XAT Syllabus 2026 : Download Latest XAT Exam Syllabus PDF for DM, QA, DI, VA-LR

XAT syllabus 2026 is divided into four parts namely Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VA & LR), Decision Making (DM), Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI), and General Knowledge (GK). The subjects in the XAT syllabus are similar to those found in other MBA entrance exams, with the exception of Decision Making. To achieve a good  XAT score, candidates need to thoroughly study each topic outlined in the XAT syllabus. Here is the detailed XAT 2026 syllabus along with recommended books and study materials for XAT preparation.

Typically, the XAT syllabus for 2026 is prepared by XLRI Jamshedpur, which does not specify a set number of topics or release a consistent syllabus each year. The XAT exam features a distinctive section on Decision Making that requires separate preparation from candidates. While the XAT syllabus for 2026 remains unchanged this year, the exam format has been updated; the essay writing component has been removed from the XAT 2026 question paper, and General Knowledge will now consist of only 20 questions. It is expected that the XAT 2026 question paper will include 95 questions, and the duration of the exam will be limited to 180 minutes. To achieve a strong percentile in the XAT, candidates must thoroughly cover all topics included in the XAT exam syllabus.

XAT Syllabus 2026

XAT 2026 exam will be conducted on January 4, 2026. Qualifying XAT 2026 would get students admission to the leading MBA colleges such as XLRI, SPJIMR, IMT, XIMB, TAPMI, XIME, and other 150 MBA colleges across the country. The exam is generally conducted in the month of January every year. XLRI Jamshedpur being the conducting authority of XAT Exam finalizes the date of examination and releases all other important dates concerning XAT Exam on its official website. XAT 2026 is a computer based test conducted in a single session across the country and is one of the most sought after MBA Entrance Examinations where Lakhs of applications are received every year. XAT question paper will be divided into 2 parts. Part 1 consists of VA & LR, QA & DI, and Decision Making topics while Part 2 will consist of only General Knowledge.

Part 1

• Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VA & LR)
• Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation (QA & DI)
• Decision Making

Part 2 - General Knowledge (GK)

Note* Candidates must note that the Essay Writing section has now been removed from the question paper pattern.

Candidates appearing for XAT 2026 must understand XAT Syllabus before starting with their preparation. For XAT Preparation one must possess a thorough knowledge of XAT Syllabus i.e. what kind of questions from which topics would be asked in the examination. As per the key changes introduced in XAT Exam Pattern and XAT Syllabus, candidates must know how they should get ready to prepare for the XLRI XAT 2026 exam.

Changes Introduced in XAT 2026

Adapting to the changing times and regular updates characterize the fundamental attributes of the exam structure and curriculum. Every year, the XLRI XAT exam witnesses modifications, big or small. Noteworthy alterations have been declared for the XAT exam in 2026, including:

The XAT Syllabus for 2026 encompasses 4 sections.

• The Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension & Logical Reasoning; Decision Making; Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation; General Knowledge; subjects will be integrated into a single question paper within a single section.
• The maximum number of questions in accordance with the XAT 2026 pattern will not exceed 101.
• The first four sections will comprise Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs).
• Negative marking is applicable to the 75 Multiple Choice Questions in the three core sections.
• The 25 General Knowledge MCQs will not carry negative marking, but they will not contribute to percentile calculations.

Candidates appearing for XAT 2026 must be aware of the factors that may enhance their preparation strategy covering all the vital topics of XAT 2026 Syllabus. There are several topics of XAT Syllabus that fall under the category of most important ones and require much time to be covered. Candidates must categorize their syllabus according to the sections asked during the examination.

XAT Exam Sections

• Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension & Logical Reasoning
• Decision Making
• Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation
• General Knowledge

XAT Syllabus 2026 Highlights

XAT 2026 Exam is divided into 4 parts. The following is a detailed introduction to the highlights of these parts of the XAT 2026 Syllabus.

Quantitative Skills and Data Interpretation (QA & DI)

• 28 questions are expected in this subject area, such as measurement, algebra, geometry, and numbers. This part is usually very difficult, so 70% accuracy is considered good.

Verbal and Logical Skills (VA and LR)

• The questions in this section mainly cover critical and analytical topics. Argumentation, vocabulary, reading comprehension, reasoning, etc. In terms of XAT oral and logic skills, according to last year's trend, it is estimated that there will be 26 medium to high difficulty questions.

Decision Making (DM)

• This part is an interesting feature of the XAT exam, which consists of topics such as case studies, data organization, decision-making in a specific environment, and moral dilemmas.

General Knowledge (GK)

• Usually the difficulty is moderate, and incorrect answers have no negative points. This section asks 25 questions, each of which has a level.

XAT Syllabus 2026 Analysis

As per the previous years' XAT Question Papers, it can be easily seen that the question paper is designed to analyze and test students' ability to solve questions keeping Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension & Logical reasoning, Decision Making, and Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation the factors to determine their scores.

The candidates must be aware of:

• XAT 2026 Syllabus of Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
• XAT 2026 Syllabus of Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning
• XAT 2026 Syllabus of Decision Making
• XAT 2026 Syllabus of General Knowledge

XAT Syllabus of Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation

This section of XAT 2026 Exam Pattern would analyze students' ability to derive information from the data given to them and their mathematical skills. The conducting body i.e. XLRI Jamshedpur has brought some significant changes in this section such as questions asked from Numbers, Geometry, and Mensuration have become more important and around half of the questions are based on Arithmetic skills.

• The other topics such as Arithmetic, Venn Diagrams, and Functions can be considered important ones as the question paper of XAT is formed out of these topics.
• The section consists of 28 questions and there is no sectional time limit to solve this.
• Data Interpretation part comprises questions where some data is given, and the questions are made from the given data.
• The candidates must be able to infer the required information from the given data and solve the questions.
• The questions of this section are of the highest difficulty level.

Following are the important topics one must study for Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation:

XAT Syllabus of Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning

This section analyzes students' knowledge of English Grammar and Logical Abilities. This section is divided into three parts such as questions based on verbal ability, questions based on reading comprehension, and questions based on logical reasoning.

• The section consists of 26 questions of MCQ type.

Below mentioned are the topics one must cover in each part of the section.

Verbal Ability

The questions asked in this part are related to the following topics:

• English Vocabulary
• Fill in the Blanks
• Synonyms and Antonyms
• Contextual usage of Vocabulary words
• Jumbles sentences
• Correction of sentences
• Completion of sentences
• Completion of paragraphs

Reading Comprehension

The questions asked in this part are related to the following topics:

• Reading Comprehension passages
• Topics on which the passages are based:

Logical Reasoning

This part does not contribute many questions to the section, but the questions are easy to solve. There are a few critical reasoning and a few Logical Reasoning based questions asked in the section.

Following are the topics the questions of this part are made from:

XAT Syllabus of Decision Making

The difficulty level of this section is moderately difficult as none of the national level entrance examinations consists of this section. The section consists of 21 questions in total and again there is no sectional time limit to attempt the questions.

The questions asked in this part are related to the following topics:

XAT Syllabus of General Knowledge

The second part of XAT Exam Pattern consists of the General Knowledge section where the number of questions is set to be 25. The questions are of multiple choice questions type. The section is not considered while calculating the percentile marks scored by candidates. The questions are loosely based upon the current and conventional GK.

Students who have in depth knowledge of GK and a regular habit of reading would be able to attempt the questions of this section.

Following are the topics the section is made from:

XAT Syllabus 2026: Essay Writing (Removed)

Essay writing section has been removed from the XAT syllabus 2026. It hasn’t been in the question paper for the last 2 years. The XAT exam syllabus included the essay writing section till XAT 2018 before the section was removed from the XAT syllabus. However, in XAT 2022, XLRI Jamshedpur reintroduced the essay writing section.

The essay writing section is the only descriptive question in the XAT syllabus. With the introduction of this section, candidates can expect an increase of 10 minutes in the total time allotted for the exam. Essay writing is also a broad topic with an infinite possibility of questions. In XAT 2023, candidates had to choose between two given topics while in XAT 2023, candidates had to choose one essay topic from 3 options.

The Essay Writing section focuses on abstract ideas and contemporary thoughts. The section is only evaluated if the candidate is shortlisted for further admission rounds at an institute.

XAT Exam Preparation Books

Good books are as important as qualifying of the examination. Candidates willing to take the exam must read good books in order to qualify the examination and enhance their knowledge.

Books for Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation

Books for Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning

Books for Decision Making

Books for General Knowledge

Section-wise XAT Syllabus 2026

Understanding the allocation of weightage to each section of the subjects within the XAT syllabus is crucial. This knowledge aids in formulating a well-structured preparation strategy, enabling you to allocate time appropriately to different sections. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the XAT 2026 syllabus by section along with essential points to consider for effective exam readiness:

XAT Exam 2026 Preparation Tips

XAT 2026 is expected to be held at XLRI in January 2026. There are no special restrictions on the XAT. It is recommended that candidates complete as many typical assignments and tests of previous years as possible.

• Before starting to prepare, it is recommended to review all the work done in previous years to understand any exam questions that will help candidates understand the level of questions that will be raised in the XAT program.
• The importance of problem solving cannot be overemphasized. Take the free XAT practice test for advanced preparation.
• Applicants should ensure that they weigh all chapters equally to achieve the highest score that exceeds the chapter threshold set by the authority.
• Due to the high level of examination requirements, effective time management is an advantage.
• The GK part must keep up with the static and current affairs events around the world.

From a trend point of view, to prepare for XAT for this part, it is enough to know the news of the past 6 months. Due to the quarantine caused by the coronavirus pandemic, candidates are advised to consider XAT online training, which is as beneficial as traditional training centers.

XAT Exam Pattern

As per XAT 2026 Exam Pattern , the XAT question paper is divided into two parts i.e. Part 1 and Part 2 depending on the type of questions, one is objective type and the other one is subjective type. The examination pattern can also be divided into moderate and difficult depending upon the difficulty level of the examination.

• The question paper is divided in 2 parts namely Part 1 and Part 2 contributing to a total of 101 questions. The two papers need to be attempted in a single slot of the exam in the given time period of 3 hours.
• XAT 2025 Question Paper consisted of 95 questions and it was a Computer Based Test (CBT). The question paper needed to be completed in 180 minutes i.e. 3 hours wherein there is no sectional time limit to attempt these questions.

Following are the sections:

Part 1

• Verbal and Logical Ability
• Decision Making
• Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

Part 2

• General Knowledge

Difference Between XAT and CAT Syllabus

The main difference between the XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) and CAT (Common Admission Test) syllabus lies in the exams' focus and the specific topics they cover. Both XAT and CAT are entrance exams used by Indian business schools for admission into their MBA and other management programs, but they have some variations in their content and structure:

Sections:

• XAT typically consists of three main sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Decision Making (DM), and Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation (QA & DI).
• CAT, on the other hand, has three sections as well: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).

Content:

• XAT places a strong emphasis on Decision Making, which is a unique section not found in CAT. Decision Making assesses a candidate's ability to make ethical and logical decisions in complex situations.
• CAT, while also covering logical reasoning and data interpretation, dedicates a separate section to Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning.

Difficulty Level:

• Both exams are known for their difficulty, but the level of complexity and the types of questions may vary slightly. Some candidates find XAT's Decision Making section to be particularly challenging.

Time Allocation:

• XAT provides a longer overall testing time compared to CAT, primarily because of the Decision Making section. CAT typically has a time limit of 2 hours, whereas XAT extends to 3 hours or more.

Exam Pattern:

• CAT is a computer-based test (CBT), where candidates answer questions on a computer. XAT, in contrast, combines computer-based sections with a paper-and-pencil section for Decision Making.