Xavier Aptitude Test 2026 ( XAT )
Exam On - 4 Jan '26
XAT 2026 will be held on January 4, 2026. Admit card download started from today, December 25, 2025. Know all about the XAT exam 2026, including dates, question paper analysis, exam pattern, syllabus, preparation, test cities, etc.
All about XAT 2026 exam
XAT 2026 exam will be conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur on January 4, 2026. The exam will be conducted in 109 cities at designated test centres in Computer Based Test mode. XAT 2026 admit card has been released today. Candidates can download their hall tickets now from xatonline.in website.
The XAT question paper will have 95 questions from Verbal Ability, Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Aptitude and General Knowledge. Over 1 lakh candidates apply for XAT every year. The exam score is accepted by 800 + MBA colleges in India. The XAT exam is a Pan-India MBA entrance exam for admission to XLRI as well as over 800 B-Schools in India. Candidates who wish to appear for XAT 2026, must read here all about the exam.
The schedule of XAT 2026 was announced by XLRI July 10, 2025. Check below XAT 2026 dates:
| XAT 2026 Events |
XAT 2026 Dates |
|---|---|
| XAT 2026 registration starts |
10-Jul-2025 |
| Official XAT mock test 2026 |
27-Sep-2025 to 28-Sep-2025 29-Oct-2025 to 01-Nov-2025 19-Nov-2025 to 20-Nov-2025 |
| Mock test registration deadline |
16-Nov-2025 |
| XAT form correction 2026 |
Oct-14-2025 to Oct-16-2025 25-Nov-2025 to 27-Nov-2025 |
| XAT 2026 registration ends |
05-Dec-2025 11-Dec-2025 |
| Release of XAT admit card 2026 |
20-Dec-2025 25-Dec-2025 |
| XAT exam 2026 |
04-Jan-2026 |
| XAT 2026 answer key release and challenge |
Second week of January 2026 |
| XAT 2026 result announcement |
Third week of January, 2026 |
The XAT 2026 admit card is available for download at the official XAT website. Given below are the steps to download the admit card below:
XAT syllabus includes Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation, Verbal & Logical Ability and General Knowledge. XAT has a unique section called Decision Making. Check below the main topics of XAT syllabus 2026:
| XAT Sections |
XAT Topics |
|---|---|
| Verbal and Logical Ability |
Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Analogy, Para Jumble, Grammar, Critical Reasoning, Fill in the Blanks |
| Decision Making |
Seating Arrangement, Logical Sequencing, Assumptions, Premises, Conclusions, etc. |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
Tables and Caselets, Percentage, Surds and Indices, Algebra, Mensuration, Bar Diagrams, Pie Charts, etc. |
| General Knowledge |
Science, Economy, Business, Politics, Static GK, Sports, Prize and Award, World, Government, Constitution of India, etc. |
XAT exam pattern was revised for the 2025 exam session. As per the latest XAT exam pattern, there will be no essay writing. Check the highlights of XAT exam pattern 2026 as shared by XLRI below:
| XAT Exam Structure |
Details |
|---|---|
| Exam mode |
Computer Based Test |
| Exam sections |
Part 1: Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (170 minutes) Part 2: General Knowledge (10 minutes) |
| Duration of exam |
180 minutes |
| Number of questions |
95 |
| Total marks |
95 |
| Question Type |
MCQ |
| Number of answer choices |
Four |
| XAT marking scheme |
+1 mark for correct answer - 0.25 marks for incorrect answer - 0.10 marks for more than 8 un-attempted questions No negative marking in GK section |
Preparation for XAT 2026 should be done in a time bound manner. Aspirants should start atleast 6-9 months before for the exam preparation. A key component of XAT preparation 2026 will be practice of mock tests and sample questions.
| XAT Preparation Articles |
|---|
| XAT Preparation Plan for Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
It is recommended to practice about 40-50 XAT mock tests during the preparation phase to be in full control of the syllabus as well as time duration. One must practice official as well as unofficial XAT mock tests. Shiksha has prepared free XAT mock tests for candidates to practice. Click on the links below for access.
| XAT_Mock_Test_1 | XAT_Mock_Test_1 Solutions |
| XAT_Mock_Test_2 | XAT_Mock_Test_2 Solutions |
XLRI will release the XAT response sheet and answer keys after the exam for candidates to check their correct and incorrect attempts. XAT answer key 2026 will be available through download. Here’s how to download XAT official answer key:
The institute will provide answer key challenge option to candidates. If any candidate feels that official answer of any of the questions is incorrect, they will be free to raise objection against it by filling an online form. The objections will be examined and if any of the objections is found valid, the official answer key will be revised.
Based on ,MBA
XAT result 2026 will be available for download from the official website. To check XAT 2026 result, candidates will need to follow the below mentioned steps:
Also Read:
XAT cut offs for XLRI is released a week after the result announcement. Check below XAT 2025 cut offs for reference.
| XAT 2025 Cut Offs: MBA BM |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category |
QA |
VALR |
DM |
Overall |
| Engineer/Tech Male |
88 |
84 |
84 |
96 |
| Engineer/Tech Female |
82 |
80 |
80 |
91 |
| Non-Engineer Male |
88 |
84 |
84 |
96 |
| Non-Engineer Female |
82 |
80 |
80 |
91 |
| XAT 2025 Cut Offs: MBA HR |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category |
QA |
VALR |
DM |
Overall |
| Engineer/Tech Male |
83 |
90 |
87 |
95 |
| Engineer/Tech Female |
73 |
85 |
80 |
90 |
| Non-Engineer Male |
76 |
90 |
87 |
93 |
| Non-Engineer Female |
78 |
85 |
80 |
87 |
About 800+ MBA colleges in India accept XAT score for MBA/PGDM admission, check below the list of some of the popular B-Schools accepting XAT:
XAT 2026 registration and application process is online. Aspirants will have to fill the form before the last date to apply for XAT 2026 to be eligible for the exam. Check below, XAT 2026 registration cum application process:
Check the table below for fee amount to be paid at the time of XAT 2026 application process. Candidates will have to pay the fee before or on the XAT application last date. Fee not paid will lead non-submission of the XAT 2026 application form:
| Particulars |
Amount |
|---|---|
| XAT fee |
INR 2200 |
| XLRI application fee |
INR 200 |
XAT is PG course entrance test, thus the minimum eligibility is graduation. Check details below:
Also Read: XAT Eligibility Criteria, Age Limit, Reservation Criteria, Work Experience
As per the latest XAT exam pattern, there will be 95 questions in XAT 2025 in MCQ format.
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.
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.
27 Dec '25 - 28 Dec '25
30 Sep '25 - 30 Dec '25
30 Dec '25
9 Jan '26
5 Jan '26 - 10 Jan '26
29 Nov '25 - 11 Jan '26
13 Jan '26
22 Jan '26
15 Dec '25 - 23 Jan '26
23 Jan '26
There are no non-MCQs in XAT. All the questions are in MCQ format with four options to choose the correct answer from. There are neither Type in the Answer and nor subjective answer type questions. Earlier, there used to be essay writing which required candidates to type a short essay on screen.
As per the latest XAT exam pattern, the question paper has only 2 parts. Part 1 consists of VALR, DM and QA DI questions. Part 2 consists of GK questions. Essay Writing is not a part of the online test. The total time duration is 180 minutes or 3 hours. Part 1 is of 170 minutes and Part 2 is of 10 minutes. Earlier, the XAT exam included essay writing for which extra time was given. The XAT exam used to be of 210 minutes or 3.5 hours.
There is no change in the XAT exam pattern 2026. The structure of XAT 2026 question paper will be same as XAT 2025 question paper. There will be no essay writing this year. Candidates will get 180 minutes to solve about 95 questions in MCQ format.
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
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Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
GIBS accepts scores from all major management entrance exams, including:
CAT
XAT
MAT
CMAT
GMAT
ATMA
State CET
This gives students multiple options to apply. Along with entrance exam scores, GIBS also looks at the overall profile, communication skills, and interest in management, which makes the admission pr
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
Yes, apart from CAT/XAT/MAT/CMAT/ATMA, PIBM conducts its own entrance exam called PMAT (PIBM's Online Aptitude Test). Shortlisted candidates from PMAT then appear for the Written Test, Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) as part of the selection process.
R
Beginner-Level 4
Answered a week ago
Yes, if you have secured an 82nd percentile in XAT, you can get the scholarships for pursuing an MBA course at FOSSTIMA Business School. The concessions on fees that the school provides are:
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
No. Scores in CAT/XAT/GMAT is not mandatory for admission into BITS Pilani MBA in Business Analytics. However, those who have appeared for these entrance exams will get their score considered in the selection criteria. Appearing for BAAT exam is mandatory for MBA Business Analytics admission.
D
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a week ago
The XAT Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MBA/ PGDM programme for Gender-Neutral candidates belonging to the All India quota. The Rajagiri Business School XAT Cutoff 2025 was 15 percentile for admission to the PGDM course. Candidates needed to secure at least 15 percentile to avail admis
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
XAT VARC is moderately tough and requires adequate practice. This section has about 27 questions and some are based on RC passages including a poem. To be able to understand and attempt RC questions, good control on English comprehension is required. Verbal Ability, Grammar and Vocabulary questions
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
There is no change in the XAT exam pattern 2026. The structure of XAT 2026 question paper will be same as XAT 2025 question paper. There will be no essay writing this year. Candidates will get 180 minutes to solve about 95 questions in MCQ format.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
Rajagiri Business School XAT Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MBA/PGDM courses. In 2024, the XAT cutoff was 70 percentile for admission to the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) course for the General category candidates under the All India quota.
As in the case for the OBC AI c
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
The IMI Kolkata XAT Cutoff 2024 was released for admission to the MBA/PGDM course for all categories under the All India quota. The XAT Cutoff 2024 was overall 70 percentile for the General category candidates from the All India quota. This cutoff was for students to avail a seat at the Post Graduat
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
Hi.
For PGDM and MBA admissions at GIBS Business School, Bangalore, the following entrance exams are accepted:
Accepted Entrance Exams
| Exam | Type / Level |
|---|---|
| CAT – Common Admission Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| XAT – Xavier Aptitude Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| MAT – Management Aptitude Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| CMAT – Common Management Admission Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test | International / National-level MBA entrance exam |
| ATMA – AIMS Test for Management Admissions | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| State CET (e.g., Karnataka PGCET) | State-level MBA entrance exam for Karnataka candidates |
h
Scholar-Level 18
Yes, the XAT exam has negative marking of -0.25 marks for wrong attempt. Unanswered questions have no negative marking but if there are 8 consecutive unanswered questions, 0.10 marks will be deducted. Thus, the candidates must select questions to solve very carefully in the XAT exam. They should solve only those questions which they know they can solve accurately. The XAT exam has sectional time limit too, so you may not want to waste time on a question that you cannot solve accurately. You stand to lose both time and marks. So be careful in selecting questions in the XAT exam. The sectional cut off for XAT is usually 80 percent accuracy. Practice a lot of mock tests to develop this skill.