Last 10 Years XAT Question Papers with Solutions PDF Download
Xavier Aptitude Test 2026 ( XAT )
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.
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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 |
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 |
|
|---|---|
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XAT Decision Making questions can be tricky. Key is to understand what solution is being discussed in it. To crack this section of XAT, practice a variety of Decision Making questions.
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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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days ago
Candidates seeking admission to GIBS Bangalore's PGDM and MBA programs can use the results of a variety of national and international management entrance tests including CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT. All applicants will be reviewed based on their academic record, performance in group discussi
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week 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 week 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 10 hours ago
GIBS is pretty chill when it comes to entrance exams because they accept almost all the common ones that students usually write. Like CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA, and even state CET scores are considered. So honestly you don't feel limited or stressed about writing only one specific exam. Most o
S
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 3 weeks 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 5
Answered 3 weeks 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 3 weeks 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
Yes, solving XAT question paper is of immense help in exam preparation as one can get an idea of the exam pattern, difficulty level of the questions, and learn time management. The XAT question papers of previous years also give you an idea of what type of questions (Reading Comprehension passages and poem) are asked in XAT. In fact, preparation of Decision Making section is totally dependent on XAT question papers. XAT question papers of previous years also act as practice test providing you with the opportunity to master speed and time management.
Candidates must solve previous years’ XAT questions paper of at least last five years, so that they are aware of the latest type of questions especially poem, RC passages and Decision Making passages.