XAT Score vs Percentile: Meaning, Difference & Importance Explained

Every year, after attempting the XAT exam and you may walk out of the hall with a feeling that you did fairly well, but what does this score translate to? As a student, you generally get perplexed with the terms associated with all these top entrance exams for MBA. Well, you are not the only one who is facing the same situation. Thousands of test-takers complete the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) each year, not knowing how their turn will be scored. That is where the real mystery comes in: How does one score get converted to a percentile? And what is it so much about?

Certainly, as the time of the XAT Exam 2026 is coming, this misunderstanding has even more to do with it. It is distinctive by its unpredictability, with difficult decision-making tasks, a special marking scheme (there are negative marks applied to missing more questions), and percentiles, which puts it out of a statistics textbook. However, there is nothing to be alarmed about: we are here to sort it all out.

This blog will tell you the conversion of raw score to percentile, how normalization comes into play, and why learning this process can help provide an advantage beyond just sharing results, but in constructing a B-School strategy. Whether you are set on XLRI or are planning to apply to other top-notch institutes, having the scope of the score and percentile relationship is the first and foremost thing in terms of making smarter moves.

What is an XAT Exam?

XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) is a common national-level entrance test in India to take admissions in management and other business-related courses. It is carried on an annual basis by XLRI (Xavier School of Management), which is one of the leading Business schools in India. Various other prominent B-schools in India use the XAT score as their admission criteria.

The exam is normally administered during January, and it is computer-based. It examines applicants in a number of areas, including knowledge of the English language, logical thinking, decision making, mathematics, and general information. The last, but not the least, qualification of XAT is its peculiar section of decision making, which is not present in other MBA entrance examinations. The current section provides real-life business scenarios, and the candidate must select the most appropriate solution.

It might sound exaggerated, but XAT is rated as more difficult, as compared to some of the other MBA entrance exams, such as MAT or CMAT, due to its difficult questions and time management skills for sure. It is sometimes not a matter of how much you know but how you think and make decisions under pressure as well.

Candidates should register online with a fee in order to appear in XAT. The XAT 2026 registration has already started in July 2025 and will be closed in the last week of December  2025. Students who pass the test are shortlisted for other stages of selection at various colleges, which include group discussion, writing tests, and personal interviews.

How to Calculate XAT Score?

The score of the XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) is determined as the number of correct or incorrect answers given by a candidate. In the main sections, which are Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, each question is 1 mark. There is 1 mark allotted to each of the correct answers, and 0.25 mark is deducted for each wrong answer. There are conditions: If a candidate assessed the incorrectness of more than 8 questions, then with each additional question not marked, 0.10 points are also taken away. The General Knowledge portion will not count in the overall percentile, but will be shared with the institutes in the final selection.

To obtain the XAT score, the number of correct and the number of incorrect answers in each section (the exclusion of General Knowledge) must be counted. 

For example, if you have 45 correct responses and 15 wrong ones out of the 60 that you have answered, you are going to obtain 45 marks out of 60 and lose 3.75 (15 x 0.25). And, say you skipped out on 12 questions, the skipped marks would be deducted by an amount of 0.4 (12 x 0.10). Your XAT score would therefore be 45 - 3.75 - 0.4 = 40.85.

XAT Score = (No. of Correct Answers x 1) - (No. of Incorrect Answers x 0.25) - (No. of Unattempted Questions Beyond 8 x 0.10)

• Total Questions = 60 
• No. of Correct Answers = (45 x 1) = 45
• No. of Incorrect Answers = (15 x 0.25) = 3.75
• No of Unattempted Questions = (12 - 8) x 0.10 = 0.4 
• XAT Score= 45 - 3.75 - 0.4 = 40.85 

This is the final XAT score, which is then used to calculate your percentile, i.e., the position of your performance compared to other candidates. The percentile does not only depend on your raw marks, but it also depends on the difficulty of the test and the performance of other examinees. LRI and other B- B-schools check this percentile in order to shortlist those students to further rounds. Knowledge of how the XAT score is calculated can guide you in your attempts and help you understand when to choose wrong answers and how to skip questions properly to end up with the best score.

What is XAT Percentile?

XAT percentile is a grading system through which one candidate is ranked on the basis of his/her performance relative to another candidate taking the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT). It is not identical to the raw score (the marks that you obtain due to the right/wrong answers). Rather, the percentile indicates the proportion of candidates who scored lower than you did in the tests. Take an example where you are in the 90th percentile, meaning that you scored higher than 90 percent of those who took the test.

Your Scores in three main areas: Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation are used to determine your percentile. The percentile is calculated with General Knowledge (GK) omitted. Exam authorities employ a formula that takes into account the level of difficulty of the paper, the number of test takers, as well as how other people performed. This renders the percentile as a reasonable means to rank applicants, regardless of whether the paper had been rigorous or easy in any one year.

Most B-schools, such as XLRI, SPJIMR, IMT, etc., use the XAT percentile as a part of screening candidates to proceed with admission processes that use the group discussion, written ability test (WAT), and personal interview. A higher percentage (usually above 90) is required in order to receive a call in the best institutes. This means that two candidates may get similar raw scores but have different percentile positions because other candidates performed differently. This is the reason why it is good to pursue both accuracy and intelligent efforts when taking the test. Knowing how the percentile in the XAT exam works, students are in a better position to set goals that are not unrealistic and adequately prepare for the contest.

What is an XAT Scaled Score?

XAT scaled score is the score of your corrected score on the XAT exam based on difficulty levels in the various versions of the exam. Because XAT is a national exam with thousands of takers one year to another, the questions may seem a bit easier or harder, respectively. XLRI makes use of a statistical process of transforming the raw scores (also known as arithmetical scores) into scaled scores so as to make the scores comparable across all people. This will not give anyone an injustice or unfair advantage over another person because of the paper being hard or easy.

Raw score is nothing but the sum of the correct plus incorrect, and unattempted questions. That is based on the normal XAT grading technique: +1 to each correct answer, -0.25 to each incorrect answer -0.10 to skip above 8 questions. After this raw score is obtained, it is scaled to a scaled score by the exam authority. The details of how it scales remain undisclosed at this time, but one thing is certain: this method is reliable and equal in caliber to all candidates.

The scaled score that is used to calculate your percentile is what is used. This implies that you cannot have a raw score of 120, which could just make you through your top b-schools like XLRI, IMT, or TAPMI, but the scaled score would have to be a lot higher, and in our case would be 190. The same holds water in the case of other B-schools as well. In the case where two candidates obtain the same raw mark, there is a possibility that they will have a small difference in their scaled scores, as the difference is statistically adjusted. With the knowledge about the scaled score, you will feel confident that you are being tested in fair terms, and it will also make sense to you why your final scorecard may not match your actual raw marks so closely.

Stages of Conversion from XAT Score to Percentile

The Stages of Change of your XAT Score to Percentile: 

The conversion of the XAT score into a percentile contains many steps. Candidates give the exam, and their raw mark is estimated with the use of an official marking scheme.

The formulae are:

Raw Score = (Number of Correct Answers * 1) - (Number of Incorrect Answers * 0.25) - (Number of unattempted questions after 8 * 0.10). 

This raw score is given in the three sections, i.e., Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability, and Data Interpretation. The General Knowledge (GK) is not considered in percentile calculations.

The second phase is scaling the difficulty of XAT can sometimes change slightly between years, and as a result, XLRI uses normalization to convert raw results into scaled results. Even though XLRI does not explicitly disclose a formula, it makes use of statistical methods (such as normalization and z-scores) that make the process of a fair assessment for every candidate. This will make sure that those who wrote a relatively more difficult paper are not put at a disadvantage.

The last stage is the determination of the percentile, which indicates the ranking of the individual candidate among other candidates. The essence of the argument is the following:

• Percentile Rank = (Total Candidates-Your Rank)/totalCandidates x 100
• For example, 100,000 students have appeared in XAT, and you are in 5,000:
• The Percentile = [ 100,000 000 5,000 ] 100,000 000 ] = 95 %

The percentile is indicated section-wise and overall in the final results. Such percentiles are used by top B-schools in eliminating candidates. Knowing these stages assists you in being accurate and strategic in your attempts in the exam in order to enhance your rank and overall percentile.

How is the XAT Percentile Calculated? 

The XAT percentile tells you the level at which you have scored in comparison with the other candidates. It is not a score that will bring you information, but a ranking system that will tell you what percentage of the people scored less than you. As an example, a 95th percentile would imply that you performed better than 95 percent of all those who participated in the test. The performance in the test is calculated as percentile rankings based on the performance you received in three areas, namely Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, and Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation. There is no percentage calculation in this section of General Knowledge.

In a simple step-by-step process, the XAT percentile can be calculated by using the formula:

Formula: Percentile = (N r)/N100

Where:

N = Total number of candidates who appeared in the exam

r = Your rank score based on scale score

N-r = The number of those candidates who scored lower than you

How to Calculate XAT Percentile:

• Step 1: Register with XAT: You appear in the XAT exam, and your raw scores are tallied depending on the number you get wrong and on the number of correct answers.
• Step 2: Scores are Scaled: XLRI uses the scaled scores to attain fairness amongst the various difficulty levels.
• Step 3: Rank is assigned: Using scaled scores, a rank is assigned to every candidate.
• Step 4: Calculate using the Formula
• For example: 1,00,000 people took a test, and your rank was 5,000:95%= (100000 5000)/100000 = 100 thus 95%

This implies that you have done well above 95 percent of the rest of the population. B-schools make use of this percentile to shortlist candidates to move to the next rounds during the admission process, such as interviews and group discussions.

Section-wise Estimation of XAT Score & Percentile

The XAT exam comprises a number of sections, in which each section will contribute to the overall score and percentile. The sections are usually (in order) Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, and Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation. An approximate score of 35-40 is considered a good mark, and the marks are then converted to percentiles.

The section-wise division helps the candidates in targeting their preparation in various areas where they can do best to achieve the highest results. The challenges of each section may differ, which will also affect the general scoring patterns, and it is only possible to work effectively on them in case the previous papers and trends are studied. 

The XAT exam scoring pattern is structured in a way that complements the performance of the candidates in different parts and affects the overall percentile score. 

Here is the section-wise estimation of the XAT score and percentile:

XAT Score	Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning (VALR)	Decision Making (DM)	Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation (QADI)	XAT Percentile
36.25	14.75	12.5	17	99
32.75	13.25	11.5	14.25	97
30.25	12	10.5	12.75	95
27	10.5	9.5	10.5	90
24	9.5	8.75	9	85
22.25	8.5	8.25	7.75	80
19.75	7.25	7.5	6	70

XAT Cutoff Percentiles for XLRI Admission

Here is the list of cutoff percentiles for the last few years, which can be used for admission to Xavier’s School of Management, formerly known as Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), across India.

XAT 2025 Cut Offs for XLRI MBA for BM Admission:

Category	QA	VALR	DM	Overall
Engineer/Tech Male	88	84	84	96
Engineer/Tech Female	82	80	80	91
Non-Engineer/Tech Male	88	84	84	96
Non-Engineer/Tech Female	82	80	80	91

XAT 2025 Cut Offs for XLRI MBA for HRM Admission

Category	QA	VALR	DM	Overall
Engineer/Tech Male	83	90	87	95
Engineer/Tech Female	73	85	80	90
Non-Engineer/Tech Male	76	90	87	93
Non-Engineer/Tech Female	78	85	80	87

XAT 2024 Cut Offs for XLRI MBA for BM Admission

Category	QA	VALR	DM	Overall
Engineer/Tech Male	86	83	85	96
Engineer/Tech Female	81	80	80	91
Non-Engineer/Tech Male	85	83	86	95
Non-Engineer/Tech Female	80	80	81	90

XAT 2024 Cut Offs for XLRI MBA for HRM Admission

Category	QA	VALR	DM	Overall
Engineer/Tech Male	80	90	85	95
Engineer/Tech Female	73	85	78	90
Non-Engineer/Tech Male	75	90	85	93
Non-Engineer/Tech Female	68	85	78	88

XAT 2023 Cut Offs for XLRI PGDM for BM Admission

Category	QA	VALR	DM	Overall
Engineer/Tech Male	85	75	75	95
Engineer/Tech Female	80	75	75	92
Non-Engineer/Tech Male	85	75	75	95
Non-Engineer/Tech Female	80	75	75	92

XAT 2023 Cut Offs for XLRI PGDM for HRM Admission

Category	QA	VALR	DM	Overall
Engineer/Tech Male	85	75	75	95
Engineer/Tech Female	80	75	75	92
Non-Engineer/Tech Male	85	75	75	95
Non-Engineer/Tech Female	80	75	75	92

XAT 2022 Cut Offs for XLRI PGDM for BM Admission

Category	QA	VALR	DM	Overall
Male	80	75	72	93
Female	75	72	72	90

XAT 2022 Cut Offs for XLRI PGDM for HRM Admission

Category	QA	VALR	DM	Overall
Engineer/Tech Male	75	80	70	92
Engineer/Tech Female	64	80	70	90
Non-Engineer/Tech Male	70	80	70	90
Non-Engineer/Tech Female	80	80	70	87

Top B-Schools Accepting XAT Percentile 99+  

Institute Name	Expected Cut Off (Percentile)	Program
XLRI Jamshedpur	95–96 (Male Engg.) & 92–94 (Female)	PGDM - Business Management
XLRI Jamshedpur	93–94 (Male) & 90+ (Female)	PGDM - Human Resource Management
SPJIMR Mumbai	98–99 (Profile-based)	PGDM
XIM Bhubaneshwar (XIMB)	90-93	MBA - Business Management
IMT Ghaziabad	90-92	PGDM
MICA Ghaziabad	80-85 + MICAT score	PGDM - Communication (via XAT +MICAT)
TAPMI Manipal	85-88	PGDM

Top Online MBA Colleges without XAT Exam? Yes! It's Possible!

There’s no doubt that your persistence, hardworking nature, and strategic study plan will definitely help you in cracking your XAT exam. However, by any chance, if you miss clearing it, then there is no need to be worried about it. Since online degrees, like an online MBA course, have your back. 

Yes, this degree not only saves your time but also gives you a great ROI of your months of studying and strategic planning for cracking your XAT entrance exam. The best part about the online MBA course is that you can easily pick any specialization in the MBA course of your preference, and that from a leading university with not-so-pricey fees. So, don’t let that fear of failure be the hurdle of your MBA journey, and study with your full heart to crack your XAT exam.

Conclusion  

Scoring a good score and a high percentile in your XAT Exam is a good thing. However, it is also important to understand why the difference between your XAT score and the percentile is significant to contend with the top B-Schools such as XLRI, SPJIMR, or IMT. Your raw score is the score that indicates the number of correct, incorrect, and skipped answers. Nevertheless, the percentile indicates your ranking against the rest of the population - it is all about competition. But don’t worry; you may still have a high percentile click despite having a modest raw score- if the paper was difficult or other students didn’t do so well.

That is not the end of the process. Raw score is adjusted to a more highly demanding level of the other exam forms. According to your scaled score, a percentile is obtained, and this is what most B-schools are interested in to shortlist candidates. This implies that strategy, intelligent skipping, and precision count as much as knowledge.

As the XAT 2026 exam draws closer, it is important to have clarity on how you will be assessed, and this helps in preparation to the extent that you will be able to better plan, lessen stress, and be able to focus your preparation efforts. Regardless of whether you are targeting XLRI or other schools, you need to acquire an idea of the score-percentile relationship to be better placed to take the exam and plan your admissions strategy. As in every XAT, the amount that you can attempt is not all that matters, but what matters is how you attempt it and in a wise manner.