The role of General Knowledge in XAT
As published for XAT 2026, General Knowledge is a separate short part with 20 questions, 12 on current affairs and 8 on static GK, answered after the main part. Published summaries say it is excluded from the percentile calculation and has no negative marking, and that XLRI uses the score separately in its own selection process. Whatever the exact use, the policy for a candidate is the same: keep a modest daily routine so that you can answer a good share of the questions without sacrificing the preparation for the three scored sections. Because the part is short and has no penalty, it is also a good place for educated guesses.
What it covers
| Area | Typical topics | How to revise |
|---|---|---|
| Current affairs | National and international events, business and economy news, appointments, awards, summits, sports | Weekly summaries and quizzes |
| Business and economy | Companies, mergers, policies, budget, markets, institutions | Business news with a note on why it matters |
| Static GK | History, geography, polity, books and authors, awards, science | Short notes and spaced revision |
| Management and general awareness | Famous companies, leaders, business terms | Reading and glossary |
The weights change with the news and from year to year.
What the questions look like
Current affairs. A question on a recent merger, summit or appointment: answered only if you followed the news.
Business. Which body regulates the securities market in India? SEBI.
Static. Who wrote a particular book, or where is a particular institution headquartered? These reward steady reading and a short revision list.
Because recall either comes quickly or not at all, take 20 to 30 seconds a question and move on.
A daily routine that fits
- Ten to fifteen minutes of a reliable news summary, with a focus on business and policy.
- A weekly quiz of 20 questions on the week's news and some older material.
- A miss list revisited weekly.
- Static GK in short notes, ten minutes twice a week.
See general awareness without burnout and spaced repetition.
Keeping facts current
Revise the last six to twelve months of news before the exam, weighting recent months most. Note the date beside each time-sensitive fact, and check figures against official sources. Facts from two years ago may no longer be true.
Time management and attempt policy
| Stage | Time (about 10 minutes) | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| First pass | About 8 minutes | Answer at 20 to 30 seconds each |
| Second pass | About 2 minutes | Educated guesses on the remainder |
As published, this part has no negative marking, so an answer for every question is a sensible policy; confirm the rule in the notice for your year. In mocks that apply a penalty to GK, treat it the way you treat the other sections.
How to practise
- Quizzes: two or three a week, 20 questions each.
- Weekly review: update the miss list.
- Full papers: take the GK part at the end of each, as in the real exam, so that you practise it with a tired mind.
Analysing your GK result
| Pattern | Probable cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Errors on current affairs | Gap in the last months | Weekly summary and quiz |
| Errors on static GK | No revision schedule | Short notes; spaced revision |
| Same items missed repeatedly | No miss list | Keep and revisit a miss list |
| Outdated answers | Old figures | Date your notes; check sources |
Common mistakes
- Ignoring GK entirely because it is outside the percentile.
- Cramming in the last week.
- Reading news without making notes.
- Over-investing time at the cost of the three scored sections.
- Leaving questions blank when there is no penalty.
Related pages
See the XAT hub, the exam pattern and the mock test strategy. Other sections: Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making and Quantitative Ability and DI. For a worked review read how to use mock tests for XAT. Tests published by institutes appear below.
Note: the GK part's size, scoring and use are from published summaries of the XAT 2026 notification; confirm them in XLRI's notice for your year.