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Updated By Vandana Thakur on 11 Dec, 2025 11:35
The XAT exam pattern was changed last year and reduced to two parts. The first part includes three sections, namely Decision Making, Verbal and Logical Ability, etc. The second part encompasses GK topics.
Predict your Percentile based on your XAT performance
Predict RankXAT exam pattern 2026 was changed by XLRI Jamshedpur, the conducting body of the exam, on August 8, 2024. The number of questions in the GK section has been reduced from 25 to 20. 1 mark will be awarded for each correct answer, making the total marks of the XAT 2026 exam 95. The first part of the XAT question paper will have 3 sections - Decision-making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation that must be completed over a duration of 170 minutes.
The second part of the question paper will include only General Knowledge that must be completed in 10 minutes. Candidates belonging to the PWD category can avail themselves of 20 minutes extra in every section. Each section will have 20-28 MCQs with 5 options, with the total number of questions being 95. Students are eager to know more about the XAT 2026 exam pattern can go through the marking scheme, section-wise exam pattern,etc.
The highlights of the XAT 2026 exam pattern have been tabulated below:
Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
Conducting Body | XLRI Jamshedpur |
Exam type | National Level Post-Graduate exam |
Mode of Exam | Online (Computer Based Test) |
Medium of the Exam | English |
Periodicity | Once in a year |
Total Number of Questions | 95 |
Exam Duration | 180 minutes (3 hours) |
Syllabus | Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, General Knowledge |
Programmes Offered by XLRI | Business Management (BM), Human Resource Management (HRM) and General Management Programme (GMP) |
Type of Questions | MCQs |
Exam Pattern for MCQs | Each MCQ is followed by 5 answer options with one correct option |
XAT Scoring Pattern | +1 mark for each correct answer |
Negative Marking |
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Negative Marking in GK Questions | GK questions are exempted from negative marking. |
Percentile Calculation | To determine the XAT percentile score and XAT merit list for the written exam, only 3 components of the XAT exam are considered. In the XAT exam format, GK will not be taken into account while calculating percentiles. |
Sectional Time Limit | Yes
|
Evaluation of Essay Writing Test | Only those candidates who will get shortlisted for the interview process will have their essay writing test evaluated. |
Ques: What is the exam pattern for the VARC & LR section of the XAT exam?
Ans: A total of 26 questions will be asked from this section and all the questions will be Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) type. There will be 4 RC passages out of which 14 to 16 RC Based questions will be asked. 8 to 10 questions will be asked from verbal Ability and the important topics from this section include Vocabulary, Analogy, Para Jumbles, Para completion, Critical Reasoning, Statements-assumptions, etc. 1 mark will be awarded for each correct answer and 0.25 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
Ques: What is the exam pattern for the Quant & DI section of the XAT exam?
Ans: A total of 28 questions will be asked from this section and all the questions will be Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) type. Important topics in this section include Time & Work, Profit & Loss, Percentage, Clocks, Geometry, Equations, Number system, Mensuration, Venn diagram, Algebra, Tables, Bar diagram, graphs. 1 mark will be awarded for each correct answer and 0.25 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
Ques: What is the exam pattern for the GK section of the XAT exam?
Ans: A total of 20 MCQs will be asked from this section that must be attempted within 10 minutes. Important topics include History, Geography, Economics & Business, Personality & Awards, Sports, Science & Technology, Books & Authors, Culture & Entertainment, and latest National & International events. This section is not taken into account when calculating the percentile.
Also Read:Do You Know THESE Latest Changes in XAT?
XAT 2026 exam pattern is given below. Candidates must understand the break-up of each section and prepare accordingly.
XAT Division | Section | Total Questions | Types of Questions | Total Marks | Time Allotted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part 1 | Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | MCQs | 26 | 170 Minutes |
Decision Making | 21 | MCQs | 21 | ||
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | MCQs | 28 | ||
Part 2 | General Knowledge | 20 | MCQs | 20 | 10 Minutes |
Total | 95 | - | 95 | 180 Minutes |
Also Read:
| XAT Important Topics & Weightage |
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It is important for the candidates to have a clear understanding of the XAT marking scheme before they take the examination. The XAT 2026 marking scheme has been mentioned below:
No changes have been announced in the XAT 2026 exam pattern. The key changes in the XAT exam pattern & marking scheme in the last 4 years have been provided below.
Particulars | XAT 2025 | XAT 2024 | XAT 2023 | XAT 2022 | XAT 2021 | XAT 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Duration of the XAT Exam | 180 minutes | 210 minutes 2 PM to 5:30 PM | 210 minutes 2 PM to 5:30 PM | 190 minutes 9:30 AM to 12:40 PM | 180 minutes 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM | 180 minutes 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM |
Number of XAT Sections | 4 (Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Mock Keyboard Testing | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Total Number of XAT Questions | 95 | 102 | 102 | 101 | 100 | 99 |
Type of XAT Questions | 75 MCQs, 20 GK | 76 MCQs, 25 GK, and 1 Essay Writing | 76 MCQs, 25 GK, and 1 Essay Writing | 75 MCQs, 25 GK, and 1 Essay Writing | 75 MCQs and 25 GK | 75 MCQs and 25 GK |
Number of Subjective-Type XAT Questions | No | 1 (Essay Writing Test) | 1 (Essay Writing Test) | 1 (Essay Writing Test) | No | No |
Maximum marks in the XAT Exam | 95 | 101 | 101 | 100 | 100 | 99 |
Marking Scheme |
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Apart from the basic structure and other aspects of the XAT exam pattern, aspirants must also be aware of further essential details about the exam that are often overlooked. Understanding the XAT exam pattern thoroughly is crucial for an excellent performance. That being said, take a look at some of the most important points to remember about the XAT exam pattern mentioned below:
XAT and CAT are two of the most well-known MBA entrance exams in India. Although which exam is more difficult between XAT and CAT exam is debatable, it is widely accepted that both these exams are the most difficult MBA entrance exams in India, especially compared to other entrance exams like MAT, CMAT, SNAP, etc. The exam pattern for both XAT and CAT is mentioned below:
Particulars | XAT Exam Pattern 2026 | CAT Exam Pattern 2025 |
|---|---|---|
Total Number of Questions | 95 | 66 |
Type of Questions | MCQs | MCQs and Non-MCQs |
Exam Duration | 3 hours or 180 Minutes | 2 hours or 120 Minutes |
Marking Scheme |
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Number of Sections | 5 Divided into 3 Parts
| 3 Sections:
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Exam Difficulty Level | Moderate to Difficult (Expected) | Difficult |
Individual Sectional Time Limit |
| 40 minutes for Each Section |
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