As per the initial reaction and experts' analysis (IMS), and from real-time buzz, X (Twitter) posts that the XAT 2026 was moderately difficult.

• Experts noted it required strong fundamentals, ethical reasoning in DM, and time management, with ambiguity in some questions.

• Compared to 2025, QA-DI was lengthier, but VALR and DM were more doable.

• Emphasis on conceptual depth over speed; on-screen calculator-aided QA-DI. No essay section.

As per the @catguruji, 38-40+ marks for 99th percentile; 33+ for 97th, based on trends and previous years’ projections.

XAT 2026 Paper Analysis: Students' Reaction

The student feedback gathered by CollegeDunia for XAT 2026 shows that the exam was moderately difficult, with QA & DI being the most challenging section. Around 60–65% of candidates found Quant time-consuming and tougher than expected.

While Arushi and Satyam struggled in Quant, Saina and Drishti found DM and VA easier, leading to better attempts. Kush Bansal said that the GK section was easy and largely based on 2025 current affairs.

Overall sentiment remains positive, with good attempts estimated at 55–60 questions and cut-offs expected to remain stable due to easier DM, VA, and GK sections.

XAT 2026 Paper Analysis

XAT 2026 Section-wise Analysis

The XAT 2026 was slightly tougher than XAT 2025, especially in QA-DI with calculation-heavy questions and time pressure.

As per experts from IMS, and TIME, the Difficulty Order of the XAT 2026 sections is QA-DI > VALR ≈ DM, with the QA-DI (lengthy arithmetic and DI sets) being the toughest section.

Users on X (Twitter) and early Reddit threads reported that XAT 2026 was tougher compared to XAT 2025, with lower cutoffs due to complex reasoning and calculations.

Biggest surprises: Lengthy calculations in QA, multi-layered ethical cases in DM, denser inference-based RCs in VALR. Expected 99 percentile: 35-40 marks (much lower than XAT 2025's 40+) - @Harshita123432

XAT 2026 Good Attempts

XAT 2026 Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning (VALR) Analysis

The VALR section in XAT 2026 is expected to be moderate to difficult, with a focus on reading comprehension, para‑jumbles, and critical reasoning. Students are advised to prioritize accuracy over attempts due to negative marking.

Safe Good Attempt: 13–16 questions

XAT 2026 Decision Making (DM) Analysis

The DM section tests ethical reasoning, caselets, and business decision-making skills. This section can be time-consuming but is scoring if approached logically.

Safe Good Attempt: 10–12 questions

XAT 2026 Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA-DI) Analysis

QA-DI is generally moderate to difficult, often determining percentile. Focus on accuracy and time management, as some DI sets can be lengthy.

Safe Good Attempt: 15–18 questions

XAT 2026 General Knowledge (GK) Analysis

GK in XAT 2026 is moderate, mostly static/general awareness. Does not affect the percentile but is important for interviews.

Safe Good Attempt: 10–12 questions

XAT Score vs Percentile 2026 (Expected)

XAT 2025 Analysis

The section-wise distribution of questions is now updated here based on the analysis of XAT 2025 paper by experts. [Source: Career Launcher]

XAT 2025 Analysis: Verbal & Logical Ability

XAT 2025 Analysis: Decision Making

XAT 2025 Analysis: Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation

XAT 2025 Analysis: General Knowledge

XAT Exam Analysis 2025

XAT Exam Analysis 2025 is updated here based on the initial reactions of the students. 

XAT 2025 Analysis

The section-wise distribution of questions is now updated here based on the analysis of XAT 2025 paper by experts. [Source: Career Launcher]

XAT 2025 Analysis: Verbal & Logical Ability

XAT 2025 Analysis: Decision Making

XAT 2025 Analysis: Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation

XAT Exam Analysis 2024

XAT 2024 analysis is updated here based on the initial reactions of the students. 

XAT Exam Analysis 2022

XAT 2022 concluded on Jan 2, 2022. Given below is the overall exam analysis along with the number of good attempts. As per the test takers,​

• The paper was of moderate to high difficulty. VALR and DM were not very tough and did not have too many tricky questions.

• QADI has been reported to be the toughest with plenty of lengthy questions. Some students also reported that this section was more DI-oriented.

• GK was the toughest. The questions were from geography, polity, science & tech, and current affairs.

• Also, In the Essay Writing section, candidates had the option of selecting 1 out of the 2 question choices. Only 10 minutes were given for the essay writing section. The two topics of essay were:

  • Candidates with stellar academic record are preferred by B-schools for admission but they make average managers

  • Capitalism and democracy follow different logics

XAT Exam Analysis 2022: VALR 

The overall difficulty level of this section was easy to moderate. XAT VALR section had 26 questions:

• 4 RC passages with 3 questions each. The topics of the passages were Stupidity, Conformism, Bullshit, and Lifestyles.

• 2 poems with 3 questions each.

• 2 fill in the blanks

• 4 critical reasoning questions

• 3 grammar-based questions

• 2 para jumbles.

XAT Exam Analysis 2022: QADI

The overall difficulty level of QADI was high. There were 28 questions and DI dominated the section. There were 4 DI sets having 3 questions each. 7 questions of moderate difficulty were asked from Number system and probability accounted for only 1 question. The distribution of questions in XAT 2022 QADI is given below:

XAT Exam Analysis 2022: DM (Decision Making)

XAT DM section had 7 passages of easy-moderate level having 3 questions each. The questions did not require any analytical skills and were doable in the stipulated time. The topics of the passages are tabulated below for your reference:

XAT Exam Analysis 2021

Here are some highlights about the XAT 2021 Exam held on 3rd January, 2021 - 

• Candidates found the Overall Difficulty Level to be Moderate to Difficult

• The Decision Making Section was found to be the easiest to solve. 

• However, the Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation section was the most difficult section to solve. 

• The Data Interpretation questions were lengthy and took extra time to solve. 

• Here is a sectional breakdown of the sections for XAT 2021 - 

XAT 2021 Verbal and Logical Ability Analysis

• There were a total of 26 questions in the XAT VA section. The questions were similar to that of last year; inferential and application based.

• There were 17 RC questions from 6 passages and 1 poem. Passages were about 150 to 350 words.

• This section was found to be significantly more difficult than last year. 

• The expected cut off for the Verbal Ability section would be around 9 to 10 marks according to various reports. 

• The options were similar in nature which could have been confusing for some canidates.

XAT 2021 Decision Making Analysis

Given below are the major takeaways from XAT 2021 Decision Making - 

• There were a total of 21 questions in the DM Section. Zero questions came from quant.

• Most of the questions were short and understandable, whereas some questions were tricky and ambiguous. 

• Most of the questions were Business Related in nature. 

• The overall difficulty level of this section was found to be moderately difficult. 

• Various reports suggest that the sectional cut off for this section would be around 8-9 marks.

• Overall, questions were harder compaerd to previous year.

XAT 2021 Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation Analysis

• There were around 28 questions from this section. 

• This section was found to be the most difficult in the XAT 2021 paper. 

• Most of the questions came from the Quant Section(22 questions), out of which 20 were standalone. 

• The Data Interpretation section consisted of 6 questions. 

• The DI section had 3 sets with 3 questions each.

• The DI Section was very time consuming. 

• Various sources suggest that the sectional cut off for this section would be around 10 to 12 marks. 

• Here is the breakdown for the XAT 2021 QA/DI section: 

XAT 2021 General Knowledge Analysis

• There were a total of 25 questions to be attempted within 15 minutes. 

• This section was moderate in difficulty. 

• Most of the questions were based on Static General Knowledge questions. 

• Static GK Questions were asked from the following topics - 

  • CEO/CM 

  • Olympics

  • National Parks

  • Mountains

  • Authors

  • History

XAT Exam Analysis 2020

XAT Exam Analysis 2020

Previous Year Question Papers are the best guide to prepare for XAT. The section-wise detailed paper analysis of the previous is given below. 

XAT 2020 Verbal and Logical Ability Analysis

Chapter	Number of Questions	Difficulty Level	Ideal Attempt
Reading Comprehension	4 passage with 3 questions each	Moderate to Difficult	7
CR	5	Moderate to Difficult	3
Poem Comprehension	2	Moderate	-
Analogy	1	Difficult	-
Antonym	1	Moderate	1
Para Jumble	2	Moderate	1-2
Fill in the Blanks	3	Difficult	1-2

Key Highlights of XAT 2020 Verbal and Logical Ability Analysis:

• The section had overall 26 questions with difficulty level a notch up than 2019 session.

• Reading comprehension were coving arts, psychology and social issues.

• XLRI focusses quite a lot on Verbal and language comprehension skills of a candidate. Thus this section is of prime importance. 

• There was 1 poem which was moderate-difficult. 2 para jumble questions were moderate.

• Fill in the blanks questions were difficult CR questions were quite difficult.

• An ideal attempt was considered covering 16 to 18 questions with 70% accuracy.

XAT 2020 Decision Making Analysis

Decision making section was similar to previous years. 21 Situation decision making questions were to be answered.

• Level of difficulty fo situational questions was moderate.

• There were no singlets thus it was easy to attempt decision making. 

• No questions were asked from mathematical or analytical reasoning

• Decision making section in 2020 was rather boring according to students.

• Many students avoided sequence questions.

• 16-17 attempts is considered good for clearing the sectional cutoff.

XAT 2020 Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation Analysis

Chapter	Number of Questions	Difficulty Level
Arithmetic	4	Easy
Algebra	7	Moderate
Coordinate Geometry	4	Moderate
Geometry	4	Difficult
Data Sufficiency	2	Moderate
DI-Time Zone	3	Difficult
DI-Mixed Graphs	3	Moderate

Key Highlights of XAT 2020 Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation Analysis:

• In comparison to XAT 2019 quants was comparatively difficult to attempt in 2020.

• There were a total of 27 questions out of which 21 questions were prominently covered by Algebra and Geometry section.

• DI questions consisted of tables, graphs, and sets.

• One question was found to be incorrect and candidates were allotted buffer marks for that section.

• An ideal attempt considered was 2-3 DI questions and 13-15 questions on quants. 

XAT 2020 General Knowledge Analysis

Aspect	Number of Questions	Level of Difficulty
History	1	Moderate
Geography	4	Moderate
Economy	7	Easy
Current Affairs	2	Easy
Personality and Awards	3	Moderate
Science and Technology	2	Moderate
Polity	2	Easy
Miscellaneous	2	Difficult
Sports	2	Moderate

Key Highlights of XAT Decision Making Paper Analysis:

• General knowledge nerve lies in good time management as candidates have to attempt a total of 25 questions in 15 minutes.

• Questions are asked from current affairs and static general knowledge.

• At times there are multiple correct options for one question. Level of difficulty was not more or less compared to 2019.

• Attempting 12-14 questions with accuracy is considered good attempt. 

XAT Exam Analysis 2019

XAT Exam Analysis 2019

Section	Max. Questions	Good Attempts	Difficulty Level
Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning	26	16 – 18	Difficult
Decision Making	21	16 – 17	Moderate
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation	27	17 – 18	Moderate
General Awareness	25	12 – 14	Moderate

XAT Exam Analysis 2019: Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning

A brief about XAT Previous year paper for 2019 for the Verbal & Reasoning section is that the section had a total of 26 questions. 

• This section was tougher than the last year, mainly because of questions from the Verbal section.

• The section was dominated by Reading Comprehensions, having real time-consuming questions.

• RC passages consisted of questions from art, psychology, and social problems.

• Other questions were from topics like critical reasoning, poem comprehension, analogy, antonym, para-jumbles, fill in the blanks, etc. 

• A well-prepared student could have attempted 16 – 18 questions with 65% accuracy.

Topic-wise distribution of the XAT VA & LR section for the 2019 exam:

XAT Exam Analysis 2019: Decision Marking & Analytical Reasoning

Previous Year analysis for XAT Decision Making tests helps you to get an idea that how prepared you are for a management level course.

• The difficulty level of this section was again similar to last year. Decision Making questions dominated the section with 18 questions.

• There were no questions from Mathematical/ Analytical Reasoning.

• There were 3 questions that were similar to those that were there in the previous year’s papers. 

• All questions were of moderate level.

Topic	No. of Ques.	Good Attempts	Difficulty
Situational Decision Making	21	16 -17	Moderate

XAT Exam Analysis 2019: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

The section was slightly tougher than last year’s.

• A few questions were tricky and few of them were a little ambiguous.

• Questions were mainly asked from Arithmetic, Algebra, Coordinate geometry, Trignometry, DI Time zone, etc. 

• A good attempt would be 17-18 with an accuracy of 70%.

• An ideal time to attempt this section would be about 65 – 70 minutes.

• Questions were a mix of easy, moderate, and difficult questions.

The chart gives the topic-wise distribution of XAT Quantitative Ability & XAT Data Interpretation section for 2019:

Previous Years Exam Analysis XAT General Awareness 2019

Most of the questions were a single statement based. Some of the questions had more than one seemingly correct statement. The questions were mainly asked from sub-topics like Economy & Business, History, Geography, Sports, polity, etc. If you keep yourself updated with all these topics then you can easily score well in this section. There were 25 questions in total.

The chart below gives a fair idea about the Topic-wise distribution of the General Awareness section for the XAT 2019 exam.

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XAT Exam Analysis 2018

XAT Exam Analysis 2018

Considering XAT 2018 was held in online mode, it was marred by a number of connectivity issues. Thus, in an official statement by XLRI, the exam was rescheduled for two of its exam centers (Kolkata & Gurgaon). The exam was of moderate difficulty level. XAT Previous Year topic wise analysis for 2018 is given below:

Section-wise XAT Analysis 2018

• Quantitative Ability: This section had 27 questions of easy level.

• Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning: This section had 26 questions of a moderate level.

• Decision Making: This section had 22 questions that were tricky and time-consuming.

• General Knowledge: This section had 25. About 50% were from current affairs.

XAT Cutoff for Different XLRI Programs

Program Offered	Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning	Decision Making	Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation	Overall (Percentage/ Marks)
Business Management	79.46%	76.84%	88.7%	96%
Human Resource Management	79.67%	71.628%	70.07%	92.55%
Global Management Programme	5 marks and above	5 marks and above	6 marks above	22 marks and above

XAT Previous Year Exam Analysis (2018/2017/2016)

Year	2018	2017	2016
Total Questions	100	98	104
Duration	3 hours	3 hours	3 hours
Mode of Exam	Online	Offline	Offline
Type of Questions	MCQs + Descriptive	MCQs + Descriptive	MCQs + Descriptive
Answer Options	5	5	5
Level of Difficulty	Moderate to High	Moderate to High	High
Total Sections	3+2	3+2	3+2
Distribution of Questions	VALR - 26 DM - 22 NA & DI - 27 GK - 25	VALR - 24 DM - 21 NA & DI - 27 GK - 25	VALR - 26 DM - 23 NA & DI - 29 GK - 25
Special Case	0.05 marks per question if more than 8 questions were un-attempted	0.05 marks per question if more than 12 questions were un-attempted	0.05 marks per question if more than 13 questions were un-attempted

 

XAT Exam Analysis 2017

XAT Exam Analysis 2017

XAT 2017 Exam took place in a single slot on January 08, 2017, across multiple centers. The Paper was divided into 4 sections - Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning, Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability, and General Knowledge. The level of difficulty of the XAT Paper ranged from moderate to high. The exam was held in offline mode.

• Verbal & Logical Ability: Multiple questions could have been easily attempted as RC passages were not very difficult. Para jumbles, however, were time-consuming. Critical reasoning was moderately difficult.

• Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning: Unlike the previous year, there were no long passages on DM. The questions on cricket, snakes & ladder were confusing.

• Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability: DI sets were quite tricky and geometry was also not easy. Few questions were ambiguous.

• GK: Most questions this year were single statement-based. Maximum questions were from economics, geography, science, technology.

While the overall difficulty level of the exam was moderate. Questions in quantitative ability were comparably hard and the verbal ability section was slightly easier than the previous years. XAT Previous Year topic wise analysis is given below:

Section-wise XAT 2017 Analysis

Sections	Questions	Difficulty Level
Verbal & Logical Ability	26	Low to Moderate
Decision Making & Analytical Reasoning	22	Moderate to High
Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability	27	High
GK	25	Moderate

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XAT Exam Pattern 2025

Given below are the salient features of the revised XAT 2025 test pattern:

• Number of Sections: 3 sections in Part 1, Mock keyboard testing in Part 2, and 2 sections in Part 3

• Number of questions: 102

• Type of questions: 101 MCQs and 1 Descriptive Essay (3 question options)

• Total Marks: 101 (1 mark for every MCQ)

• Negative Marking: 0.25 marks for wrong answers and 0.10 after 8 unanswered questions.

• Total Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes.

XAT vs CAT vs SNAP

Exam Name	CAT	SNAP	XAT
Conducting Body	IIMs	Symbiosis International Deemed University	XLRI
Exam Mode	Computer-Based Test	Computer-Based Test	Computer-Based Test
Frequency of Exam	Once a Year	Once a Year	Once a Year
Duration	2 Hours (120 Minutes)	1 Hour (60 Minutes)	3.30 Hours (210 Minutes)
Number of Sections	03	03	04
Sectional Time Limit	Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) – 40 Minutes Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning – 40 Minutes Quantitative Ability – 40 Minutes	No sectional Time	Part 1 - 175 mins Part 2 – 5 mins Part 3- 30 mins
Types of Question Format	66 Questions (MCQs + Non-MCQs)	60 MCQs	101 MCQs, 1 Descriptive
Option to Choose Order of Sections	Candidates are not allowed to switch between sections	The candidate can answer questions in any section	Candidates can switch sections in part 1.
Total Marks	198	60	101 (Essay evaluated later only for PI shortlisted candidates)
Negative Marking for Incorrect Answer	-33%	-25%	-25%
Difficulty Level	Moderate to Difficult	Easy to Moderate	Moderate to Difficult
Top MBA Colleges Accepting Exam Score	21 IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IMI, IMT, IITs, TAPMI, XIMB and hundreds of other B-schools	SIBM Pune, SCMHRD Pune, SIIB Pune, SIBM Bangalore & 12 other Symbiosis institutes	XLRI Jamshedpur, XIM Bhubaneswar, IMT Ghaziabad, MICA Ahmedabad, Great Lakes, TAPMI Manipal, GIM Goa, K J Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai, FORE New Delhi