The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2026, scheduled for January 4, 2026, is one of India’s toughest MBA entrance exams.
XAT 2026 will be conducted on behalf of XLRI Jamshedpur. One thing that makes the XAT exam different from the CAT exam is its Decision Making (DM) section.
- This part usually has about 21 questions. In this section, you get questions on real-life business or ethical dilemmas and managerial situations.
- This section tests your analytical, ethical and problem-solving skills.
- You have to think carefully about what is fair, practical, and logical.
- You need to balance the needs of different people involved (like employees, customers, or bosses) and pick the best choice from the options.
With less than a week left for the XAT 2026 exam, "focus on Decision Making with a business ethical mindset, accuracy in QA–VARC, read poems for RC practice, basic GK, and don’t carry the weight of CAT to XAT... It’s a new day." - XAT Topper
Also Read:
- Check XAT Decision Making (DM) 2025 Syllabus, Pattern, Questions, Study Material, Preparation Tips
- XAT Previous Year Question Paper
Key Summary
- Many students find the Decision Making (DM) section in the XAT exam tough.
- Unlike other sections, it has no fixed formulas or rules to revise.
- Instead, it evaluates your ability to think logically, your knowledge of ethics, and how you make smart choices in real-life-like situations.
- Since DM affects your overall percentile a lot, low marks here can lose your chances of getting interview calls from top colleges like XLRI.
How to Avoid Mistakes in XAT 2026 Decision Making
Here are the top 7 common mistakes candidates make in the XAT decision-making section, along with expert tips on how to avoid them for better performance in XAT 2026.
Bringing Personal Biases or Opinions into Answers
One of the most frequent errors is letting personal values influence choices, such as favouring employees over management (or vice versa) in labour disputes due to individual beliefs.
| Aspect | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Why it’s a mistake | XAT expects neutral, balanced decisions that benefit the majority and align with ethical business practices, not personal ideology. |
| How to avoid | Approach each caselet objectively. Focus on the facts provided in the scenario. Search for options that maximise long-term benefit for all stakeholders. Avoid options that favour a sided point of view only. |
Also Read: How to Download XAT Admit Card 2026?
Overthinking and Complicating Simple Scenarios
Aspirants often overanalyse, searching for hidden traps when the best answer is straightforward.
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Why it’s a mistake | XAT DM rewards clear, pragmatic thinking. Overthinking wastes time and leads to selecting convoluted options. |
| How to avoid | Trust your first logical instinct after reading the DM questions carefully. Toppers advise: “The answer is often the simplest one.” Use elimination – rule out unethical, extreme, or short-term fixes. |
Also Read: XAT 2022 Decision Making Practice Papers: Exam Pattern, Tips & Tricks
Choosing Overly Idealistic or Utopian Solutions
Candidates sometimes pick options that sound morally perfect but are impractical in real business contexts.
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Why it’s a mistake | XAT prioritises realistic, feasible decisions over idealistic ones. Perfect-world solutions ignore constraints like costs, legality, or stakeholder resistance. |
| How to avoid | Opt for balanced, pragmatic choices. Prioritise ethics and fairness, but ensure the solution is actionable and considers long-term sustainability. |
Also Read: Top MBA Colleges Accepting XAT Score
Ignoring Long-Term Consequences
Many focus on immediate gains, selecting options that help one party short-term but harm others or the organisation later.
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Why it’s a mistake | Good managerial decisions consider all stakeholders (employees, customers, shareholders) and favour sustainable outcomes over quick wins. |
| How to avoid | Evaluate options by asking: “Who benefits? Who is harmed? What are the long-term effects?” Prefer risk-free or majority-benefiting choices. |
Underestimating the Section and Skipping Practice
Some assume DM is “intuitive” and it can be cleared with just common sense. For them, relying on Quant/Verbal strength, neglecting mocks or past caselets seems the better option for attempting DM questions.
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Why it’s a mistake | DM has sectional cutoffs (often 6–8 marks for XLRI calls). Without practice, accuracy drops due to unfamiliar scenarios. |
| How to avoid | Treat DM as a core subject. Solve previous XAT papers (2018–2025), analyse solutions, and take full-length mocks. Discuss caselets with peers for diverse perspectives. |
Also Read: Do PYQs repeat in XAT- Question Pattern, and how often do PYQS repeat in XAT
Poor Time Management Within the Section
Spending too long on one tough caselet leaves easier ones unattended. Thus, you need to manage your time properly.
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Why it’s a mistake | DM caselets vary in length; getting stuck disrupts overall Part 1 timing (170 minutes for 75 questions). |
| How to avoid | Allocate 35–40 minutes to DM. Skip and return to difficult caselets. Aim for 18–20 attempts with high accuracy. |
Also Read: XAT Decision Making Preparation 2026 and Sample Questions
Reddit & Student Insights: What Aspirants Say About the Decision-Making Section
The Decision-Making section of XAT is often discussed on Reddit due to the complexity of questions, especially caselet-based, ethical, and business-oriented questions in DM. Many users posted on Reddit.
- A 99.9%iler advises: "Don't overthink the answer, the answer is always the simplest one."-Reddit
- "Do not make an unethical (or less ethical) decision even if it costs money."-Reddit
| XAT DM Mock Test 1 | XAT DM Mock Test 2 | XAT DM Mock Test 3 |
| XAT DM Mock Test 4 | XAT DM Mock Test 5 | XAT DM Mock Test 6 |
Final Exam Tips to Avoid Mistakes in XAT 2026 Decision-Making
By practising consistently with official XAT mocks and previous years’ questions, you can turn the decision-making section into a high-scoring advantage. Focus on ethical, balanced reasoning; that’s what XLRI looks for in future managers.
| Mistake | Impact | Quick Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Biases | Skewed judgment | Stay neutral to facts |
| Overthinking | Time wasted, wrong choices | Go with logical simplicity |
| Idealistic Options | Unrealistic scoring | Choose a pragmatic balance |
| Ignoring Stakeholders | Short-term focus | Think long-term impact |
| Misreading Stem | Completely wrong answer | Read questions carefully |
| No Practice | Low accuracy | Solve past 10 years’ papers |
| Bad Timing | Incomplete attempts | Fixed allocation + skipping |
Top Mistakes to Avoid in XAT 2026 Decision-Making FAQs
Ques: How much time should I allocate for solving DM questions in the XAT 2026 exam?
Ans: The Decision-Making Section must be solved in no more than 35 minutes to ensure proper time availability for other sections.
Ques: How many questions in DM are considered a good attempt in the XAT exam?
Ans: The DM section in XAT 2026 will comprise 21 MCQs. Mostly Set-based questions on Business Decision Making and Ethical Dilemmas are asked. Answering 16 – 17 questions is usually considered a good attempt.
Ques: What are the important topics for XAT 2026 Decision-Making?
Ans: The important topics for XAT 2026 Decision-Making are:
| Ethical Dilemma | Business Decisions |
|---|---|
| Inference, Assumptions, and Judgement | Analytical Reasoning |
| Situational Choices | Conditions and Grouping Test |
| Data Arrangement Test | Data Comprehension |
| Caselets | Decision-making in a situation |
Ques. Are XAT's previous year question papers enough for XAT Decision Making preparation?
Ans. XAT's previous year question papers are the best source to prepare for the decision-making section, as there are no specific topics to study. Practising as many sample question papers, previous year papers, and mock tests matters the most in DM. Thus, one should solve at least 2-3 decision-making question papers every day.
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