XAT Preparation 2026: Check Last Minute Expert Tips, Strategy & Guide

Exam On - 4 Jan '26

Updated on Dec 21, 2025 17:38 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

XAT 2026 exam date in January 4, 2026. So, with only about two weeks to go, it is time now to focus on revision, performance analysis and problem soving. The last few days should also be spent in analysing strengths and weaknesses. For that, candidates must solve previous years' XAT question papers. This will give them a clarity on what is to be practiced now. Having solved official XAT exam papers will also help them in mastering poem and decision making questions. Keep practicing XAT mockts too. It will keep your confidence high. Read here how to prepare for XAT 2026.

Table of contents

Last Week XAT Preparation Tips 2026
XAT Exam Day Tips
XAT 2026 Preparation: Tips and Strategy
Section-wise XAT Preparation Plan 2026
Last Month XAT Preparation Plan 2026
FAQs on XAT Preparation

Last Week XAT Preparation Tips 2026

In the last seven days of XAT preparation dedicate maximum time in revision and making exam day strategy. You must remember that XAT is a speed-based test and meeting the sectional cut off is mandatory. Given below are five things you must do in the last few days before XAT 2026 exam.

Fine tune short cuts and tricks that you have developed while practising XAT mock tests.
Do not start a new chapter or concept. Improve upon whatever you've managed to study till now.
Make an exam day strategy based on your strengths and weaknesses.
Watch and read interviews of previous years' XAT toppers to know the right approach to the question paper.
Understand the XAT marking scheme, know the expected admission cut off, and develop the skill to choose only those questions to answer, which can get you the required score.
Practice Decision Making questions and revise GK topics. Be thorough with Maths formulae, theorems and concepts.

Commonly asked questions

Q: When should I start practicing XAT mock tests?

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.

Q: How many XAT mock tests should I practice?

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.

XAT Exam Day Tips

Given below are some key tips for exam day, that will help you perform better in XAT 2026:

Don't take stress on the day of exam.
Wake up early and reach the XAT exam centre on time.
XAT has negative marking in Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation sections, so choose questions wisely.
Pick only those which you know you can answer with 100 per cent accuracy.
Duration of the XAT 2026 exam will be180 minutes in which 95 questions will have to be addressed. Do not try to attempt all questions.
Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation sections have a time-limit of 170 minutes.
Complete all the questions of your choice in these sections within the time limit. If you can’t solve a particular section in first attempt, mark it for later and move on.
Keep in mind, sectional time limit. Ensure that you convert all the questions you know accurately.
Target achieving the sectional percentile in each section of XAT to ensure good overall percentile.
Stay calm during the exam. Focus on what you know and not on what you don’t.

XAT 2026 Preparation: Tips and Strategy

To make a XAT 2026 preparation plan, you need to understand the exam pattern and syllabus. Take a look at the table below to understand the XAT pattern 2026:

XAT Exam Pattern	Details
Exam Mode	Online
Exam Duration	180 minutes
Sectional Time Limit	Part 1- 170 minutes Part 2- 10 minutes
XAT Syllabus	Decision Making Verbal & Logical Ability Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation General Knowledge
Question Paper Break Up	Part 1- Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability And Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation Part 2- General Knowledge
Total Number of Questions	95
Section Wise Number of Questions	Decision Making: 21 Verbal & Logical Ability: 26 Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation: 28 General Knowledge: 20
Marking Scheme	+1 mark for every correct answer - 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer - 0.10 marks for more than 8 un-attempted questions No negative marking in GK section

XAT Preparation 2026: Tips and Strategy

XAT preparation requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Ideally six to nine months are adequate to prepare for XAT but the key is to dedicate a good numbe rof hours to preparation on daily basis. A minimum of six to eight hours daily is the requirement for an average student. Aspirants who start preparing for XAT exam from May or before that, are most likely to be well prepared having covered the entire syllabus and memorising the concepts and formulae by August-September. But those, who start preparing for XAT exam in October-November, must get on to it in full-speed mode. Make a sound strategy, focus on the essentials and build upon your strengths. Start your XAT preparation with your strong areas and then move to weaker ones. Given below are some tips on how to make a XAT 2026 preparation plan.

Make a daily routine and dedicate six to eight hours to studies. Get hold of XAT syllabus pdf and make a list of topic-wise strengths and weakness.
The XAT exam pattern has been revised. Understand the XAT exam pattern and test structure to make a time-bound exam preparation strategy.
Depending upon the time you have to prepare for XAT 2026, focus more on topics from which maximum questions are asked.
Join online study groups and find a mentor to guide you. You can also join an MBA coaching institution for XAT 2026 preparation.
Gather best study material for XAT and MBA exam preparation apps for fruitful ppreparation. Online study will be more helpful as it will allow you to study on the go, anywhere and anytime. Remember every minute is precious.
While solving a practice set or XAT mock test, allot time limit to each section and time yourself. Do not overstep the time-limit. Analyse the result of every mock test to know how far you've reached.
Dedicate the last month to practice XAT mock tests and assess your growth. The key to all competitive exams is practice so attempt as many mock tests as you can.

Download XAT Syllabus PDF: XAT Syllabus PDF

Also Read: How to prepare for XAT: Tips from toppers

Commonly asked questions

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

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.

Q: When should I start preparing for XAT exam?

Ideally, candidates should start preparing for XAT from March onwards so that they have ample time to cover the syllabus and practicea good number of mock tests. However, starting preparation in June-July is also fine. About a minimum of six are required to prepare well for the XAT exam as it is one of the tougher MBA entrance tests. Candidates can also opt for coaching classes for XAT as per their convenience. Candidates must study for about six to eight hours daily to be able to cover the syllabus and have enough time for practicing mock tests. Yes, they will need to strike a balance between exam coverage and mock test practice.

However, the capacity of every student is different so, they must decide upon hours of study according to their own capacity and their control over the main topics of XAT. Making a workable plan is very important for XAT preparation, no matter when they start it.

Section-wise XAT Preparation Plan 2026

The above-mentioned were some general XAT exam preparation tips. Here we have shared section wise XAT preparation strategy.

XAT Decision Making: Decision Making is unique to XAT and the only way to crack this section is by practicing previous years’ XAT question papers. This section contains business situation and candidates have to choose the best logical solution. Aditya Ganesh (XAT 2018), 99.4 percentiler says, "the best way to crack a decision making question is thinking of solutions which are practical from business sense and ethical." So, when you practice practice questions of Decision Making keep in mind to choose the option that serves the larger group or cause.

Also Read: XAT Preparation Plan for Decision Making

XAT Verbal & Logical Ability: This section of XAT will require you to focus on English Grammar and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC). Develop the habit of reading onscreen. Read online books and newspapers. Most of the XAT Reading Comprehension passages are based on literature and abstract topics. You need to understand the gist without reading each word of the passage due to time limit. While practising RCs in XAT mock tests, focus on keywords and relate them with each other to choose the right option. There's often one poem in XAT as part of RC. Check all the poems of previous years' to get an idea.

Also Read: XAT Preparation Plan for Verbal & Logical Ability

XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation: To crack this section of XAT, you need to be thorough with Mathematical concepts and theorems. So, practice well. Solve the same Quantitative Ability section at least thrice to understand the application of the concept. After solving every question, tally your answer with the given solution and analyse the logic behind that answer. Once, you know the concept and its application well, all you need is practice to improve speed. Data Interpretation requires practice of a range and variety of sample questions.

Also Read: XAT Preparation Plan for Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

XAT General Knowledge: This section of the XAT is the easiest in terms of preparation. So, you can begin studying for it after completing Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation syllabus.

To study static GK, read Manorama Year Book. For current affairs, be regular with reading newspapers and watching current affairs and infotainment programmes on television. It is quite possible that a few GK questions can be unknown to you, but since there is no negative marking in this section, you don’t have to worry.

Commonly asked questions

Q: What type of Reading Comprehension passages are there in XAT?

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.

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.

Last Month XAT Preparation Plan 2026

The last month before XAT is crucial for preparation. It happens with many students that by the time the last month arrives, they are tired or feel confident of their preparation and tend to lose momentum. This is the time to speed up the XAT preparation 2026. It is the time to practice the application of theories studied so far. Here are some last month XAT exam preparation tips:

Normally, it is easy to reach 90 percentile but the journey from 90 to 98 is tough. The last month before XAT is the time you can cover this distance.
Start solving XAT mock tests series. After solving each mock test analyse time taken and number of correct attempts.
When you attempt the next mock test, try to solve it faster and with more accuracy than the previous one.
Keep aside an hour or two to analyse the problems that you face in solving mocks – which type of questions take more time, questions from which topics remained unsolved, which questions looked easy but your answer was incorrect, etc. This activity will make you understand your weak areas in which you need to work harder.
Along with solving XAT mock tests and sample papers, spend the last month in revising concepts and theorems. Make short notes for last minute revision on the XAT exam day.
Focus on memorising vocabulary and word meaning. If you haven’t worked on these in the months before, don’t worry. You can cover this part of VARC in last month too.
General Knowledge section is the easiest section of XAT so you can prepare it in the last one month. You will need to go through all the recent current affairs events and static GK. The area to cover in this section will be vast but because it is memory based, you can prepare it with the help of year books.

Also Read: How to prepare for XAT exam in 1 month

XAT Mock Test for Practice

Candidates must practice a good number of XAT mock tests so that they are fully in control of the topics, accuracy and speed. Shiksha has created free XAT mock test for aspirants to practice and check their preparation level. Take free XAT Mock Test by Shiksha below:

XAT_Mock_Test_1	XAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions
XAT_Mock_Test_2	XAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions

FAQs on XAT Preparation

Check below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to XAT exam preparation:

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: How many questions were there in XAT 2025?

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.

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.