The XAT pattern at a glance
The table below is based on published summaries of the XAT 2026 notification. XLRI revises the pattern from year to year, so treat it as a guide and confirm the details for the year you apply.
| Part and section | Questions |
|---|---|
| Part 1: Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 |
| Part 1: Decision Making | 21 |
| Part 1: Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation | 28 |
| Part 2: General Knowledge | 20 (12 current affairs and 8 static) |
| Total | 95 in 180 minutes (about 170 for Part 1 and about 10 for Part 2) |
Part 1 is a single clock for three sections, so the order and time spent on each is your decision, though the interface may restrict navigation; read the instructions for your year.
Marking scheme
- Correct answer: +1.
- Wrong answer: −0.25 in the main part.
- Unattempted: no mark, but a deduction of 0.10 is applied after every eight unattempted questions in the main part, as published.
- General Knowledge: no negative marking, as published.
The unattempted-question rule changes the maths of skipping. Suppose you leave 16 questions of the main part unattempted: the deduction is 0.2 (two blocks of eight), small but not zero. Meanwhile each wrong answer costs 0.25. A question where you can eliminate one option has a break-even position well in favour of attempting; a question where you have no idea is close to neutral. Use your own mocks to decide: count net marks from guessed answers across five papers.
A worked example of scoring
Illustration: a candidate attempts 60 of the 75 main-part questions, with 42 correct and 18 wrong. They leave 15 unattempted. Marks: 42 − (18 × 0.25) = 42 − 4.5 = 37.5. The unattempted deduction applies once for the first block of eight (15 ÷ 8 = 1 full block): 37.5 − 0.1 = 37.4. The percentile then depends on how others scored in that sitting, which is not something a candidate can calculate from the raw score alone. The takeaway: the deduction for leaving some questions blank is small, so do not attempt questions blindly to avoid it; but do not leave a long tail of questions you could have eliminated to two options.
What each section asks
| Section | Typical content |
|---|---|
| Verbal and Logical Ability | Long reading passages, grammar and usage, para-jumbles, critical reasoning, logical sets |
| Decision Making | Case-based questions on business and ethical dilemmas, plus analytical and data-based sets |
| Quantitative Ability and DI | Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number system, permutation and probability, data sets |
| General Knowledge | Current affairs, business and economy news, static GK |
The General Knowledge part
GK is a separate short part at the end. As published, it is left out of the percentile calculation, but XLRI uses the score at a later stage of its own selection. That makes it worth a steady routine, not a last-minute cram. Since there is no negative marking in this part, answering every question is a sensible policy; check the notice for your year.
What to confirm each year
- Number of questions and the timing of each part.
- Whether sections are timed separately or share one clock.
- The negative marking and the unattempted-question rule.
- Whether GK and any essay are scored and how they are used.
- Exam date, fee, eligibility and the list of institutes accepting XAT.
All of this is in the official XAT notification from XLRI. Because secondary websites differ on small details, do not rely on a single summary.
How the pattern shapes preparation
- Stamina: practise three-hour papers; a paper of this length is a different skill from a one-hour test.
- Decision Making: practise cases; see our Decision Making page.
- Attempt policy: set it from mock data, not from a rule of thumb.
- GK routine: a daily 15 minutes beats a week of cramming.
Plan your mocks with the XAT mock test strategy, and see the XAT hub for the full set of resources. Compare with the CAT exam pattern to see where the two tests differ.
Disclaimer: information on this page is a summary of published material and may change. TestMint is not affiliated with XLRI or XAMI. Read the official notification before you apply.
