Home › XAT
Registration open
XAT 2027 · conducted by XLRI JamshedpurIn short
XAT 2027, conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur, is on 03 Jan 2027 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. It runs for 3 hours: Part 1 puts Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making and Quant & DI in one 170-minute block; Part 2 is a 10-minute GK section outside your percentile. Decision Making, the section only XAT has, rewards a method.
XAT 2027 is on 03 Jan 2027, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM: 3 hours, 95 questions. Decision Making is the section only XAT has, and it rewards a method.
03 Jan 2027 · 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
3 hours
95 questions
Negative marking
GK not in percentile
Updated 5 Nov 2026
·
S
Reviewed by Sachin Sir (VARC)
06 Dec 2026
Fee ₹2,300 on xatonline.in
Registration opens
15 Jul 2026
Done
Registration closes
06 Dec 2026
Closing soon
Admit card
20 Dec 2026
Tentative
Exam day
03 Jan 2027
2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Result
By 31 Jan 2027
Expected
Registration opens
15 Jul 2026
Registration closes
06 Dec 2026
Admit card
20 Dec 2026
Exam day
03 Jan 2027
Result
By 31 Jan 2027
Exam pattern
Two parts, 95 multiple-choice questions, 3 hours. Part 1 is one 170-minute block with no sectional timer, so you choose the order; Part 2 is GK in 10 minutes. No essay this year.
Two parts, 95 questions, 3 hours. No sectional timer in Part 1.
Part 1 · 170 min · VALR + DM + QA & DI, any order
Part 2 · 10 min · GK
Verbal & Logical Ability
26
Reading, critical reasoning, verbal logic
Only in XAT
Decision Making
21
Caselets on business, people and ethics
Quant & DI
28
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data sets
General Knowledge
20
10 minutes · not in your percentile
Marking
+1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one
Skipping
The first 8 unattempted questions carry no penalty; each one after that costs 0.10 marks
GK
No negative marking; used by XLRI only and not counted in the XAT percentile
Fee ₹2,300 · accepted by 250+ institutes · 100+ test cities.
Take a full XAT mock before you decide anything.
Your first XAT mock is free. The XAT pack has 10 full mocks and 15 sectionals.
Decision Making
Each caselet is a short business or workplace situation with a few questions on it. There is rarely a perfect answer, so use the same five steps every time and pick the most fair, practical option.
Use the same five steps on every caselet.
1
Read the whole case first
Before you look at the options, know what happened and who is involved.
2
Name the core problem
Say in one line what has to be decided, and who is affected by it.
3
Separate facts from guesses
Use only what the case says. Don't add facts it doesn't give you.
4
Strike out the weak options
Drop anything illegal or unethical, anything extreme, and anything that passes the problem to someone else.
5
Pick what a good manager would defend
Choose the option you could explain to everyone affected and act on now.
A live online workshop in December, between CAT and XAT, run by Route99 faculty. Registration is required.
The caselet types XAT keeps repeating
The five-step method on fresh caselets
Timed practice, as in the exam
Answers reviewed with faculty
Decision Making workshop
Live online
We use your details only to send you the workshop dates and details.
Preparation
XAT comes about five weeks after CAT, so most of your CAT work carries over. What you add is Decision Making and XAT's own style of verbal reasoning.
Most CAT work carries over; add Decision Making.
Carries over from CAT
Quant and DI
Reading comprehension
Mock-taking habits
Add for XAT
Decision Making caselets, daily
XAT-style verbal reasoning
Full XAT mocks with the skip rule
Only if XLRI is your target
GK: 20 questions in 10 minutes
Not counted in your percentile
A December plan
XAT prep is included in Route99's CAT courses.
Classroom and live online students also get the XAT mock pack.
AK
99.89 percentile · XAT 2025
Akash Kumar · Gujarat topper · Live online batch
8+
students at 99+ percentile, CAT 2025
100+
IIM interview calls, CAT 2025
4.8
on Google, from 242 reviews
Decision Making is where XAT is won or lost.
Join the live online workshop in December.
FAQ
Is XAT tougher than CAT?
XAT is different rather than simply tougher. It adds Decision Making, which CAT doesn't have, its verbal section leans on critical reasoning, and leaving too many questions unanswered costs marks. Quant is close to CAT's level. Most students take both, since XAT comes about five weeks after CAT.
Which institutes accept XAT, and do IIMs accept it?
XLRI and 250+ institutes use XAT scores for MBA and PGDM admissions. The IIMs' flagship MBA programmes admit through CAT, so take both exams if the IIMs are on your list, and check each institute's admissions page for the scores it accepts.
What is a good XAT score?
There is no fixed number, because the score needed for a given percentile changes each year with the paper's difficulty. Set a percentile target from the institutes you want, check their shortlist criteria, and compare your mock scores with that target rather than a raw score.
Can you prepare for XAT in 2–3 months?
Yes, if you are already preparing for CAT. Quant and reading carry over, so the extra work is Decision Making, XAT-style verbal reasoning and practice with the full paper. In the weeks after CAT, solve Decision Making caselets daily and take a full XAT mock every week.
What is the XAT 2027 fee?
The XAT 2027 registration fee is ₹2,300, paid online when you register on xatonline.in, and it is non-refundable. Registration closes on 06 Dec 2026, so register before that date even if you are still deciding which XLRI programmes to apply to.
Is there negative marking for unattempted questions in XAT?
Yes, in Part 1: +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one. The first 8 unattempted questions carry no penalty; each one after that costs 0.10 marks. The GK section in Part 2 has no negative marking.
Does GK count in XAT?
GK does not count towards your XAT percentile. It is a 10-minute section of 20 questions with no negative marking, and XLRI uses it in its own selection. Other institutes go by your Part 1 percentile, so give GK time only if XLRI is on your list.
Does Route99 have an XAT course?
XAT preparation is part of Route99's CAT courses, classroom and live online, so you don't need a separate course. You also get the XAT mock pack of 10 full mocks and 15 sectionals, and the first mock is free to try. GK preparation isn't included.
XAT 2027 at a glance
Conducted by
XLRI Jamshedpur
Exam date
03 Jan 2027, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Mode
Computer-based, in 100+ cities
Duration
3 hours
Part 1
VALR 26 · Decision Making 21 · QA & DI 28, in one 170-minute block
Part 2
GK 20 questions in 10 minutes; not in the percentile
Marking
+1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one
Unattempted
The first 8 unattempted questions carry no penalty; each one after that costs 0.10 marks
Fee
₹2,300, non-refundable
Registration
15 Jul 2026 – 06 Dec 2026
Admit card
20 Dec 2026 (tentative)
Result
By 31 Jan 2027 (expected)
Accepted by
250+ institutes
Facts checked
31 Oct 2026 on xatonline.in
Sources: xatonline.in (home, registration, FAQs), the XAT 2027 Bulletin and xlri.ac.in.
Updated 5 Nov 2026 · Reviewed by Sachin Sir (VARC)
Get a callback from us for all details
