Is the XAT Exam tougher than the CAT Exam?

An MBA from a premier institute in India is a dream for millions of students all across the globe. All of them undergo the management entrance test to secure admission to their dream premier institute. 

The confusion to attempt CAT or XAT, which is tougher CAT or XAT, is common among MBA aspirants. The candidates need to understand the differences for making a proper preparation strategy.

Let’s understand the differences between the two management entrance exams on various factors. FYI the XAT 2022 exam will take place on 02nd January 2021 while the CAT 2021 exam will be conducted on 28th November 2021.

Part 1: We’ll try to analyze the difference basis Conducting Body, Exam Fees and Eligibility Criteria. XAT only requires graduation and is much cheaper for candidates.

Part 2: Let’s look at the difference in the Syllabus, Types of Questions and time limit for CAT and XAT. The candidate will easily analyze that CAT has less time duration and MCQs, making it comparatively difficult than XAT.

Part 3: We’ll analyze key differences for the candidates for CAT and XAT. In this table, candidates can find points of difference regarding Negative Marking, Individual Section limit and Difficulty level of questions.

Part 4: Acceptability of CAT and XAT: These two are top-rated management entrance tests and attract top-notch institutes from all over India. 

Which one is better, CAT or XAT?

The candidates may find choosing between CAT or XAT very difficult as format-wise CAT poses some serious concerns such as less number of MCQs in comparison to XAT, strict negative marking than XAT, and less time limit to answer the questions. But CAT’s difficulty level of questions is moderately difficult in contrast to XAT. Two different sections, such as General Awareness & Essay writing, make the candidates think twice before making the payment for XAT. 

To conclude, the candidate should first decide on the MBA Institute rather than choosing between CAT & XAT. Some Institutes accept both the sores, and this gives the benefit to candidates. They can provide both the exams and increase the possibility to meet the cut-off for the MBA Institute.

Is the Quant section of XAT tougher than CAT?

If you talk about the syllabus, then both of them have the same topics. But XAT has a combination of Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation which divides the concentration of the candidates. Let us take a look at the syllabus of both the management entrance exams.

XAT Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation Syllabus

 CAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus

The candidates need to attempt 34 questions in CAT and 27 questions of QA & DI in XAT. The candidates have to cover more topics while preparing for XAT Exam. The difficulty level of 27 questions in XAT is tougher than 34 questions in CAT. The only thing that goes in favor of XAT is the time limit, as the candidate is free to choose to attempt any section, and they have 210 minutes to try the XAT. To conclude, the candidates should prepare for CAT keeping XAT in mind for the best preparation.

Good Luck!