XAT syllabus 2026 will be released by XLRI Jamsheedpur on the official XAT website at xatonline.in. XAT 2026 syllabus is expected to be the same as last year.
XAT syllabus 2026 includes Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, and General Knowledge. Candidates must analyze the XAT Exam Pattern and Syllabus before starting their preparation.
As per the dates released for XAT 2026, the examination is scheduled for 4 January 2026. This year, the authority will administer Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) during XAT GD/PI process.
Students can expect around 26 questions from VA & LR, 21 from decision making, 28 from QA & DI, and 20 from GK. XLRI Jamshedpur will utilize the GK section exclusively for the final selection process.
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Students can download the section-wise XAT Syllabus 2026 from the table below.
| Section | Syllabus PDF |
|---|---|
| Decision Making | Check Here |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Check Here |
| General Knowledge | Check Here |
What's the XAT Exam Syllabus?
Ans. XLRI Jamshedpur releases the XAT exam syllabus, and it requires a unique skillset to solve decision-making DI. The Syllabus is divided into 4 parts: 1) Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, 2) Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, 3) GK, 4) Essay.
Can I switch between sections during the exam?
Ans. Yes, candidates can switch between sections in Part 1 of the XAT examination. This will offer candidates flexibility in managing their time across sections.
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- XAT Syllabus 2026 Highlights
- XAT Syllabus 2026- Are There Any Changes?
- XAT Section-wise Syllabus
- XAT Syllabus for Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI)
- XAT Syllabus for Verbal and Logical Ability
- XAT Syllabus for Decision Making (DM)
- XAT Syllabus General Knowledge (GK)
- XAT Exam Pattern 2026
- XAT Syllabus 2026- Previous Years’ Papers
- XAT Syllabus FAQs
XAT Syllabus 2026 Highlights
XAT Syllabus 2026 will be divided into 5 sections. The key highlights of these sections of XAT 2026 Syllabus are tabulated below.
| Part | Section | Number of Questions | Topics | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | Critical and Analytical Reasoning, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Logical Deductions | 170 minutes |
| Decision Making | 21 | Caselet study, Data Arrangement, Decision making in a given scenario, Ethical Dilemma | ||
| Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 | Mensuration, Algebra, Geometry, Number System, Arithmetic | ||
| Part 3 | General Knowledge | 20 | Static GK and Current Affairs | 10 minutes |
| Part 2 | Mock Keyboard Testing | - | - | 5 minutes |
| Note: +1 mark will be awarded to each correct response and -0.25 for every incorrect response. After 8 unanswered questions, 0.10 marks will be deducted for every unanswered question. |
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XAT Syllabus 2026- Are There Any Changes?
XAT Syllabus 2026 is expected to remain the same as the previous year. The syllabus consists of 5 sections, each with questions from the major topics defined in the syllabus.
- The XAT Syllabus will have only these 4 sections:
- Verbal & Logical Ability
- Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation
- Decision Making
- General Awareness
- As per the updated exam pattern, the maximum number of questions in the exam has been fixed to 95.
- The Essay will be evaluated during the GD/PI round.
- 76 Questions in Part 1 will have a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer.
- 20 GK questions in Part 3 will not have any negative marking.
Key Takeaways
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XAT Section-wise Syllabus
- Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI): 28 Questions will be asked from this section from topics like mensuration, algebra, geometry, number system, etc. The difficulty level of this section is usually high, and for this reason, an accuracy of 70% is considered good.
- Verbal & Logical Ability (VA & LR): Questions in this section are mostly from topics like critical and analytical reasoning, vocabulary, reading comprehension, logical deductions, etc. 26 questions of moderate-high level of difficulty will be in Verbal & Logical Ability section.
- Decision Making (DM): 22 questions will be asked from this section. This section is an interesting feature of the exam and consists of questions from topics such as caselet study, data arrangement, decision making in a given scenario, ethical dilemma, etc.
- General Knowledge: The section is usually of moderate difficulty and there is no negative marking for wrong answers. A total of 25 questions carrying 1 mark each will be asked in this section.
The syllabus for each section has been mentioned in the table given below.
| Sections | Topics |
|---|---|
| Decision Making | Ethical Dilemma, Business Decision Making, Complex Arrangement, Caselets, Arrangement of data, Grouping, Assumptions, Premises, Conclusions |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation | Arithmetic, Algebra, Mensuration, Number System, Geometry, Mensuration, Percentage, Surds and Indices, Bar Diagrams, Pie Charts, Tables, Data Interpretation. |
| Verbal and Logical Ability | Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Analogy, Para jumbles, Verbal reasoning, Critical Reasoning, Error Detection, Fill in the Blanks |
| General Knowledge | Management, History, Important personalities, Science & Technology, Economy, Politics, Static GK, Sports, Prizes and Awards, World, Government, Constitution of India, etc |
| Essay | Essay topics include current affairs, social & economic issues, business & management-oriented topics, abstract topics, etc. |
XAT Syllabus for Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI)
The syllabus for Quantitative Ability & DI is vast and covers almost all the topics of maths. Around 28 questions can be expected from this section. Topics covered are from the 10th standard syllabus.
- Quantitative Ability- The following topics are tested in this section.
- Numbers
- Arithmetic
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Mensuration
- Venn diagrams
- Numbers
- Data Interpretation- The section includes questions from below topics.
- Data tables
- Graphs
- Charts
- Bar diagrams
- Data analysis
| Book Name | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|
| How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Arun Sharma |
| Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT | Nitish K. Sinha |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Gautam Puri |
| Wiley's ExamXpert XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) | Wiley India (Author) |
Also Check
Check XAT Preparation Tips for Quant & DIXAT Syllabus for Verbal and Logical Ability
Verbal & Logical Ability Syllabus for is divided into 3 parts, viz. Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, and Logical Reasoning. 26 questions of the objective type will come from this section.
- Verbal Ability- Subtopics included in this section are
- Reading Comprehension
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Para Jumbles
- Para Completion
- Critical Reasoning
- Cloze Test
- Logical Reasoning- Questions included in this section are asked from below subtopics
- Arrangements
- Puzzles
- Blood Relations
- Coding-Decoding
- Direction Sense
- Logical Sequences
- Clocks and Calendars
| Book Name | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|
| Verbal Ability Comprehension for CAT/ XAT/ IIFT/ CMAT/ MAT | Bharta Patodi and Aditya Choudhary |
| How to Prepare for VARC for CAT | Arun Sharma |
| Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal |
Ques. Where can I get a detailed XAT Syllabus?
Ans. You will not get detailed syllabus as XLRI does not explicitly release any detailed XAT syllabus. It only defines the sections that will form a part of the exam. However, questions asked in previous year papers act as a guide in providing insights on the important topics in each section and the type of questions asked.
Ques. Is the syllabus similar to that of CAT exam?
Ans. XAT Syllabus for QA, DI, and VARC is similar to that of CAT exam syllabus. The exam has 2 other sections that do not form part of CAT syllabus. These are Decision Making and GK.
Ques. What is the best source to prepare for Decision Making?
Ans. Decision Making section does not have a definite syllabus and is unique to the exam. Hence, the best way is to solve as many questions from sample papers, mock tests, and previous year question papers.
Ques. Will the authority release official mock tests?
Ans. Yes, the authority releases official mock tests every year before the exam. The mock test will be released by XLRI. The mock test is a replica of the actual exam and helps the candidates get familiar with the actual exam environment.
XAT Syllabus for Decision Making (DM)
The syllabus for this section is decision making in a situation, data arrangement tests, etc. There will be 22 questions in this section. The difficulty level of the DM section is moderate.
- Analytical Decision Making- This section includes subtopics as listed below.
- Situational Analysis
- Case Studies
- Data-Driven Decisions
- Resource Allocation
- Ethical and Moral Dilemmas- Subtopics included in this section are:
- Ethical Choices
- Stakeholder Impact
- Long-Term vs. Short-Term Outcomes
- Business Decision Making- Questions included in this section are asked from below subtopics
- Strategic Decisions
- HR Scenarios
- Crisis Management
| Book Name | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|
| Target XAT | Disha Experts |
| Jabbing the XAT | RK Jha |
XAT Syllabus General Knowledge (GK)
Topics to be covered in this section are history, politics, author names, business, economy, current affairs (national and international), etc. 20 questions will be asked from this section of the XAT syllabus.
- Static GK- This section includes subtopics as listed below.
- History
- Geography
- Polity
- Economy
- Science and Technology
- Awards and Honors
- Books and Authors
- Current Affairs- Questions included in this section are asked from below subtopics
- National Events
- International Events
- Business and Economy
- Sports
- Environment
- Science and Technology
| Book Name | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|
| Objective General Knowledge | Lucent’s |
| General knowledge | Arihant |
Also Read
Key Takeaways
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XAT Exam Pattern 2026
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Date | January 4, 2026 |
| XAT Exam Duration | 180 minutes |
| Total No. of Questions | 95 |
| Type of Questions | 95 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Number of Answer Choices | 5 |
| Sections in XAT 2026 exam |
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| XAT 2026 Marking Scheme |
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| Negative Marking | Yes |
XAT Syllabus 2026- Previous Years’ Papers
| XAT Exam Year | XAT Previous Year Papers |
|---|---|
| XAT 2025 | Check Here |
| XAT 2024 | Check Here |
| XAT 2023 | Check Here |
| XAT 2022 | Check Here |
| XAT 2021 | Check Here |
| XAT 2020 | Check Here |
| XAT 2019 | Check Here |
| XAT 2018 | Check Here |
| XAT 2017 | Check Here |
| XAT 2016 | Check Here |
XAT Syllabus FAQs
Ques. Can you give me a list of all the topics that are added to XAT 2026 Syllabus over 2023 syllabus?
Ans. As per the syllabus for XAT 2023 and XAT 2026, there is no significant change in the topics of sections like QA & DI, Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, and General Knowledge. However, an additional section, “Analytical Essay Writing,” has been added as part of the XAT selection process that was there in XAT 2023 as “Essay Writing”. The Analytical Essay Writing section will be administered during XAT 2026 GD/PI rounds, while the “Essay Writing” section was included in the XAT Question Paper 2023.
Ques. How to prepare for XAT 2026?
Ans. Students can prepare for XAT 2026 by following the preparation tips as listed below.
- Before starting the preparations, it is advised to go through all the XAT previous years’ papers to get an idea about all the questions asked in the exam.
- The importance of solving papers cannot be stressed enough. Go through free Mock Tests to improve time management.
- Candidates must make sure to give equal importance to all the sections in order to fetch maximum marks to clear the sectional cut-off set by the conducting authority.
- As the level of the exam is difficult, managing the time in an efficient way will prove to be an asset.
- For the GK section, it is important to keep oneself updated with both static and current happenings around the world. As per the trends, knowing about the past 6 months' news will be sufficient for preparation for this section.
Ques. Is XLRI possible with low academics?
Ans. Yes, there is no weightage to a high academic record in the XAT 2026 selection process. Students can get into XLRI with low academic scores, as there is no minimum marks requirement to appear for XAT 2026. To get into XLRI, students must score more than the XAT cutoff 2026 as mentioned below.
| Stream | Gender | Total | QA | VALR | DM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer/Tech | Male | >=96 | >=88 | >=84 | >=84 |
| Engineer/Tech | Female | >=91 | >=82 | >=80 | >=80 |
| Non-Engineer | Male | >=96 | >=88 | >=84 | >=84 |
| Non-Engineer | Female | >=91 | >=82 | >=80 | >=80 |
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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