XAT Exam Analysis 2026 (Available): Get detailed Analysis, Paper Review Here

XAT Exam Date 2027

3 Jan '27

Updated on Apr 5, 2026 18:23 IST

By Abhishek Dhawan, Assistant Manager – Editorial Content

Overview

XAT 2026 exam analysis is out. According to initial reviews, XAT 2026 question paper was moderately difficult. No change in sectional or topic wise composition has been reported. The paper was almost same as last year. XAT 2026 analysis includes indepth discussion of sectional difficulty level, topic wise weightage, types of questions, number of good attempts and expected XAT cut offs for XLRI admission. Exam analysis will help XAT 2026 test takers assess their performance. Read below.

Table of contents

XAT 2026 Exam Analysis: Highlights
XAT 2026 Analysis
Previous Year's XAT Exam Analysis
XAT 2023 Analysis

XAT 2026 Exam Analysis: Highlights

XAT 2026 exam was held in computer based test mode
XAT Verbal and Logical Ability section had questions from RC, vocabulary, syllogism, grammar, fill in the blanks, para jumbles, etc.
XAT Quantitative Aptitude section has moderately tough questions from Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry
XAT Decision Making passages was moderate
GK questions were doable
A score of 38 to 42 will be enough for 99 percentile

Commonly asked questions

Q: Is XAT tough for candidates from non-Engineering background?

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.

Q: Where can I find study material for Decision Making syllabus for XAT?

Since Decision Making section is unique to XAT, study material for the same in not readily available. Thus the best source of preparation material for Decision Making section is XAT previous years’ question papers. This section has passages related to business situations. Candidates have to select the closest solution to the given situation from the list of four options. You have to make an informed decision regarding the decision which has be in favour of the larger good. This section essentially tests your ability to take objective decisions regarding various business situations and activities. Candidates can practice Decision Making questions from XAT question papers of previous years to know the types and difficulty level. In a way, this section is similar to Reading Comprehension and requires same skills as that.

XAT 2026 Analysis

The XAT 2026 question paper was divided into 2 parts. Part 1 included DM, VA-LR and QA-DI; Part 2 included GK. Out of all four, QA-DI can be considered toughest. Check the table below for XAT 2026 analysis:

XAT section	Topics	Difficulty level
VA & LR	RC Passages Grammatically correct sentence Fill in the blanks Jumbled Paragraphs Critical Reasoning Main idea/message of the given image Poem	Moderate
DM	7 passages of 3 questions each	Moderate
QA & DI	Arithmetic Geometry Modern Math Algebra Numbers Scatter Plot / Line Graph (observation) based set Arithmetic based set Average based set Number-matrix based set	Moderate to Difficult
GK	History Geography Economics and Business Personality and awards Science and Tech Sports Entertainment	Easy

Read here: Detailed XAT 2026 exam analysis

XAT Sectional Cut Off (VA, DM, QA) for XLRI and Other Top B-Schools

Check XAT cut offs and predict calls from XLRI and other colleges accepting XAT score for admission. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and Eligibility of all XAT participating colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict XAT Admission Calls

Previous Year's XAT Exam Analysis

Candidates can check past year's XAT exam analysis below:

XAT 2025 Exam Analysis

In XAT 2025, the VA and LR section was moderate, Decision Making was also moderate, but QA-DI was slightly tough. Check below, section wise difficulty level of XAT question paper 2025:

XAT section	Topics	Difficulty level
VA & LR	RC passages Poem Sentence Correction Para Jumble Fill in the blanks Conclusion/Inference	Moderate
DM	Event Management Company Law Firm Newspaper: The Pluralist Kindercare Hospital MBA Postgraduate Leadership Trade Suburb	Moderate
QA & DI	Linear Equation Coordinate Geometry Mensuration Ratio & Proportion Simple Interest, Compound Interest Probability Surds Averages Circles Grid Numbers Height & Distance Log Data Interpretation	Moderate to Difficult
GK	History Geography Economics and Business Personality and awards Science and Tech Sports Entertainment	Easy
Essay Topics		Moderate

Read Here: Detailed XAT 2025 Exam Analysis

XAT 2024 Exam Analysis

The XAT 2024 exam was moderately difficult. The QA & DI section was tougher than DM and VA & LR sections check the table below for sectional break up and difficulty level:

XAT section	Topics	Difficulty level
VA & LR	RC, Poem, fill in the blanks, Critical Reasoning, Grammar (Correct-incorrect sentence), Para jumble	Moderate
DM	Raman & Flying Grocery Store, Shalini & Nalini Incentive Given for Loyalty, Prabhu Tax Service, Go Valve & Safe Valve, Vinita Lama & SUV Decision, Vimal & Sharda Stolen Ring, ABC Business School	Moderate
QA & DI	Linear Equation, Quadratic Equation, Logarithm, Time, speed, distance, Profit and loss, Arithmetic progression, Geometry, Number system, Data Sufficiency, PnC, Polynomials, data interpretation	Moderate to Difficult
GK	History, Geography, Economics and business , Personality and awards, Science and tech, Sports, Books and authors , Current affairs, Nobel Prize, Entertainment	Difficult
Essay Topics	Tech prediction, Social media regulation and fake news, Abstract topic	Moderate

XAT 2023 Exam Analysis

QA-DI was tough and dominated by Arithmetic
Verbal and Logical Ability was easy to moderate
Decision Making was easy to moderate
GK was moderate with current affairs and static GK question
Essay topics were abstract in nature but doable
Verbal and Logical Ability section had four RC passages and one poems.

XAT Analysis 2023: VALR

The XAT Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning section was easy and had 26 questions. The section was dominated by RC questions. This year, there was only one poem which was easy. About 16-18 attempts will be good in XAT Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning. Check the sectional composition of XAT VALR section below:

Type of Questions	No. of Questions	Doable
RC	4 sets with 3 questions	8
Poem	1 set with 2 questions	1
Fill in the Blanks	1	1
Critical Reasoning	7	3
Grammar/ Punctuation	3	2
Para completion	1	1
Total	26	16-18

XAT 2023 Analysis: Decision Making

The total number of Decision Making questions in XAT 2023 was 22, one more than last year. The questions were easy except for one set which was modelled on old DI type decision making questions. About 15-17 attempts will be good in this section:

Check the sectional composition of XAT Decision Making section below:

Type of Questions	No. of Questions	Doable
2 Question Sets	4	2
3 Question Sets	15	2
3 Question DI Type Set	3	3
Total	22	15 - 17

XAT Analysis 2023: QA-DI

This year, the XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation section was was dominated by Arithmetic and slightly tougher than last year. About 16-18 attempts will be considered good in this section. Check out the sectional composition of XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation section below:

Type of Questions	No. of Questions	Doable
Arithmetic	8	5
Numbers	4	3
Algebra	4	3
Geometry	3	1
DI 1 -Economic activity & subjective well being	3	2
Trigonometry	1	2
Data Sufficiency	2	2
investment	2	1
Probability	1	0
Total	28	16 - 18

XAT 2023 Analysis: General Knowledge

The XAT General Knowledge section as usual comprised 25 questions with a fine between current affairs and static GK. A good score in this section would be 10+.

In the Essay section, the candidates had three topics to choose one frm which were as follows:

Decarbonisation by India is hampering the Indian industries
People with less IQ are more successful
Taking risks in life

Commonly asked questions

Q: Are XAT Decision Making questions tough?

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.

Q: What is the duration of the XAT exam?

XAT exam was held for 3 hours and 30 minutes. However, with the revision of exam pattern, it was held for 3 hours in 2025. There is sectional time-limit in the test. 170 minutes are allotted to Part 1 comprising Decision Making, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation and Verbal Ability. Part 2 has General Knowledge section to be solved in 10 minutes. No bio-break is allowed during the exam. Candidates have to finish the test in the given time limit only. The test screen will move from part 1 to part 2 the moment 170 minutes get over and once the 10 minutes of part 2 will be over, the test window will be locked. Candidates must keep saving their entries after every attempt as there is no provision in XAT to go back and review your answers once the time limit for that part is over.

XAT 2023 Analysis

Here are some FAQs related to XAT exam analysis 2027:

Q: When are XAT cut offs released?

XLRI Jamshedpur releases the XAT cut offs every year in the month of February after the result announcement. The XAT exam is held on the first Sunday of January and the result is announced in the last week of January. And within a week of result announcement, the XAT cut offs are released.

The XAT cut offs are released at the official website of XLRI Jamshedpur and are available for download without login. The XAT cut offs are released for PGDM-HRM and PGDM-BM gender and academic stream wise. The document contains sectional and overall cut off percentiles for male, female, male non engineering and female non-engineering categories. Selection of candidates for the Personal Interview and Group Discussion round of XLRI admission is done on the basis of these category wise cut offs.

Q: Is XAT syllabus same as CAT syllabus?

XAT syllabus for Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation and Quantitative Aptitude are same as CAT syllabus. Decision Making and General Knowledge syllabus are not a part of CAT syllabus. Thus, XAT aspirants have to study more than CAT aspirants, which is why one needs to have a XAT specific preparation plan in order to score above 95 percentile.

Q: Is there any change in XAT exam pattern 2026?

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.

Q: In how many months can I prepare for XAT?

Ideally, XAT preparation takes six to nine months, but if candidates have prepared for CAT too, XAT preparation can be done in lesser time as one will have to only work on Decision Making and General Knowledge topics. Those who are weak in English Comprehension must start reading practice early on. The ideal time to start XAT preparation is May, so you can cover the whole syllabus by October and dedicate two months to mock test practice.

If you start studying for XAT late, by July or so, make sure you complete the syllabus by October only. Remember that XAT syllabus is tough, so you’ll need to study at least 6-8 hours daily from start until the end. Give ample time to yourself to complete the XAT syllabus.