The Decision Making section is unique to XAT and often decides who gets the call, and it rewards the students who practise caselets every single day. These sample papers give you 10 fresh sets of business and ethical situations so you can build judgment and speed before the real exam.

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XAT Decision Making Sample Papers 2026

XAT Decision Making Sample Paper 1

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XAT Decision Making Sample Paper 2

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XAT Decision Making Sample Paper 3

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XAT Decision Making Sample Paper 4

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XAT Decision Making Sample Paper 5

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XAT Decision Making Sample Paper 6

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XAT Decision Making Sample Paper 7

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XAT Decision Making Sample Paper 8

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XAT Decision Making Sample Paper 9

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XAT Decision Making Sample Paper 10

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Each Decision Making sample paper carries 21 questions built on business and ethical caselets, and you should finish one in a single timed sitting of about 48 minutes. Read every caselet fully, then check each answer against the detailed reasoning before you start the next paper.

You can download all 10 papers free on Collegedunia, and more official XAT material is available on the official XAT website once registration opens.

 

  • Section share: Decision Making carries about 21 questions in the analytical Part 1 of XAT.
  • Paper format: short caselets describing a business or ethical situation, each followed by a few questions.
  • Marking: +1 for a correct answer and -0.25 for a wrong one; leaving many questions blank also carries a small penalty in the real exam.
  • Time budget: at the Part 1 rate of about 2.27 minutes per question, plan on roughly 48 minutes for a 21-question set.
  • Skills tested: stakeholder analysis, ethical judgment, and choosing the most fair and workable course of action.
  • Level: graduate level, testing judgment rather than any formula, which is why it is unique to XAT.

XAT Decision Making Sample Papers

XAT Decision Making Exam Pattern and Marks Distribution 2026

The Decision Making section sits in Part 1 of XAT, the analytical part, so your practice papers should match its rules. Knowing the numbers helps you decide how much time to give each caselet.

  • Questions: about 21 questions built on several short caselets, each with a few questions.
  • Marks: one mark per question, with 0.25 deducted for every wrong answer.
  • Time: at the Part 1 rate of about 2.27 minutes per question, a full section takes roughly 48 minutes.
  • Question types: ethical dilemmas, management and strategy choices, stakeholder conflicts, and situational judgment.
  • Focus: the caselet is the only source of facts, so decide from the situation given, not from outside assumptions.

Key advice: read the whole caselet and list who is affected before you look at the options, because the best answer is almost always the one that is fair to every stakeholder and still workable in practice.

XAT Decision Making Sample Papers - Why Recent Papers Matter Most

XAT Decision Making has grown more nuanced over the years, and simple right-or-wrong practice no longer reflects the exam. Recent-style sample papers train you for the balanced judgment the section actually rewards.

  • Caselets now weigh several stakeholders at once, so newer papers build the habit of considering every side.
  • The best option is rarely the most extreme one, so current papers train you to reject options that punish or reward one party fully.
  • Some caselets mix in simple data, so recent papers keep you ready to combine judgment with a quick calculation.

XAT Decision Making Topic Wise Weightage - High Scoring Caselets to Focus in Sample Papers

Within the section the marks cluster around a few recurring caselet types. Use this table to see which situations to drill hardest in your sample papers.

Caselet Type Questions Difficulty What to Watch For
Ethical dilemmas 5-7 Hard Choosing the honest, fair action over the merely convenient one
Management and strategy 4-6 Moderate to Hard The option that is both effective and workable, not just bold
Stakeholder conflict 3-5 Moderate to Hard Balancing the interests of every party the decision touches
Employee and HR situations 2-4 Moderate Being fair to the individual without harming the wider team
Data-based decisions 2-3 Moderate Reading a number from the caselet to support the right judgment

Note: ethical-dilemma caselets carry the most marks and decide ranks, so drill them hardest, and always eliminate the extreme options first.

XAT Decision Making Sample Paper Video Solutions 2026 - Watch Before You Start Solving

A short method video before your first paper shows you how to break a caselet into its stakeholders and options instead of guessing. It also teaches the elimination approach that saves precious minutes on close choices.

Watch the walkthrough below, then apply the same read-the-stakeholders and eliminate-the-extremes method to every sample paper you download here.

Watch:

Source: Top rules to master XAT Decision Making, covering how to read caselets, weigh stakeholders and eliminate extreme options (YouTube)

How to Use XAT Decision Making Sample Papers to Clear in First Attempt

These papers only help if you solve them like the real section and then review the reasoning behind every choice. Follow this routine to turn practice into a rising Decision Making score.

  • Set a 48-minute timer and solve one full paper of caselets in a single quiet sitting.
  • Decide strictly from the situation in the caselet, since -0.25 punishes any option based on outside assumptions.
  • After scoring, reread the caselet and see exactly why the balanced option beats the extreme one.
  • Note the trap you fell for, whether it was a harsh option, a soft option or one that ignored a stakeholder.
  • Track your accuracy per caselet type so you know which situations to drill in the next paper.
  • Solve a fresh paper every two to three days so your judgment and speed grow together.

XAT Decision Making Approach - The One Skill That Decides Your Score

The whole section stands on one skill, reading a situation calmly and choosing the fair, workable action. Building that habit through sample papers matters more than any trick for XAT.

  • Read the whole caselet first and list every stakeholder before you look at the options.
  • Reject the extreme options that fully punish or fully favour one party, as they are usually traps.
  • Prefer the option that is honest, fair to all sides and still practical to carry out.
  • Answer only from the facts in the caselet, and do not invent details the situation does not give.

XAT Decision Making 4 Week Preparation Plan Using Sample Papers

  • Week 1: Learn the stakeholder-and-options method and solve sample papers 1 to 3 untimed to get used to caselets.
  • Week 2: Solve papers 4 to 6 under a 48-minute timer and build an error log of the caselet types you miss.
  • Week 3: Solve papers 7 to 9 timed, focus revision on ethical dilemmas, and practise eliminating extremes quickly.
  • Week 4: Solve paper 10 as a final timed test, then keep the last two days for light revision and error-log review only.

FAQs on XAT Decision Making Sample Papers 2026

Ques.How many questions are there in the XAT Decision Making section?

Ans.The Decision Making section has about 21 questions built on several short caselets, and it sits in the analytical Part 1 of XAT.

Ques.Is there a fixed formula to solve XAT Decision Making questions?

Ans.No. Decision Making tests judgment, not a formula. The reliable method is to list the stakeholders, reject the extreme options, and choose the action that is fair to all sides and still workable.

Ques.How much time should I spend on one Decision Making sample paper?

Ans.Plan on about 48 minutes for a 21-question set, which matches the Part 1 rate of roughly 2.27 minutes per question, so you learn to judge caselets without running over time.

Ques.Why is Decision Making considered the toughest XAT section?

Ans.Because the options are often all reasonable at first glance, and the difference between them is subtle. Steady caselet practice is the only way to train the fine judgment the section demands.

Ques.Does the Decision Making section have negative marking?

Ans.Yes, each wrong answer costs 0.25 marks, and leaving many questions blank in Part 1 also carries a small penalty, so weigh each caselet carefully before you answer.

Ques.Where can I download free XAT Decision Making sample papers 2026?

Ans.You can download all 10 XAT Decision Making sample papers free on Collegedunia, each with detailed reasoning for every option and an answer key.