XAT Exam Analysis 2026: Difficulty Level, Good Attempts and Expected Cut-Offs

XAT 2026 was conducted online on January 4, 2026, from 2 PM to 5 PM, with a paper structure largely similar to the previous year. Part 1 included 75 questions across VALR, Decision Making, and QA-DI, while Part 2 consisted of 20 General Knowledge questions.

The overall difficulty level was comparable to XAT 2025, but candidates faced noticeable differences across sections. QA-DI was the most challenging, particularly the lengthy DI sets, while VALR remained similar to last year and Decision Making was moderate. This XAT Exam Analysis 2026 covers the section-wise difficulty, good attempts, question distribution, and estimated XLRI cut-offs.

XAT Exam Analysis 2026: Key Highlights

XAT 2026 Difficulty Level and Good Attempts

The table below compares the number of questions, suggested time, good attempts and difficulty across sections.

Good attempts should be considered along with accuracy, particularly because Part 1 had negative marking.

XAT 2026 Marking Scheme

XAT 2026 VALR Analysis

The VALR section had 26 questions, including:

• 15 Reading Comprehension questions

• 2 poem-based questions

• 9 VA/Reasoning questions

• Five passages and one poem

The passages were around 300–550 words long, with several inferential and application-based questions. VA/Reasoning covered grammar, vocabulary, Critical Reasoning and Jumbled Paragraphs.

A good attempt was around 13–14 questions with 75–80% accuracy in 55–60 minutes.

XAT 2026 Decision Making Analysis

Decision Making had 21 questions across seven sets, with three questions per set. There was no Quantitative DM set.

The section was medium in difficulty, although some questions had close or ambiguous options. Set selection was therefore important.

Around 12–13 attempts with 75–80% accuracy in 50–55 minutes were considered good.

XAT 2026 QA-DI Analysis

QA-DI had 28 questions, including 19 QA and 9 DI questions. It was the most challenging section of XAT 2026.

1. QA Topics Asked in XAT 2026

Questions covered:

• Arithmetic

• Geometry

• Modern Mathematics

• Algebra

• Numbers

Numbers contributed seven questions. Geometry included circles, tangents, triangles, rectangles, squares, and height and distance. Modern Mathematics included Probability, Functions and 3D Venn Diagrams.

The section also included a Data Sufficiency question on divisibility and questions based on maximum or minimum possible values.

2. DI Topics Asked in XAT 2026

The nine DI questions were divided into three sets:

• Numbers, Geometry and Logic

• Sunburst chart

• Logical DI/data table

DI was particularly difficult because the sets were lengthy and tricky. A good overall QA-DI attempt was estimated at 16–17 questions with around 80% accuracy in 55–60 minutes.

XAT 2026 General Knowledge Analysis

The GK section had 20 questions in 10 minutes.

There was no negative marking in GK. Around 10–11 serious attempts were considered reasonable, while 5–6 marks were considered a good score.

XAT 2026 Estimated XLRI BM Cut-Offs

The following are estimated cut-offs and not official XLRI cut-offs.

XAT 2026 Estimated XLRI HRM Cut-Offs

The following are estimated cut-offs and not official XLRI cut-offs.

Candidates should refer to official XLRI cut-offs and selection criteria when they are released.

What Does XAT 2026 Indicate for Future Aspirants?

The XAT 2026 paper highlights a few areas that future aspirants can prioritise:

• Focus on accuracy because incorrect answers carry negative marks.

• Practise lengthy and unconventional DI sets.

• Prepare Decision Making as a separate XAT-specific area.

• Practise inferential and application-based RC questions.

• Work on section selection and time allocation since Part 1 has no sectional time limit.

• Prepare GK alongside the three main sections.

XAT 2026 was broadly similar to the previous year's paper, but the tougher QA-DI section showed why aspirants need to prepare for variations in sectional difficulty. Regular practice across QA-DI, VALR and Decision Making can help candidates adapt their approach accordingly. PW resources can support XAT aspirants with concept preparation and XAT-level question practice alongside preparation for other MBA entrance exams.