XAT study material includes books by RS Aggarwal, Arun Sharma and Wren & Martin. Aspirants must refer to recommended XAT books only. Check here section-wise list of XAT preparation books for 2026 exam session.
It is crucial to choose the right XAT books, as the syllabus is vast and difficulty level high. XLRI shortlists candidates above 92-94 percentile, so candidates cannot be ill prepared for the exam. So, for exam preparation, you must refer to expert recommended books for XAT 2026.
Choose only those XAT preparation books, that include all the topics includes in the XAT syllabus. The XAT syllabus comprises subjects like Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, Logical Ability, Data Interpretation, Decision Making and General Knowledge. The books should also have additional XAT study material such as practice questions, sample papers and topic wise exercises of various difficulty levels. Read below to know the best books for preparation of XAT 2026.
- Best Books for XAT Preparation: Expert Recommendation
- XAT Preparation Books for Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
- XAT Preparation Books for Decision Making
- XAT Preparation Books for Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
- XAT Study Material for General Knowledge
- XAT Study Material: Previous Year XAT Question Papers
- XAT Mock Tests
- XAT Syllabus 2026
- XAT Exam Pattern 2026
Best Books for XAT Preparation: Expert Recommendation
Every section of the XAT exam has different weightage and cut-off marks, therefore, for an overall good XAT score, candidates need to perform well in each section. Experts suggest that candidates should apply subject specific strategy to prepare every section of XAT, which should include recommended XAT books. We have listed section-wise best books for XAT preparation 2026 (recommended by experts) and other study material below. Read on.
XAT Preparation Books for Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
Quantitative Ability (QA) and Data Interpretation (DI) questions are grouped in a single section in XAT as they are based on arithmetical problems. Since, the topics of XAT syllabus is same as CAT syllabus, you can refer CAT books for preparation. Given below is the list of XAT books for Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation preparation.
| XAT Books for Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
Author Name |
|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations |
RS Aggarwal |
| How to prepare for Data Interpretation |
Arun Sharma |
| Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations |
Abhijit Guha |
| Data Interpretation for the CAT |
Nishit K Sinha |
XAT Preparation Books for Decision Making
Since Decision Making section is unique to XAT, the best source of preparation are previous years' XAT question papers and sample papers. You can also take up secondary reading material. Listed below are sample papers and books for XAT Decision Making.
| XAT Books for Decision Making |
Author Name |
|---|---|
| Jabbing the XAT (with solved papers) |
RK Jha |
| Analytical and Logical Reasoning |
Arihant Publications |
| Target XAT (Past papers & mock tests) |
Disha Publication |
XAT Preparation Books for Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
The XAT VARC section includes tough Reading Comprehension passages as well as a poem, so it is important that candidates have a good control over the language. Additionally, English grammar and vocabulary need focused preparation. XAT books recommended for English grammar and vocabulary are listed below:
| XAT Books for Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning |
Author Name |
|---|---|
| Word Power Made Easy |
Norman Lewis |
| Analytical Reasoning |
MK Pandey |
| A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning |
RS Aggarwal |
| High School English Grammar & Composition |
Wren & Martin |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension |
Ajay Singh |
XAT Study Material for General Knowledge
Newspapers and Magazines such as Economic Times, Financial Express, Hindu Business Line, Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Business Today, Business World, and Competition Success Review are the best source of increasing general knowledge. This section of XAT mainly has current affairs questions which you can prepare/memories towards the end of the preparation phase.
XAT Study Material: Previous Year XAT Question Papers
Candidates must practice previous years XAT question papers to know the trend of types of questions asked, weightage of topic-wise questions and difficulty level. Shiksha has a repository of XAT question papers of last 10 years which you can download for free. Click here to download previous years' XAT question papers
Candidates must start practicing XAT previous year question papers, mock tests and sample papers two months prior to the exam. The strategy must include practicing variety of questions on each topic of XAT 2026 syllabus. This will help candidates in grasping the core knowledge of each concept and one can solve questions with ease on the exam day.
XAT Mock Tests
As XAT is a computer based test, it is best that candidates practice online mock tests. This will not only help them in familiarising themselves with the actual exam atmosphere but also help them in improving speed, accuracy and time management skill. Candidates must practice at least 30-40 XAT mock tests for best results. The mock tests should be of various difficulty levels too, so that one is prepared for any type of XAT exam - easy, moderate or tough. Shiksha has created free XAT mock test for aspirants. Click on the links below for Shiksha's free XAT mock test.
| XAT_Mock_Test_1 | XAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| XAT_Mock_Test_2 | XAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
XAT Syllabus 2026
When selecting XAT books, do check whether they have comprehensive chapters on the topics of XAT syllabus or not. Listed below are some important topics of XAT syllabus:
| XAT sections |
Important topics |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary, Analogy based on vocabulary, Para Jumble, Grammar, Critical Reasoning and Inference, Para Completion, etc. |
|
| Decision Making |
Decision Making, Analogy, Seating Arrangement, Logical Sequence, Assumption, Premise, Conclusion, etc. |
| 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 Policies, Constitution of India, etc |
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XAT Exam Pattern 2026
The XAT question paper 2026 will have four sections - Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation and General Knowledge. Given below is the brief overview of XAT exam pattern 2026:
| XAT Exam Features |
Details |
|
|---|---|---|
| Test mode |
Computer Based Test |
|
| Duration of exam |
3 hours |
|
| Total questions |
95 questions |
|
| Type of questions |
Multiple choice questions |
|
| Sections |
Four |
|
| Number of questions per section |
Decision Making |
21 questions |
| Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 questions |
|
| Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation |
28 questions |
|
| General Knowledge |
20 questions |
|
| Marking Scheme |
|
|
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|---|---|
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| How to Prepare for XAT in One Month | |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 weeks ago
XLRI selects candidates for its MBA full time programme through XAT score. Those who qualify the exam and meet the minimum cut off, are shortlisted for Essay Writing and Personal Interview. Final selection is made on the basis of candidate's XAT score, academic score, work experience and performance
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
XAT 2026 result will not be sent in email. However, XLRI will send an email to candidates informing them about the availability of scorecard and how to download it. Candidates must keep a check on their email account for result notification.
P
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
XAT 2026 result date has not been announced by XLRI. However, since the scorecards are released by the third week of January every year, the XAT result 2026 can also be expected to be released by January 17 or 20, 2026.
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The Bangalore University MBA Cutoff 2025 has been announced for admission to the MBA/PGDM programme via the Karnataka PGCET, CAT, NMAT, XAT, and other accepted exams. According to the Bangalore University Karnataka PGCET Cutoff 2025, students needed to obtain a rank of 3375 for admission to ABBS Ba
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Every question of XAT carries 1 mark and a score of 38 to 42 usually covert into 99 percentile, so candidates should aim for the same number of correct attempts in the exam. XAT has negative marking so they should not attempt any question, if they are not sure of, otherwise it will affect the overal
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The CCSU MBA Cutoff 2025 has been released for admission to the MBA programme via the XAT, MAT and CAT entrance examinations. The CCSU XAT Cutoff 2025 was 50 for the Gender-Neutral Candidates under the All India quota. In the case of CCSU MAT Cutoff 2025, the qualfying cutoff percentile was 75 for t
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month 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 scholarship of INR 3 Lacs for a percentile holder from 80 to 85.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Hi.
Yes, PIBM (Pune Institute of Business Management) does conduct its own entrance exam in addition to accepting scores from national and state-level exams. Here's how it works:
PIBM's Entrance Exam Policy
Yes, PIBM has its own internal aptitude test called PMAT (PIBM Management Aptitude Test).
PMAT
h
Scholar-Level 17
Answered a month 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
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month 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
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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