What type of Reading Comprehension passages are there in XAT?

In XAT, Reading Comprehension passages are usually taken from Philosophy, Psychology, History, Art, research articles. Sometime, the XAT RC section also has poems. These areas are chosen to test the candidates, who are largely Science, Commerce and Engineering graduates, on their ability to come out of their comfort zone and adapt to unfamiliar situations. Out of 26 questions, about 14-16 questions are based on RC passages or a poem. Candidates must target solving about 10 questions accurately to score well. XAT has negative marking so do not mark an option as your answer if you are not 100 percent sure of it.

Where can I find study material for Decision Making syllabus for XAT?

Since Decision Making section is unique to XAT, study material for the same in not readily available. Thus the best source of preparation material for Decision Making section is XAT previous years’ question papers. This section has passages related to business situations. Candidates have to select the closest solution to the given situation from the list of four options. You have to make an informed decision regarding the decision which has be in favour of the larger good. This section essentially tests your ability to take objective decisions regarding various business situations and activities. Candidates can practice Decision Making questions from XAT question papers of previous years to know the types and difficulty level. In a way, this section is similar to Reading Comprehension and requires same skills as that.

When should I start studying for the XAT exam?

One must start preparing for XAT around six to eight months in advance. This timeline allows sufficient time to cover syllabus and practice using mock tests before the exam.

When should I start preparing for XAT exam?

Ideally, candidates should start preparing for XAT from March onwards so that they have ample time to cover the syllabus and practicea good number of mock tests. However, starting preparation in June-July is also fine. About a minimum of six are required to prepare well for the XAT exam as it is one of the tougher MBA entrance tests. Candidates can also opt for coaching classes for XAT as per their convenience. Candidates must study for about six to eight hours daily to be able to cover the syllabus and have enough time for practicing mock tests. Yes, they will need to strike a balance between exam coverage and mock test practice. However, the capacity of every student is different so, they must decide upon hours of study according to their own capacity and their control over the main topics of XAT. Making a workable plan is very important for XAT preparation, no matter when they start it.

How can I prepare for XAT by self study?

If you are planning to prepare for XAT exam by self study, you need to start early. At least six months before. XAT exam is conducted on the first Sunday of January every year. So, if you start preparing for the XAT in June or July, you will have good six months to prepare. Make a preparation plan that includes XAT syllabus coverage, problem solving sessions, mock tests and revision. Get hold of best books for XAT. Consult mentors or previous year toppers for selecting the best books for preparation. Join online study groups where you can get the help of mentors and peers for problem solving and clearing of doubts in topics. Work in tough topics first and then move to easier topics. Solve a large number and variety of XAT mock tests to master the syllabus. You will need to do a rigorous work on XAT mock tests as for candidates who opt for self study, have to rely on practice.

What is the XAT exam duration and slot?

XAT exam duration is 180 minutes in a single slot. Part 1 of XAT exam is conducted for 170 minutes, while Part 2 is held in last 10 minutes.

When should I start practicing XAT mock tests?

Aspirants should start practicing XAT mock tests after completing the syllabus. Ideal time duration to solve XAT mock tests is October to December. Official mock test is released a week before the exam, so candidates must attempt it at least once before the exam.

How many XAT mock tests should I practice?

A candidate should practice at least 35 to 40 XAT mock tests during preparation. They should attempt mocks of various varieties and difficulty levels. In the last two weeks before XAT exam, they must practice at least five mock tests and analyse performance. It is most likely that by the end of exam preparation, candidates will be scoring 98 plus percentile in mocks. If that happens, they will score well in exam too.

What is the syllabus of XAT for the Decision Making section?

The XAT Decision Making section consists of approximately 21-22 case-based questions designed to evaluate the ability to analyse complex, real-life, and professional scenarios.

What is the XAT syllabus?

XAT syllabus includes all important topics related to Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge.

Is the syllabus for XAT and CAT same?

Major topics under XAT and CAT syllabus are similar. Common sections include Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, and Verbal Ability. While the sections are same the syllabus is not identical. XAT also includes unique sections, namely Decision Making and General Knowledge.

Which are the most important topics to focus for XAT preparation?

Some of the important topics for XAT preparation include: Decision Making: Managerial/ethical dilemmas Quantitative Ability: Arithmetic, geometry, and algebra Verbal Ability: Reading comprehension, often with poetic passages.

Is the XAT syllabus lengthy?

XAT syllabus is considered extensive and challenging. It is often viewed as more comprehensive than other management exams. Sections like Decision Making and an Essay is also included in the XAT exam syllabus.

Which books are recommended to cover the XAT syllabus?

Some of the top books to cover XAT syllabus include Book Author Jabbing the XAT RK Jha Word Power Made Easy Norman Lewis QA/LR books Arun Sharma or RS Aggarwal For Decision Making, candidates can refer to past papers for XAT preparation

XAT Preparation 2027: Check Last Minute Expert Tips, Strategy & Guide

XAT Exam Date 2027

3 Jan '27

Updated on May 21, 2026 22:03 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

Overview

XAT 2027 preparation should start by June-July. The exam is of high difficulty and you will need at least three months to cover the syllabus. Remaining 3 months will be required for practice and mock tests.

Candidates who will be appearing for the XAT exam for the first time in 2027 must check the exam syllabus to analyse level of familiarity with topics. They should then start XAT preparation 2027 with topics that they find easier or are familiar with. This will build confidence in and momentum of preparation. Read on this page, XAT exam preparation tips and strategy.

Table of contents

XAT 2027 Preparation: An Overview
Section-wise XAT Preparation Plan 2027
Best Books for XAT Preparation 2027
XAT Question Paper PDF Download
XAT Mock Test Practice
FAQs on XAT Preparation 2027

XAT 2027 Preparation: An Overview

To make a XAT 2027 preparation plan, you need to understand the exam pattern and syllabus. XLRI releases XAT 2027 exam pattern with exam notification. Candidates can refer to XAT exam pattern as per past trends below:

XAT Exam Pattern	Details
Exam Mode	Online
Exam Duration	180 minutes
Sectional Time Limit	Part 1- 170 minutes Part 2- 10 minutes
XAT Syllabus	Decision Making Verbal & Logical Ability Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation General Knowledge
Question Paper Break Up	Part 1- Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability And Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation Part 2- General Knowledge
Total Number of Questions	95
Section Wise Number of Questions	Decision Making: 21 Verbal & Logical Ability: 26 Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation: 28 General Knowledge: 20
Marking Scheme	+1 mark for every correct answer - 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer - 0.10 marks for more than 8 un-attempted questions No negative marking in GK section

XAT Preparation 2027: Tips and Strategy

XAT preparation requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Ideally six to nine months are adequate to prepare for XAT but the key is to dedicate a good number of hours to preparation on daily basis. A minimum of six to eight hours daily is the requirement for an average student. It is good to have buffer time for practice sessions and mocks towards the end of year, before the exam approaches. Given below are some tips on how to make a XAT 2027 preparation plan.

Check XAT syllabus and make a list of topic-wise strengths and weakness.
Make a daily study plan of 6-8 hours. Divide the hours between XAT subjects.
Check previous years' XAT question papers
Depending upon the time you have for XAT 2027 preparation, focus more on topics from which maximum questions are asked.
Join online study groups and find a mentor to guide you. You can also join an MBA coaching institution for XAT 2027 preparation.
Gather best study material for XAT and MBA exam preparation apps for fruitful ppreparation. Online study will be more helpful as it will allow you to study on the go, anywhere and anytime.
Dedicate the last month to practice XAT mock tests and assess your growth. The key to all competitive exams is practice so attempt as many mock tests as you can.

Download XAT Syllabus PDF: XAT Syllabus PDF

Also Read: How to prepare for XAT: Tips from toppers

Section-wise XAT Preparation Plan 2027

Candidates can find XAT section-wise preparation tips below:

XAT Decision Making Tips

Decision Making is unique to XAT and the only way to crack it is by practicing previous years’ XAT question papers. It contains business situation and candidates have to choose the best logical solution. When you practice practice questions of Decision Making keep in mind to choose an option that serves the larger group or cause. Best source of XAT Decision Making preparation is previous years' XAT question papers.

Also Read: XAT Preparation Plan for Decision Making

XAT Verbal & Logical Ability Tips

This section of XAT 2027 will require you to focus on English Grammar and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC). Develop the habit of reading onscreen. Read online books and newspapers. Most of the XAT Reading Comprehension passages are based on literature and abstract topics. You need to understand the gist without reading each word of the passage due to time limit. While practising RCs in XAT mock tests, focus on keywords and relate them with each other to choose the right option. There's often one poem in XAT as part of RC. Check all XAT poems of previous years' to get an idea.

Also Read: XAT Preparation Plan for Verbal & Logical Ability

XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation Tips

To crack this section of XAT, 2027 you need to be thorough with Mathematical concepts and theorems. So, practice well. Solve the same Quantitative Ability section at least thrice to understand the application of the concept. After solving every question, tally your answer with the given solution and analyse the logic behind that answer. Once, you know the concept and its application well, all you need is practice to improve speed. Data Interpretation requires practice of a range and variety of sample questions.

Also Read: XAT Preparation Plan for Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

XAT General Knowledge Tips

This section of XAT is the easiest in terms of preparation. So, you can begin studying for it after completing Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation syllabus.

To study static GK, read Manorama Year Book. For current affairs, be regular with reading newspapers and watching current affairs and infotainment programmes on television. It is quite possible that a few GK questions can be unknown to you, but since there is no negative marking in this section, you don’t have to worry.

Best Books for XAT Preparation 2027

For effective preparation, candidates must refer to only the expert-recommended XAT books. Shiksha has compiled a list of the best books for XAT preparation for the benefit of candidates. Many CAT books are recommended for XAT too as both exams have the same topics.

Best books for XAT Syllabus Coverage: Quantitative Aptitude

Some of the books for QA and DI section recommended by XAT toppers and tutors are mentioned below:

Books for XAT Preparation	Author/Publisher
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT	Arun Sharma
Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT Common Admission Tests For Admission into IIMs	Sarvesh K Verma
Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations	Guha Abhijit
Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency	Ananta Ashisha/Arihant

Best books for XAT Syllabus Coverage: Verbal Ability

To cover the XAT 2027 syllabus for Verbal Ability, candidates must refer to the books listed below:

Books for XAT Preparation	Author/Publisher
Word Power Made Easy	Norman Lewis
Objective General English	Dr RS Agarwal and Vikas Agarwal
High School English Grammar	Wren & Martin
The Students' Companion Book	D Best

Best books for XAT Syllabus Coverage: Decision Making

To cover the XAT 2027 syllabus for Decision Making, candidates must refer to the books listed below:

Books for XAT Preparation	Author Name/Publisher
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning	Gautam Puri
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT	Nishit K. Sinha
Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency	Ananta Ashisha
How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT	Arun Sharma

Best XAT Study Material for General Knowledge

XAT General Knowledge questions are usually easy and can be completed in 10 minutes. Subscribe to yearbooks for memorising important events. Students should also subscribe to daily newspapers and journals such as:

Newspapers and Journals
The Hindu	Economic Times
Financial Express	Hindu Business Line
Wall Street Journal	The Financial Times
Business Today	Business World
Competition Success Review	Management Compass Career Launcher

XAT Question Paper PDF Download

XAT 2027 aspirants must ensure that they practice previous years' question papers for a better understanding of question types and difficulty level over the years. Previous years' XAT quesiton papers are the best source of Decision Making and RC practice material.

XAT PYQs	Download Link
XAT 2026 question paper	Click to download
XAT 2024 question paper	Click to Download

For XAT quesiton paper PDFs of previous years, click here.

XAT Mock Test Practice

Candidates must practice a good number of XAT mock tests so that they are fully in control of the topics, accuracy and speed. Shiksha has created free XAT mock test for aspirants to practice and check their preparation level. Take free XAT Mock Test by Shiksha below:

XAT_Mock_Test_1	XAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions
XAT_Mock_Test_2	XAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions

Also Read: XAT exam: Last minute tips and exam day guidelines

FAQs on XAT Preparation 2027

Here are some important FAQs related to XAT exam preparation

Q: Is XAT tough for candidates from non-Engineering background?

Yes, XAT is slightly tougher for candidates with non-Engineering background as the Quantitative Aptitude section is of higher difficulty level. However, they can crack it if they work on the fundamentals of Math and practice questions of all difficulty levels. It will take time but they will be able to crack XAT's quant section if they dedicate extra hours to it. Aspirants can find XAT study material online in various online study groups. Students’ groups on Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. share study material with each other. One can also download MBA exam preparation apps to get relevant and useful study material.

The good part about XAT is that, it has different cut offs for candidates belonging to different academic backgrounds. As part of its commitment to academic diversity, the institute has lower cut offs for candidates from non-engineering background than candidates from engineering background.

Q: How many questions were there in XAT 2025?

As per the latest XAT exam pattern, there will be 95 questions in XAT 2025 in MCQ format.

Verbal Ability section of XAT will have 26 questions
Decision Making section of XAT will have 21 questions
Quantitative Ability section will have 28 questions
GK section will have 20 questions

There will be no essay writing this year. It will be conducted during the selection process.

It is not mandatory to solve all the questions. Candidates should solve only those questions which they can solve correctly as there is negative marking in XAT. During the exam preparation, focus on the chapters from which majority of the questions are added. This will help them in achieving the sectional and overall cut offs are required.

Q: What is the duration of the XAT exam?

XAT exam was held for 3 hours and 30 minutes. However, with the revision of exam pattern, it was held for 3 hours in 2025. There is sectional time-limit in the test. 170 minutes are allotted to Part 1 comprising Decision Making, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation and Verbal Ability. Part 2 has General Knowledge section to be solved in 10 minutes. No bio-break is allowed during the exam. Candidates have to finish the test in the given time limit only. The test screen will move from part 1 to part 2 the moment 170 minutes get over and once the 10 minutes of part 2 will be over, the test window will be locked. Candidates must keep saving their entries after every attempt as there is no provision in XAT to go back and review your answers once the time limit for that part is over.

Q: What is the best study material to cover the XAT syllabus?

The best study materials to prepare for XAT exam include a mix of books, previous years' papers, and mock test. Some books focused at XAT preparation are tabulated below:

Best Books	Author
Jabbing the XAT	RK Jha
Analytical & Logical Reasoning	Arihant Publications
Target XAT	Disha Publications

Q: How many hours should I study daily for the XAT exam?

One will need 3-4 hours of preparation if they are planning to complete XAT syllabus in 6 months.

Q: What are the important topics for the XAT Quantitative Aptitude section?

Important topics from XAT quantitative aptitude section include Arithmetic (Percentages, Profit & Loss, Time-Speed-Distance, Averages), Geometry & Mensuration, Algebra (Equations, Progressions), Number Systems, and Modern Math (Probability, P&C).

Q: Does the XAT syllabus change every year?

Sections in the XAT exam, including Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation remain consistent. However, the exam pattern, question count, and structure may change annually.

Q: Are six months enough to prepare for XAT?

Yes six months are enough to prepare for XAT if you plan it well. You will need about 8 hours every day for it. Use first four months to cover exam syllabus and last two months for practice.

Q: What is the ideal time to start XAT mock test practice?

Ideal time to start XAT mock test practice is after covering the syllabus. When you're thorough with all the concepts and formulae, you will be able to solve all types of questions in the XAT mock test. XAT exam is conducted in January first week, so one should start mock test practice in November and dedicate two months to it.

Q: Can XAT preparation be done with only mock test practice?

If a candidate has appeared for the XAT exam before and is only attempting again for score improvement, then they can prepare for it with mock tests only. But if a candidate is appearing for the XAT exam for the first time and is not familiar with the syllabus, they cannot prepare with XAT mock tests only. XAT syllabus coverage is necessary before starting XAT mock test practice.

Q: In how many months can I prepare for the XAT syllabus?

Completing XAT syllabus requires 3 to 6 months, with 6-8 months for thorough preparation, including mock test analysis and practise using previous year XAT question papers.