The official XAT 2021 question paper is on this page as a PDF from XLRI, with the original source linked beside it. The XAT exam covers Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making, QA & DI and GK. Download it below, then sit the paper under exam timing with the attempt plan and error-log routine on this page.
Explore: XAT hub · Topic-wise PYQs · Syllabus & pattern · XAT 2025 · How to use PYQs
Download the paper
Download the official XAT 2021 question paper (PDF), hosted on this site with the official source linked.
Why this year matters
2021 will not mirror every new question type, but it still trains selection, stamina, and the chapters that keep coming back. Sectional time limits are non-negotiable. Finish the section you started; do not borrow minutes.
Note which section burned time. On CAT-like papers, one stuck DILR set can erase a good VARC; practise the abandon rule on this year.
Paper analysis
Snapshot of XAT 2021
Useful for DM frameworks you will reuse every year.
2021 may feel differently paced than the newest cycle. Borrow stamina and theme lessons; do not copy obsolete section orders or marking quirks.
What this paper stresses
- VARC inference questions that punish rushing the last paragraph.
- QA accuracy collapses when you chase attempt count.
- Sectional timer panic after one bad set.
- DILR / Decision Making sets that look solvable but are time bombs.
What to extract before you move on
- RC tones / DM ethics patterns that recur for you personally.
- QA topics that cost marks despite high mock accuracy.
- Section order rules you will reuse on exam day.
- Set types you should abandon after a fixed time box.
How 2021 sits next to other years
Use 2021 only after XAT 2025, XAT 2024, XAT 2023 are logged. Archive years are for frequency maps, not for predicting tomorrow’s cut-off.
Looking for another shift, set or language? Check the official archive.
Topic-wise analysis
We tagged every question in the official 2021 paper on this page by topic: 100 questions (100 MCQ). The topics with the most questions:
- Verbal and Logical Ability: Reading Comprehension 15, Critical Reasoning and Para-jumbles 5, Vocabulary and Grammar 4 questions.
- Decision Making: Decision-Making Caselets 21 questions.
- Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation: Data Interpretation 9, Arithmetic 6, Geometry and Mensuration 5 questions.
- General Knowledge: Current Affairs 15, Static GK 10 questions.
Against XAT 2020, the biggest changes in question count: Current Affairs +8, Static GK -8, Reading Comprehension +3, Critical Reasoning and Para-jumbles -3.
The official XAT 2021 paper (XAT), tagged question by question: 100 questions (100 MCQ).
| Topic | Questions | vs 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 15 | +3 |
| Critical Reasoning and Para-jumbles | 5 | -3 |
| Vocabulary and Grammar | 4 | 0 |
| Poems and Literary Passages | 2 | 0 |
| Decision Making | 21 | |
| Decision-Making Caselets | 21 | 0 |
| Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | |
| Arithmetic | 6 | +1 |
| Algebra | 4 | 0 |
| Geometry and Mensuration | 5 | -2 |
| Number System | 3 | +1 |
| Permutations, Probability and Sets | 1 | -3 |
| Data Interpretation | 9 | +3 |
| General Knowledge | 25 | |
| Current Affairs | 15 | +8 |
| Static GK | 10 | -8 |
Topics with no question in 2021 or 2020 are left out. Every question, by topic: XAT topic-wise PYQs.
How to sit XAT 2021
- Download the official PDF above and print it, or use a second screen.
- Sit the paper under current brochure rules (timers, negatives, NAT/MSQ norms), even if 2021’s interface looked different.
- When the clock ends, stop. Review should take at least as long as the attempt.
- Fill the error log the same day: section, topic, and miss type (concept, silly, time, or misread).
- Next session, repair only logged items. Then pick another year from the decade list.
Other years in this decade
FAQ
Where can I download the official XAT 2021 question paper?
Download it from this page: the official PDF is here, with a link to the conducting body’s original.
What does the XAT 2021 paper analysis include?
A year snapshot, what the paper stresses, what to extract into your error log, and how 2021 compares with neighbouring years on this hub.
How should I practise the XAT 2021 previous year paper?
Open the official PDF, sit it timed under current brochure rules, fill an error log the same day, read the paper analysis, then move to another year in the decade list.
Is XAT 2021 still useful if I finished newer papers?
Yes, for theme and weightage mining after your newest papers are logged. Skip deleted syllabus pockets.
Are memory-based XAT 2021 papers reliable?
Treat memory-based sets as interim. Reconcile contested items with official keys or response sheets when the conducting body publishes them.
Where is the XAT syllabus and pattern for this paper?
See the XAT syllabus & pattern page on this hub, and always re-check the latest official brochure before exam day.