XAT 2025 (Xavier Aptitude Test) is the key gateway to XLRI and a cluster of partner management institutes. This page gives the essential facts you need like official dates, section-wise pattern, eligibility and many more, so you can apply on time and prepare smartly. Need help choosing target institutes or planning your study schedule? Book a free 15-minute counselling call.
Key Dates — XAT 2025
| XAT 2026 Exam registration | 10 Jul ‘ 25 – 05 Oct ‘ 25 |
| XAT 2026 form correction | 14 Oct ‘ 25 – 16 Oct ‘ 25 |
| XAT 2026 admit card download starts | 20 Dec ‘ 25 |
| XAT 2026 Exam | 04 Jan ‘ 26 |
| XAT 2026 answer key out | Jan ‘ 26 (TENTATIVE) |
| XAT 2026 result | Jan ‘ 26 (TENTATIVE) |
| XAT 2026 Cut Offs Release | Jan ‘ 26 (TENTATIVE) |
Who should take XAT?
- Candidates aiming for MBA/PGDM programs at XLRI and other institutes that accept XAT scores.
- Graduates (any discipline); final-year students may apply provisionally subject to later verification.
- Work experience helps in overall profile but is not mandatory for registering.
XAT 2025: Exam Highlights
| Exam Name | XAT |
| XAT full form | Xavier Aptitude Test |
| Conducting Body | XLRI, Jamshedpur |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam Frequency | Once a year |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| Exam Duration | 3 hours |
| Exam Pattern | 95 questions in MCQ format |
| Language | English |
| Exam Fees | INR 2,200 (all categories) |
| Course Offered | MBA/PGDM |
| Exam Purpose | Admission to 250 MBA colleges |
Syllabus highlights — high-impact topics
- Decision Making: Caselets, ethical dilemmas, business decisions.
- Verbal & RC: long passages, critical reasoning, para-jumbles.
- Quant/DI: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics, charts and tables.
- General Awareness: current affairs, business news, economy (past 6–12 months).
Cutoffs & college targets (how to plan)
XLRI and top partner institutes usually shortlist on percentile + profile. For XLRI flagship programs you’ll typically need very high percentiles (top 1–2% for certain seats). Other Symbiosis/partner institutes have lower cutoffs. Use past-year cutoffs as a guide and target 2–3 percentile points above previous safe cutoffs to improve chances.
Practical 8-week preparation plan
- Weeks 1–2 — Diagnostic & fundamentals: Take a full mock, identify weak areas. Strengthen basics for QA & verbal.
- Weeks 3–5 — Topic blocks & DM focus: Daily DM practice + sectional timed drills.
- Weeks 6–7 — Full mocks & analysis: 2 full mocks per week; fix recurring errors.
- Week 8 — Revision & strategy: Review formula sheet, quick GK revisions and light mocks.
Daily target: 60–120 minutes of focused practice + one sectional timed test every 2–3 days.
The XAT score is just one part of admission converting a percentile into interview calls needs profile strategy (academics, work experience, SOP) and smart institute selection. Book a free 15-minute counselling and we’ll map a shortlist of institutes to your expected score, create a target preparation plan and a test-retake timeline so you meet application deadlines.
