XAT Exam Dates 2026:Registration, Exam on Jan 4, Admit Card, and Result Dates

Xavier Aptitude Test 2026 ( XAT )

DeskCalelnderExam On - 4 Jan '26

Vipra Shrivastava
Updated on Dec 25, 2025 12:58 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

XAT 2026 exam date is January 4, 2026. Candidates had to register by December 11, 2025. Admit card has been released on December 25, 2025. Candidates can download it from the iimcat.ac.in website. The XAT 2026 admit card will be available for download until the exam day. Read below all about XAT 2026 exam dates and events: 

Table of contents
  • XAT Exam Dates & Schedule
  • XAT Exam Highlights 2026
  • XAT Exam Dates 2026 and Important Events
  • FAQs Related to XAT exam

XAT Exam Dates & Schedule

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of XAT 2026 exam

DatesUpcoming Exam Dates
04 Jan ' 26

XAT 2026 Exam

Jan ' 26

XAT 2026 answer key out

TENTATIVE
Jan ' 26

XAT 2026 result

TENTATIVE
Jan ' 26

XAT 2026 Cut Offs Release

TENTATIVE
DatesPast Exam Dates
25 Dec ' 25

XAT 2026 admit card download starts

25 Nov ' 25 - 27 Nov ' 25

XAT 2026 form correction 2

19 Nov ' 25 - 20 Nov ' 25

XAT 2026 mock test 3

XAT Logo

XAT Exam Highlights 2026

XAT score is accepted by over 800 B-Schools across India apart from XLRI Jamshedpur. These include XIMB, XISS, IMT, GIM Goa, GLIM, KIIT SOM among others. It is a high difficulty level exam and requires long term preparation. Atleast 6 months of preparation is required to crack XAT with a good score. Earlier, XAT had essay writing but it has been removed now. Check here key highlights of XAT exam 2026:

XAT Exam Particulars

Details

XAT application fees

INR 2,200

XAT application mode

Online

Mode of examination

Computer Based Test

Number of sections

4 (Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge) 

Duration of exam

180 minutes

Sectional time limit

  • 170 minutes for Part 1 (Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation)
  • 10 minutes for Part 2 (General Knowledge)

Number of questions

95

XAT Exam Total Marks

95

Question type

MCQs

Number of answer choices

Four

Number of exam sessions 

1

Difficulty level

Moderate to High

XAT marking scheme

+1 mark for correct answer

- 0.25 marks for incorrect answer

- 0.10 marks for more than 8 un-attempted questions

No negative marking in GK section

XLRI cut off for admission

96 percentile (for 2025 batch)

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

Also Read:

XAT Exam Syllabus 2026

XAT Exam Pattern 2026

XAT Question Papers

XAT Cut Offs: Expected and Previous Years'

XAT Books for Preparation

XAT Selection Process 2026

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   My graduation score is less than 50% in aggregate. Am I eligible for XLRI admission?
A: 

Yes, candidates with less than 50 per cent in aggregate in graduation are eligible for admission to PGDM courses in XLRI. Candidates need to have minimum passing marks in Graduation. They must have however, completed their graduation from a recognised university only. Candidates planning to seek admission to an MBA college other than XLRI must check its eligibility criteria as the minimum score requirement of AICTE approved colleges is 50 percent (45 percent for Reserved categories). But having 50 per cent and above score is not a guarantee for getting selected for admission. You will need to clear the admission round which is based on XAT cut off percentile. If you do not meet the XAT cut off percentile you will not be selected for XAT personal interview round, which is the main parameter for MBA admission in XLRI.

Q:   When are XAT cut offs released?
A: 

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.

XAT Logo

XAT Exam Dates 2026 and Important Events

XAT Registration 2026: To apply for XAT, candidates have to visit xatonline.in website. Candidates are required to register for the exam by creating a login ID. After that, they will have to fill the XAT 2026 application form and make fee payment. 

XAT 2026 Registrations Open- Register Now

XAT Mock Test 2026: XLRI conducts official XAT mock test for registered candidates before the exam. This mock test helps candidates in understanding the test form and latest exam pattern. The official XAT mock test 2026 was conducted three times this year.

XAT Admit Card 2026: Registered candidates will have to download their XAT 2026 admit card by using their login IDs. Digital copy of the XAT admit card is not acceptable, so candidates carry a print out of the admit card on the exam day.

XAT Exam 2026 will be held in computer based test mode. Question paper will have 95 questions from Quantitative Aptitude, English, Logical Reasoning, GK and Decision Making. Duration of XAT 2026 will be 180 minutes.

XAT Response Sheet and Answer Key 2026: XLRI will release candidate response sheet and official XAT 2026 answer key a couple of days after the exam. Candidates will be able to raise objection it through login in.

XAT Result 2026: Scorecard will be out by third week of January 2025. Candidates will be able to download their XAT result using their login IDs. The result will be released in percentile. Scorecard will be available for download until December 31, 2026.

XAT 2026 cut offs for XLRI will be announced by the fourth week of January 2026 batch. Admission to XLRI and other participating colleges will be based on XAT cut offs 2026.

XAT Logo

FAQs Related to XAT exam

Check here Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to XAT exam.

XAT 2026 Registrations Open- Register Now

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is XAT syllabus?
A: 

XAT syllabus includes all important topics related to Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge. You can check below subject wise important topics included in the XAT syllabus. Majority of the questions are asked from these topics.

XAT Verbal and Logical Ability syllabus: Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Analogy, Antonym/Synonym, Parajumble, Para Completion, Grammar, Critical Reasoning, Series Completion, Fill in the Blanks, etc.

XAT Decision Making syllabus: Data Arrangement, Conditioning, Grouping, Complex Arrangement, Caselets, Assumptions, Premises, Conclusions, etc.

XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation syllabus: Arithmetic, Geometry, Mensuration, Percentage, Surds and Indices, Algebra, Mensuration, Bar Diagrams, Pie Charts, Tables, Data Interpretation, etc.

XAT General Knowledge syllabus: Science, Economy, Business, Politics, Static GK, Sports, Prize and Award, World, Government, Constitution of India, etc.

Q:   How can I prepare for XAT by self study?
A: 

If you are planning to prepare for XAT exam by self study, you need to start early. At least six months before. XAT exam is conducted on the first Sunday of January every year. So, if you start preparing for the XAT in June or July, you will have good six months to prepare. Make a preparation plan that includes XAT syllabus coverage, problem solving sessions, mock tests and revision. Get hold of best books for XAT. Consult mentors or previous year toppers for selecting the best books for preparation. Join online study groups where you can get the help of mentors and peers for problem solving and clearing of doubts in topics. Work in tough topics first and then move to easier topics.

Solve a large number and variety of XAT mock tests to master the syllabus. You will need to do a rigorous work on XAT mock tests as for candidates who opt for self study, have to rely on practice.

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XAT Exam

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered 19 hours 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

...Read more

N

Nishtha Shukla

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 22 hours 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

...Read more

N

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

GIBS accepts scores from all major management entrance exams, including:

  • CAT

  • XAT

  • MAT

  • CMAT

  • GMAT

  • ATMA

  • State CET

This gives students multiple options to apply. Along with entrance exam scores, GIBS also looks at the overall profile, communication skills, and interest in management, which makes the admission pr

...Read more

A

Ahmedbasha

Contributor-Level 8

Answered a week 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

Ruchika Chouhan

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a week 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

Abhishek Hazarika

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week 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

Dhanya Shekhar

Beginner-Level 5

Answered a week 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

...Read more

N

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 weeks ago

XAT VARC is moderately tough and requires adequate practice. This section has about 27 questions and some are based on RC passages including a poem. To be able to understand and attempt RC questions, good control on English comprehension is required. Verbal Ability, Grammar and Vocabulary questions

...Read more

A

Anya B

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 2 weeks ago

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.

A

Anyam Kalra

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 2 weeks ago

Rajagiri Business School XAT Cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MBA/PGDM courses. In 2024, the XAT cutoff was 70 percentile for admission to the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) course for the General category candidates under the All India quota. 

As in the case for the OBC AI c

...Read more

N

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

1133 Institutes accepting XAT

XLRI Xavier School of Management

Jamshedpur Private

XLRI Xavie
  • 30.60 Lakh
  • 2 years
  • |
  • Full Time

Guwahati University - GU

Guwahati Public

Guwahati U
    • 2 years
    • |
    • Full Time
      • 2 years
      • |
      • Full Time

      University of Mumbai [MU]

      Fort, Mumbai Public

      University
        • 2 years
        • |
        • Full Time

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