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The XAT Answer Key 2026is released in two parts, i.e., provisional and final. The draft answer key will be released in January 2026, within 2-3 days of the exam is conducted. It will be provided alongside the candidate response sheet. The answer key will be available for download via login. Further, the XAT response sheet 2026 will also be released in Jan 2026. You shall be required to enter your login credentials to download the response sheet.
Following this, the XAT 2026 answer key challenge window will be available for 3-4 days, during which you can raise objections to the official answer keys if you believe any of them to be wrong. The XAT 2026 examination panel will review all the objections received and prepare the XAT 2026 result based on their findings.
How to Download XAT Answer Key?
XAT exam answer key 2026 will be posted on the website by XLRI Jamshedpur. You can access your individual XAT response sheet 2026 along with the question paper and official answer key.
To download the XAT 2026 Answer Key, you can follow the steps given below.
- Step 1: You must visit the official website of XAT 2026 - xatonline.in.
- Step 2: You must log in with your XAT user ID and password.
- Step 3: You must click on the candidate response to generate the answer key and the question paper.
- Step 4: The XAT answer key will be displayed on the screen.
- Step 5: You must check the correct options, marked in green, and your responses mentioned after the question ID.
How to Challenge XAT Answer Key?
XAT provisional answer key will be released first. If you come across any discrepancy in the provisional XAT answer key 2026 while checking, you must challenge it by following the steps below.
- Step 1: You must go to the XLRI Jamshedpur official website xatonline.in.
- Step 2: The XAT login page will appear on the computer screen.
- Step 3: You must enter your XAT login information (XAT ID and DOB).
- Step 4: You must select the "Raise Objection" tab.
- Step 5: You must enter the following information: Question ID, selection of nature of questions, and remarks.
- Step 6: You must attach any supporting papers to the raised objection. (It is mandatory to upload enough proof/documents; else, the objection will be rejected.)
- Step 7: At last, you must click the "Submit" button.
Information Mentioned on XAT Answer Key
The XAT 2026 response sheet will include the details shared below. You must check the details carefully for correction purposes.
- Examinee information, including name and ID
- Questions and answers by section
- The candidate gives answers to each query.
- Unanswered questions
Check These XAT Percentile Details for Clarity:
- How Much Marks is Required to Score 95 Percentile in XAT?
- How Much Marks is Required to Score 85 Percentile in XAT?
XAT Unofficial Answer Key
For you to know the correct and incorrect efforts for analyzing your performance, XAT memory-based 2026 answer keys will be updated here. The ones studying for the XAT 2026 exam can learn the type of questions that will be asked and check your answers.
XAT Answer Key Dates
Below are the XAT 2026 answer key dates, however, they are tentative. You must check the table once.
| Events | Tentative Dates |
| XAT Exam Date 2026 | Jan 4, 2026 |
| XAT Response Sheet Release | Jan 2026 |
| Release of Answer Key | Jan 2026 |
| XAT Result Declaration | Jan 2026 |
XAT Marking Scheme
The XAT question paper 2026 will have 95 marks and you will be graded based on your accurate attempts. To further appreciate this, consider the XAT marking scheme:
- The total number of questions will be 95.
- The total marks for the XAT exam will be 95.
- For each correct try, one mark is awarded.
- For each wrong response, 0.25 marks are deducted
- After eight consecutive unattempted questions, 0.10 marks are dropped for each unattended question.
- There will be no negative marks in the General Knowledge section.
- The General Knowledge score will not be used for the XAT percentile computation.
Also Read: Top Colleges Accepting 50 Percentile in XAT
FAQs on XAT Answer Key
Q: When was the XAT answer key 2025 released?
The candidate response sheet and answer key were released on different dates. The XAT response sheet was released on Jan 7, 2025, while the provisional answer key was made online on Jan 10, 2025. The final XAT answer key 2025 were to be released only if any of the candidates' objections were determined to be genuine. Following the release of the final (modified) answer key, the XAT 2025 result and scoring was announced on Jan 17, 2025.
Q: How to access the XAT 2025 answer key download?
Applicants can download their XAT answer key by following the steps shared: At first, they must visit the official XAT 2025 webpage in a new window: https://xatonline.in. Next, they should click on the “Candidate Response” section and log in by using their ID and password. After that, they must click on the response to generate the answer key, and the following answer key will be displayed. At last, candidates must check their responses and compare the sheet.
Q: How to raise objection against XAT answer key 2025?
Candidates must follow the following steps for challenging the XAT answer key: They must go to the XAT online website. Then, they must click on the 'Candidate response/raise objection' tab and enter their ID and password. Next, candidates must go to the raise objection form and enter the question ID, nature of the question, and objection. Finally, upload the document supporting their claim.
Q: Is there any negative marking in the XAT exam?
Yes, the XAT exam contains a negative score of -0.25 marks for incorrect attempts. Unanswered questions receive no negative marking; however, if there are eight consecutive unanswered questions, 0.10 marks will be deducted. As a result, candidates must carefully choose which questions to answer on the XAT exam. They should only answer questions they are confident about. The XAT exam has a sectional time restriction, so you don't want to waste time on a question you can't answer correctly. You risk losing both time and marks. So be careful when choosing questions for the XAT exam. The sectional cutoff for XAT is typically 80% accuracy. To improve this skill, take as many practice tests as possible.
Q: When is the XAT scorecard available for download?
The XAT scorecard is available to download for one academic year. If you took the XAT exam, you can obtain the scorecard until Mar 31, 2025. However, candidates must obtain their scorecard as soon as it becomes available and save it as a PDF file or email attachment. The XAT scorecard is the primary confirmation of your participation in the test. Without the actual copy of the scorecard, no MBA college will evaluate your application for their MBA programs. Therefore, you must keep the copy.
