Xavier Aptitude Test 2026 ( XAT )
Exam On - 4 Jan '26
XAT question papers are the best resource to understand the nature of exam. Since XAT has several unique aspects, such as Decision Making, Poem and even marking scheme, aspirants must refer previous years' papers for best understanding of the exam. The official question papers help in understanding the difficulty level and question type. This knowledge of previous years' XAT trend can help in strategising well for XAT 2026 exam.
XAT 2026 exam will be held on January 4, 2026, so practice a good number of previous year papers now for Decision Making, Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning questions.. Get here XAT 2025 question paper and papers of previous years.
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Download here free PDFs of XAT question papers from 2010 to 2024. Practice questions from official question papers for best result.
Also Read: XAT preparation plan 2026
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.
XAT 2025 exam had only 2 sections in the question paper, Part 1 had Quantitative Aptitude, Decision Making and Verbal Ability. Part 2 consisted of General Knowledge section. Essay Writing has been removed from the entrance test. It is a part of XLRI PI selection process. The total time duration of XAT exam now is 180 minutes. Part 1 is for170 minutes and Part 2 is for 10 minutes. There is no sectional time limit within the section.
XAT 2024 had Essay Writing and the exam duration was 3.5 hours. Essay Writing was clubbed with GK.
The total number of questions in XAT 2025 was 95 atleast 5 less than previous years. There was on Essay Writing in XAT 2025 question paper and GK section had only 20 questions. Check below a brief overview of XAT question paper 2025.
| XAT Question Paper 2025 | Sections | Sectional Time Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | QA-DI, VA-LR, Decision Making | 170 minutes |
| Part 2 | GK | 10 minutes |
Check below section wise composition and difficulty levels of XAT question paper 2025. This estimation is done by MBA experts.
| 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 |
Moderate to Difficult |
| General Knowledge |
20 |
20 |
Easy |
| Total |
95 |
95 |
Moderate |
Also Read:
XAT 2025 exam was of moderate difficulty level. The students who had appeared for the exam last year, said the XAT 2025 question paper was not much different. Section wise, Quantitative Aptitude questions were on the tougher side, Verbal Ability and Decision Making were easy to moderate and GK was easy.
There was one poem for RC as always. Quantitative Aptitude section was dominated by Arithmetic and GK had questions on very recent events.
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.
Download previous year XAT question papers and sample papers. Use them for practice and improve your speed and accuracy. You can download XAT previous year question papers and the preparation guides for free.
A good performance in a speed based test like XAT exam is the result of good practice. One has to attempt questions of at least four different subjects within the given tie limit. Some questions are short, while some are lengthy. Some need reading, some need calculation, and some need memory. Candidates must have the exposure of previous 10 years' XAT question papers so that they know how to manage time. Solving the XAT question papers also helps immensely in preparation of unique sections of XAT 2026- Decision Making and Reading Comprehension (the poem).
Practice of XAT question papers is necessary also because it not only improves time management skills but also boosts confidence. Listed below are a few benefits of solving XAT question papers.
Practicing XAT previous year papers will give you an idea of the types of questions asked in the exam. You will also know the weightage of topics, i.e. from which units most of the questions are asked.
XAT has a unique section called Decision Making, study material for which is not readily available. Thus for preparation of Decision Making section, previous year XAT question papers are the best source.
By practicing XAT question papers candidates will also get to know their strength and weakness viz. XAT syllabus so as to study accordingly. They will know which topics have more weightage and which ones have less weightage. They can cover the XAT syllabus accordingly.
By practicing XAT previous year question papers and mock tests, candidates will be able to discover tricks and shortcuts to solve questions faster with 100 per cent accuracy.
If a candidate has solved 25-30 XAT mock tests and a series of previous years' question papers, he/she will be more confident in the actual exam as he/she will be familiar all types of questions and their solutions.
Also Read:
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.
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.
Solving only the official XAT question papers will not be enough. You need to practice time bound XAT mock tests as well. Practicing mock series is essential to gain control of subjects, topics, time and accuracy. Shiksha has created XAT mock tests based on previous years' questions. Practice these free XAT mock tests to assess your preparation level. After taking the test, you can immediately check your score:
| XAT_Mock_Test_1 | XAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| XAT_Mock_Test_2 | XAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
Check the below given links for solve questions for practice:
XAT exam preparation is a long term affair wherein you have to give about 6-9 months. The preparation plan should include long term strategy as well as short term strategy. While the long term strategy includes XAT syllabus coverage and Reading Comprehension practice, short term strategy includes XAT mock test and sample paper practice. If you have less time to prepare, then make a focused plan, of covering the syllabus with mock practice only. Given below are some top read articles for XAT 2026 exam preparation.
| XAT Exam Preparation Articles | |
|---|---|
Yes, the XAT exam has negative marking of -0.25 marks for wrong attempt. Unanswered questions have no negative marking but if there are 8 consecutive unanswered questions, 0.10 marks will be deducted. Thus, the candidates must select questions to solve very carefully in the XAT exam. They should solve only those questions which they know they can solve accurately. The XAT exam has sectional time limit too, so you may not want to waste time on a question that you cannot solve accurately. You stand to lose both time and marks. So be careful in selecting questions in the XAT exam. The sectional cut off for XAT is usually 80 percent accuracy. Practice a lot of mock tests to develop this skill.
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.
The sectional break up of XAT 2024 question paper was same as XAT 2023 question paper. Check the table below for section wise number questions in the XAT question paper 2024. It was not mandatory to solve all the MCQs.
| XAT Sections |
No. of Questions |
Total Marks |
Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decision Making |
21 |
22 |
Easy to Moderate |
| Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 |
26 |
Moderate |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
28 |
28 |
Difficult |
| General Knowledge |
25 |
25 |
Moderate |
| Essay Writing (250 words) |
1 |
To be evaluated after PI shortlisting |
Moderate |
Candidates where given the following topics to write an essay:
Also Read: XAT 2024 question paper analysis
XAT 2023 question paper was of moderate difficulty level. it had the Essay section also, which was brought back in 2022. There were three essay topics and candidates had to write on one topic of their choice. Evaluation of the essay was done at the time of candidate shortlisting. Check below the structure of XAT question paper 2023:
| XAT 2023 Sections |
No. of Questions |
Total Marks |
Level of Difficulty (expected) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Decision Making |
22 |
22 |
Moderate |
| Part 1: Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 |
26 |
Moderate to Tough |
| Part 1: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
28 |
28 |
Tough |
| Part 2: General Knowledge |
25 |
25 |
Moderate |
| Part 2: Essay Writing |
3 (candidate had to choose 1 topic) |
To be evaluated after shortlisting |
Moderate |
Also read:
XAT 2022 question paper was similar to XAT 2021 question paper in terms of difficulty level. However, there was a new addition to the paper this year - the reintroduction of Essay Writing. Candidates had to write a 250-word essay on one of the two given topics in Part 2 of the paper. Check the sectional break up and difficulty level of the XAT question paper 2022 below:
| XAT 2022 Sections |
No. of Questions |
Total Marks |
Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Decision Making |
21 |
21 |
Moderate |
| Part 1: Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 |
26 |
Moderate |
| Part 1: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
28 |
28 |
Moderate |
| Part 2: General Knowledge |
25 |
25 |
Tough |
| Part 2: Essay Writing |
1 |
To be evaluated after shortlisting |
Moderate |
XAT 2022 Question Paper: RC Topics
Also Read: XAT 2022 question paper analysis
XAT 2021 question paper was of overall moderate difficulty. Similar to XAT previous year papers. However, the Verbal section was easier than previous year. Check the section wise difficulty level of XAT question paper 2021 below:
| XAT Sections |
Number of Questions |
Difficulty level |
|---|---|---|
| Decision Making |
21 |
Moderate |
| Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 |
Easy |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
28 |
Moderate |
| General Knowledge |
25 |
Moderate |
| Overall |
100 |
Moderate |
XAT 2021 Question Paper: RC Topics
Also Read: XAT 2021 question paper analysis
XAT 2020 question paper was of overall moderate difficulty. However, the VARC section was tougher than previous year. Check the section wise difficulty level of XAT question paper 2020 below:
| XAT Sections |
Number of Questions |
Difficulty level |
|---|---|---|
| Decision Making |
21 |
Moderate |
| Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning |
26 |
Difficult |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
28 |
Moderate |
| General Knowledge |
25 |
Moderate |
| Overall |
100 |
Moderate |
There is negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer
There will be deduction of 0.5 marks incase of eight consecutive unanswered questions
Also Read:
XAT 2019 question paper was of moderate difficulty and the Essay Writing section was scrapped. The Quantitative Ability section was easy but Decision Making section was tricky. English and Reasoning sections were easy. Take a look at the XAT 2019 question paper break-up:
| XAT Sections |
Number of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 |
Difficult |
| Decision Making |
21 |
Moderate |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
27 |
Easy-Moderate |
| General Knowledge |
25 |
Moderate |
| Total |
99 |
Moderate-Difficult |
Also Read:
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.
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.
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XAT Exam
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
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
A
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
Beginner-Level 4
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
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
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
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week 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
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week 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
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week 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
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
The IMI Kolkata XAT Cutoff 2024 was released for admission to the MBA/PGDM course for all categories under the All India quota. The XAT Cutoff 2024 was overall 70 percentile for the General category candidates from the All India quota. This cutoff was for students to avail a seat at the Post Graduat
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
Hi.
For PGDM and MBA admissions at GIBS Business School, Bangalore, the following entrance exams are accepted:
Accepted Entrance Exams
| Exam | Type / Level |
|---|---|
| CAT – Common Admission Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| XAT – Xavier Aptitude Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| MAT – Management Aptitude Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| CMAT – Common Management Admission Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test | International / National-level MBA entrance exam |
| ATMA – AIMS Test for Management Admissions | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| State CET (e.g., Karnataka PGCET) | State-level MBA entrance exam for Karnataka candidates |
h
Scholar-Level 18
KIITEE MBA 2026 Registrations 9 Oct '25 - 9 Jan '26
4.7
Which entrance exam scores are accepted at GIBS for admission (CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA, State CET)?