework. 

Q. What's the selection process for an MBA college in India?

MBA colleges in India have different selection processes. However, broadly, each college shortlists candidates on the basis of their score in the management entrance exam. In some cases, the marks scored in the Grade 12 board examination are also considered for shortlisting.  Colleges may also shortlist students on the basis of the marks scored in individual sections in the entrance examination. The percentile cutoff for admission changes every year for every college. 

The shortlisted candidates are then invited for a round of group discussion and a final interview. Some colleges may have an additional stage between the GD and final interview or a different stage other than GD. 

Summing Up

The difficulty level of an exam is subjective. Some students may find the CAT exam pattern easier than XAT. While others may be daunted by the exam duration. But, it's not just about the exam details or exam formats. It all depends on one's preparation level.

While a certain section of XAT may be considered tricky as compared to CAT, the level of competition in CAT makes it more challenging. Hence, everything boils down to the preparation strategy that one must smartly chalk out as per the demand of the exam.

Suggested Reads:

• Tips To Score Well In Logical Reasoning And Data Interpretation (LRDI) Section
• Know the difference between CAT, MAT, and XAT
• How My Internship Gave Me An Answer To Why MBA
• Scoring 98.99 Percentile: XLRI Student Divya Shah Shares Her MBA Admission Experience