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XAT Syllabus
Xavier Aptitude Test conducted by XLRI for admission to XLRI and many other management institutes.. The complete XAT outline — 6 subjects, 21 chapters and 78 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
XAT subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
4 chapters · 16 topics · 40 sub-topics
Decision Making4 chapters · 12 topics · 24 sub-topics
Quantitative Ability4 chapters · 21 topics · 43 sub-topics
Data Interpretation3 chapters · 10 topics · 20 sub-topics
General Knowledge3 chapters · 10 topics · 20 sub-topics
Essay Writing and Written Ability3 chapters · 9 topics · 18 sub-topics
XAT flashcard decks
303 question-and-answer cards across 6 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
How to work through the XAT syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Quantitative Ability carries 21 topics while Essay Writing and Written Ability carries 9. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for XAT.
The ~90 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
XAT syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the XAT syllabus?
XAT covers 6 subjects: Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation, General Knowledge and Essay Writing and Written Ability. Together they contain 21 chapters and 78 named topics.
How much do you have to study for XAT?
The full XAT outline breaks down into 21 chapters, 78 topics and 165 sub-topics. Quantitative Ability is the largest single subject with 21 topics across 4 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole XAT syllabus?
Roughly 90 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 4 weeks.
Are there XAT flashcards?
Yes — 303 question-and-answer flashcards across 6 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this XAT syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the XAT syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in India and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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