Xavier Aptitude Test Exam

XAT is a national level entrance exam used for admission to XLRI and over 160 B-Schools across India, including other Xavier Associate Management Institutes (XAMI).

For over 72 years, XLRI has conducted the XAT exam on behalf of XAMI to identify highly capable candidates for management education. The XAT 2026 exam will be three-hour computer-based test designed to assess aptitude and decision-making skills.

More than 150 top management institutes in India accept XAT scores for their MBA and PGDM Programs. While registering for XAT 2026 is mandatory to apply to XLRI, candidates interested in XAT Associate Institutes must apply separately to each institution as per their individual application process.

XAT 2026 Registration Begins

XLRI Jamshedpur officially announced the XAT 2026 Exam Date on July 10, 2025. The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2026 will be held on Sunday, January 4, 2026, and registration has already begun on the official website - xatonline.in. Candidates aspiring to pursue MBA or PGDM must complete the online application process by the deadline - December 5, 2025.

The XAT 2026 application process is entirely online and require candidates to fill out the form and pay the prescribed fee to complete registration, The exam serves as a gateway to XLRI Jamshedpur and over 800 B-Schools across India that accept XAT scores for admission.

The XAT 2026 will be conducted in computer-based mode across 70+ cities nationwide. The test will assess candidates on Verbal & Logical Ability (VA & LR), Decision Making (DM), Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA& DI), and General Knowledge (GK).

XAT Exam 2026 Highlights

XAT is a three-and-a-half hour speed-based test. Its purpose is to evaluate the commercial acumen and quantitative aptitude to the candidates. An additional crucial component of XAT is communication skills. View the table below for the salient features of the XAT 2026 exam.

XAT Exam Dates 2026

The dates of the XAT 2026 Registration deadline, Admit Card, and results will be released soon. For the XAT 2026 timeline and key dates, see the table below:

Steps to Register for XAT 2026:

The XAT Application form will be available on the official website. Candidates must register for an account on the website to fill out the XAT Form. Check out the registration / application process for XAT 2026 below:

Step 1: Log on to XAT 2026 official website xatonline.in.

Step 2: Click on 'New Registration' and enter relevant details.

Step 3: A unique XAT ID and registration link is shared with the candidate on the verified email ID.

Step 4: Click on the link to verify your registration.

Step 5: Go to XAT 2026 homepage and click on ‘login’.

Step 6: Enter your email ID and password to open the Application Form.

Step 7: Fill in all the mandatory fields of the XAT 2026 Application Form.

Step 8: Cross-check the information before clicking on submit button.

Step 9: Pay the XAT 2026 Application fee through credit/debit card, UPI, or Net Banking.

XAT Eligibility Criteria 2026

To be eligible for XAT 2026, candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree of at least three years duration or an equivalent qualification from a UGC-recognized university.

Final-year students and those awaiting their graduation results are eligible to apply for the XAT exam. While XAT itelf does not mandate a minimum percentage, individual participating institutes may require candidates to have secured at least 50% marks for General Category and 45% for Reserved Category candidates in thier qualifying degree.        

XAT 2026 Application Date:

XAT 2026 - The application forms for XAT 2026 are available on the official website from 10 July, 2025 to 05 December, 2025.

XAT 2026 - Application Fee:

XAT 2026 Registration Fee (without late fee) - Rs. 2200/-

Candidates interested in XLRI programmes need to pay an additional fee of Rs. 200/- each.

Indian Candidates can apply through GMAT/GRE for PGDM (GM) whereas an NRI/Foreign national can apply through GMAT for all the programmes. Kindly note GRE Scores are only valid for PGDM (GM).

Fee for Indian Candidates applying for PGDM (GM) through GMAT/GRE - Rs. 2500/-

Fee for NRI / Foreign Candidates applying for one or more programmes through GMAT Rs. 5000/- each.

Contact Details:

C.H. Area (East) Jamshedpur, Jharkhand - 831001, India.

Contact - 0657 - 6653203 / 6653204 / 3205 / 18004192929 (Monday to Sunday from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM)

Email - [email protected]

http://www.xatonline.in

XAT 2026 : Conducted Across India in the following cities.

Note:

The candidates who have planned to join any of XAT Associate Institutes have to follow the steps given below:

• Register for XAT 2026 at http://www.xatonline.in and make XAT payment
• Candidates interested in applying to XLRI and other XAT Associate Institutes may obtain details from the respective institute's website. Check their registration/application procedure
• Candidates may please note that XLRI does not ascertain the quality of the degree or programmes offered by XAT Associate Institutes.
• Each institute independently decides the weightage be given for each of the test components on the basis of its needs. XLRI does not play any role in the selection of the candidates in these institutes.

XAT 2026 Syllabus

All of the key subjects covered in the XAT 2026 Syllabus are General Knowledge, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and Verbal & Logical Ability. Since there is no syllabus for the special subject on decision - making, you can prepare by looking through past exam questions & example questions. Here are some important details regarding the XAT 2026 Syllabus:

The cases in the XAT Decision-Making Module will come from both the personal and professional spheres.

To make wise decisions, candidates will need to use their critical thinking, problem-solving, and prioritizing abilities.

Questions from Critical and Analytical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, English Grammar, Vocabulary, Parajumbles, Cloze Test, and other topics are included in the XAT Verbal & Logical Ability Part.

Topics covered in the XAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation part include geometry, algebra, arithmetic and modern math.

Additionally, the topics included in the XAT exam's GK part included inventions, innovation, the world economy, science, technology, books, politics, culture, society, personalities, business, art & entertainment, sports and more.

Candidates for Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) will be required to prepare a 250-word essay on one of three available subjects. Typically, social and business-related issues are chosen.

XAT 2026 Exam Analysis

The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) exam analysis is the most important thing candidates should consider while preparing for this computer-based examination. The exam analysis will provide the key details such as weightage of the sections and important topics that should be covered first. The organisers of XAT eliminated the essay-writing section from this year. 

The XAT 2026 exam is tough compared to previous years. The verbal and logical ability sections consist of 26 questions. The decision-making and quantitative ability & data interpretation sections consist of 21 and 27 questions, respectively. To check the detailed XAT 2026 exam analysis, click here.

XAT Cutoff 2025 Released

Xavier School of Management has released Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2025 cutoff for postgraduate programs. XAT 2025 scorecard has been released on 17 January, 2025.

XLRI Unveils XAT 2025 cutoffs After XAT 2025 Scorecard Released, Reaffirms Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity

XLRI - Xavier School of Management, one of India's premier B-Schools, has unveiled the XAT 2025 cutoffs for its highly sought-after postgraduate programs. Following the release of the XAT 2025 scorecards on January 17, 2025, XLRI has announced updated admission thresholds for the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM), offered at both the XLRI Jamshedpur and XLRI Delhi-NCR campuses, and for the Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (PGDHRM), offered at the XLRI Jamshedpur campus.

These cutoffs reflect XLRI's emphasis on selecting top-tier candidates while uploading its commitment to foster diversity and inclusivity in its academic community. The announcement is especially significant for aspiring buiness leaders and HR professionals who are eager to pursue management education at an institution internationally recognized for its academic rigor and values-driven leadership.

Business Management (BM) Program Cutoffs

For the Business Management program, male candidates - whether they come from an engineering / technology or a non-engineering background - are required to meet an overall cutoff of 96 Percentile. Female candidates applying for the program (both from engineering / tech and non-engineering stream) have a slightly lower overall cutoff set at 91 percentiles. Sectional cutoffs vary slightly based on gender.

To provide greater clarity, below are the BM Program interview cutoffs for 2025, broken down by stream and gender (in percentiles):

By maintaining clear percentile requiremetns across gender and academic backgrounds, XLRI strives to encourage a robust mix of students with diverse persepctives. The slight variations in cutoffs ensure broader participation while still holding all applicants to high standards of merit.

Human Resource Management (HRM) Program Cutoffs

In the Human Resource Management Program, XLRI has set cutoffs that recognizes the unique needs and diverse backgrounds of candidates. Male applicants from engineering and technology backgrounds require a 95 percentiles overall, while their non-engineering counterparts stand at 93 percentile. In line with its diversity drive, XLRI has established lower overall cutoffs for female aspirants: 90 percentile for engineers / tech and 87 percentiles for non-engineers.Sectional cutoffs vary slightly based on the gender and engineering / tech and non-engineering backgrounds.

Here is the detailed breakdown of HRM Program interview cutoffs for 2025, in percentiles:

These well-defined thresholds serve to recognize the varied skill sets of candidates and align with the modern HR landscape gthat increasingly values a mix of technical expertise, critical thinking and interpersonal skills.