Home | XAT 2027 Exam Date, Application, Eligibility, Pattern

XAT 2027 Exam Date, Application, Eligibility, Pattern

XAT 2027 Exam Update

The XAT 2027 exam will be conducted on January 3, 2027.  The registration for the exam began on July 15, 2026, along with the release of the official notification. Students will have till December 6, 2026, to fill out their application forms. Candidates have to apply online by visiting https://xatonline.in/.
 
The admit card is set to be released starting from December 20, 2026, till the day of the exam, and the dates for the correction window are yet to be released.
 
The response sheet and provisional answer key will be released in the second week of January 2027, after the exam is concluded. The objection window against the provisional answer key will remain active for the next 2 days, during which students can raise their objections.
 
The deadline to register for the XAT 2027 exam is December 6, 2026. The exam will take place in 100+ cities in India in a computer-based mode. In the XAT 2027 application form, candidates will have the opportunity to choose at least 6 cities in which they would like to take the test.
 
This year, the exam pattern will remain the same as last year, which is divided into two sections (170 minutes for the primary section and 10 minutes for the GK section), spanning 180 minutes, and the Analytical Essay Writing section will be conducted later during the GD/PI stage and not during the exam.
 
In addition, there will be 20 questions in the GK section (12 Current Affairs and 8 Static GK). The total number of questions in the exam will be 95, which was reduced from 101 in 2025.
 
Section-wise breakdown:
 
 
The exam will be supervised by XLRI Jamshedpur for admission to over 800 colleges on a pan-India basis. The official mock tests for exam preparation will be released on multiple occasions, starting from September to October, and may extend to November 2026.
 
The formal XAT 2026 notification was released on July 15, 2026, marking the commencement of the registration process. The XAT 2027 admit cards will be released on December 20, 2026. Along with additional information, such as the registration procedure, application cost, and required documents, candidates can apply for admission to MBA programs on the official website at xatonline.com.
 

XAT 2027 Notification

The official XAT 2027 notification, which contained all the pertinent details, including the XAT 2027 registration dates, XAT eligibility criteria, XAT 2027 exam dates, XAT 2027 syllabus, exam cost, and more, was published on July 15, 2026.
 
The XAT 2027 registration period began on July 15, 2026, and will conclude on December 6, 2026, according to the XAT 2027 notification.
 
The XAT 2027 exam date is January 03, 2026. This test is essential for admission to XLRI and other 800+ Indian MBA colleges that accept XAT scores
 

XAT 2027 Notification: Crucial Exam Dates

On its official website, XLRI announced the dates for XAT 2027. For your reference, the following table lists the schedule and significant dates of XAT 2027 in accordance with the official notification issued by XLRI:
 
XAT 2027 Events XAT 2027 Dates
XAT 2027 registration starts July 15, 2026
Official XAT mock test 2027 September/October 2026
Mock test registration deadline
TBA
XAT 2027 registration ends December 6, 2026
XAT 2027 Application Form Correction Window
TBA
Release of XAT admit card 2027 December 20, 2026
XAT 2027 exam January 3, 2027
XAT 2027 Response Sheet TBA
XAT 2027 Provisional Answer Key Release Second week of January 2027
XAT 2027 Final Answer Key Third week of January 2027
XAT 2027 result announcement Third week of January 2027
 

XAT Eligibility Criteria

XAT 2027 registration will be closed on December 6, 2026, and only eligible candidates who meet the requirements will be allowed to fill out the application form.
 
To make an informed decision about your ability to take the XAT 2027 Exam, see the XAT Eligibility Criteria.
 
 

XAT 2027 Registration Process

The XAT 2027 exam will be concluded on January 3, 2026, in a single time slot during the day. The detailed XAT 2027 Registration Process is provided below. To prevent any last-minute trouble, all serious XAT applicants must act quickly and complete the XAT registration form:
 
XAT Registration Steps
XAT 2027 Registration Procedure
Visit the official website of XAT 2027
All new applicants for XAT 2027 are required to click on the 'Registration' button on the official website (https://www.xatonline.in/).
Register and enter your Personal Details.
To continue with the XAT 2027 application form, enter your information and the relevant requirements to create a user ID and password.
After completing the process, XLRI will send you a verification email.
You will be taken to the XAT application form 2027 after clicking on the link.
Verify Your Email ID
To log in and complete the XAT application form, candidates need to confirm their email address and obtain their XAT ID.
Provide your information and scan the documents
You need to fill in the following details:
Personal information
Educational qualifications
Work experience after graduation
Choice of XLRI PGDM programs
Preferred test cities
Before beginning the scanning process, make sure you have all of your documents close at hand and thoroughly read the instructions.
Remit the application fee online and register successfully
Online payment methods for registration include credit/debit cards, UPI, and net banking.
You can successfully register for the exam after making the payment.
Download the application form and print it out for future reference
Make sure you print and save the application.
Your XAT admission card will be downloaded using the enrolment ID you provided on the form.
 
Candidates can select up to 6 cities while filling out the XAT 2027 application form.
 

XAT 2027 Registration Fee

The renewed XAT 2027 registration fee is ?2300, which is an increase of ?100 compared to last year. Indian candidates have to pay an extra ?200 for each XLRI program they applied to. Indian candidates have to pay ?2600 for the PGDM (GM) program through GMAT/GRE, which is also an increase of ?100 compared to last year’s ?2500, whereas NRI/Foreign/PIO/OCI candidates have to pay ?5000, which remains the same.
 
 

XAT Exam Pattern 2027

The XAT exam pattern was changed in the 2025 exam. This year, the pattern will remain the same as in 2027, with no changes. There will be no essay writing in the main exam, and it will be conducted during the GD/PI rounds, same as last year. Check out the highlights of XLRI's 2027 XAT exam format below:
 
XAT Exam Structure
Details
Exam mode
Computer-Based Test
Exam sections
Part 1: Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (170 minutes)
Part 2: General Knowledge (10 minutes)
Duration of exam
180 minutes
Number of questions
95
Total marks
95
Question Type
MCQ
Number of answer choices
Five
XAT marking scheme
+1 mark for correct answer
- 0.25 marks for incorrect answer
- 0.10 marks for more than 8 unattempted questions
No negative marking in the GK section
 

The XAT syllabus 2027

Quantitative ability, data interpretation, verbal and logical ability, and general knowledge are all included in the XAT syllabus 2027. Decision-making is a special area of XAT. The primary subjects of the XAT syllabus 2027 are listed below:
 
XAT Sections
XAT Topics
Verbal and Logical Ability
Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Analogy, Para Jumble, Grammar, Critical Reasoning, Fill in the Blanks
Decision Making
Seating Arrangement, Logical Sequencing, Assumptions, Premises, Conclusions, etc.
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
Tables and Caselets, Percentage, Surds and Indices, Algebra, Mensuration, Bar Diagrams, Pie Charts, etc.
General Knowledge
Science, Economy, Business, Politics, Static GK, Sports, Prizes and Awards, World, Government, Constitution of India, etc.
 

XAT Admit Card 2027

The XAT 2027 admit card XAT 2027 admit card will be released on the official XAT website starting from December 20, 2026, till the exam day. The instructions for downloading the admit card are listed below:
 

XAT Answer Key 2027

After the test, XLRI will make the XAT response sheet and provisional answer key available, probably in the first week of January 2027. Applicants will have the chance to review their answers, calculate their scores, and file objections, if any. They can download the provisional XAT answer key for 2027. Here's how to get the official XAT answer key:
Candidates can challenge the provisional answer key on the official website. Candidates may use an online form to object if they believe that the official response to any question is inaccurate. The provisional answer key will be updated if any of the objections turn out to be accurate.
 

XAT Result 2027

The XAT 2027 result/scorecard is expected to be released in the third week of January 2027, while the final answer key is expected to be released in the second week of January 2027. After its release, students can download their scorecards from the official website. Students can also pay a fee of Rs 300 to get a physical copy of their XAT scorecards. 
 
Candidates can check their XAT 2027 result by following the steps mentioned below:
 

Previous Year's XAT Cut-Offs

The XAT cut-offs for XLRI will be made public a week following the announcement of the results. For reference, see the XAT 2026 cut-offs listed below.
 
XAT 2026 Cut-Offs: MBA BM
Category
QA
VALR
DM
Overall
Engineer/Tech Male
88
79
74
96
Engineer/Tech Female
83
75
70
91
Non-Engineer Male
88
79
74
96
Non-Engineer Female
83
75
70
91
 
XAT 2026 Cut-Offs: MBA HR
Category
QA
VALR
DM
Overall
Engineer/Tech Male
86
77
71
95
Engineer/Tech Female
80
73
67
90
Non-Engineer Male
84
77
71
93
Non-Engineer Female
80
73
67
87
 

Top Colleges That Take XAT Scores

The list of some of the well-known B-Schools that accept XAT scores is shown below. Approximately 800 MBA colleges in India accept XAT scores for MBA/PGDM admission:
 
 

FAQs

 
Q1. Is a score of 27 on the XAT considered good?
A good, middling score on the XAT is 27. Depending on the difficulty of the year, it typically corresponds to the 85th to 90th percentile range.
 
Q2. Is XAT as difficult as CAT?
Although they assess different ability sets, the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is generally thought to be a little more difficult than the Common Admission Test (CAT).
 
Q3. Who can sit for the XAT exam 2027?
You must be in your last year of graduation or have a bachelor's degree in any field from an accredited university for at least three years to take the XAT exam in January 2027. There is no age restriction, no minimum score requirement, and no requirement for prior work experience.
 
Q4. Is it possible to crack XAT in a month?
Yes, you can pass the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) in just one month if you have already studied for other management tests like the CAT, which means you already understand about 70% of the core syllabus (verbal and quantitative principles).
 
Q5. How many people take the XAT?
XAT 2027 registration is expected to increase. Every year, between 1.35 and 1.42 lakh people register for the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT), and between 90,000 and 1 lakh individuals actively take the examination on test day.