XAT 2026 - Important Dates

Exam Syllabus

Candidates need to know the full XAT syllabus to score well on the exam. The syllabus covers important topics in sections like Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation. By understanding what’s in the syllabus, candidates can create a good study plan. This helps them stay consistent during their preparation and achieve high scores.

The table below shows the most common topics covered in the XAT syllabus:

Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning

Decision Making

The portion on Decision-Making is unique to the XAT Entrance Exam. Neither the CAT nor other MBA entrance exams have a decision-making chapter. This section will examine candidates on making decisions in certain situations as specified in the exam paper. There are 22 questions in the XAT Decision-Making section. The following is a complete XAT Syllabus for Decision Making:

• Numerical and Situation Caselets

• HR Decision Making

• Appropriate Decision 

Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation

General Knowledge

The XAT Syllabus of General Knowledge consists of Static and Current Affairs questions. The topics to be covered to prepare XAT Syllabus for GK are listed below.

• Economics

• National and International Current Affairs

• History

• Geography

• Business Affairs

• Sports

• Business Affairs

• Business Affairs

Eligibility Criteria 

The candidates must satisfy the following criteria before appearing for the XAT:

1. Candidates who have completed a three-year bachelor’s degree or are in their final year of graduation are eligible to apply.
2.  Final-year students must complete all their final examinations by June 12, 2026, to be eligible for admissions to XLRI

Work Experience (as on March 31, 2026, should be entered)

• A minimum of 36 months of work experience is mandatory for the Postgraduate Diploma in Management (General Management).
• Work experience is not mandatory for the regular two-year Postgraduate Diploma in Management (Business Management) and Postgraduate Diploma in Management (Human Resource Management).
• Only full-time experience after graduation should be entered. Part-time, project-based, internship, article ship, or pre-graduation experience should not be mentioned 

Registration Process 

The XAT registration process is the first step to appear for the exam. Aspirants have to fill out the online XAT application form and pay the requisite fees to register for the test. Given below is the XAT registration and application process:

• Candidates need to fill in the following information in the registration process:

• Preliminary information (Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Father’s Name, Mother’s Name, Category and Phone Number etc.)

• Mailing (communication) address and permanent address

• Educational qualification from Class 10 onwards

• Work experience starting from the latest job

• Choose the XAT test city

• Upload a scanned digital photograph and signature less than 1 MB (Click here for the process of uploading the photograph and signature).

How to Register for XAT 2026 

1. Visit the official website – https://xatonline.in.

2. Click on ‘Register’ enter the details.

3. Log in using your credentials.

4. Fill out the application form: enter personal and academic details, provide work experience (if applicable), choose XLRI programs and preferred test cities.

5. Upload photograph, signature, and required documents.

6. Pay the application fee online.

7. Submit and download the confirmation page for future reference.

Application Fee

1. XAT Registration Fee – Rs. 2200/-
2. Candidates interested in XLRI programmes need to pay an additional fee of Rs. 200/- each
3. Indian candidates can apply through GMAT/GRE for PGDM (GM) and XLRI-RBS Double Master’s Programme whereas an NRI/Foreign/PIO/OCI can apply through GMAT for all the programmes.
4. Fee for Indian Candidates applying for PGDM(GM) through GMAT/GRE– Rs. 2500/-
5. Fee for NRI/Foreign/PIO/OCI candidates applying for one or more programmes through GMAT – Rs.5000

Mode of Payment

Online Payment Gateway: Through VISA/Master Credit/Debit Cards (American Express Card is inadmissible). IDBI Net banking (this option is available only for IDBI account holders)

Cash Payment: Please take a printout of the XAT Pay-In-Slip visit the nearest IDBI bank and make the payment.

Candidates are allowed to select a maximum of the four cities listed in the XAT application form. The examination body will allot the exam center to candidates in the city selected as first preference basis of availability. If a seat is not available at the test center in the first city, the allotment will be made in the city of the next preference.

XAT Exam Pattern Table:

Key Modifications in XAT

• Essay Writing: Scrapped from the exam; will now be conducted during the XLRI selection process.
• Reduced GK Questions: The number of questions in the GK section has been reduced from 25 to 20.
• No Sectional Time Limits: There is no sectional time limit in Part 1, giving candidates flexibility in managing their time

XAT Marking Scheme

The XAT exam follows a structured marking scheme that rewards correct answers and penalises incorrect responses and excessive skipping of questions. Understanding the nuances of this marking scheme can help you formulate a strategy to maximise your score.

Marks per Question: Each question carries 1 mark, with 95 questions expected.

Negative Marking for Incorrect Answers: 0.25 marks will be deducted for every incorrect answer.

Penalty for Skipping Questions:

• You can skip up to 8 questions without any penalty.
• For each question skipped after the 8th one, a penalty of 0.1 marks per question will be applied.

General Knowledge (GK) Section:

• The GK section has no negative markings.
• It will not contribute to your overall percentile or cutoff score but will be considered in the selection process.

The XAT exam marking scheme emphasises accuracy and smart decision-making. By carefully managing your attempts and skips, you can minimise penalties and boost your chances of achieving a high score. Understanding the role of the GK section is equally important, as it remains an integral part of the overall evaluation process despite not impacting the percentile directly.

Candidates must follow the methods outlined below while downloading their XAT hall ticket to avoid issues. On the day of the XAT exam, participants must bring a printed copy of their XAT admission card as well as one valid Government-issued picture ID.

 How to Download the XAT Admit Card

Candidates should follow the instructions below when downloading their XAT hall ticket:

Step 1: Go to the XLRI Jamshedpur official website.

Step 2 - Select the tab of "Login".

Step 3 - Candidates must now enter their User ID and DOB which they had while registering before clicking on the "Login" page.

Step 4 - Now click on the hall ticket tab.

Step 5 - Now you can select the download option for XAT admit card. Save it in PDF format. 

Taking a printout of it as an extra copy of it on the exam day is always advisable.

The official XAT cut-offs for 2026 are listed here. Candidates that meet the cut-offs indicated below have been selected for the personal interview phase. 

XAT 2026 Admit Card Download: Important Dates

• Admit Card: 20th December 2025 (Tentative)
• Last Date to Download: January 04, 2026 (before the commencement of the examination)
• Exam Date: January 04, 2026 (2:00PM - 5:00PM)
• Link to download the admit card : Visit https://xatonline.in/

How to take the mock test?

Candidates are recommended to practice mock exams during the final three months of exam preparation, i.e. the last three months before the exam. See below for instructions on how to access the most recent official XAT mock test:

• Log on to the official XAT website: xatonline.in

• Click on the 'Mock Test' tab 

• Enter your login credentials 

• Start the XAT mock test

How to Check XAT Cut Off 

To check the XAT Cut Off, follow these simple steps:

1. Visit the Official Website: Go to the XAT exam website.
2. Log In: Use your XAT ID and password to log into your account.
3. Access Cut Off Information: Once logged in, you can view the XAT cut off list and your shortlist status.
4. Download and Print: Download the cut off list and print it for your records.

1. Successfully passing the XAT test involves hard study, commitment, and attention. It takes about 6-8 months to successfully prepare for the XAT exam. As a result, it's

critical to carefully arrange your study timetable and exam approach. The goal of the

student should be to enhance not only the number of attempts but also the

accuracy of your answers.

2. Many students prepare for the XAT exam after the CAT exam. They prefer to put off significant preparation until the last few months, which has a detrimental influence
on their XAT results.

3. Because XAT does not impose segment time restrictions, you must select how much time to devote to each area. For example, you may devote 55-60 minutes to the quantitative segment, 50-55 minutes to decision-making, and so on.

The following are the main elements of preparation:

1. Study plan:

• Divide your study plan into 2-3 stages after you've gone through the most recent exam pattern and curriculum, starting with idea development and finishing with frequent mock test practice.

2. Mocks and Past Papers:

• Start taking sectional tests in a timed way once you've mastered the critical themes through chapter-by-chapter assessments. Begin taking the previous year's XAT papers and practice examinations as soon as possible.

• You must examine your performance and determine your strengths and flaws after each test.

• Test analysis will allow you to adjust your exam approach and ace the exam,

• wherever feasible, and apply shortcuts, approximation techniques, elimination strategies, and other comparable methods throughout the test.

3. Verbal, Decision-making & GK

• Make reading a regular part of your day. This will aid in the development of excellent reading and comprehension abilities, as well as a broad vocabulary and general knowledge.

• The most important thing is to read widely from highly regarded books, periodicals, newspapers, and websites, among other sources.

• Furthermore, reading financial and business publications will aid you in answering decision-making problems.
       

4. Quantitative Ability

• While learning about mathematical ideas, make a list of basic equations, techniques, and shortcuts.

• After reviewing the fundamental ideas and equations, practice chapter-by-chapter/topic-by-topic exams.