XAT Syllabus 2026

XAT (conducted by XLRI) is a national MBA-entrance test in India, best known for its Decision Making section. It is scored on a percentile basis across four areas.

Practise the full syllabus — free XAT mock →

XAT exam pattern

SectionQuestionsDuration
Verbal & Logical Ability (26 Q)2650 min
Decision Making (21 Q)2150 min
Quantitative + Data Interpretation (28 Q)2870 min
GK + Essay (25 Q)2525 min
Total100195 min

Marking: 1 mark per correct answer, -0.25 per wrong answer (negative marking). Scale: 0–100.

XAT syllabus — topic-wise

Verbal & Logical Ability

Decision Making

Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

General Knowledge

How to cover the XAT syllabus

XAT stands apart from other MBA exams for two reasons: its Decision Making section — situational, ethics-tinged problems with no single obvious answer — and its unusual penalty for leaving too many questions unattempted. Success is less about raw Quant speed and more about judgement, careful reading, and knowing when a “safe” answer beats a clever one.

✅ Preparation tips

  • Practise Decision Making with real past XAT papers — its logic is unlike CAT prep and cannot be crammed from general Quant/Verbal material.
  • Plan your attempts around the un-attempted penalty: you can skip up to eight questions freely, so leaving many blank quietly costs marks.
  • Keep a light but steady GK habit; the General Knowledge section counts toward final selection even though it sits outside the percentile cut-off.

⚠️ Common mistakes

  • Preparing only with CAT material and being caught off-guard by Decision Making and the negative-marking-for-blanks rule.
  • Chasing every question and triggering the un-attempted penalty instead of managing attempts deliberately.

Frequently asked questions

What is the XAT syllabus?

The XAT syllabus covers Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, General Knowledge. XAT (conducted by XLRI) is a national MBA-entrance test in India, best known for its Decision Making section. It is scored on a percentile basis across four areas.

What is the XAT exam pattern?

Xavier Aptitude Test (XLRI) has 100 questions across 4 sections in 195 minutes, with negative marking of -0.25 per wrong answer.

How many sections are there in XAT?

XAT is organised into 4 sections: Verbal & Logical Ability (26 Q), Decision Making (21 Q), Quantitative + Data Interpretation (28 Q), GK + Essay (25 Q).

Where can I practise the full XAT syllabus for free?

Wrexa Edge offers 10 free full-length XAT mock tests that cover the entire syllabus in the real exam interface, with instant scoring and topic-wise analysis.

Start a free XAT mock test →