XAT 2027 guide: sections, marking, Decision Making and how to prepare
XAT 2027 at a glance: sections, negative marking and the skip rule, dates, fee, Decision Making method, and a plan that sits beside CAT 2026.
7 min read · updated 2026-11
XAT 2027 at a glance
XAT is the Xavier Aptitude Test. XLRI Jamshedpur conducts it on behalf of XAMI, and over 250 institutes recognise the score. Each institute sets its own weights and selection process, so read the institute's own page for how it uses your XAT score.
| Item | XAT 2027 |
|---|---|
| Conducted by | XLRI Jamshedpur for XAMI |
| Exam day | Sunday, 3 January 2027, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM |
| Mode | Computer-based, one afternoon slot, with a scientific calculator inside the exam interface |
| Registration | 15 July to 6 December 2026 |
| Admit card | From 20 December 2026 (tentative) |
| Result | Last week of January 2027; scorecard download 31 January to 30 June 2027 |
| Fee | Rs 2,300, plus Rs 200 for each XLRI programme. NRI, foreign, PIO and OCI applicants applying through GMAT pay Rs 5,000 |
| Duration | 180 minutes: 170 for Part 1, then a separate 10-minute GK part |
As of 6 November 2026, registration is open and closes in 30 days. Register early; do not wait for the last weekend.
Who can apply
- A recognised Bachelor's degree of at least three years, in any discipline.
- Final-year students can apply if their final exams are completed by 11 June 2027.
- The XAT FAQ states no minimum graduation percentage and no work-experience condition for sitting the test. Check each programme page for its own criteria.
- Only full-time work experience gained after graduation is counted.
- Indian candidates must appear for XAT 2027. NRI, foreign, OCI and PIO candidates may apply through GMAT.
The sections
The scored part has three sections. The counts below are the bulletin's 'about' figures from the 2026 overview PDF, and they match the table on the XAT 2027 home page. The exact 2027 paper can differ by a question or two.
| Section | Questions (about) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VA & LR) | 26 | Part 1 |
| Decision Making (DM) | 21 | Part 1 |
| Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation (QA & DI) | 28 | Part 1 |
| General Knowledge (GK) | 20 | Separate 10-minute part. No negative marking. Not counted in the percentile. Used only by XLRI |
The total is about 95 questions including GK. Part 1 is about 75 questions (26 + 21 + 28) in 170 minutes. XAT states only overall time limits, so you decide how to split the 170 minutes.
Marking and the skip rule
Each question carries 1 mark. A wrong answer costs 0.25. You can skip up to 8 questions with no penalty. Each skipped question after the 8th costs 0.1. The GK part has no negative marking.
- Skipped = 75 - 55 = 20.
- Penalised skips = 20 - 8 = 12, so skip penalty = 12 x 0.1 = 1.2.
- Wrong-answer penalty = 11 x 0.25 = 2.75.
- Score = 44 - 2.75 - 1.2 = 40.05.
Answer: 40.05 marks. Your accuracy was 44/55 = 80%.
- If you are right with probability p, the expected gain from a guess is p x 1 - (1 - p) x 0.25 = 1.25p - 0.25.
- At p = 0.5 that is 0.625 - 0.25 = 0.375.
- A skip is worth 0 while you still have free skips, and -0.1 after the 8th.
- A guess beats a free skip when 1.25p - 0.25 > 0, so p > 0.2. It beats a penalised skip when 1.25p - 0.25 > -0.1, so p > 0.12.
Answer: Guess. At 50% the expected gain is +0.375 against 0 or -0.1 for a skip. Spend your 8 free skips on questions where p is near 0.2 or lower.
Decision Making: the part CAT does not have
CAT 2026 has three sections: VARC, DILR and QA. XAT adds Decision Making, about 21 questions. Treat it as its own subject and practise it separately.
Whatever the exact mix in a given year, work every decision case with this routine.
- Read the last line first. What exactly must be decided, and by whom?
- List the hard constraints: budget, law, deadline, policy, safety.
- Cross out every option that breaks a stated constraint.
- Among the survivors, pick the one that fixes the stated problem with the least damage to the people involved.
- Check that you used only facts the case gives. Do not import a backstory.
- Profit per machine-hour: A 1,300; B 1,400; C 1,100; D 1,000.
- Take B first (50 h), then A (90 h used). C needs 60 more and would reach 150 h, so it does not fit.
- D needs 30 more and fits exactly: 90 + 30 = 120 h.
- Profit = 70,000 + 52,000 + 30,000 = 1,52,000.
- Check the rivals: B + C = 110 h gives 1,36,000. A + C = 100 h gives 1,18,000. A + B + C is 150 h, over the limit. None beats 1,52,000.
Answer: Accept A, B and D: 120 hours used, Rs 1,52,000 profit.
XAT versus CAT
| CAT 2026 | XAT 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, 29 November 2026, three sessions | Sunday, 3 January 2027, one afternoon slot |
| Duration | 120 minutes | 180 minutes (170 + 10 for GK) |
| Sections | VARC, DILR, QA | VA & LR, DM, QA & DI, plus GK |
| Time limit | Exactly 40 minutes per section, no switching | Overall limit only, no sectional limits |
| Questions | Count not published on the 2026 pages we checked | About 95, including about 20 GK |
| Marking | MCQ: +3 right, -1 wrong. Non-MCQ: no negative marks. Unattempted: 0 | +1 right, -0.25 wrong. 8 free skips, then -0.1 per skip |
| Fee | Rs 2,700 (Rs 1,350 for SC, ST, PwBD) | Rs 2,300 (no reserved concession stated) |
- CAT trains you to move on when a 40-minute clock ends. XAT hands you 170 minutes to allocate, so the skill is deciding where not to spend time.
- The skip rule changes the maths. CAT never charges you for leaving a question; XAT does after the 8th skip.
- If you sit both, CAT on 29 November and XAT on 3 January are 35 days apart. Use those 35 days for Decision Making, GK and XAT-style full tests.
- Total = 55 + 45 + 70 = 170 minutes.
- VA & LR: 55 / 26 = 2.12 minutes per question.
- Decision Making: 45 / 21 = 2.14 minutes per question.
- QA & DI: 70 / 28 = 2.5 minutes per question.
Answer: It fills the 170 minutes exactly and gives data and quant the most time per question. Treat it as a starting split to test in mocks, not an official one.
Plan from now to 3 January
From 6 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 is 58 days. If you also sit CAT on 29 November, you have 35 days after it.
| Phase | Dates | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Now to CAT | 6 to 29 Nov (23 days) | Keep your CAT routine. Add two Decision Making cases a day (about 20 minutes). Register for XAT before 6 December. |
| After CAT | 30 Nov to 13 Dec (14 days) | Learn the XAT section mix. Take one 170-minute full test a week and review it next morning. Write one timed 250-word argued piece a week as practice. |
| Final stretch | 14 Dec to 2 Jan (20 days) | Two full tests a week with a 10-minute GK drill at the end. Admit card is expected from 20 December (tentative). Keep the last two days for light revision. |
- ☐ If you are in final year, confirm your final exams end by 11 June 2027.
- ☐ Budget Rs 2,300, plus Rs 200 for each XLRI programme you add.
- ☐ Read the essay or written-ability section of the bulletin.
- ☐ Check each target institute's own cut-offs and weights.
- ☐ Practise with an on-screen scientific calculator, since that is what the interface offers.
Common questions
Is there negative marking in XAT 2027?
Yes. A wrong answer costs 0.25 marks. You can skip up to 8 questions free; each skip after the 8th costs 0.1. The GK part has no negative marking.
Does the GK section count in the XAT percentile?
No. GK is a separate 10-minute part with no negative marking. It is not counted in the percentile and is used only by XLRI.
Can I write XAT 2027 in my final year?
Yes, if your final exams will be completed by 11 June 2027. The basic requirement is a recognised Bachelor's degree of at least three years in any discipline.
Are there sectional time limits in XAT?
No. XAT states only overall limits: 170 minutes for the three scored sections and 10 minutes for GK. You decide how to split the 170.