The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is one of the most prestigious and widely accepted MBA entrance exams in India. It is organized by the Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) on behalf of the Xavier Association of Management Institutes (XAMI).
The decision-making section of the XAT is unique and sets the exam apart from other management entrance exams. This section is not about quantitative ability or verbal skills but is a test of the aspirant’s ethical and moral stance. It aims to evaluate the decision-making capabilities of the aspirants in different situations. It is a important section across XAT exam to test candidate’s focused decision making skills along with the diverse thinking across cases or situations
This section generally consists of around 20-25 questions. The question formats in Decision Making are primarily based on business scenarios, everyday situations, and problem-solving situations. However, there can be variations, and sometimes questions could be purely logic-based as well. In this blog, we will be talking about what are the different skills that candidate needs to gain to tackle decision making section in XAT exam, how to approach XAT decision making, ways to prepare for decision-making in Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT), and at last also discussing a sample question approach that help students to check how to solve a particular question in the XAT decision making section.
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XAT Decision Making Section Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
| Section Name | Decision Making |
| Exam Conducting Body | XLRI Jamshedpur |
| Number of Questions | 21 Questions |
| Type of Questions | Case-based scenarios Multiple Choice Questions |
| Time Allotted | No sectional time limit (Part 1 combined time: 175 minutes) |
| Marking Scheme | +1 mark for each correct answer -0.25 for each wrong answer -0.10 for unattempted after 8 questions |
| Key Focus Areas | Ethical dilemmas Business situations Human resource issues Conflict resolution |
| Required Skills | Analytical thinking Logical reasoning Ethical judgment Situational analysis |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate to High |
| Significance in XAT | Crucial for XLRI shortlisting Unique to XAT compared to CAT and other MBA exams |
What Decision-Making Section Demands?
The decision-making section of the XAT exam is not just another component of a standardized test but it carries a profound significance, specifically engineered to assess your managerial decision-making capabilities. This element may seem relatively straightforward on the surface, but it is one of the most intricate yet fundamental facets of MBA. As an aspiring manager, you will be entrusted with the responsibility for your organization’s revenue, the welfare of its employees, and the interests of its stakeholders. As such, the decisions you make are vital, and the complexities surrounding them tend to escalate as you ascend the corporate ladder.
The purpose of the Decision Making section is two-fold. Primarily, it serves to gauge your aptitude as a decision-maker. But more than that, the test has been carefully designed by XLRI to assess your ability to handle ambiguity, complexity, and the interplay of various stakeholders’ interests. Remember, as a manager, every decision you make can create ripples that affect the broader ecosystem of the organization. This section is not only help you to cover good portion of the XAT exam but apart from that makes sense for the application across several factors responsible in corporate world in respective to the decision-making skills to lead company, revenue as well as successful team leadership.
How To Approach The Decision-Making Section in XAT
The decision-making section is the make-or-break section of the XAT Exam, like the DILR section of the CAT, The decision-making section exemplifies if you get shortlisted for the further round of the XAT or not. However, where DILR was a test of aptitude, Decision making is a test of Emotional Intelligence from the examiner.
To effectively tackle the questions in this section, you must consider following a strategic approach. Firstly, adopt the mindset of a manager who understands and acknowledges the broad array of responsibilities they carry. Approach each question from a vantage point of leadership and stewardship, keeping in mind the interests of all parties involved.
Secondly, while morality is essential in our everyday lives, it is advisable to compartmentalize it when attempting the decision-making section. Personal moral judgments could cloud your decision-making capability, resulting in biases that might lead you away from the most beneficial decision for the organization as a whole. The key here is to distinguish between personal morality and professional ethics.
Thirdly, prioritize case facts above all else when presented with a question. Every detail provided in the problem statement has its significance and could be critical in forming a well-rounded decision. Make it a habit to note down these facts meticulously to ensure you have all the information at your disposal when you weigh the potential choices.
Lastly, keep a keen eye on ethics throughout the process. While it’s necessary to set personal morality aside, ethics should underpin all of your decisions. XLRI lays particular emphasis on ethics, and rightly so, as any decision in a corporate environment must be ethical to maintain integrity and trust. In the long run, ethical decisions not only protect the organization from potential pitfalls but also foster a culture of responsibility and fairness.
By integrating these strategies into your approach for the decision-making section, you are likely to navigate the complexities of managerial decisions more effectively. Remember, the ability to make sound, ethical decisions in the face of ambiguity is a highly sought-after skill in the world of management.
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Format and Content in XAT Decision Making
There are few important format and content mentioned below covers the fundamentals of approaching the decision-making in XAT including the scenario-based questions, data-based questions and logical reasoning questions.
- Scenario-Based Questions: These types of questions provide a business or real-life scenario where a decision needs to be made. The questions often come with a set of possible solutions, and the candidate needs to choose the most appropriate one. The challenge here is that all options might seem plausible, but one has to choose the best option considering various aspects like ethics, feasibility, and the potential impact of the decision.
- Data-Based Questions: These questions involve the use of charts, graphs, or data to make a decision. Candidates must interpret the data and then make decisions based on their understanding.
- Logical Reasoning Questions: These types of questions require logical thinking to solve. These are less common but can be a part of the Decision Making section.
How To Prepare For XAT Decision Making
Before start preparing for the XAT decision-making section, candidates need to focus few terms like practicing case studies, staying updated with the current affairs or information, logical reasoning skills and ethics as well as morality.
- Practice Case Studies: To improve your decision-making skills, practice case studies from different sources. Analyze business situations and their possible outcomes.
- Improve Your Logical Reasoning Skills: Some questions require logical thinking. You can improve this skill by solving different types of logical reasoning problems.
- Stay Updated with Current Affairs: Understanding the current business environment and socio-political issues can aid in better decision-making. Regular reading of newspapers and business magazines can help.
- Ethics and Morality: Since many of the scenarios deal with ethical dilemmas, having a good understanding of business ethics and morality can help you choose the right option. Reading about ethical cases in business can be beneficial.
Tackling a XAT Decision Making Question
Now let’s try to solve the question
1- Famous, renowned, and respected Doctor
2- Who owns an SUV in a Tier 3 city that is imported (For eg- Landcruiser from Toyota, or GLS from Mercedes)
3- His SUV is diesel, he loves his SUV.
4- Stringent laws are going to come in which will make his car and other cars not viable.
5- His daughter does not like him traveling in his SUV to the office daily as she knows that the SUV is a polluter.
6- The daughter must make a decision that will ensure that there is minimum resistance from her father.
Option A- Little viable, but the man is a renowned doctor who is respected by his patients. People who are this famous often have pride/ego in their public image, thus traveling by Public Transport is definitely not viable. This option if given will face resistance. Imagine going from driving a Landcruiser to coming in an RTC Bus to the office.
Option B- Not at all viable, the man loves his SUV (it is imported so it cost him a fortune, probably over a crore)- can you just take something this expensive? No. It would only make sense if you gift him something equally expensive but again does a Doctor’s family have afforded a crore rupees car again? Will it make sense to throw away such prized utility just for environmentalism? Plus taking something away from him will only attract resistance as it is done without the consent of the other.
Option C- Not at all viable, I guess any automobile enthusiast knows that we cannot just retrospectively put a new combustion method altogether in a car and it requires huge mechanical costs to do so. Can we do that for a Landcruiser? will it make sense to do it for a Landcruiser?
Option D- Little viable, as new laws are kicking in and this will anyhow make his car nonfeasible- it makes sense to sell it and buy something that can actually be used without fear, but again will he be able to sell a Landcruiser of over a crore so easily in a market where Diesel cars are not complying with emission laws. The doctor also loves this car and so may not agree to sell it unless he himself is convinced of this option
Option E (I chose)- Most viable, solves many problems, and goes well with case facts
a) will enable the doctor to use the utility of the vehicle and drive it to the fullest till he himself finds it nonviable anymore. Plus due to maintenance, the doctor himself may not want to drive it daily but rather use it as an enthusiast on weekends.
b) will enable the secretary and doctor both to use a single car to the office instead of two (thus well helping the environment through the logic of carpooling).
c) will ensure that both the secretary and doctor are on time to the office and on the right schedule (any doctor here can tell how important is a secretary for his daily medical work).
d) Actually be practically explained to the doctor that it is better to use something for 2 days rather than 7 (something people trying to lose weight can agree- if you are trying to lose weight you always start with small deficits rather than completely overkill yourself)
e) not an overkill- doing too much of anything is bad and being too environmentally conscious is also going to hurt in the long run
XAT Score Vs Percentile for DM
The table mentioned below covers the XAT Score vs Percentile for the Decision Making section in a detailed manner.
| XAT Decision Making Marks | XAT Decision Making Percentile |
| 15.2 | 99%ile |
| 12.9 | 95%ile |
| 11.9 | 90%ile |
| 9.8 | 80%ile |
Top Colleges Accepting XAT 2026 Score
XAT stands for the Xavier Aptitude Test where there are some top management MBA colleges in India which accepts the XAT scores including the XLRI Jamshedpur and Delhi, XLRI Bhubaneshwar, IMT Ghaziabad, MICA Ahmedabad and more. XLRI Jamshedpur is the main campus and popular know for its Human Resource Management program. The complete information about the XAT B-Schools which are accepting the XAT scores along with their respective cutoffs are mentioned in the table below.
| XAT B-School | XAT CUT OFF |
| XLRI Jamshedpur and Delhi (BM) | 93 Percentile- Male, 90 Percentile- Female |
| XLRI Jamshedpur HRM | 93 Percentile- Male Engineer, 90 Percentile- Male Non-Engineer, 90- Female Engineer, 87- Female Non-Engineer |
| XLRI Jamshedpur LSCM | 95 Percentile |
| XIMB Bhubaneshwar | 90 Percentile – Engineer, 88 Percentile- Nopn Engineer |
| XIM HR Bhubaneshwar | 89-92 Percentile |
| IMT Ghaziabad | 90 Percentile |
| Goa Institute Of Management | 80 Percentile |
| MICA Ahmedabad | 90 Percentile |
| TAPMI Manipal | 85 Percentile |
| Great Lakes Institute of Management Chennai | 80 Percentile |
Conclusion: XAT Decision Making
XAT exam is very popular management entrance examination in India after the Common Admission Test. This exam covers various sections in including the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Decision Making, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation as well as General Knowledge. The decision making section in the XAT exam checks the candidate’s decision making skills which is also very required for the qualified managers in the real life application.
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XAT Decision Making 2026 FAQs
The decision-making section of the XAT is unique and sets the exam apart from other management entrance exams. This section is not about quantitative ability or verbal skills but is a test of the aspirant’s ethical and moral stance. It aims to evaluate the decision-making capabilities of the aspirants in different situations. It is a important section across XAT exam to test candidate’s focused decision making skills along with the diverse thinking across cases or situations
There are approximate 21 questions are coming under XAT decision making section.
The top MBA colleges in India accepting the XAT scores including the XLRI Jamshedpur, XLRI Delhi, XIMB Bhubaneshwar, IMT Ghaziabad, TAPMI Manipal and more.
