XAT
XAT Mock Test Series 2026 (Tier 1 & Tier 2)
Last updated on Oct 11, 2026
41 Total Tests
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- 2 Full Mocks
- 3 Sectional Tests
- 36 Chapter-wise Tests
XAT topic-wise practice questions β Previous year papers β
XAT VALR + QADI + GK β Full Mock 2 Free
XAT Practice Verbal & Logical Ability β Sectional Test 1 Free
XAT Practice Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation β Sectional Test 1 Free
XAT Practice General Knowledge β Sectional Test 1 Free
Verbal & Logical Ability 11 tests
XAT Reading Comprehension β Chapter Test Free
XAT Inequality β Chapter Test Free
XAT Syllogism β Chapter Test Free
XAT Coding-Decoding β Chapter Test Free
XAT Blood Relations β Chapter Test Free
XAT Direction Sense β Chapter Test Free
XAT Order & Ranking β Chapter Test Free
XAT Alphabet & Word Order β Chapter Test Free
XAT Series β Chapter Test Free
XAT Mathematical Operations β Chapter Test Free
XAT Fill in the Blanks β Chapter Test Free
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation 17 tests
XAT Percentage β Chapter Test Free
XAT Profit, Loss & Discount β Chapter Test Free
XAT Simple & Compound Interest β Chapter Test Free
XAT Ratio & Proportion β Chapter Test Free
XAT Average β Chapter Test Free
XAT Time & Work β Chapter Test Free
XAT Speed, Time & Distance β Chapter Test Free
XAT Number System β Chapter Test Free
XAT Simplification & Approximation β Chapter Test Free
XAT Problems on Ages β Chapter Test Free
XAT Mixture & Alligation β Chapter Test Free
XAT Mensuration β Chapter Test Free
XAT Partnership β Chapter Test Free
XAT Data Interpretation β Chapter Test Free
XAT Algebra β Chapter Test Free
XAT Trigonometry β Chapter Test Free
XAT Geometry β Chapter Test Free
General Knowledge 8 tests
XAT History β Chapter Test Free
XAT Polity β Chapter Test Free
XAT Geography β Chapter Test Free
XAT Economy β Chapter Test Free
XAT Physics β Chapter Test Free
XAT Chemistry β Chapter Test Free
XAT Biology β Chapter Test Free
XAT Static GK β Chapter Test Free
XAT guide
What is XAT?
XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur every January and is one of India's most respected MBA entrance examinations. It is accepted by XLRI (one of India's top B-schools for HR and Business Management), XIMB (Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar), IMT Gurgaon, TAPMI Manipal, Great Lakes Chennai, SPJIMR Mumbai and 150+ other B-schools across India.
XAT is unique among Indian MBA entrance tests for its Decision Making section β a 21-question section testing ethical dilemmas, business scenarios and analytical decision-making under uncertainty. This section is not found in CAT, NMAT or any other MBA test, making XAT preparation distinct from standard CAT preparation.
The exam has four parts: Decision Making (21q, 75 min), Verbal & Logical Ability (26q, 75 min), Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (28q, 75 min), and General Knowledge (25q β not counted in percentile, but some institutes use it). Total time: 3 hours 10 minutes. MCQ with negative marking (-0.25 per wrong, +1 per correct) and an additional penalty for leaving more than 8 questions unattempted.
XLRI offers two flagship 2-year programmes: PGDM (Business Management) β one of India's best general management programmes β and PGDM (HRM) β India's premier HR programme. XAT score is required for both. XLRI campus placements average βΉ28-35 lakh per annum, with the highest offers exceeding βΉ1 crore.
XAT also enables applications to XIMB, which offers PGDM (B&M), PGDM (HR) and PGDM (BF β Business Finance) programmes highly regarded in eastern India. Many CAT applicants use XAT as a backup for XLRI/XIMB while targeting IIMs with their CAT score.
Conducted byXLRI Jamshedpur
Held inFirst Sunday of January
EligibilityGraduation in any discipline (no minimum percentage specified)
SectionsDecision Making + Verbal & Logical Ability + QA & DI + GK
Total questions~75 MCQ (+ 25 GK not counted)
Marking+1 per correct MCQ; β0.25 per wrong; additional penalty for excess unattempted
Unique sectionDecision Making β ethical and business scenarios
Top institutesXLRI, XIMB, IMT Gurgaon, TAPMI, Great Lakes, SPJIMR
XLRI average package~βΉ28β35 lakh per annum
Official websitexatonline.in
How it works
XAT selection process
1
XAT exam (January)
Computer-based test conducted at centres across India and a few international centres. Duration: 3 hours 10 minutes total. Part I (175 minutes, scored): Decision Making (21q, 75 min) + Verbal & Logical Ability (26q, 75 min) + QA & DI (28q, 75 min). Part II (10 minutes, not scored in percentile): GK (25q). Negative marking: -0.25 per wrong MCQ; additional 0.05 penalty per question for leaving more than 8 questions unattempted.
2
Shortlisting by institutes
XLRI shortlists based on XAT percentile (typically 95%+ for BM, 93%+ for HRM) with separate section cut-offs. Other institutes set their own XAT cut-offs. XLRI shortlists and interview invitations are released in January-February.
3
Group Discussion / PI (XLRI)
XLRI conducts group discussions (written) and personal interviews at Jamshedpur and other cities. The PI is thorough β tests current affairs, ethical reasoning (aligned with Jesuit values), academic background and career goals. GK section performance, while not in percentile, is noted during interviews.
β
Final admission
XLRI and other institutes announce final merit lists combining XAT score + GD/PI + profile. XLRI results are typically in April.
Exam pattern
XAT exam pattern
Sections: Decision Making (unique to XAT), Verbal & Logical Ability, and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, plus a General Knowledge section used by some institutes. Wrong answers carry a negative mark, and there is also a small penalty for leaving too many questions unanswered.
Syllabus
XAT syllabus: subjects & topics
Decision Making (21 questions)
Ethical Dilemmas in BusinessManagerial Decision Making under UncertaintyAnalytical Reasoning in Business ContextsPrioritisation & Trade-off AnalysisResource Allocation ScenariosCritical Reasoning in Policy ContextsData-Centric Business Decisions
Verbal & Logical Ability (26 questions)
Reading Comprehension (2-3 passages)Para JumblesFill in the Blanks (Vocabulary)Critical ReasoningLogical ConsistencyFact-Inference-JudgmentError DetectionAnalogy & Paraphrase
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
Arithmetic: Percentage, Ratio, Profit-Loss, Time-Work, Speed-DistanceAlgebra: Equations, Inequalities, FunctionsGeometry: 2D and 3DNumber TheoryP&C and ProbabilityDI: Tables, Graphs, Mixed ChartsData Comparison & Sufficiency
General Knowledge (not scored in percentile)
Current EventsBusiness & EconomicsCompany & Brand NewsSocial IssuesInternational AffairsAwards & AppointmentsScience & TechnologySports
Strategy
How to prepare for XAT
01Decision Making is XAT's biggest differentiator β master it separately
Decision Making (21 questions, 75 minutes) is the section most CAT aspirants are unprepared for. DM questions present business or ethical scenarios and ask for the most logical, ethical or pragmatic decision. There is no DM in CAT or NMAT. Solve 100+ previous XAT DM questions to develop the decision-making framework. Read case studies from Harvard Business Review and understand ethical frameworks (utilitarianism, stakeholder theory) for ethical DM questions.
02Do not let the unattempted-question penalty trap you
XAT uniquely penalises for leaving more than 8 questions unattempted across the scored sections (β0.05 per excess unattempted). This means you cannot leave too many blanks. Attempt even uncertain questions with a reasonable guess rather than leaving them blank β the unattempted penalty can cost more than an incorrect answer in some situations.
03XLRI HRM is India's top HR programme β less competitive than BM
XLRI's PGDM (HRM) is India's premiere HR management programme and has a slightly lower XAT cut-off than BM (typically 93-95% vs. 95-97% for BM). If you have interest in human resources, XLRI HRM is both prestigious and more accessible than XLRI BM. Apply to both.
04GK section is important for XLRI interview even if not scored
The GK section (25 questions, 10 minutes) does not count in your XAT percentile but XLRI interview panels do ask about current affairs, business news and GK. A candidate who scores well in GK but under-performs in PI will not do well. Prepare both the exam GK section and your interview GK together.
05Apply to XAT and CAT together β overlapping preparation
XAT QA and VARC preparation heavily overlaps with CAT. Most candidates appear in both. The key XAT additions beyond CAT: Decision Making (unique section, 2-3 months of dedicated practice), longer exam duration, unattempted-question penalty (adjust strategy). If you are aiming for top B-schools, appear in both.
FAQs
XAT: frequently asked questions
Is GK counted in the XAT percentile?
No. The GK section (25 questions, 10 minutes) is not included in the overall XAT percentile score. However, some institutes (not XLRI) may use your GK section score as a supplementary factor in their shortlisting process.
Is there a penalty for unattempted questions in XAT?
Yes. In addition to -0.25 for wrong MCQ answers, XAT deducts 0.05 marks for each question left unattempted beyond 8 questions in the scored sections. You can leave up to 8 questions blank without penalty β beyond that, each additional blank costs 0.05 marks.
Which colleges accept XAT?
XLRI Jamshedpur, XIMB Bhubaneswar, IMT Gurgaon, TAPMI Manipal, Great Lakes Chennai, SPJIMR Mumbai, BIMTECH Greater Noida, IIM Ranchi (for special programs), IRMA Anand and 150+ other B-schools. Check xatonline.in for the full updated list of XAT-accepting institutes.
What is the XAT cut-off for XLRI BM?
Typically around 95-97 XAT percentile for XLRI BM (Business Management) and 93-95 for XLRI HRM (Human Resource Management). Section-wise cut-offs also apply β typically 85-90 percentile per section. XLRI cut-offs are not published officially β these are based on historical shortlisting patterns.
How is XAT different from CAT?
XAT has a unique Decision Making section (no equivalent in CAT). XAT has a GK section (not scored but present). XAT duration is 3 hours 10 minutes vs. CAT's 2 hours. XAT has an unattempted-question penalty beyond 8 blanks. XAT QA and Verbal sections are comparable in difficulty to CAT. XAT DM requires a completely different preparation approach.
Can I appear for both CAT and XAT?
Yes. Both exams are independent. CAT is held in November; XAT is held in January. Most top MBA aspirants appear in both (plus IIFT, SNAP, NMAT if applicable) to maximise their options.
What is the XLRI BM average package?
XLRI BM average campus placement package is approximately βΉ28-35 lakh per annum (varies by year). The highest offers to XLRI graduates have crossed βΉ1 crore for top roles in consulting, investment banking and product management. XLRI HRM average is approximately βΉ20-28 lakh per annum with top offers in HR consulting and FMCG.
Is work experience required for XLRI?
No, fresh graduates can and do get into XLRI. However, work experience is an explicit positive factor in XLRI's composite scoring. Candidates with 12-36 months of quality work experience from consulting, technology or finance firms tend to score higher in the composite evaluation beyond XAT percentile.
What is the fee for XLRI?
XLRI PGDM (BM) tuition fee is approximately βΉ26-29 lakh for the 2-year programme. With accommodation and other expenses, total cost is approximately βΉ32-35 lakh. Education loans are available at most banks for XLRI admissions.
How do I register for XAT?
Register on xatonline.in between July and December. Fill in your profile, choose your test centre and pay the registration fee. You can apply to XLRI and other XAT-accepting institutes during the same registration process.
Also in MBA/CAT
The exam pattern, eligibility and other details are based on the latest notifications available and can change from one cycle to the next. Always confirm in the official notification on xatonline.in before you apply.
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