This content is designed for a news website covering the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2026. Since today is January 4, 2026, the exam is currently concluding or has just finished.1
By News Desk | Updated: Jan 4, 2026, 17:30 IST
The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2026, conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur, was held today, January 4, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.2 Over 1.4 lakh candidates—a record-breaking number—appeared for the computer-based test across 100+ cities for admission into XLRI and 250+ participating B-schools.3
🔴 Live Updates
[17:15 IST] – Initial Student Reactions: “Quant was Tougher than CAT”
The first set of students exiting the centers report that the Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA-DI) section was significantly calculation-heavy and challenging. In contrast, the Decision Making (DM) section was reported as moderate but “typically tricky,” requiring careful ethical reasoning.
[17:00 IST] – XAT 2026 Exam Concludes
The three-hour window has officially ended. Candidates are now being let out of the centers. Stay tuned for the detailed section-wise difficulty analysis and expected cut-offs.
[14:00 IST] – Examination Begins Nationwide
The XAT 2026 exam has successfully commenced in a single shift.4 Candidates are tackling 95 questions divided into two parts.5 Notably, there is no sectional time limit for Part 1 (VALR, DM, and QA-DI).
Quick Highlights: XAT 2026 Exam Structure
The exam underwent minor tweaks this year.6 Here is the final structure as seen by candidates today:
| Section | Number of Questions | Duration | Marking Scheme |
| Part 1: VALR, DM, QA-DI | ~75 Questions | 170 Minutes | +1 Correct / -0.25 Wrong |
| Part 2: General Knowledge | 20 Questions | 10 Minutes | +1 Correct / No Negative |
| Total | 95 Questions | 180 Minutes | Penalty: -0.10 for >8 skips |
Note: Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) was removed from the main exam this year and will be conducted during the GD/PI stage for shortlisted candidates.7
Expected Timeline: What’s Next?
Following the conclusion of the exam, candidates should mark these tentative dates:
- Official Answer Key & Response Sheet: Expected by the second week of January 2026.
- Result Declaration: Likely by January 31, 2026.
- XLRI Shortlist Release: First week of February 2026.
- GD/PI Rounds: Mid-February to March 2026.8
Expected Cut-offs for XLRI Jamshedpur (Tentative)
Based on the initial difficulty level, experts suggest the following percentiles for the Business Management (BM) and Human Resource Management (HRM) programs:
- BM (Male): 95–96 Percentile
- BM (Female): 92–93 Percentile
- HRM (Male): 93–94 Percentile
- HRM (Female): 90–91 Percentile