About Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2027
The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is a national-level management entrance examination conducted by XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, on behalf of the Xavier Association of Management Institutes (XAMI). XAT scores are accepted by more than 250 business schools for MBA, PGDM and related management programmes. Its distinctive assessment includes decision-making alongside verbal, quantitative and general-knowledge sections.
2027 cycle status: The official XAT website showed registration open and listed the test for 3 January 2027, 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, when checked on 9 October 2026. Dates marked tentative or not announced below must be reconfirmed on the official portal. The previous XAT 2026 examination was held on 4 January 2026; that date is historical, not an upcoming event.
| Exam detail | XAT 2027 information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Xavier Aptitude Test |
| Conducting body | XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, for XAMI |
| Exam type and use | National management entrance test; scores are used by XLRI and 250+ participating/associate business schools under each institution's admission rules |
| Official exam website | xatonline.in |
| Registration portal | applications.xatonline.in |
| Registration | Open; the official site lists 15 July 2026 to 6 December 2026 |
| Admit card | 20 December 2026 (tentative on the official schedule) |
| Examination | Sunday, 3 January 2027, 2:00 pm-5:00 pm |
| Centres | 100+ Indian test cities; use the current application portal for the selectable city list and availability |
| Eligibility | A recognised bachelor's degree of at least three years is the standard qualifying degree; final-year candidates may apply subject to completing the degree within the admission rules. Check the current XLRI prospectus and each participating institute's criteria. |
| Application fee | The public official 2027 schedule does not state a fee amount. Check the payable amount and any programme-specific charge in the official registration portal before payment. |
Eligibility
The standard XAT academic requirement is a recognised bachelor's degree of at least three years in any discipline. Final-year graduation students may apply, subject to completing the degree and meeting the deadline in the applicable XLRI admission prospectus. No stream-specific undergraduate subject is required to sit XAT. A participating school may set its own degree, work-experience or programme-specific conditions, so qualifying to take XAT does not guarantee eligibility for every MBA/PGDM programme. The official 2027 application FAQ advises final-year applicants to enter aggregate marks earned up to the latest completed semester/year. Confirm current-cycle requirements in the XLRI 2027 prospectus and the relevant institution's notice.
Application fee
The official public XAT 2027 schedule and registration landing page reviewed on 9 October 2026 did not display a fee amount. Fees can depend on the selected application or programme options. Review the live total on the official registration portal before paying; do not rely on older-cycle or third-party fee figures. Keep the payment confirmation and application printout.
Exam pattern and marking
The official XAT 2027 homepage describes a computer-based, single-slot examination from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Its overview lists 95 multiple-choice questions: 75 questions across the three percentile-contributing Part 1 sections, followed by 20 General Knowledge questions in Part 2. Part 1 has a shared 170-minute allowance; General Knowledge has 10 minutes. The official site says there is no sectional time limit in Part 1 and candidates can switch sections. The public 2027 pattern page does not specify marks per answer or a negative-marking rule; verify those instructions in the current candidate notice rather than assuming a previous year's scoring scheme.
| Section | Questions (approx.) | Time | Use in score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) | 26 | 170 minutes combined for Part 1 | Contributes to XAT percentile |
| Decision Making (DM) | 21 | ||
| Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI) | 28 | ||
| General Knowledge (GK) | 20 (8 static GK; 12 current affairs) | 10 minutes | Non-percentile section; may be considered by institutes during selection |
| Total | 95 | 180 minutes (3 hours) | Part 1 percentile plus GK for institute selection where applicable |
Important dates
The official 2027 page lists registration from 15 July through 6 December 2026, an admit-card date of 20 December (tentative), and the examination on 3 January 2027. It does not yet confirm a 2027 answer-key or result date. The XAT 2026 test date, 4 January 2026, is included only as cycle history.
Historical IndCareer routes are redirected to the corresponding module pages, including /en/xat/, /en/xat-syllabus/, /en/xat-question-paper/, /en/xat-admit-card/, /en/xat-answer-key/, /en/xat-result/, /en/xat-cut-off/ and /en/xat-application-form/.
Sources: official XAT 2027 website and pattern, official registration portal, official application FAQ and XLRI 2027 prospectus.