XAT Exam 2026 (4 Jan): Application Form (Ongoing), Admit Card, Eligibility

XAT Exam 2026 Highlights 

XAT Exam 2026

The XAT 2026 Exam will be conducted on 4 January 2026, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, by XLRI Jamshedpur on behalf of XAMI. The exam is designed to assess management aspirants seeking admission to top business schools, including XLRI. The XAT 2026 Application Process will begin on 10 July 2025, and the last date to apply is 5 December 2025. Candidates can complete the registration online by visiting the official website xatonline.in. The XAT 2026 admit card is expected to be released on 20 December 2025.

The XAT exam application fee 2026 for all the candidates is INR 2200, with an additional INR 200 as charges for XLRI programs. Candidates can expect the admit cards for the XAT 2026 exam to be made available to download by 20 December 2025 (tentative). The XAT 2026 test will be conducted in a computer-based-test (CBT) format for a total duration of 3 hours and will be divided into two parts. The first part will comprise questions based on VA and LR, decision-making, and QA and DI, while the second part will be based on general knowledge.

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XAT Admit Card 2026 

The XAT 2026 admit card will be released on 20 December 2025 conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur after completing the application process and verifying all registrations. Candidates can download their admit cards by visiting the official website xatonline.in and logging in using their registered credentials. After logging in, click on the ‘Admit Card’ tab to access and download it. All applicants must carry a printed copy of the admit card along with a valid photo ID proof to the examination center on the exam day.

The XAT 2026 admit card will contain details such as the name of the candidate, XAT ID, date of birth, PwD status, date of exam, reporting time, gate closing time, exam duration, test city, test center name and address, reference number, and exam instructions. 

XAT Answer Key 2026 

The XAT answer key 2026 is an official document issued by XLRI, scheduled to be released tentatively on 7 January 2026. The exam is set to be conducted on 4 January 2026, post which, the provisional answer key will be released shortly along with the candidate’s response sheet. This allows the participants to compare their responses with the provisional answer key and raise objections, if any. Once the objections are assessed officially, the final answer key for the XAT 2026 will be released. With the official responses, candidates can compare their answers and calculate their potential score obtained in the exam.  

XAT Result 2026 

The XAT Result 2026 will be released on 16 January 2026 (tentative). The official date will be confirmed soon after the XAT exam, which is scheduled for 4 January 2026. Candidates can check and download their XAT 2026 scorecard by visiting the official website xatonline.in and logging in using their enrollment ID and password. The scorecard will remain valid for one academic year from the date of the result declaration. To move forward in the admission process, candidates must also meet the cutoff requirements set by the participating business schools to qualify for further counselling and selection rounds. 

XAT 2026 Counselling Process

The XAT 2026 counselling process is conducted by XLRI and includes an Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) assessment and a Personal Interview (PI) round. The overall selection process is carried out, including the XAT score obtained by the candidate, academic record, and performance in the AEW and PI rounds. Candidates must note that, mainly, the selection process is held in five cities in India, and they are Jamshedpur, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, and Kolkata. In addition to this, students with XAT scores will have to apply separately to the management colleges, and if they fail to book the slot for the PI round in time, their application will be rejected. The AEW and PI rounds are conducted to evaluate the candidate on the basis of their communication skills, personality, problem-solving skills, leadership qualities, and business knowledge.

XAT Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme

The XAT 2026 exam, as usual, will be conducted in a computer-based test format, and students will have to attempt MCQ questions. The total number of questions is about 95, comprising 26 questions for the VA & LR section, 21 questions for the DM section, 28 questions for the QA & DI section, and 20 questions for the GK section. Students will have 170 minutes to answer the first part (VA & LR, DM, and QA and DI) and 10 minutes for the second part (GK). Here’s the marking scheme for the XAT 2026 exam:

• Each question carries 1 mark, and a +1 mark will be awarded for each correct answer.
• For each incorrect response, -0.25 marks will be deducted.
• If the students leave 8 questions unattempted, -0.10 marks will be deducted.
• There is no negative marking for the GK section, and candidates are allowed to attempt all the questions without risk.

XAT Syllabus 2026

There are a total of 3 sections on which the XAT syllabus for 2026 will be based. These three sections comprise 55 topics that the students need to prepare for to pass the XAT exam. There are 9 topics in verbal ability and logical reasoning, 9 topics in decision making, 28 topics in quantitative aptitude and data interpretation, and 9 topics in general knowledge. Here’s a detailed list of topics candidates can expect the XAT 2026 exam to be based on.

XAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria 

The XAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria requires candidates to hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university. Final-year students can also apply, provided they complete their degree by June 2026. There is no age limit for appearing in the XAT exam. Both Indian and foreign candidates can apply, with NRI and foreign applicants eligible through GMAT scores (except for Indian residents).

General Eligibility

• A bachelor’s degree from a recognized university is a general eligibility criterion for appearing in the XAT 2026 exam. 
• The degree program must be at least 3 years in duration. 
• All Indian candidates can apply for the XAT 2026 exam directly if they fulfil the eligibility criteria. 
• NRI, Foreign, OCI, and PIO candidates aspiring to give the XAT 2026 exam can register through GMAT. 
• For XLRI programs, candidates are required to apply separately.

Educational Qualification

• Final-Year Students: Final-year students are eligible to apply, provided they complete their exams by June 12, 2026.

Work Experience

• Candidates with work experience must note that only post-graduation work experience is counted for the XAT 2026 exam. 

XAT Application Form 2026

The XAT Application Form 2026 will be opened on 10 July 2025, and the end date to apply for registration form on 5 December 2025. Students can check XAT registration form details on the official website. The XAT 2026 application forms are released by XLRI Jamshedpur on behalf of XAMI. To make sure whether the application form has been submitted successfully, candidates are advised to keep both soft and hard copies of their records. The XAT Exam 2026 will be released on 4 January 2026.

The application fee for XAT exam 2026 is INR 2200 for all candidates and INR 2500 for Indian applicants appearing for the exam through GMAT/GRE. For all the students applying for XLRI programs, there is a separate additional fee of INR 200. The candidates belonging to the NRI/Foreign/PIO/OCI category applying for the XAT 2026 exam through GMAT will have to pay INR 5000 as an application fee. 

XAT Cutoff 2026

The XAT Cutoff 2026 is expected to be released on 27 January 2026. This is a tentative date, and the exact release date will be announced officially after the declaration of the XAT 2026 result. Students must note that the XAT cutoffs are subject to individual business schools. The cutoff is expressed in terms of a percentile score devised by several factors, such as the exam difficulty, number of candidates, availability of seats, and past trends. XAT cutoffs are calculated in two stages:

• Phase 1: A raw score is obtained as per the marking scheme
• Phase 2: A percentile score is calculated as:

[(Total no. of candidates - candidate’s rank)/Total no. of candidates] x100

XAT Exam 2026 Important Dates