The Xavier Aptitude Test 2026 was held on January 4, 2026. The examination took place in a single afternoon session.
| Exam detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Exam | Xavier Aptitude Test 2026 |
| XAT 2026 exam date | Sunday, January 4, 2026 |
| Exam time | 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Mode | Computer-based test |
| Conducting body | XLRI Jamshedpur on behalf of XAMI |
| Exam status | Concluded |
| Official portal | XAT official website |
XLRI conducts XAT on behalf of the Xavier Association of Management Institutes. XAT scores are used by more than 250 institutes for management admissions.
The table below provides the complete XAT 2026 schedule, including announced and actual release dates.
| XAT 2026 event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Registration opened | July 10, 2025 | Closed |
| Original registration deadline | December 5, 2025 | Closed |
| Application edit window | December 8, 2025, 9:00 AM to December 10, 2025, 9:00 AM | Closed |
| Extended registration deadline | December 11, 2025 | Closed |
| Tentative admit-card date in initial schedule | December 20, 2025 | Superseded |
| Actual admit-card release | December 25, 2025 | Released |
| XAT 2026 exam | January 4, 2026, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM | Conducted |
| Candidate response sheet | January 6, 2026 | Released |
| Provisional answer key | January 9, 2026 | Released |
| XAT 2026 result and scorecard | January 16, 2026 | Released |
| XLRI XAT 2026 cutoff announcement | January 29, 2026 | Released |
The official schedule originally showed December 5 as the registration deadline and December 20 as the tentative admit-card date. Registration was subsequently extended to December 11, while the admit card became available on December 25.
The response sheet was released on January 6, followed by the provisional answer key on January 9. XLRI declared the result and issued scorecards on January 16, 2026.
Yes. The initial XAT 2026 schedule listed December 5, 2025 as the registration deadline. The application portal later extended the closing date to December 11, 2025.
The application edit window did not begin after the extended deadline. It operated from December 8 to December 10 while registration was still open. Candidates should therefore distinguish between the registration-extension notice and the separate edit facility.
The XAT 2026 admit card was released on December 25, 2025. Candidates could download it through the official portal using their XAT ID and password.
The admit card contained information such as:
XAT 2026 had four principal sections and approximately 95 questions. Candidates received 170 minutes for the first three sections and 10 minutes for General Knowledge.
| Section | Approximate questions |
|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning | 26 |
| Decision Making | 21 |
| Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation | 28 |
| General Knowledge | 20 |
| Total | 95 |
The first 170 minutes covered Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, and Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation. The final 10 minutes were assigned to General Knowledge.
The principal marking rules were:
The General Knowledge score was not included in the overall XAT percentile or cutoff calculation. It could, however, be considered by XLRI during its selection process.
Analytical Essay Writing was not part of the main 180-minute XAT computer-based examination under the published pattern. The primary test consisted of Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge.
Where an essay or written assessment was required during admissions, candidates needed to follow the selection rules issued separately by XLRI or the relevant participating institute. Candidates should not assume that every XAT-accepting college uses the same post-exam evaluation process.
XAT 2026 was conducted in more than 100 test cities across India, helping candidates take the examination at centres closer to their preferred locations.
A candidate’s final centre address and reporting instructions were shown on the admit card, not merely in the general test-city list.
The XAT 2026 response sheet was released on January 6, 2026. It allowed candidates to review the answers recorded during the examination.
The provisional answer key was released on January 9, 2026. Candidates were allowed to review the key and raise objections through the prescribed process.
The XAT 2026 result was declared on January 16, 2026, and individual scorecards were made available through the official XAT portal.
Candidates should retain a downloaded copy of the scorecard because participating institutes may require it during application, shortlisting, document verification or final admission.
Candidates who appeared for XAT 2026 should:
Candidates preparing for the next cycle should move to the XAT 2027 schedule and use XAT 2026 as a previous-year reference for question selection, Decision Making practice and mock-test analysis.
XAT 2026 was conducted on Sunday, January 4, 2026. The examination was held in computer-based mode in a single session.
The exam was conducted from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, giving candidates a total test duration of three hours.
Yes. The XAT 2026 examination, answer-key process and result declaration have concluded. The result was released on January 16, 2026.
The admit card became available on December 25, 2025. December 20 had been listed only as a tentative date in the advance schedule.
XLRI declared the XAT 2026 result and released scorecards on January 16, 2026.
No. The General Knowledge score was not included in the overall percentile or cutoff calculation. It could be considered separately by XLRI during its selection process.
Yes. An incorrect response attracted a deduction of 0.25 marks. Candidates could leave eight questions unanswered without a penalty; each additional skipped question attracted a deduction of 0.10 marks. General Knowledge did not have negative marking.
XAT 2027 is scheduled for January 3, 2027, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Registration opened on July 15, 2026.
The XAT exam date 2026 was January 4, 2026, and the result was announced on January 16. Because the cycle has concluded, past candidates should now follow institute-specific admission updates, while current aspirants should refer to the XAT 2027 schedule and preparation resources.
Editorial note: Examination dates and pattern information were checked against official XAT and XLRI sources. Historical release dates were cross-checked with dated education-news reports where the live official website had moved to the next examination cycle.