The XAT Exam Syllabus 2026 consists of 4 sections, General Knowledge, Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, and Decision Making. Students must follow the chapters included in all of them to prepare for the exam.
Candidates must fully comprehend the XAT Syllabus 2026 to cover every topic intelligently. The four sections of the course are General Knowledge, Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, and Decision Making.
There are three sections to the XAT question paper. Verbal and logical ability, decision-making, quantitative ability, and data interpretation make up Part 1. General Knowledge and Essay Writing are covered in Part 3, whereas XAT Mock Keyboard Practice is covered in Part 2. Each section of the XAT takes a varied amount of time. Candidates will have 175 minutes to finish part 1 of the test. Students have five minutes to finish the keyboard exercise in part two and thirty minutes to finish part three.
The XAT syllabus is framed by XLRI Jamshedpur. The curriculum is just as comprehensive as the CAT curriculum. To aim for a high exam result, candidates must cover every item in the syllabus. Every year, the XAT exam is administered in January. The XAT 2026 exam dates have also been announced and the exam will be held on January 4, 2026.
XAT 2026 Syllabus Highlights
The division of the XAT exam syllabus has been shared in the table below.
| Parts | Section |
| Part 1 | Verbal & Logical Ability |
| Decision Making | |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation | |
| Part 2 | General Knowledge |
| Essay |
XAT 2026 Section-wise Syllabus
The XAT Exam 2026 has the following sections:
XAT Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation
The topics included in this section of the XAT syllabus are as follows:
| Percentage | Tables and Caselets |
| Profit and Loss | Probability |
| Ratio and Proportion | Critical Path |
| Variation | Averages and Partnerships |
| Time and Work | Allegations and Mixtures |
| Time, Speed, and Distance | Algebra |
| LCM and HCF | Simple and Compound Interest |
| Pure Maths | Venn Diagram |
| Data Tables | Data Charts |
| Graphs | Pie Charts |
| Surds and Indices | Geometry |
| Inequalities | Trigonometry |
| Logarithms | Bar Diagrams |
| Numbers | Data Analysis |
| Mensuration | Linear and Quadratics Equations |
XAT Syllabus for Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
The topics included in this section of the syllabus are as follows:
| English Usage Topics | Arguments |
| Grammar | Reading Comprehension Topics |
| The contextual meaning of words | Narration of Incidents |
| Para completion and para jumble | Science |
| Error correction | Literature and Fiction |
| Vocabulary (Antonyms and Synonyms) | Psychology and Social Issues |
| Critical Reasoning | Economy |
| Culture | |
XAT Syllabus for Decision Making
The topics included in this section of the syllabus are as follows:
| Decision-making in a situation | Arithmetic |
| Data Arrangement Test | Analytical Reasoning |
| Case Lets | Situational Questions |
| Reading Comprehension | Semi-Quantitative Topics |
| Condition and Group Testing | - |
XAT Syllabus for General Knowledge
The topics included in the General Knowledge section are as follows:
| Politics | Merger & Acquisitions |
| History | Nation and States |
| Sports | Literature |
| Business | Awards and Recognitions |
| International Relations | Economics |
| Society | - |
XAT Exam Syllabus for Essay Writing Test
The essay writing section has been recently added to the syllabus. The details for the same are as follows:
- The XAT's descriptive online computer-based test involves essay writing.
- In 2019, this test was discontinued but was reinstated in 2022.
- The XAT essay test is an examination of a candidate's writing abilities.
- A cohesive and logical essay on the assigned topic must be written during the test.
- The essay writing portion of the XLRI entrance exam syllabus is not subject to any specific topic restrictions.
- Past XAT patterns require a well-written essay on a current or abstract topic.
XAT 2026 Marking Scheme
The sectional weightage of XAT has been shared below. Students are advised to go through the XAT exam pattern 2026 for better understanding.
| Sections | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
| Decision Making | 21 | 21 |
| Verbal and Logical Ability | 26 | 26 |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation | 28 | 28 |
| General Knowledge | 25 | 25 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Conclusion
Students planning to take the XAT exam 2026 are advised to keep a detailed XAT syllabus 2026 with them. Every section of the syllabus is important and students must cover the topics for each of them mandatorily. Referring to better XAT books 2026 will help students cover the syllabus with ease.
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XAT 2026 exam date: January 4, 2026. -
Syllabus framed by XLRI Jamshedpur. -
Essay writing reinstated in 2022. -
Total 3 parts: Part 1 (175 mins), Part 2 (5 mins), Part 3 (30 mins).
