Is XAT Tougher Than CAT Exam? Know Differences and Similarities & Difficulty Level
Call 8585951111
MBA aspirants are caught between XAT vs CAT debate every year when it is time for MBA admission. So, is XAT tougher than CAT? Both these MBA entrance exams are similar in many ways but have unique aspects. Check here the differences between CAT and XAT.
Is XAT tougher than CAT? This is the most common question an MBA aspirant asks when he/she plan to prepare for admission. Both CAT and XAT are top tier MBA entrance exams and most popular among management aspirants. The answer to this question cannot be either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as despite being being similar in several aspects, both XAT and CAT have unique features. However, XAT exam difficulty level is on par with CAT exam difficulty level.
For example, like CAT exam has sectional time limit and its RC passages are long and dense. XAT exam also has sectional time-limit but you can still divide time between English, QA and Decision Making as per your preparation.
On the other hand, CAT exam doesn’t have Essay Writing, Decision Making and GK sections which require extra preparation. Both the exams are conducted in a gap of one month. CAT 2025 was held on November 30, 2025 and the question paper was slightly easier than previous year. CAT 2025 result trend suggests that a good number of candidates have scored as expected.
XAT 2026 will be held on January 4, 2026. Those who appeared in CAT 2025 will need to do a bit of practice for XAT as most of the preparation is already done by the time XAT exam day arrived. Extra preparation is mainly required for Decision Making and Essay Writing. In this article we'll discuss XAT vs CAT in detail and cover important aspects such as difficulty level, number of questions, pattern, syllabus, exam timing, etc.
- CAT vs XAT: Differences and Similarities
- XAT vs CAT: Exam Syllabus
- XAT vs CAT: Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme
- XAT Preparation 2026
- CAT Preparation 2025
CAT vs XAT: Differences and Similarities
Although, the syllabus of both exams are same (apart from Decision Making and GK) the difference lies in the types of questions and difficulty levels. In terms of the difficulty level, both XAT and CAT are more difficult than other MBA entrance exams. When compared to each other they both are tough but it has often been seen that in CAT, the DILR section is more difficult than other sections and in XAT, the Quantitative Aptitude section is often tougher than the rest of the sections.
Also Read: XAT vs CAT- What Expert Says
To determine which exam is tougher, one needs to know the difference between the two. Let’s take a look at key highlights of CAT and XAT before moving to differences and similarities:
| Particulars |
CAT |
XAT |
|---|---|---|
| Full form |
Common Admission Test |
Xavier Aptitude Test |
| Conducting Body |
||
| Eligibility Criteria |
Graduate with 50% aggregate (45% for reserved category candidates) from a recognized university |
Graduate in any stream from a recognized university |
| Sections |
3 |
5 |
| Exam mode |
Online |
Online |
| Exam duration |
120 minutes |
180 minutes |
| Difficulty level |
Moderate to Difficult |
Moderate to Difficult |
| Exam fee |
INR 2,600 (INR 1,300 for Reserved category students) |
INR 2,200 |
| Registration process |
Online |
Online |
Watch Video to understand the difference between CAT and XAT.
Also Read:
- List of Colleges Accepting XAT score
- List of Colleges Accepting CAT score
It is difficult but not impossible. If you give yourself a good enough time to improve English comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, you will be able to do it. Yes, a non- English medium student will require longer time for CAT preparation as they will have to start reading and improving English comprehension. So, may be they need to start English preparation for CAT in the second year of graduation, instead of final year (much earlier than English medium students). They may also need two attempts to crack CAT with high percentile. But that's not true for all. If you work hard and study smartly, you will be able to crack it.
The best way to prepare for DILR section is through practice. Before starting the preparation, aspirants should check previous years’ question papers. Since there is not much conceptual understanding required in this section, practice is important.
Some of the most popular books on DILR section that you can refer are How to Prepare for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit Sinha, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT by Pearson, to name a few.
XAT vs CAT: Exam Syllabus
XAT's Decision Making and General Knowledge sections are absent in CAT syllabus. The table below indicates section-wise subjects in CAT and XAT exams:
| CAT Syllabus |
XAT Syllabus |
|---|---|
| Decision Making |
|
| Verbal and Logical Ability |
|
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
|
| - |
General Knowledge |
XAT vs CAT: Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme
The test patterns of both the exams are similar. Both the exams contain MCQs with four options to choose the right answer from. However, the marking schemes of both the exams are different. Check the table below for difference between exam patterns of CAT and XAT:
| Details |
CAT Marking Scheme |
XAT Marking Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Questions |
68 |
95 |
| Total Marks |
204 |
95 |
| Negative Marking |
Yes. 3 marks for correct answer -1 mark for incorrect answer No negative marking for non-MCQs |
Yes. 1 marks for correct answer – 0.25 mark for incorrect answer. 0.10 marks will be deducted for more than 8 un-attempted questions. No negative marking in GK section |
| Number of choices in MCQs |
4 |
5 |
| Sectional Time limit |
Yes (40 minutes for each section) |
170 minutes for Part 1 (VA, QA, DM), 10 minutes for Part 2 (GK) |
Check CAT exam pattern 2025
Check XAT exam pattern 2026
Download XAT Previous Year Papers
Check below and download free PDFs of previous years' XAT question papers for practice.
Download CAT Previous Year Papers
Check below and download free PDFs of previous years' CAT question papers for practice.
While there are many similarities between CAT and XAT, the major differences are sectional time-limit and marking scheme, number and types of questions. Candidates preparing for CAT and XAT must focus on solving sample sample papers and mock tests of both these exams. This will help them identify the differences and develop skills to tackle each exam with much each.
CAT Mock Test
A very important aspect of MBA exam preparation is mock test. Whether it is CAT or XAT or any other exam, the preparation is not complete unless candidates have practiced a good number of mock tests. Mock test not only help candidates in assessing their preparation level so far but also help them learn time management viz the exam duration. Shiksha has created CAT mock test and XAT mock tests, for aspirants to practice and measure their improvement.
| CAT_Mock_Test_1 | CAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| CAT_Mock_Test_2 | CAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
XAT Mock Test
| XAT_Mock_Test_1 | XAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| XAT_Mock_Test_2 | XAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
CAT is a speed-based test of analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, data interpretation and English comprehension. Now, it may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to learn these subjects at advanced level. If you are an average student but have studied Science or Commerce in Class-12 and graduation, you will find a lot of familiar topics in Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. All you will need is brush up the basics and practice the concepts on advanced-level problems.
However, since the competition is so high in CAT and less than 95 percentile can break your dream of joining a top college like IIM, the preparation for CAT requires a lot of focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the CAT exam.
Hope it was helpful!!!
CAT syllabus is vast. It has numerous topics from Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation. Covering the CAT syllabus also includes practicing a variety of sample questions on the topics included. Thus, it requires a lot of time. Candidates must given themselves atleast 3-4 months to cover CAT syllabus and keep in mind the following:
· Check the previous years' CAT papers to know topics which carry more weightage so that you can focus on those topics more.
· List down topicsin order of easy, moderate and tough and allot time to them accordingly.
· Make sure to study about 6-8 hours per day to complete the syllabus 2-3 months before the exam.
· After studying every topic, practice sample questions. Balance theory with practical.
One should keep 9 months for CAT preparation, but it is possible to prepare in six months too provided the plan is focussed and exhaustive. For a six month preparation plan, one will need to dedicate 8 to 10 hours daily.
Explore colleges based on CAT
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
XAT Preparation 2026
Check out Shiksha's most read articles on XAT preparation and learn key tips and tricks:
| How to prepare for XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
|
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
26 Feb '26
28 Feb '26
28 Feb '26
3 Mar '26
23 Feb '26 - 26 Feb '26
TANCET
5 Feb '26 - 2 Mar '26
7 Apr '26 - 8 Apr '26
CAT Preparation 2025
Check out Shiksha's most read articles on CAT preparation and learn key tips and tricks:
| CAT 2025: Preparation Plan for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
Read More:
Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
Read Full Bio
Comments
(1)
Yes CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have enough time. There are three subjects in CAT- VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Most of candidates find RC passages tough to crack. In Quants, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry pose significant challenge during preparation. In DILR, Reasoning questions often turnout to be tricky and confusion.