The latest XAT 2026 exam pattern is in! XLRI Jamshedpur, which is responsible for conducting the XAT exam, has released the official XAT exam pattern and notice containing all the latest changes to the XAT exam pattern, syllabus, and selection process. The changes in XAT 2026 have been marked by the scrapping of the Essay Writing section, which was earlier scrapped in 2019 but reintroduced in 2022.
Latest Changes in XAT 2026 Exam Pattern
Major changes have been made to the XAT 2026 exam pattern to streamline the examination process and enhance the evaluative components of the exam. The new changes to the XAT 2026 exam pattern are as follows:
Removal of Analytical Essay Writing (AEW)
The biggest change in the XAT 2026 exam pattern is the removal of the Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) component, which was previously part of the third segment of the XAT exam, along with the General Knowledge Section. This portion of the exam has been removed, and now Part C of the XAT exam will only focus on the General Knowledge portion.
Revision in the General Knowledge Section
Another major change in the XAT exam pattern is the revision of the General Knowledge section of the exam, in which the number of questions has been reduced to 20 from 25. This section will include 12 questions on current affairs and 8 questions from static GK, allowing for a balanced evaluation of candidates' awareness of both ongoing events and foundational knowledge.
Adjustment of Examination Timings
Finally, the overall exam duration of the XAT exam has also been reduced to 180 minutes from 210 minutes. The XAT 2026 exam will have two distinct components: Part 1 and Part 2. The exam's first part will be 170 minutes. Part Two will be a brief 10-minute segment that is exclusively dedicated to the General Knowledge section. With this arrangement, the exam takes 180 minutes in total. It is important to note that PwD candidates will receive an additional 20 minutes for each part of the exam.
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Latest Changes to XAT 2026 Selection Process
Since the Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) portion has been removed from the main XAT examination, this portion of the XAT MBA admission process will now be part of the Group Discussion and Personal Interview (GD/PI) stages of the selection process as per the latest XAT notice released by XLRI Jamshedpur. This means that candidates will only need to undertake this portion of XAT if they qualify for the main exam and are shortlisted for further rounds of the XAT 2026 selection process .
How to Prepare for XAT 2026 As Per New Changes?
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Since the XAT 2026 exam pattern has undergone significant changes as per the latest announcements by XLRI Jamshedpur, students should also adjust their XAT preparation to focus on the new changes. Candidates must make sure they take advantage of the new changes to increase their overall XAT percentile.
Since the Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) portion of the XAT exam has been shifted to be part of the XAT selection process, candidates must omit preparing for this portion before the main exam. Candidates must only prepare for the Analytical Essay Writing after the XAT main exam concludes, and if they are certain they will qualify for the GD/PI process.
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Also, since the number of questions in the GK section has been reduced, and candidates will also have less time for the General Knowledge section, they must answer every question with remarkable accuracy. This will require candidates to prepare for this portion of the exam more effectively. Reach out to us through the
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FAQs
In order to prepare for the new XAT exam pattern, candidates must focus on preparing for the first 3 sections of the exam. Since Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) is now removed from the exam, candidates can utilize their preparation time for this section for other sections of the exam.
Yes, the new changes to XAT have made the exam easier since the exam now has removed one section which is the Analytical Essay Writing (AEW). Candidates can now omit the preparation for this section and focus on the other sections of the exam and enhance their performance and percentile score. Also, the number of questions in the GK section of XAT has also been reduced.
XLRI Jamshedpur is responsible for setting the XAT exam pattern. XLRI Jamshedpur has announced some major changes to the XAT exam pattern on August 8, 2024, which will have a significant impact on the XAT preparation process and also the approach that candidates take during the exam.
The major changes to the XAT exam pattern include the removal of Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) from the XAT main exam and the revision of the General Knowledge section. The Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) has now been removed from the XAT exam and made a part of the XAT selection process. The General Knowledge section of the exam has been revised and now will only have 20 questions instead of 25.
Yes, the sectional time limit for XAT has been reduced for the second part of the exam. Since Part 2 of the XAT exam will only focus on General Knowledge, the sectional time limit for this portion has been reduced to 10 minutes from 30 minutes. Candidates will have a total of 180 minutes to complete the XAT question paper of which 170 minutes are allotted to Part 1 and 10 minutes are allotted to Part 2.
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