XLRI does not publish a topic-wise XAT syllabus, but the XAT 2027 paper on 3 January 2027 tests four areas: Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge. This page lists the topics past XAT papers cover, the exam pattern and how to prepare.
XAT Syllabus 2027
Section-wise XAT 2027 topics, the exam pattern and marking scheme, and a preparation plan.
What is in the XAT 2027 Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning section?
VALR has about 26 questions on English usage, reading and reasoning.
- Reading comprehension passages on business, economics, society and philosophy
- Arranging jumbled statements in a logical order and completing paragraphs
- Spotting incorrect sentences, grammar and vocabulary in context
- Critical reasoning: assumptions, inferences, and statements that strengthen or weaken an argument
What is in the XAT 2027 Decision Making section?
Decision Making has about 21 questions and is the section most specific to XAT.
- Business and workplace situations where you choose the best course of action
- Ethical dilemmas involving employees, customers and managers
- Analytical cases built on rules, conditions and data that you must apply to reach a decision
What is in the XAT 2027 Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section?
QA and DI has about 28 questions, and an on-screen scientific calculator is available for it.
- Arithmetic: percentages, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, averages, time and work, time, speed and distance
- Algebra: equations, inequalities, functions and progressions
- Geometry and mensuration
- Number system, permutations and combinations, and probability
- Data interpretation from tables, charts and caselets
What is in the XAT 2027 General Knowledge section?
GK has 20 questions: about 8 on static GK and 12 on current affairs, to be answered in 10 minutes.
- Business, economy and companies
- National and international events of the past year
- Static GK such as history, geography, polity and science
GK carries no negative marking and is not counted in the overall percentile; XLRI uses it only in its final selection.
What is the XAT 2027 exam pattern and marking scheme?
XAT 2027 has 95 questions in 180 minutes, split into Part 1 (170 minutes) and Part 2 (10 minutes).
| Section | Part | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) | Part 1 (170 minutes for all three sections) | 26 |
| Decision Making (DM) | Part 1 | 21 |
| Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA and DI) | Part 1 | 28 |
| General Knowledge (GK) | Part 2 (10 minutes) | 20 |
| Total | 180 minutes | 95 |
- +1 for a correct answer and -0.25 for a wrong answer.
- No penalty for the first 8 unattempted questions; -0.10 for each one after that.
- No sectional time limit in Part 1, and you can switch between sections.
Is there an official XAT 2027 syllabus PDF?
No. XLRI gives only the section names, question counts and marking scheme on xatonline.in and in the XLRI Admission Prospectus 2027. The topic lists above are based on past XAT papers.
How should I prepare for XAT 2027?
- Learn the basics of arithmetic, algebra and geometry first, then practise DI sets.
- Solve Decision Making cases daily, because this section is unique to XAT.
- Read a newspaper and a business daily every day for the GK section.
- Solve full XAT previous year question papers in 180 minutes and analyse every mistake.
- Take XAT mock tests to practise switching between sections within the 170-minute Part 1.
Free full-length XAT mock tests with timers and answers.