Last 10 Years XAT Question Papers with Solutions PDF Download
Xavier Aptitude Test 2027 ( XAT )
XAT Exam Date 2027
3 Jan '27
Shiksha has collated official XAT question papers of previous years (2015 to 2024) for exam aspirants. Download these past years' XAT question paper with solution PDFs for free. Also read XAT preparation tips 2026.
It is time to practice XAT previous year question papers as the exam is only a month away. XAT 2026 aspirants must practice questions and topics from previous years' question papers along with mock series for the next one month to strengthen grip on topics and develop an exam strategy. Practicing official question papers of XAT exam has many benefits, the most important being, practical experience of actual exam and understanding of the types of questions asked.
XAT previous year papers are available online, as the exam conducting institute XLRI, Jamshedpur releases the question paper every year along with official answer keys. Shiksha has collated official XAT question papers of last 10 years for aspirants. They can download these XAT question papers with solutions PDFs from 2015 to 2024 here. But first, let's look at other aspects of the XAT question paper.
- When to Start Practicing XAT Previous Year Question Papers and Sample Papers?
- Benefits of Practicing XAT Previous Year Papers/Sample Papers
- XAT Question Paper: Marking Scheme
When to Start Practicing XAT Previous Year Question Papers and Sample Papers?
The best time to start practicing XAT previous year papers, sample papers and mock test series is after completing the syllabus. Since, XAT 2026 will be held on January 4, 2026, the aspirants must dedicate November and December to solving question papers and mock tests.
Benefits of Practicing XAT Previous Year Papers/Sample Papers
XAT 2026 is a speed based exam where you are tested on well you can put theorerical knowledge to practice. Practicing previous year's XAT question papers help in understanding the XAT 2026 exam pattern and marking scheme as well as help in knowing how to tackle different type of questions. Given below are some benefits of practicing XAT previous year papers and sample test:
- Solving official XAT question papers will help aspirants in familiarizing themselves with the pattern of the exam and marking scheme.
- XAT previous year papers will help candidates in identifying the trend of types of questions asked in previous exams and thus assessing what type of questions will be asked in the upcoming exam.
- XAT is the only MBA entrance exam that has a poem as RC passage. And to solve RC questions based on a poem, no resource other that XAT questions paper is appropriate.
- It will help candidates in identifying weightage given to each topic of XAT syllabus 2026 in the exam.
- It will help aspirants in discovering tricks and shortcuts to solve questions faster with 100 per cent accuracy.
- Practicing XAT previous year papers in time bound manner will help candidates in improving their speed, accuracy and time management skills.
- The XAT sample papers will prepare candidates for all types of questions – tough, easy, lengthy, tricky, calculation-based, etc.
Download XAT Question Paper with solution PDF of past 10 years
XAT Question Paper Highlights 2026
XAT question paper consists of MCQs from Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge. Maximum number of questions are asked from Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and the least number of questions are asked from Decision Making.
Since there is no sectional time limit in XAT exam, the candidates can choose the order of answering the questions, within Part 1 and Part 2 of the test. 95 MCQs are to be solved in three hours. Let's look at the expected XAT 2026 question paper pattern:
- XAT question paper 2026 will be divided into 2 parts
- Part 1 of XAT question paper will consists of Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
- Part 2 of the question paper will consist of GK questions
- Decision Making section is all about analytical and logical reasoning. The questions are based on situational passages on business ethics and decision.
- The Reading Comprehension (RC) section of XAT usually includes four passages and one poem. The RC questions are inference based.
XAT Question Paper 2026: Expected Difficulty Level
The XAT is a high difficulty level exam. Given below is the break up of XAT question paper 2026 for reference:
| XAT Sections |
No. of Questions |
Total Marks |
Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decision Making |
21 |
21 |
Moderate |
| Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 |
26 |
Moderate |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
28 |
28 |
Tough |
| General Knowledge |
250 |
20 |
Tough |
Commonly asked questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
1 Apr '26 - 25 May '26
28 Jun '26
1 Dec '25 - 30 Jun '26
APICET
16 May '26 - 23 May '26
23 May '26
11 Apr '26 - 24 May '26
29 May '26
23 Apr '26 - 30 May '26
8 May '26 - 11 Jul '26
XAT Question Paper: Marking Scheme
XAT exam has negative marking for incorrect attempts. Given below is the marking scheme of XAT exam:
| XAT Marking Scheme |
|
|---|---|
| Correct answer |
+1 |
| Incorrect answer |
-0.25 |
| More than 8 unanswered questions |
-0.10 |
Also Read:
XAT Mock Test
Shiksha has prepared free XAT mock test for practice. Candidates preparing for XAT 2025 can take this mock test and check the preparation level:
| XAT_Mock_Test_1 | XAT_Mock_Test_Solutions_1 |
| XAT_Mock_Test_2 | XAT_Mock_Test_Solution_2 |
Also read:
XAT Exam Preparation Articles |
|
|---|---|
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
Aug '26 | SNAP 2026 Registration Process |
28 Nov '26 | SNAP 2026 admit card session 1... |
13 May '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 Final Answer ... |
9 May '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 (2nd Attempt) |
Aug '26 | NMAT 2026 Registration Window |
Aug '26 | NMAT 2026 Scheduling Window |
Oct '26 | CMAT 2027 registration and app... |
Jan '27 | CMAT 2027 exam |
1 Apr '26 - 25 May '26 | MAT May 2026 Registration PBT |
1 Apr '26 - 8 Jun '26 | MAT May 2026 Registration CBT |
Aug '26 | CAT 2026 application process |
Nov '26 | CAT 2026 admit card download |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
May '26 | TANCET 2026 result declaration |
May '26 | Release of TANCET provisional ... |
Jul '26 | IBSAT 2026 Registration |
Dec '26 | IBSAT 2026 Exam Date |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a week ago
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham accepts the CAT, MAT or the XAT exam for admission to the MBA course. Students can attempt any one of the aforementioned exams. After taking part in the exam, students have to attain a valid percentile.
Based on previous year trends, a percentile of at least 40 would be nee
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
GIBS Business School situated in Bangalore acknowledges CAT, MAT, and XAT as authorized admission tests for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
Approved Admission Exams
- CAT (Common Admission Test)
- MAT (Management Aptitude Test)
- XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)
Additionally to these Three Tests, GI
M
Beginner-Level 4
Answered 3 weeks ago
No, you cannot join Jindal Global Business School without an entrance exam if you want admission to the MBA course. For admission to the management courses, the institute accepts various national-level exams, like
- CAT
- MAT
- ATMA
- GMAT
- NMAT
- XAT
- CMAT
Students who attain qualifying percentiles for these exams are
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
OP Jindal Global University XAT cutoff 2026 was released for admission to the MBA course offered by the Jindal Global Business School. The cutoff was released for various All India categories.
For the General AI category, the XAT percentile was 50 for the General AI categories. Hence, students who w
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 weeks ago
No, you cannot join UPES Dehradun for its MBA programme without appearing for the accepted entrance examination. To gain admission to this institute, students would need to take one of the following exams after they clear the basic eligibility rules.
- NMAT, XAT and MAT
Students who attempt the previou
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
After XAT exam is conducted successfully, XLRI releases XAT answer keys with response sheet. However, candidates need to login to download XAT answer keys.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
The percentile needed for admission would depend on the category you belong to. JAGSoM accepts various entrance examinations for admission to the MBA/PGDM course, like CAT, XAT, MAT, etc.
As per the estimated XAT cutoff in 2026, a percentile of 70 would be good enough to secure a chance at admission
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
XIM University XAT cutoff 2026 was released for admission to the MBA course and its specialisations, namely MBA in Rural Management and MBA in Sustainability Management.
General AI category students need to have a percentile of at least 90 to be considered eligible for admission.
Note - The cutoff d
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
IMT Ghaziabad official cutoff information are not released on a public platform, and students can view the cutoff using their registered login ID and password. Based on the past years' trend, the XAT 2026 estimated cutoff is in the range of 90 to 92 for the General AI category students.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes, apart from CAT, the International Management Institute, New Delhi, also accepts the XAT score for admission to its PGDM courses. Only the shortlisted candidates are invited to the Individual Assessment Process (Essay Writing and Personal Interview, etc.) for final admission. The institute also
R
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
Read Full Bio