XAT 2026: Important Dates, Eligibility, Registration Process, and Exam Pattern | Mock Test Series for XAT - CAT PDF Download

What is XAT Exam?

• The Xavier Aptitude Test is an all-India test conducted by the Xavier Association of Management Institutes (XAMI) as an entrance exam for admission to the post-graduate management programs of several management institutes all over India.
• It is the Admission Test for admission to MBA/PGDM programs in XLRI and other top MBA colleges like SPJIMR Mumbai, IMT Ghaziabad, XIMB Bhubaneswar, TAPMI Manipal, and 160 other top MBA colleges in India. XLRI will offer admission based on the XAT 2026 exam score only and will not accept any other test score. There are more than 70 cities and more than 100 venues where XAT 2026 exam will be conducted in India.

XAT Exam 2026 Highlights

XAT 2026 Important Dates

XAT 2026 Application Form

• Mode of Application: Online 
• Mode of Payment: Net Banking, Credit Card, and Debit Card 

The XAT 2026 registration window will tentatively open in Second Week of July 2025 in online mode. XAT exam 2026 registration process will be closed in December 2025. Candidates applying for XAT 2026 will have to pay the XAT registration fee of Rs 2000 which is the XAT exam fee for all categories (General, SC, ST, PWD, OBC, etc.). Those interested in XLRI programs have to pay an additional fee of Rs. 300/- each.

Steps for XAT Registration 2026

Candidates can check the XAT 2026 registration process in the steps given below: 

• Step-1: Register on the official XAT website, xatonline.in to get XAT 2026 ID and password 
• Step-2: Fill in Complete Personal Details in XAT 2026 Registration and Application Form
• Step-3: Fill in Academics from classes 10 & 12 on the next page of XAT form 
• Step-4: Fill in Details of Other Qualification, Graduation & Work Experience 
• Step-5: Fill in your choice of XLRI Programmes and choice of XAT Test City 
• Step-6: Upload Documents in an essential format and size. 
• Step-7: Complete a XAT Declaration form 
• Step-8: Make a payment online for XAT 2026 Application Form Fees and XLRI Programme Application Fee

Documents to upload with the XAT exam form

• Passport size photograph (size – 20 KB to 50 KB) in jpeg/jpg format 
• Signature (size – 10 KB to 20 KB) in jpeg/jpg format

Correction in XAT 2026 application

• To change the test city preference, candidates could write to admis@xlri.ac.in mentioning their XAT exam ID, Father's Name, Date of Birth, chosen exam city, and updated city latest by the date specified by XLRI. 
• This XAT exam form correction facility was allowed only once. 
• The change of test city option is provisional and XLRI will take the final decision on it.

Eligibility Criteria

Before filling out the application form of the Xavier Aptitude Test, candidates are advised to go through the XAT 2026 eligibility criteria. Details pertaining to the educational qualification, required marks, age limit, and related criteria are mentioned under the XAT eligibility criteria.
XLRI Jamshedpur predefined the eligibility criteria of XAT which are given below:

• The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree of minimum three years duration or equivalent in any discipline from a recognized university. 
• Students in final year of their Bachelor's degree or awaiting their results are also eligible to apply. 
• There is no specific CGPA or percentage mentioned that has to be obtained in the graduation. No age limit has been specified to appear for XAT 2026. 
• One of the key points prescribed by XLRI  in XAT eligibility criteria is that the candidates must declare and maintain a valid and unique email account and a phone number throughout the selection process. 

Note: It must be noted that mere fulfillment of minimum XAT eligibility criteria will not ensure consideration for shortlisting by XLRI, SPJIMR, XIMB, IMT, TAPMI or other B-schools in which the applicant applies for admission.

XAT 2026 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme

XAT 2026 Exam Syllabus

XAT syllabus is similar to other MBA entrance exams. The only unique section that XAT has is Decision Making. This section of XAT exam contains situations on business decisions and ethical dilemmas. Candidates have to answer questions based on their own understanding of the situation. Apart from Decision Making, XAT has Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation, Verbal & Logical Ability and General Knowledge as main subjects.
Given below are some of the main topics of XAT:

Section 1: Verbal and Logical Ability 

• Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Analogy, Para Jumble, Grammar, Critical Reasoning, Fill in the Blanks 

Section 2: Decision Making 

• Seating Arrangement, Logical Sequencing, Assumptions, Premises, Conclusions, etc. 

Section 3: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation 

• Tables and Caselets, Percentage, Surds and Indices, Algebra, Mensuration, Bar Diagrams, Pie Charts, etc. 

Section 4: General Knowledge 

• Science, Economy, Business, Politics, Static GK, Sports, Prize and Award, World, Government, Constitution of India, etc.

XAT Exam Admit Card 2026

The XAT admit card is a mandatory document to be carried to the exam centre. Along with the admit card, the candidates need to carry a photo ID. The XAT 2026 admit card will be released online at the XAT website. Candidates will be able to download their XAT admit card/hall ticket from the official XAT website using their User ID and password. 

Steps to download the admit card of XAT 2026

• Step 1: Visit the official website of XAT 2026: xatonline.in
• Step 2: Click on 'admit card' tab
• Step 3: Enter XAT User ID and date of birth, and click on login
• Step 4: Next, click on the admit card tab
• Step 5: The Option to download the XAT admit card will appear
• Step 6: Click on download and save as PDF

XAT Exam Result 2026

XAT result 2026 will be declared a week after the release of the XAT answer key (tentatively in the second week of January 2026). The XAT 2026 result cum scorecard will be available for download from the official website.
To check XAT 2026 result, candidates need to follow the steps below: 

• Visit the official website of XAT 2026
• Click on 'Login' 
• Enter XAT ID and password 
• Enter the security text 
• Click on the candidate scorecard and download it

How to check the result of XAT 2026?

The detailed step-by-step process to check the result is given below,

• Go to the XAT official website - xatonline.in
• Click on the login tab on the page.
• Type the registered email and Password.
• Click on the "Scorecard" button.
• The result will appear on the screen
• Download and take two or three printouts of the same.

XAT Answer Key 2026

After the XAT result announcement, XLRI will begin admission process for PGDM Business Management and PGDM Human Resource Management batch 2026-2028.
The XLRI admission process includes three stages: 

• Stage 1: Shortlisting of candidates basis XAT score 
• Stage 2: Conduct of Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) 
• Stage 3: Final selection of candidates and release of merit list

For the admission process, the institute takes into consideration certain criteria. Given below are the main selection criteria taken into account for admission.

XAT Exam Cutoff 2026

• XAT 2026 cutoff will be released by XLRI Jamshedpur for each program tentatively on January 31, 2026. Candidates who meet the cut-off prescribed by the institute will have to appear for the further round of selection procedures, which include group discussion and personal interview rounds. Last year, the overall XAT cut-off percentile for male candidates for the  Business Management (BM) programme was 94, while for female candidates, the cut-off was 92. 
• The cutoff of the XAT exam is the minimum marks to be scored by a candidate in order to qualify for the admission process. The cutoff is determined by some important factors, which include the difficulty level of the exam, the number of candidates appearing, the availability of seats, and previous year's cut-off trends. If a candidate meets the XAT cutoff 2026 criterion, she/he will be shortlisted for the selection rounds Group Discussion and Personal Interview. 
• The XAT cutoff is usually different at each institute. Meeting the XAT cutoff criterion is the first stage of the admission process. If the test taker qualifies, s/he attends GD, WAT, and PI. The overall performance in each round, along with the candidates' academic scores, will be considered before the final selection.

XAT Exam Counselling 2026

• Candidates who will qualify the XAT cutoff will have to take part in XAT 2026 counselling. 
• In order to participate in XAT counselling, they will have to first register for the counselling process by entering the login credentials on the official website, after which they are required to pay the respective counselling fee. 
• More than 160 institutes will participate in the XAT 2026 counselling process. 

Check the XAT counselling process and the steps for registration for the same:

• Step 1: Visit the official website of XAT
• Step 2: Enter the credentials and log in
• Step 3: Make the necessary fee payment
• Step 4: After the registration is done, the candidates have to choose and lock their preferred programme in the institute
• Step 5: The final allotment of seats will be done based on the candidates’ choice filling and locking.

XAT Selection Procedure 2026

The selection procedure of XAT usually starts in the month of February 2026 after the announcement of the result. The selection process includes GD, Essay Writing, and a Personal Interview. First, XLRI, its 11-member institutes and other XAT participating institutes shortlist the test takers based on the cutoff.  The shortlisted candidates then attend the selection rounds. Many institutes do not conduct all three rounds. Past academic scores, work experience (if any), profile, and XAT score will be considered along with the performance in XAT selection rounds for the final admission.
XAT 2026 selection process includes the following steps:

• Appear for XAT exam 2026
• Candidate's shortlisting based on the cut-off of participating institutes. 
• Selection rounds - Group Discussion / Essay Writing & Personal Interview 
• Final selection will be made based on the candidate's performance in the selection rounds.

Frequently Asked Questions related to XAT

Question 1: What is the XAT 2026 exam date?

The XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) exam for the year 2026 is scheduled to take place on January 5, 2026. Generally, the exam is conducted on the first Sunday of January each year, thus the exam will be conducted on January 5. The exam timing will be from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM.

Question 2: When will the registration process for XAT 2026 begin and end?"

The tentative date for the opening of the XAT 2026 registration window is the first week of August, and the process will be conducted entirely online. The registration process will remain open until December 2026. 

Question 3: Is XAT tougher than CAT?

Both XAT and CAT are exams of high difficulty level. There is one extra section that students have to attempt in XAT and that is – GK. Apart from that, XAT has a section called Decision Making which is a unique section and requires special attention.

Question 4: How many times can one attempt the XAT exam?

XAT is conducted annually, so the opportunity to appear for it in a particular academic year is only once. However, one can attempt XAT exam any number of times, year on year. There is no restriction on number of attempts.

Question 5: How many candidates appear for XAT on average?

About 95,000 candidates appear for XAT every year. Students from diverse fields and academic backgrounds appear for XAT to pursue MBA course at top B-Schools in India.

Question 6: Do XAT cut-offs differ for different courses of XLRI?

Yes, admission cut offs for various PGDM courses of XLRI are different. Check previous year’s course wise XAT cut offs here.

Question 7: In how many months can I prepare for XAT 2026?

Ideal preparation time for XAT exam is six to nine months. However, candidates must make their own exam preparation strategy according to their strengths and weaknesses.

Question 8: For how long is the XAT score valid for MBA admission?

XAT exam score is valid for admission to MBA courses for one academic year only. For example, XAT 2026 score is valid for 2026 academic year and XAT 2027 score will be valid for 2027 academic year.