XAT 2026: Result (Out), Syllabus, Answer Key, Admit Card

The XAT 2026 examination was conducted on 04 January 2026, and its result was released on 16 January 2026. The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is a prestigious national-level MBA entrance exam conducted by XLRI (Xavier School of Management), Jamshedpur. It is the gateway to XLRI and 250+ associate B-schools across India. Candidates planning ahead for XAT 2027 (expected on the first Sunday of January 2027) can use this page to track every stage of the cycle. For official details, visit xatonline.in. Here on aglasem.com you can download the XAT previous year question paper PDFs and syllabus, and access information on the XAT result, admit card, answer key, exam pattern, and registration.

Latest: XAT 2026 result has been released. Get the link to check the result here.

Quick Links

• Admit Card
• Result
• Syllabus
• Answer Key
• Official Website

XAT 2026

What is the XAT entrance exam?

XAT stands for Xavier Aptitude Test. Conducted by XLRI (Xavier School of Management), Jamshedpur, it is a national-level MBA/PGDM entrance exam held annually, usually on the first Sunday of January. The XAT 2026 exam was held on 04 January 2026 for admission to the academic year 2026, and its score is used by XLRI and over 250 associate B-schools for MBA, PGDM, and other management programmes. A distinctive feature of XAT is the Decision Making section, which tests managerial reasoning and is not commonly found in other MBA entrance exams.

XAT 2026 Exam Dates

The XAT 2026 cycle has concluded. The table below lists the key dates of XAT 2026 as announced by XLRI. Candidates aiming for XAT 2027 can use the same calendar as a reference, since the schedule repeats closely each year. Always confirm dates on the official website xatonline.in.

Important Downloads and Official Links

Here you can find direct links to the official releases for XAT, so you stay updated.

• XAT Notification (released by XLRI)
• Information Brochure
• Official Website of XAT

XAT Application Form and Registration

For XAT 2026, registration opened on 10 July 2025 and the extended last date to apply was 11 December 2025. To register for XAT, candidates check the eligibility criteria, create a login at xatonline.in, fill in personal and academic details, upload the required documents, choose test cities, and pay the application fee. Aspirants for XAT 2027 should expect registration to open around July 2026 and close in the first week of December 2026.

XAT Eligibility Criteria

• Candidate must hold a recognised bachelor’s degree of at least three years in any discipline.
• Final-year students are eligible to apply, subject to completing the degree before joining.
• There is no upper age limit to appear for XAT.

XAT Exam Pattern

XAT is a computer-based test of about 3 hours 10 minutes. The paper has the following sections.

For MCQ sections, 1/4 mark is deducted for each wrong answer, and there is an additional penalty for too many un-attempted questions. The GK section does not count towards the percentile used for shortlisting at most institutes.

XAT Syllabus

The XAT syllabus is built around the four assessed areas – Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge – plus Analytical Essay Writing. To prepare effectively, study all topics, practise previous year papers, and take mock tests. For a topic-wise breakdown and weightage, see the XAT Syllabus page.

XAT Previous Year Question Papers

Solving past papers is one of the most reliable ways to prepare for XAT.

• The XAT question papers are the actual sets used in earlier exams.
• Practising them helps you understand the types of questions and the difficulty level to expect.
• You can download the XAT previous year question paper PDFs from aglasem.com to practise anytime.

XAT Admit Card

The XAT 2026 admit card was released on 25 December 2025 at xatonline.in. Candidates downloaded the hall ticket using their login credentials. The admit card carries the exam date, time, centre, and reporting instructions, and must be carried to the exam centre with a valid photo ID. For full details and the download process, see the XAT Admit Card page.

XAT Answer Key

After the exam, candidates used the XAT answer key and response sheet to estimate their scores. Unofficial answer keys from coaching institutes appear soon after the test, while the response sheet released by XLRI shows your recorded answers. Final scores are based on official scoring.

XAT Result

The XAT 2026 result was declared on 16 January 2026 at xatonline.in. The scorecard shows your section-wise and overall scores along with your percentile. Based on this, XLRI and other XAT-accepting institutes release their shortlists and conduct WAT/GD/PI rounds. Check your scorecard and what it means on the XAT Result page.

XAT Cut Off

The XAT cut off is the minimum percentile an institute uses to shortlist candidates. For XLRI, the cut off is typically around the 95th percentile for the Business Management programme and around the 93rd percentile for Human Resource Management (general category); other B-schools set their own cut offs. There is no centralised counselling – each institute shortlists and runs its own selection process.

XAT Recommended Books

The following books are widely used by XAT aspirants for the quantitative, verbal, and data interpretation sections.

• Disha 21 Year-wise XAT Previous Year Solved Papers (2005-2025) with 5 Mock Tests
• Arihant Quantum CAT Quantitative Aptitude by Sarvesh K Verma
• Disha Quantitative Aptitude for CAT, XAT & other MBA Entrance Exams
• Pearson Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT (useful for XAT)
• Disha Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency for CAT/XAT/IIFT/CMAT/MAT

XAT Exam – An Overview

The key details about this entrance exam are as follows.

XAT FAQs

If you have any questions about XAT 2026, please ask in the comments below. And if you found this page useful, please share!