The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is one of India’s oldest and most prestigious national-level entrance exams for MBA and PGDM programmes. This exam is conducted at a specific time every year, that is, on the first Sunday of January each year. XAT is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur (Xavier School of Management, formerly Xavier Labour Relations Institute) and it is done on behalf of XAMI members. As one of the top entrance exams, it is accepted by over 250 premier B-Schools. It is not geographically bound either, as it is conducted in more than 100 test cities across India. This level of accessibility makes it a comprehensive management entrance exam.
Each year, around one lakh aspirants sit for this particular exam and apply for postgraduate management courses at XLRI and other XAT Associate Institutions. Over the years, this test has evolved to be in computer-based mode.
It includes questions from Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VA & LR), Decision-Making (DM), Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI), and General Knowledge (GK). As an aspiring MBA student, if you want to sit for XAT 2026, these are some things you should know about the exam before appearing for it.
ALL About XAT 2026The schedule for XAT 2026 has been officially announced by XLRI Jamshedpur. As an aspirant, you need to be on top of the dates and apply at the right time as per the XAT 2026 dates. This will help with planning and keeping track of timelines ahead of schedule so that you can complete key milestones before the main XAT 2026 exam date.
| XAT 2026 registration starts | 10 Jul 2025 |
| Official XAT mock test 2026 | 27 Sep 2025 to 28 Sep 2025 29 Oct 2025 to 01 Nov 2025 19 Nov 2025 (12 PM) to 20 Nov 2025 (12 PM) |
| XAT 2026 registration deadline for mock test | 16 Nov 2025 |
| XAT 2026 application edit window | 14 Oct 2025 to 16 Oct 2025 (9 AM) 25 Nov 2025 (9 AM) to 27 Nov 2025 (9 AM) |
| XAT 2026 registration ends | 11 Dec 2025 |
| Release of XAT admit card 2026 | 20 Dec 2025 (Tentative) |
| XAT 2026 exam date | 04 Jan 2026, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM |
| XAT 2026 result announcement | Last week of January 2026 |
| XAT 2026 scorecard download | 31 Jan 2026 to 31 Mar 2026 |
When you are applying for XAT 2026, you have to pay the XAT exam fee 2026 before the deadline. If the payment is delayed, your application form will not be submitted and hence, you would not be registered for XAT. Thankfully, The XAT 2026 application form has an integrated online payment gateway, so you can make an immediate payment during the registration process itself.
Refer to the table below for details of the XAT registration fees applicable this year.
| Particulars | Amount (INR) |
| XAT Registration Fees | ₹2200 |
| Additional fee for each XLRI programme | ₹200 per programme |
You need to be sure that you are eligible for the XAT 2026 exam before you apply for it. You have to look into the eligibility criteria for the XAT exam, which is outlined by XLRI Jamshedpur. This criterion, fortunately, has not changed much compared to previous years. Below are the key points of the XAT exam eligibility criteria 2026 for your reference.
You cannot plan to prepare for XAT exam 2026, unless you know what to study and plan your way into it. You should know the detailed XAT syllabus 2026 for this, and the table below can help you identify the syllabus pattern for the XAT 2026 exam.
| XAT 2026 Sections | XAT 2026 Main Topics |
| Verbal and Logical Ability (VA & LR) | Reading comprehension, vocabulary, para jumbles, grammar, critical reasoning, and fill-in-the-blanks. |
| Decision Making (DM) | Real-life scenarios from personal and professional contexts requiring application of critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and prioritisation. |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI) | Quantitative skills are assessed through arithmetic, algebra, geometry, mensuration, and modern maths. Data interpretation is presented as tables, bar graphs, or pie charts. |
| General Knowledge (GK) | Current affairs and static knowledge from areas like science, economy, business, politics, sports, awards, world events, government, international organisations/treaties, etc. |
Knowing how the XAT exam pattern for 2026 is can help you in creating a structured plan for your own preparation. It will help you decide which type of questions to practice first and how much time you should ideally allot to master each section. Familiarising yourself with the exam pattern beforehand can significantly help you with your XAT 2026 exam.
| XAT 2026 Particulars | Details |
| Mode of Exam | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Total Duration | 180 minutes |
| Number of Questions (Approx) | 95 |
| Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Number of Answer Choices | Five per question |
| Exam Sections |
Part 1: Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability,
and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (170 minutes)
Part 2: General Knowledge (10 minutes) |
| Marking Scheme |
Part 1: +1 mark for correct answers - 0.25 marks for wrong answers
- 0.10 marks per unattempted question beyond 8 Part 2 (GK): +1 mark for correct answers No negative marking for wrong answers |
| PwD Candidate Provision | Additional 20 minutes for every hour of the test |
The XAT exam pattern for 2026 gives you, the aspirant, a structured format to approach the paper as well as evaluate which of your skills shine from a management aptitude perspective.
| Section | Approx. Number of Questions |
| Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) | 26 |
| Decision Making (DM) | 21 |
| Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI) | 28 |
| General Knowledge (GK) | 20 (8 static GK + 12 current affairs) |
The XAT result 2026 will be released online on the official XAT website. As a student who has appeared for XAT 2026, you can access your scorecards by using your login credentials. You will not get a hard copy of the scorecard. All you need to do is follow these steps to download your XAT 2026 result.
When the XAT 2026 exam scorecards get released, XLRI announces what the cut-off percentiles for its Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM) and Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (PGDHRM) programmes are. You can make a judgement and estimate of the XAT exam 2026 cut-off based on what the cut-offs of the previous year were like.
| XLRI BM Programme Interview Cut-Offs 2025 (Percentiles) | |||||
| Stream | Gender | VALR | QA | DM | Total |
| Engineer/Tech | Male | ≥84 | ≥88 | ≥84 | ≥96 |
| Engineer/Tech | Female | ≥80 | ≥82 | ≥80 | ≥91 |
| Non-Engineer | Male | ≥84 | ≥88 | ≥84 | ≥96 |
| Non-Engineer | Female | ≥80 | ≥82 | ≥80 | ≥91 |
| XLRI HRM Programme Interview Cut-Offs 2025 (Percentiles) | |||||
| Stream | Gender | VALR | QA | DM | Total |
| Engineer/Tech | Male | ≥90 | ≥83 | ≥87 | ≥95 |
| Engineer/Tech | Female | ≥85 | ≥73 | ≥80 | ≥90 |
| Non-Engineer | Male | ≥90 | ≥76 | ≥87 | ≥93 |
| Non-Engineer | Female | ≥85 | ≥68 | ≥80 | ≥87 |
Rather than jumping into preparation abruptly, plan how you will prepare for the XAT exam 2026, structure your plan, and then focus on covering more syllabus and taking a more comprehensive approach. You should know the XAT syllabus 2026 and how it has been structured to actually aim for better results.
The XAT result 2026 is accepted by several leading management institutes across the country. Many colleges consider the XAT selection criteria a key part of their admission process. Check below some of the popular B-Schools accepting XAT 2026 scores:
When your XAT result 2026 is out, you have to strategise and look for ways to enhance your admission prospects. The following key actions will help you plan effectively after the XAT 2026 exam:
There are some common mistakes that aspirants make. When you are aiming to clear XAT 2026 exam, you should watch out for these mistakes and try to avoid them.
Many aspirants hesitate to register for the XAT 2026 because of misconceptions surrounding the exam. Before completing your XAT application process 2026, it’s important to dispel myths and focus on what truly matters in the XAT admission criteria. Here are a few myths and truths you should know if you are planning to write XAT 2026.
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