Xavier Aptitude Test Exam Pattern 2026

XAT Exam Pattern 2026

The XAT 2026 exam will have 95 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) across 4 sections. The sections are Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge.

The exam is conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode. The total duration is 180 minutes, split into Part 1 of 170 minutes and Part 2 of 10 minutes.

Exam Structure

The XAT exam pattern is divided into two parts. Part 1 is the Aptitude Test and Part 2 is the General Knowledge section.

Part 1 has three sections: Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR), Decision Making (DM), and Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation (QA & DI). Part 2 contains the General Knowledge section.

• Part 1 has 75 questions: 26 from VALR, 21 from DM, and 28 from QA & DI.
• Part 2 has 20 questions from General Knowledge.
• Part 1 is allotted 170 minutes.
• Part 2 is allotted 10 minutes.

Marking Scheme

Each correct answer in the XAT exam carries +1 mark. An incorrect answer in Part 1 leads to a deduction of 0.25 marks.

There is a penalty for unattempted questions. A deduction of 0.10 marks applies if more than 8 questions are left unattempted.

The General Knowledge section carries 20 marks. There is no negative marking in this section, and it does not affect the percentile score. It is considered in the GD-PI stage for XLRI and other participating institutes.

Key Changes

The Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) section has been removed from XAT 2026. It has been integrated into XLRI's GD/PI process.

Candidates should check the official website xatonline.in for the latest exam pattern, syllabus, marking scheme, schedule, and test cities.

XAT Exam Pattern Summary

XAT 2026 Total Marks and Negative Marking

The XAT 2026 exam has a total of 115 marks. Part 1 is worth 95 marks, and the General Knowledge (GK) section in Part 2 carries 20 marks.

There is no negative marking for the General Knowledge section. In Part 1, each correct answer gives +1 mark, and each incorrect answer deducts 0.25 marks.

XAT Exam Pattern: Overview

The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2026 is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur. It is a Computer-Based Test (CBT).

XAT Exam Duration and Maximum Marks

The XAT exam is 3 hours long and is divided into 2 parts. Part 1, the Aptitude section, has a time limit of 170 minutes, and Part 2, General Knowledge, is 10 minutes long.

The maximum marks for XAT 2026 is 115 marks. Part 1 is worth 95 marks, and the General Knowledge section carries 20 marks.

Essay writing is no longer part of XAT. It has been removed from the exam starting XAT 2025 onwards.

XAT Exam Pattern 2026: Section-Wise

The XAT Exam Pattern is divided into 4 sections: Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge.

• Part 1 is 170 minutes long and covers the first 3 sections without any sectional time limit.
• Part 2 is 10 minutes long and includes the General Knowledge section.
• The General Knowledge section is scored but excluded from the percentile, and is considered only at the GD-PI stage.

XAT Exam Pattern: Verbal & Logical Ability (VALR)

• It includes Reading Comprehension, Para Jumbles, Analogies, Grammar and Critical Reasoning.
• It tests language skills, comprehension and logical reasoning.
• It carries 26 marks and has 27% weightage in Paper 1.

XAT Exam Pattern: Decision Making (DM)

• It includes Caselets, Data Arrangement, Ethical Dilemmas, and Situational Judgements.
• It tests problem-solving skills, critical thinking and ethical reasoning.
• The Decision Making section has a total of 21 questions with a weightage of 22%.

XAT Exam Pattern: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI)

• It covers Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, and Data Interpretation.
• The major focus is on numerical reasoning and data analysis skills.
• The Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation section has a total of 28 questions with a weightage of 29% in Part 1.

XAT Exam Pattern: General Knowledge (GK)

• It includes Current Affairs, Economics, Awards, Books & Authors, and Science & Technology.
• The General Knowledge section has 20 questions to be answered in 10 minutes, with no negative marking.
• It is not included in the percentile and is only considered in the GD-PI evaluation.

XAT Exam Pattern 2026

The XAT 2026 exam has 95 questions across 4 sections. The total exam duration is 180 minutes.

Part 1 has no sectional time limit and lasts 170 minutes. Part 2 has a fixed time limit of 10 minutes.

Does XAT 2026 Have Logical Reasoning?

Yes, XAT 2026 includes logical reasoning within the verbal and logical ability section. The VALR section consists of 26 questions, and each question carries 1 mark.

In case of a wrong answer, 0.25 marks are deducted.

Is GK Score Counted in XAT?

No, the GK score is not counted in the final XAT percentile. However, it will be considered in the selection process.

VALR Section Topics

The VALR section in XAT covers reading comprehension, para jumbles, analogies, grammar and critical reasoning. It also includes language skills, comprehension and logical reasoning.

Decision-Making Section in XAT

The decision-making section tests the candidate's problem-solving skills, critical thinking and ethical reasoning. The section covers topics of caselets, data arrangement, ethical dilemmas, and situational judgements.

Sectional Time Limit in XAT

There is no sectional time limit for the 3 sections in Part 1 (VALR, decision making and quantitative ability). Part 1 has a total time limit of 170 minutes.

For Part 2, there is a 10 minutes time limit.

XAT Section-Wise Syllabus 2026

XAT syllabus is divided into sections such as VALR, DM, QA & DI, and General Knowledge. The syllabus for each section of the XAT question paper is discussed below.

XAT Syllabus for VALR

XAT syllabus for VALR includes the topics as listed below.

• Reading Comprehension: Understanding main ideas, inferences, vocabulary in context, tone, and purpose of passages.
• Verbal Ability
  • Vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, analogies)
  • Para Jumbles
  • Sentence Completion
  • Fill in the Blanks
  • Grammar (sentence correction, error spotting)

XAT Syllabus for Verbal and Logical Ability (VALR)

The Verbal and Logical Ability (VALR) section covers both verbal ability and logical reasoning topics.

Important topics for the VALR section are:

• Reading Comprehension: understanding main ideas, vocabulary in context, tone and purpose of passages.
• Verbal Ability: Vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, analogies), Para Jumbles, Sentence Completion.
• Fill in the blanks and grammar (sentence correction, error spotting).
• Logical Reasoning: Critical Reasoning, Analogies, Logical Sequences, Assumptions and Conclusions.

XAT Syllabus for Decision Making (DM)

Topics included in the XAT syllabus for Decision Making (DM) are listed below.

• Analytical Reasoning (decision-making sets)
• Situational Decision Making
• Ethical Dilemmas
• Business Issues
• Social Dilemmas
• Caselets
• Assumptions
• Premises and Conclusions

XAT Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI)

The XAT syllabus for QA and DI is discussed below.

Quantitative Aptitude

• Arithmetic: Percentages, Ratios and Proportions, Averages, Profit and Loss, Time-Speed-Distance, Time and Work.
• Algebra: Linear and Quadratic Equations, Inequalities.
• Geometry: Triangles, Circles, Mensuration, Coordinate Geometry.
• Number System: HCF, LCM, Surds and Indices.
• Modern Mathematics: Probability, Permutations and Combinations, Set Theory.

Data Interpretation

• Bar Graphs
• Pie Charts
• Tables
• Line Graphs
• Data Sufficiency
• Mixed Graphs

XAT Syllabus PDFs

Section-wise syllabus PDFs are available for download.

General Knowledge Syllabus Scope

General knowledge is broad and covers both static and current affairs.

Topics include Current Affairs (National & International), Business & Economy, Awards, Books & Authors, Geography, History, Science & Technology.

XAT Syllabus - Important Books

Books for XAT preparation are listed in this section.

Recommended Books for XAT Preparation

Some important books that match the XAT exam pattern and syllabus are listed below.

XAT Exam Pattern - Sectional Weightage

The XAT question paper is divided into 2 parts: Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 includes Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR), Decision Making (DM), and Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation (QA & DI). Part 2 of the XAT exam pattern includes General Knowledge.

As per the XAT exam pattern, 26 questions come from VALR, 21 from DM, 28 from QA & DI, and 20 from General Knowledge.

XAT Exam Pattern: Marking Scheme

The XAT marking scheme is the same as it was last year. Candidates must note the following points.

• There will be a total of 95 MCQs in the paper, carrying 1 mark each.
• The GK section will not have negative marking for incorrect answers.
• The scores obtained in the GK section will not be counted for calculating the final score.

Should I attempt all questions in XAT?

Answering in XAT should be balanced. It has negative marking for wrong answers as well as negative marking for unanswered questions.

A wrong answer gets you -0.25 marks for each question. Each unattempted question after 8 unattempted questions will cost you -0.1 mark. Keep these in mind before answering.

Is there a negative marking in GK?

No, there is no negative marking for general knowledge. The score in the GK section does not add to the XAT percentile calculation, but it is used in the selection process.

XAT Previous Year Question Papers

To have an analysis of the XAT Exam pattern, you should also practice the XAT Previous Year question paper.

Does XAT repeat questions from previous years' questions?

XAT does not repeat the same questions. The concepts and structure of the questions get repeated.

XAT Exam Pattern: Changes in the Last 4 Years

In the last few years, the XAT Exam pattern has undergone certain changes. These include the removal of the essay writing component and changes in the total number of questions.

As the main topics remain the same, XLRI has changed the exam structure to balance the fairness and time distribution.

XAT Exam Pattern Changes (2025–2022)

• The Essay writing section was introduced again in the last few years. It started again from 2024 and was removed in 2025 again.
• The total question count has changed between 75 and 101, which makes changes in the difficulty and balance sections.
• It includes 25 to 21 questions, is not included in the percentile, and makes an impact in the GD-PI Round.

XAT Exam Pattern: Time Duration & Number of Questions

XAT Preparation Strategy 2026

The XAT is one of the toughest MBA exams. Its decision-making section, high-level QA-DI difficulty, and GK section make it challenging.

The exam has 95 questions in total. Candidates need a balanced plan covering accuracy, time management, and decision-making skills.

Can I clear XAT with CAT preparation?

CAT preparation builds a strong foundation for XAT. However, it may not be enough because XAT has unique sections like decision making and general knowledge.

After preparing for XAT, focus on these unique sections. Analyse previous years' papers and take XAT mock tests to improve.

How should I prepare for the general knowledge section?

The GK section in XAT tests general awareness about national and international affairs. Preparation for GK should be broad.

• For current affairs, focus on national and international events. Gather information from newspapers, TV channels, and social media platforms. Focus on events from the past 6–12 months. Cover business and economy, recent developments and innovations, and major tournaments.
• For Static GK, study history and geography, Indian politics, and famous books and their authors.
• GK is not considered for percentile calculation. However, B-schools use it during the final selection process.

FAQs for XAT Exam Pattern 2026

What is the pattern of XAT 2026?

The XAT Exam Pattern 2026 is expected to be the same as last year. It will be conducted in CBT mode and will include 2 parts.

Was XAT 2025 harder than 2024?

XAT 2025 was comparatively easier than XAT 2024. This was mainly because of the decision-making and VALR sections.

Is 27 a good score in XAT?

In XAT, a raw score of 27 on Part 1, excluding G.K., is considered moderate to good as per the difficulty level.

Is XAT harder than CAT?

Yes, XAT is tougher as compared to CAT. The reasons include its unique question types and evaluation method.

XAT Exam Pattern 2026

The XAT Exam Pattern 2026 is expected to be the same as last year. It will be conducted in a CBT Mode and will include 2 parts.

The XAT exam pattern includes a total of 95 questions asked from 4 sections. From VALR section, 26 questions will be asked, from DM, a total of 21 questions will be asked. 28 questions will be asked from the QA & DI section of the XAT paper and 20 questions will be asked from General Knowledge section.

1 mark will be awarded for each correct answer. -0.25 mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer. -0.1 mark will be deducted for each unanswered question after 8th skipped question.

XAT vs CAT Difficulty

Yes, XAT is tougher as compared to CAT because of the following reasons:

XAT 2025 vs 2024 Difficulty

XAT 2025 was comparatively easier than XAT 2024, mainly because of the decision-making and VALR Section.

XAT Score vs Percentile

The Score of the 99th percentile in XAT falls between 40 to 42 marks out of 95.

Is 27 a Good Score in XAT?

In XAT, a raw score of 27 on Part 1, excluding G.K., is considered moderate to good as per the difficulty level.

Is the GK Score Counted in XAT?

No, the GK section is not counted in the XAT percentile.