Xavier School of Management lowers XAT 2025 cutoffs for women and underprivileged candidates

The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2025 cutoffs were announced by the Xavier School of Management on Jan 27.

For the Business Management (BM) and Human Resource Management (HRM) programs, the institute has decided to lower the general cutoffs for female candidates and those from underprivileged communities.

According to XLRI, this initiative aims to “ensure equitable opportunities for women in Indian business and management roles and promote gender diversity.”

The XAT 2025 results were released on Jan 17.

Three rounds of interviews for the PGDM (GM) program have already been completed, based on GMAT scores, and the fourth round will begin in February.

“A key highlight of this year’s announcements is XLRI’s conscious decision to lower the overall cutoffs for female applicants in both the BM and HRM programs. This initiative highlights XLRI’s ongoing mission to promote greater gender diversity and ensure equitable opportunities for women in Indian business and management roles. The move is designed to cultivate a more representative learning environment, ultimately contributing to the formation of inclusive workspaces and progressive leadership models,” reads an official statement.

The overall cutoff for male candidates in the Business Management program is the 96th percentile, while for female candidates, it is slightly lower at the 91st percentile.

This year, male applicants with engineering and technology credentials in the Human Resource Management program need to achieve an overall cutoff of the 95th percentile, while their non-technical counterparts require a 93rd percentile.

Around 4,000 to 4,500 applicants are expected to be interviewed by XLRI for the 2025–2026 admissions cycle.

Meanwhile, cutoffs for programs such as Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Venture Development (IEV) and the Double Master's Program with Rutgers Business School, USA, will be finalized later, based on specific program criteria.

This ensures that the admission requirements for each program align with its unique objectives and resources.

“XLRI believes in the transformative power of diversity and inclusivity. By lowering the cutoffs for female candidates, we seek to create a more balanced and representative learning environment that aligns with our vision of a progressive and inclusive society,” said professor Rahul Shukla, Convenor, XAT 2025 and admissions.

The XAT cutoffs at XLRI are influenced by several dynamic factors.

First, the volume of applicants in a given year directly impacts the intensity of competition, as larger applicant pools typically lead to higher cutoffs.

Second, the difficulty level of the XAT exam can affect the marks required for each percentile, with more challenging questions potentially resulting in lower raw-score requirements.

Lastly, the number of seats available plays a crucial role, as programs with fewer seats tend to be more selective, leading to higher cutoff requirements.