XAT Exam Centres 2026: Check Latest Exam Cities & Code

XAT exam is held in several cities across India. The XAT test cities include all state capitals, metropolitan, tier 2 and tier 3 cities of India. Here are the cities in which the XAT exam was conducted last year: Agra, Ahmedabad, Aurangabad City (Maharashtra), Allahabad, Ambala, Amravati, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Berhampur, Bhatinda, Bhilai Nagar, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Bokaro Steel City, Chandigarh/Mohali, Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuttack, Dehradun, Delhi-NCR, Dhanbad, Dibrugarh, Durgapur/Asansol, Ernakulam, Gandhinagar, Goa, Gorakhpur, Guwahati, Gwalior, Hooghly, Hubballi, Hyderabad, Indore, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Jammu, Jamshedpur, Jorhat, Shillong, Naharlagun, Kannur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Kota, Kottayam, Kurnool, Kurukshetra, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Mysuru, Nagpur, Nashik, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Rajahmundry, Ranchi, Roorkee, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Siliguri, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Tirupathi, Tiruvallur, Udaipur, Udupi, Vadodara, Varanasi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Warangal, Tejpur, Rajkot, Anantapur, Arrah, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Bilaspur, Mehsana, Baddi, Chikkaballapur, Davanagere, Hazaribagh, Hisar, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Kurukshetra, Shimla, Ajmer, Balasore, Bikaner, Dhenkanal, Jodhpur, Kolhapur, Nanded, Patiala, Sikar, Ujjain, Karimnagar, Salem, Vellore, Aligarh, Bareilly, Haldwani, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, and Kalyani. 

Yes, the XAT admit card has a google map and address of the exam centre for candidates convenience. The candidates must find out the shortest route to the XAT exam centre via the google map a day before the test day because they are expected to be present at their respective test centre at the reporting time mentioned in the XAT admit card.

If the XAT exam timing is 2 pm to 5:10 pm then the reporting time for candidates will be 1:00 PM. Candidates must use the route map to reach their respective test centre on time to avoid delayed entry inside the exam hall for identification process. Candidates reaching the XAT test centre after the gates have been closed will not be allowed to enter the premises under any circumstances. They will have to seek special permission in case of unexpected reasons.

Detailed guidelines will be mentioned in the XAT admit card. Here are a few general guidelines for you to know:

• Candidates are supposed to be at the centre at least an hour before the commencement of exam. Reach the XAT exam centre at the reporting time mentioned on the admit card.
• Affix your recent passport size photo in colour with preferable white background on the admit card.
• Do not carry electronic items, valuables and bags to the exam centre. These items are prohibited.
• Carry two copies of the XAT admit card and the original copy of a valid ID proof such as Aadhaar card, Voter ID card, Passport, PAN card, Driving License or University ID card.
• After entering the test lab, locate your seat and computer system. Do not start the computer system until the invigilator makes an announcement for the same.

There is no provision to change the test centre after the XAT admit card has been released. You can change your XAT test centre only once at the time of filling up the XAT application form. Once submitted, the XAT application form is not editable. There is no other way a candidate can change the test city option. They will have to appear for the exam in the city and at the test centre mentioned in their XAT admit card. They cannot even seek entry in another test centre for appearing in the exam. Insisting on doing so may get them disqualified.

Thus, candidates must fill the test city options in the XAT application form very carefully or arrange for travel and stay in the city where you have been allotted the exam centre.

XAT 2026 registration process is expected to begin in the second week of July 2025. Official announcement of commencement of XAT registration process 2026 will be made by XLRI in newspapers and its website. Interested candidates will have to register for XAT 2026 by creating a login ID at xatonline.in website. The XAT application fee will be INR 2200. Candidates will have to pay the fee to submit the XAT application form.

XAT exam is conducted in online mode so you don’t have to carry any stationary item apart from a blue/black ball point pen which is to be used for signing the attendance sheet.

Candidates should not carry to the examination centre, electronic items such as phone, watch, IPad, calculator, pager, etc. They should also not carry any metal items. Clothes and accessories having metal and metal jewellery are also prohibited inside the examination centres. Caps, headgears, sunglasses, clothes with pocket and hoodies are not allowed at the XAT exam centre. Candidates must also not carry bags and any other valuable item as candidates will not be allowed to carry anything inside the exam centre apart from a pen and documents. There will be no arrangement for depositing the bag at the exam centre.

XAT exam is conducted in online mode so you don’t have to carry any stationary item apart from a blue/black ball point pen which is to be used for signing the attendance sheet.

Candidates should not carry to the examination centre, electronic items such as phone, watch, IPad, calculator, pager, etc. They should also not carry any metal items. Clothes and accessories having metal and metal jewellery are also prohibited inside the examination centres. Caps, headgears, sunglasses, clothes with pocket and hoodies are not allowed at the XAT exam centre. Candidates must also not carry bags and any other valuable item as candidates will not be allowed to carry anything inside the exam centre apart from a pen and documents. There will be no arrangement for depositing the bag at the exam centre.

If you misplace your XAT admit card, you don’t need to panic. You can download another copy of the same from your XAT account. You can simply log in to your XAT account with application number and password to download it again. After downloading it, save it in a folder or in email so that you can take a print out anytime you want. The XAT admit card download link will be available for download till the exam day only so candidates must ensure that they have save a copy. If they need to download the XAT admit card after the exam for any reason, they will not be able to do it. Thus, they should save the PDT file of the XAT admit card in a folder or email.

Detailed guidelines will be mentioned in the XAT admit card. Here are a few general guidelines for you to know:

• Candidates are supposed to be at the centre at least an hour before the commencement of exam. Reach the XAT exam centre at the reporting time mentioned on the admit card.
• Affix your recent passport size photo in colour with preferable white background on the admit card.
• Do not carry electronic items, valuables and bags to the exam centre. These items are prohibited.
• Carry two copies of the XAT admit card and the original copy of a valid ID proof such as Aadhaar card, Voter ID card, Passport, PAN card, Driving License or University ID card.
• After entering the test lab, locate your seat and computer system. Do not start the computer system until the invigilator makes an announcement for the same.

A digital copy of the admission card is not accepted at the testing location for the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT), which is administered by XLRI. Typically, applicants must provide a printed copy of their XAT admission card to the testing location. Regarding the admission card and its format, it's crucial to adhere to the guidelines given by XLRI and the organisation in charge of administering the XAT. Please keep in mind, though, that regulations and processes are subject to change, therefore for the most recent information about the acceptance of digital copies of the admission card at the exam center, it is advised to check the XAT official website or get in touch with XLRI directly.

Yes, the XAT admit card has a google map and address of the exam centre for candidates convenience. The candidates must find out the shortest route to the XAT exam centre via the google map a day before the test day because they are expected to be present at their respective test centre at the reporting time mentioned in the XAT admit card.

If the XAT exam timing is 2 pm to 5:10 pm then the reporting time for candidates will be 1:00 PM. Candidates must use the route map to reach their respective test centre on time to avoid delayed entry inside the exam hall for identification process. Candidates reaching the XAT test centre after the gates have been closed will not be allowed to enter the premises under any circumstances. They will have to seek special permission in case of unexpected reasons.

Detailed guidelines will be mentioned in the XAT admit card. Here are a few general guidelines for you to know:

• Candidates are supposed to be at the centre at least an hour before the commencement of exam. Reach the XAT exam centre at the reporting time mentioned on the admit card.
• Affix your recent passport size photo in colour with preferable white background on the admit card.
• Do not carry electronic items, valuables and bags to the exam centre. These items are prohibited.
• Carry two copies of the XAT admit card and the original copy of a valid ID proof such as Aadhaar card, Voter ID card, Passport, PAN card, Driving License or University ID card.
• After entering the test lab, locate your seat and computer system. Do not start the computer system until the invigilator makes an announcement for the same.

The option to select test centre is not there in the XAT application form, but candidates can select cities where they can appear for the exam. XAT is conducted in about 79-80 cities across India and candidates get the option to choose two cites for centre allotment. They have to make this choice in the XAT application form. In the XAT application form, there is one field in which you have to select the test cities, you can simply select the cities of your choice from the drop down. The exam conducting authorities will allot a test centre in the city of first choice to every student. In case, the seat get filled in the centre of a particular city, the seat will be allotted to remaining candidates in the city selected as second option. The centre allotment is done on first come first serve basis. Candidates must fill the XAT application form and submit it as soon as they can so that they are allotted a centre in the city of their choice.

XAT exam was held for 3 hours and 30 minutes. However, with the revision of exam pattern, it was held for 180 minutes 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 aspirants must follow the guideline as mentioned in the XAT admit card and the exam day instruction document

XAT Dos

• Carry a ballpoint pen, two copies of admit card, photo ID and a passport size photos.
• Be present at the XAT exam centre as per the reporting time mentioned on the admit card.
• Wear simple outfits like cardigans and sweaters without pockets.
• Submit a copy of XAT admit card and rough sheets to the invigilator before leaving the test lab.

XAT Don’ts

• Don’t carry paper, notebook, book or such items.
• Don’t carry electronic items such as mobile phones, pager, watch, ipad and calculator.
• Don’t carry eatables inside the exam venue (allowed for diabetic students with permission).
• Don’t reach the exam centre late. Gates will be closed 30 minutes before the commencement of exam.
• Don’t wear jewellery or any meta accessory on the exam day.
• Don’t carry leave the test lab before time or without permission.
• Don’t resist frisking or identification procedures at the exam centre.

Detailed guidelines will be mentioned in the XAT admit card. Here are a few general guidelines for you to know:

• Candidates are supposed to be at the centre at least an hour before the commencement of exam. Reach the XAT exam centre at the reporting time mentioned on the admit card.
• Affix your recent passport size photo in colour with preferable white background on the admit card.
• Do not carry electronic items, valuables and bags to the exam centre. These items are prohibited.
• Carry two copies of the XAT admit card and the original copy of a valid ID proof such as Aadhaar card, Voter ID card, Passport, PAN card, Driving License or University ID card.
• After entering the test lab, locate your seat and computer system. Do not start the computer system until the invigilator makes an announcement for the same.