XAT 2027: exam date, pattern, syllabus and how to apply
The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is the management admission test XLRI Jamshedpur conducts on behalf of the Xavier Association of Management Institutes; XLRI and other institutes that choose to accept it use the score. What most candidates want to know now: XAT 2027 is on Sunday 3 January 2027, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and registration closes on 6 December 2026 (checked 20 October 2026 on xatonline.in). This guide covers the dates, how to apply, the pattern, the syllabus and a plan for the ten weeks left.
XAT 2027 at a glance
| Conducting body | XLRI Jamshedpur, on behalf of XAMI |
| What it is for | Admission to XLRI's programmes and those of other institutes that accept XAT |
| Mode | Computer-based test at a centre, in one slot |
| Questions | 95: 75 in three scored sections, then 20 General Knowledge |
| Time | 180 minutes: 170 for the first three sections, then 10 for General Knowledge |
| Marking | +1 for a right answer, −0.25 for a wrong one; 0.10 for each unattempted question after the first eight; no negative marking in General Knowledge |
| Language | English |
| How often | Once a year |
| Official website | xatonline.in |
XAT 2027 exam date
As of 20 October 2026, the XAT website gives these dates:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration opened | 15 July 2026 |
| Registration closes | 6 December 2026 |
| Admit card download | 20 December 2026 (tentative) |
| XAT 2027 | Sunday 3 January 2027, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
The site also says that candidates who register by 28 October 2026 become eligible to take XAT's own mock test. The test is a single slot, and the website says there is no normalisation. Our XAT exam-dates page keeps these dates together.
How to apply for XAT 2027
- Open xatonline.in and read the XAT 2027 bulletin and the FAQ.
- Register with your e-mail address and mobile number and set a password.
- Fill in your personal, academic and work details, and the choices the form asks for, as the bulletin explains them.
- Upload your photograph and signature in the format the bulletin sets.
- Pay the fee online. We have not printed the fee here because the home page read today does not state it; it is in the bulletin.
- Submit before 6 December 2026, and register by 28 October if you want XAT's own mock test.
- Download the admit card from your login when it is released (tentatively 20 December 2026).
Keep ready: a photo ID, your mark sheets, work-experience details and any category or disability certificate the bulletin asks for. XLRI's own programmes may need a separate step on xlri.ac.in; check there.
XAT exam pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning | 26 | 26 | Shared 170 minutes |
| Decision Making | 21 | 21 | Shared 170 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation | 28 | 28 | Shared 170 minutes |
| General Knowledge | 20 | 20 (not in the percentile) | 10 minutes after the first part locks |
Every question has five options and one correct choice. Inside the 170 minutes you may move among the first three sections; when that clock ends, Part 1 locks and General Knowledge starts. The 2027 FAQ says there are no sectional time limits, but the pattern table still prints 170 and 10, so plan for that split. There is no essay in the test; the XAT site's 2025 note said the essay moved to XLRI's selection process.
Is there negative marking in XAT? Yes. A wrong answer in the first three sections costs 0.25. On top of that, each unattempted question after the first eight costs 0.10. So leaving 20 questions blank costs 1.2 marks (the first eight are free, then 12 × 0.10). Guessing all 20 at random, with one chance in five, gives on average four right (+4) and sixteen wrong (−4), which is zero. Beyond the eighth blank, then, a pure guess is slightly better than leaving a question, and a guess after ruling out even one option is clearly better. Our negative-marking article explains the reasoning.
General Knowledge has no negative marking and does not count towards the percentile or cut-off, but XLRI says it uses it in selection for its own programmes.
XAT syllabus
XLRI does not publish a topic list; the section names and past papers set the scope.
- Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning: reading passages (including poems), para jumbles, cloze and vocabulary in context, critical reasoning.
- Decision Making: business and ethical situations where you choose the most suitable course of action; some sets involve arithmetic and arrangements.
- Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, numbers and data sets. An on-screen calculator is available.
- General Knowledge: static topics and current affairs.
Our XAT syllabus page lists the topics.
A ten-week plan for XAT 2027
| Weeks | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Register (before 28 October for the XAT mock). Take one full XAT mock test with the 170 + 10 timing. |
| 2–3 | Decision Making every day: two sets, timed. Write down why the wrong options are wrong. Quant: fix the weakest topics. |
| 4–5 | One full mock a week. Verbal: daily passages, including at least one poem a week. |
| 6–7 | Two mocks a week. Decide your order inside the 170 minutes and how many questions you will leave blank at most. |
| 8 | General Knowledge: 15 minutes a day of static GK and the year's news. |
| 9 | Two mocks; revise your error log (how to analyse a mock test). |
| 10 | Light revision, admit card, centre and travel. |
If you are also taking CAT on 29 November, use the CAT weeks for Quant and Verbal, and move the Decision Making work into December. Our CAT guide has the CAT dates and pattern.
Useful links
- XAT website: registration, bulletin and admit card
- XAT 2027 FAQ: timing, sections and calculator
- Free XAT mock tests on Mockrooms (practice tests, not XLRI's own)
- XAT syllabus
- XAT exam dates
- CAT 2026: exam date, pattern and how to prepare
- Negative marking: when to guess
Frequently asked questions
When is the XAT 2027 exam date?
XAT 2027 is on Sunday 3 January 2027, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., in one slot (checked 20 October 2026 on xatonline.in).
What is the last date to apply for XAT 2027?
Registration closes on 6 December 2026, according to the XAT website. Registering by 28 October 2026 also gives access to XAT's own mock test.
Is there negative marking in XAT?
Yes: 0.25 for each wrong answer in the first three sections, and 0.10 for each unattempted question after the first eight. General Knowledge has no negative marking.
Does General Knowledge count in the XAT percentile?
No. The XAT website says General Knowledge is outside the percentile and the cut-off, but XLRI uses it when selecting for its own programmes.
Is there an essay in XAT 2027?
Not in the computer-based test. The XAT site said in its 2025 pattern note that the essay was removed from the test and taken during XLRI's selection process.
Is a calculator allowed in XAT?
The 2027 FAQ says a scientific calculator will be available in the exam interface.