The XAT or the Xavier Aptitude Test is a national level aptitude test conducted by Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur. The CAT or the Common Admission Test is a computer-based test for admission in a graduate management program. Both the exams are taken by thousands of students each year to secure admission to prestigious management colleges in MBA, PGDM, and HRM courses. Where CAT is the most commonly taken exam, XAT is also fast becoming popular among management students.
Students preparing for XAT 2020 will often question as to why XAT is tougher than CAT. CAT and XAT have differences in terms of the syllabus, marking pattern, and question formats. However, together, they are both difficult than many other entrance exams and require extensive preparations to get results.
Let us check out the differences between the two renowned exams.
Examination Syllabus
Examination Pattern
Examination Marking Scheme
Examination Syllabus
On the base level, both the exams require a basic understanding of the concepts in the subjects outlined.
The XAT examination paper consists of 4 sections that cover the following:
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
- Decision Making
- General Knowledge
The CAT examination paper has three sections, which are as follows:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Data Interpretation and Logical reasoning
As is visible, the XAT exam has more sections in terms of exam preparation and study. The Decision Making (DM) and General Knowledge (GK) sections are not part of the CAT exam syllabus. So, a XAT student has to prepare extra for these two sections when compared to a CAT appearing candidate.
Examination Pattern
XAT Exam
- The XAT question paper consists of 100 questions for a total of 100 marks.
- They are all Multiple-Choice Questions or MCQs.
- The section-wise number of questions in the exam is as follows-
- Quantitative Analysis-27
- Language and Logical Reasoning-24
- Decision Making-21
- General Knowledge-25
CAT Exam
- The CAT question paper consists of 100 questions for a total of 300 marks.
- They can be Multiple-Choice Questions or MCQs, or non-MCQs as well.
- The section-wise number of questions in the exam is as follows-
- Quantitative Analysis-34
- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension-34
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning-32
This shows that a XAT 2020 student has to prepare well for a question paper with 100 marks distributed over four sections, in comparison to a CAT student who has to study for a 100-mark question paper spread across three sections.
Examination Marking Scheme
XAT Exam
- The XAT question paper consists of 100 questions for a total of 100 marks.
- The student gets awarded with +1 marks for every correct answer,and25 marks are deducted for every incorrect answer.
- If more than eight questions are left un-attempted, 0.5 marks will be deducted.
- However, there is no negative marking in the GK section.
CAT Exam
- The CAT question paper consists of 100 questions for a total of 300 marks.
- The student gets awarded with +3 marks for every correct answer,andone mark is deducted for every incorrect answer.
- No marks are deducted for un-attempted questions.
The above comparison shows that XAT marking pattern is more difficult than the CAT pattern because-
- XAT has all MCQ type questions
- 5 marks are deducted if more than eight questions are left un-attempted, which is not present in the CAT system of the exam paper.
Thus, the XAT exam is considered to be more difficult than the CAT exam ,but in times of time limit, XAT gives some relief to its candidates as its questions are not timed. In the case of CAT, each section is timed, which puts pressure on the students.
