Is XAT Tougher Than CAT Exam? Know Differences and Similarities & Difficulty Level
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
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 |
Check Topic wise CAT exam syllabus
Check Topic wise XAT exam syllabus
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 |
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 |
|
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:
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
30 Sep '25 - 10 Jan '26
5 Jan '26 - 10 Jan '26
29 Nov '25 - 11 Jan '26
13 Jan '26
17 Jan '26
22 Jan '26
15 Dec '25 - 23 Jan '26
25 Jan '26
23 Jan '26
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.
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.
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.
XAT 2025 exam was of moderate difficulty level. The students who had appeared for the exam last year, said the XAT 2025 question paper was not much different. Section wise, Quantitative Aptitude questions were on the tougher side, Verbal Ability and Decision Making were easy to moderate and GK was easy.
There was one poem for RC as always. Quantitative Aptitude section was dominated by Arithmetic and GK had questions on very recent events.
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 the 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.