The XAT 2026 exam pattern will be officially announced by XLRI along with the exam schedule. In the 2025 edition, significant changes were introduced—most notably, the removal of the Essay Writing section and a reduction in the number of GK questions. As per the updated structure, the exam consisted of two parts:

• Part 1 included Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, with a duration of 170 minutes.

• Part 2 comprised the General Knowledge section, allotted 10 minutes.

The total duration of the exam was 180 minutes, and the same format is likely to be followed for XAT 2026.

XAT 2026: Key Highlights

Here are the major components of the XAT 2026 exam structure:

XAT 2026: Section-Wise Question & Mark Distribution

XAT 2026 Marking Scheme: What You Should Know

XAT follows a distinct marking scheme, which includes penalties not only for wrong answers but also for excessive skipping. Here are the key points:

• +1 mark for every correct answer

• –0.25 mark for each incorrect response

• –0.10 mark for every question beyond 8 left unattempted consecutively

• No negative marking in the GK section

• GK scores are not factored into the XAT percentile