XAT Exam 2026: Eligibility, Dates, Syllabus, Pattern & More

Aiming for a top regular MBA college, and the goal is to crack the XAT entrance exam, then the blog is for you. Last year, almost 1 lakh candidates appeared for the XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test). It is a computer-based test that can only be attempted in the assigned exam centres. You'll have to be physically available on the examination day. The exam is conducted in over 100 cities. Candidates will only get 3 hours to complete the test, and it only happens once a year.

What is XAT?

XAT stands for Xavier Aptitude Test, which is a national-level management entrance test usually conducted for postgraduate degrees like MBA or PGDM. The entrance exam is administered by the XLRI, Jamshedpur. XAT is one of the popular exams among candidates aiming for a top MBA university in India. The entrance exam determines the candidate's logical reasoning, verbal ability, and mathematical ability, as pursuing a higher degree requires having this basic knowledge in order to pursue the program smoothly.

The aim of the examination is to select candidates who are actually serious about getting admission in top B-Schools. Also, the examination evaluates the ability of making decisions of an individual as well as the types of thinking for modern business environments. And if you're thinking of the difficulty level of the XAT examination, then it is considered more difficult than the CAT (Common Admission Test). Qualifying for the XAT entrance exam will give you an opportunity to get accepted into more than 250 reputed B-schools, such as XLRI, XIM, MICA, IMI, and many others.

Registration for the XAT 2026 Exam

The registration for XAT 2026 will start from 26 July 2026 to 25 December 2026, and one can directly fill out the form from the official website of XAT online.

Here are the steps that you need to follow while registering for the XAT entrance exam:

• Step 1: Visit the official website of xatonline.in
• Step 2: Find the option for 'New Registration' and fill in the required details.
• Step 3: You'll receive a unique XAT ID and registration link in your registered email. You need to click on the link in order to verify your XAT registration.
• Step 4: Visit the XAT 2026 official website and log in with your email ID and password.
• Step 5: Fill out the mandatory fields and check your information thoroughly, and click on 'submit'
• Step 6: At last, pay 2,200 Rs. as the application fee for the XAT examination. You can use any online payment mode, such as credit/debit card, UPI, or net banking.

Syllabus and Structure of XAT 2026 Exam

Before understanding the syllabus of the XAT exam, let's understand the structure first. The XAT exam includes 4 sections:

• Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
• Verbal Ability and Logical/Analytical Reasoning
• Decision Making
• General Knowledge

Candidates have only 180 minutes to complete these sections. While the mode of examination has been computer-based since 2018, candidates should ensure that they manage all four sections on time. There are 95 multiple-choice questions. Usually, the question paper is divided into 2 parts, where 1st consists of mathematics, english, and decision making, whereas, 2nd part includes the General knowledge section only. The duration of the exam has now decreased by 10 minutes, which means you now have to complete the exam in 170 minutes only. Sections are now officially divided into two parts, where part 1 has a negative marking of 0.25 and a penalty of 0.10 after every 8 unattempted questions. There is no mark deduction for the GK section.

Here is the table for you to understand the syllabus easily:

Syllabus	Topics to be Covered
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation	arithmetic, algebra, geometry, modern maths, interpretation, summarization, and insightful analysis of the data.
Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning	critical & analytical reasoning, reading comprehension (including poems & passages), vocabulary, English grammar, and other related exercises such as para jumbles, cloze tests, etc.
Decision Making	critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and prioritization to make informed decisions.
General Knowledge	static GK and current affairs

Note: The Pie chart shows difficulty levels with clear color distinctions.

Eligibility for XAT 2026 Exam

Let's check if you can appear for the examination or not! XAT usually requires a bachelor's degree of three years in any discipline from a recognized university. 

• A working professional, such as a CA and CS, can also prepare and give the XAT examination. There is no age limit.
• If you're a last-year student or waiting for last year's result, you're eligible for the XAT entrance exam. Remember, if you somehow fail your last year's examination, your registration will be cancelled automatically. 
• Passing marks are enough to be eligible for the examination.
• Foreign nationals and NRIs can apply through GMAT or GRE scores. 

Exam Dates and Schedule

If you’re preparing for the XAT entrance exam and still don’t know about the dates and schedule, then the table might help you. Registration will start on July 25, 2026, so there is plenty of time for you to register and to prepare. However, the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll prepare for the examination, which will enhance your chances of passing the examination. 

Important Events	Important Dates
Registration Date	25 July 2026 - 25 December 2026
Admit Card Download Starts From	25 December 2026
XAT Exam Date	04 January 2026
Result Declaration	Third week of January (tentative)
Scorecard Download	Between January 31 and March 31, 2026 (tentative)
XLRI Personal Interviews	March-April 2026 (tentative)

Universities/Institutes Accepting XAT Scores

In India, about 700 colleges accept XAT scores to admit students into their management colleges and programs. While there may be many other options of good enough colleges you could choose to get your MBA, going to a higher-ranked B-school may greatly increase your chances of developing a successful, rewarding career. While the schools may vary in how well they would train a future business leader, going to a higher-ranked Institute would be beneficial because you will likely have access to business leaders, alumni, and exposure to other opportunities associated with attending a school that is respected.

XAMI Member Institutes
Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur (XLRI)	Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship, Bangalore/ Chennai	Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai
Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi	Xavier Institute Of Management & Research, Mumbai

Other Management Institutes that accept XAT include TAPMI (T.A. Pai Management Institute) and Great Lakes Institute of Management, etc. Most Management Institutes offer quality programs that have recognition by the industry, which will build your career in Management.

Other Management Institutes that accept XAT
Goa Institute of Management	SP Jain, Mumbai
Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad/Nagpur/Hyderabad	Great Lakes Institutes of Management, Chennai
MICA, Ahmedabad	TAPMI, Manipal
Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal	KJ Somaiya, Mumbai

Admission Process

• Selection rounds in most of the B-schools begin in February.
• In April, the final admission lists are normally identified.
• Every institute that takes the XAT releases its own cut-off after the exam.
• Once the cut-off is reached, shortlisting of candidates is done.
• The shortlisting is often done has GD (Group Discussion), WAT (Written Ability Test), and PI (Personal Interview).
• In some institutes, they do GE ( Group Exercise ) instead of GD.
• AEW (Analytical Essay Writing) will get included in the D/PI stages as opposed to the primary exam in the XAT 2026.
• Both overall and sectional scores might be used as cut-off criteria.
• The shortlisting criteria differ among different B-schools.
• The various institutes differentiate the marks in the XAT score, academics, and interview performance accordingly.
• Other considerations, such as work experience, extracurriculars, and diversity, are also possible.
• Not all B-schools require work experience.
• The MBA program can be with a 1-2 years work experience requirement.
• A combination of all of these factors goes to make final admission decisions.
• B-schools are trying to get balanced personalities with good potential.

ROI of MBA Programs Offered by XLRI

India has many brilliant individuals willing to pursue an MBA in the finest business schools of the country. Such best schools offer high prices with good value for the money you pay- that is, when you complete your MBA, you have a high possibility of being employed in a high-paying job.

So, as long as you excel in the XAT exam, you might just get into one of these good schools that, in most cases, will eventually get you a good job with one of the big Indian and other companies in foreign countries. As an illustration, XLRI is ranked among the best schools teaching MBA, and it also provides its graduates with very high salaries. A student will at times be employed to earn up to 50 to 60 lakh rupees per annum!

These are some of the cool stats about placements of 2023 in XLRI:

• The maximum salary that was available was above 60 lakh rupees a year, mostly in the banking and finance industry.
• The salaries were around 30.73 lakh rupees annually, and the median salary was approximately 29 lakhs per annum.
• Almost 40 percent of the students received job offers before the very start of the final placements!
• The 2022-24 cohort received 437 job offers from 99 employers. Most jobs were occupied in banking, consulting, and sales & marketing.
• The highest number of them was provided by large corporations such as Bain & Co., BCG, Accenture, Amazon, ITC, PayTM, and Microsoft.
• The XLRI students have been experiencing an increase in the average salary over the last several years.

Preparation Tips

1. The XAT exam needs time, hard work, and an intelligent strategy. Planners advise a minimum of 6 to 8 months to prepare adequately, so do not get tempted to start at the last minute.
2. First, start by getting to know what the exam is all about, what it deals with, and how it is organized.
3. Next, divide your studies into steps: first that you could go over the fundamentals; then could practice each topic separately; and then complete mock tests.
4. Read, read, read, not only at school, but in newspapers, magazines, and articles on the Internet. This improves your vocabulary and develops a clearer knowledge of tricky questions.
5. During mathematics classes, note down formulas and little secrets. Following a revision of one of the subjects, you can test yourself using practice tests. Once you improve, practice each section for a time. As in a real exam, solve old XAT papers also.
6. At the end of every test, you should verify your answers and learn from the mistakes you made in order to do better next time.
7. Use the cunning tricks, such as shortcuts and elimination, to facilitate the process and save some time on the exam, but do it only after you learn it well. Xat also doesn’t allocate time on each section, hence you will be required to make decisions on the amount of time to spend on each section.
8. And lastly, it is not essential only to practice what you like; therefore, practice it all, as it is really surprising what the exam may have up its sleeve!

Note: Dot or Bubble Chart

Resources for XAT 2026 

Let’s introduce you to the best available resources that you can consider while preparing for the entrance exam. One should always look for study materials that give you actual results and can help you gain more insights into the examination. The given authors and books in the table are great in order to sincerely prepare for teh examination. 

The books in the table are only for the topics Quantitative ability and DI, Verbal ability and logical reasoning, and decision making.

Take a look at the table for a better understanding:

Book Title	Author
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations	RS Aggarwal
How to prepare for Data Interpretation	Arun Sharma
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations	Abhijit Guha
Data Interpretation for the CAT	Nishit K Sinha
Jobbing the XAT (With Solved papers)	RK Jha
Analytical and Logical Reasoning	Arihant Publications
Target XAT (Past Papers and Mock Test)	Disha Publication
Word Power Made Easy	Norman Lewis
Analytical Reasoning	MK Pandey
A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning	RS Aggarwal
High School English Grammar and Composition	Wren & Martin
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension	Ajay Singh

Here is the list of books for General Knowledge (GK), these are the list of newspapers, as it is also believed that you will only get the good general knowledge through newspapers, and educational magazines. Here are some of the best ones for you. 

For General Knowledge
The Economic Times	Financial Express
Business Today	Wall Street Journal

XAT 2026 Exam Result

Once you take the XAT exam, you will be anxiously waiting to know your performance! The XAT 2026 result will be declared during the third week of January 2026. After the results have been published, you will be able to print/download your score card, where your exam particulars, such as your section scores, total percentile, are mentioned. There is no need to worry about missing your scorecard as you will be able to view it any time between January 3rd and March 3rd week 2026.

When you buy your scorecard, it will contain useful information such as your name, address, photograph, date of birth, email ID, registration number, category, gender, and the date of the exam and time. It is a part of your official conduct of the exam, so always keep it safe.

In case you do well and make the shortlist, you shall be called again to the next level of the selection process that involves Group Discussions (GD), Personal Interviews (PI), and Written Aptitude Tests (WAT). This is the last step to the entry into your dream B-school!

XAT 2026 Contact Information

• Address: XLRI Xavier School of Management, C. H. Area (East), Jamshedpur - 831001, Jharkhand, India
• Contact No: +91-6576653203 / 3204 / 3205
• E-mail: admis@xlri.ac.in

Alternative Options

College life may be slightly intimidating, since you have to put in some effort, and at the same time, you would like to embrace your personal life. But there is good news, you need not put everything at bay in just to acquire a higher degree. Online or distance learning allows one to study at a time and place of one's choice and in the comfort of his or her home. You can take courses at your own pace as per your convenience, whether you need an MBA or even a PHD, and need not go to a physical school.

The best thing? Online degrees are no less useful than the usual ones. You take the same courses, you obtain the same qualifications, and you acquire the same skills, which you can apply in real life. And, you also do not even need to wear formal clothes and sit in the classroom! You are able to study even in pajamas or even during travel. Thus, in case you are not ready to get an examination such as IBSAT or you do not want to have presential classes, an MBA/PhD online program is extremely suited to you. It is clear and easy to learn, and you can do it even at your convenience without having to fear that you have lost the opportunity to live your personal life or any other obligation.

Online MBA

Here is the list of top online universities offering an MBA in an online mode with varied specializations. Universities like LPU online, MAHE Manipal online, SRM online, Parul online, and many others offer a good and reputed online MBA with an easy-to-use LMS and instant support to the students. Also, students get placement opportunities. Take a look here at the list of top online MBA universities with their specializations. 

Top Online MBA Universities	Online MBA (Specialisation)
LPU Online MBA	Finance Management Human Resource Management Marketing Management Data Science Operations Management International Business Management Information Technology Digital Marketing Business Analytics Data Science and Analytics Banking & Financial Services Supply Chain Management Healthcare Management
Jain University Online MBA	HR Management Finance Management Marketing Management General Management System and Operations Management Marketing and Finance Management Marketing and HR Management Information Logistics and Supply Chain Management International Finance Management
SRM University Online MBA	HR Management Marketing Management Finance Management
MAHE Manipal Online MBA	Finance Management Marketing Management HR Management Business Analytics Data Science Operations Management Healthcare Management Pharmaceutical Management Information Systems Fashion Management
UPES Online MBA	HR Management Finance Management Marketing Management Operations Management Oil & Gas Management International Business Power Management Business Analytics  Logistic & Supply Chain Management Infrastructure Management Digital Business Supply Chain Management
Parul University Online MBA	Marketing Management Finance Management HR Management IT Management Business Analytics Operation Management Retail Management Project Management Banking and Financial Services Healthcare Management & Supply Chain Management Agricultural Management Digital Marketing & Sales Management Digital Marketing

PGDM Online 

An Online Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) is an educational program created for busy professionals who want to develop management skills while continuing to work. An online format provides flexibility to the student so that they can learn at their own pace, from wherever. Online PGDM programs focus on addressing the practical, real-world knowledge that is required in the modern business world, allowing for both professional development and at the same time being able to manage your current workplace and life commitments. Here are the top colleges offering online PGDM with their accreditations. 

Top Online PGDM Universities	Accreditations
BIMTECH Online	NIRF, NAAC A+, AACSB, NBA
S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research	AICTE, AACSB, AMBA
GIM (Goa Institute of Management)	AICTE, AIU, NIRF, AACSB, SAQS, AMBA, NBA
IMI Kolkata	AICTE, AIU, NIRF, AACSB, NAAC, AMBA, NBA