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XAT Exam Analysis 2026 will be released based on the review of the students who will take the exam on Jan 4, 2026. The XAT paper analysis 2026 was categorized to be moderate, the same as the previous exams. The XAT exam pattern was changed and there were no questions from the essay writing section. The General Knowledge section had 20 questions in total.
XAT exam difficulty level 2026 was moderate. More than 1.3 lakh candidates attempted the exam and they reported that the QA questions were difficult. You must reach the XAT qualifying marks 2026 to pass the examination.
XAT exam 2026 has a varied number of questions in each segment. The good attempts of the exam expected from the questions have been shared below. According to the exam analysis, the overall expected score is above 50.
XAT Paper Analysis
XAT exam paper analysis 2026 is based on students' reactions. The difficulty level was moderate. After going through the XAT 2026 paper analysis, you shall learn the sectional difficulty level, the number of XAT expected good attempts, the topic-wise distribution of questions, and expected cutoffs.
|
XAT Sections |
XAT Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|
|
General Knowledge |
To Be Updated |
|
Decision Making |
To Be Updated |
|
Verbal and Logical Ability |
To Be Updated |
|
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
To Be Updated |
|
Total |
To Be Updated |
XAT Expected Difficulty Level
XAT exam consists of 75 MCQ questions. The Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VA & LR), Decision-making (DM), Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI), and General Knowledge (GK) sections of the XAT will be tested.
The expected difficulty level for the XAT 2026 exam is given below. You must check the section-wise expected XAT exam analysis 2026 shared.
| XAT Section | Expected No. of Questions | Good Attempt | Difficulty Level |
| VALR | 27 | 18-20 | Moderate |
| DM | 22 | 16-18 | Moderate |
| QADI | 26 | 17-18 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Total | 75 | 50+ | Moderate |
Don't Miss: What is a Good Score in XAT 2026?
XAT vs CAT vs SNAP Analysis
The detailed comparison between the XAT, CAT, and SNAP exams has been shared below. You must check the table showing all the details.
| Particulars | XAT | CAT | SNAP |
| Conducting Authority | XLRI Jamshedpur | IIMs | Symbiosis International Deemed University |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) | Computer-Based Test (CBT) | Online |
| Frequency of Exam | Once a year | Once a year | Once a year |
| Exam Duration | 3 hours 30 minutes (210 minutes) | 2 hours (120 minutes) | 1 hour (60 minutes) |
| Number of Sections | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Question Format | Objective Type MCQ | 40 MCQs and 18 Non-MCQs | Objective Type MCQ |
| Total Marks | 100 | 198 | 60 |
| Marking Scheme for Correct Answer | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Marking Scheme for Wrong Answer | -0.25 (MCQ and GK is free is negative marking) | -1 | 25% deduction for each wrong attempt |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate to Difficult | Difficult | Easy to Difficult |
Must Read: XAT vs CAT
XAT Previous Year Exam Analysis
You can find the previous year XAT paper analysis to get an idea of the difficulty level of each section.
XAT 2025 Exam Analysis
The XAT exam 2025 had different sections and the analysis of each section is different. A detailed analysis of each section has been shared below.
XAT QA Section Analysis 2025
The Quantitative Aptitude section had 28 questions. There were 4 sets, including 3 questions from each. The difficulty level was moderate and around 18-20 questions were easily attempted.
The questions asked from the Quantitative Aptitude section are as follows:
- Arithmetic Questions: 4-5
- Algebra Questions: 4-5
- Height and Distance Question: 01
- Log: 01
- DS: 02
- Probability Algebra Mixed: 01
- Number System: 01
- Coordinate system Question: 01
XAT DI Section Questions 2025
The questions asked from the Data Interpretation section are as follows:
- Men-women age gap
- Routes
- Grid
- 8 tests
- One DI had geo-based concept
XAT VALR Section Analysis 2025
There were a total of 26 questions. The unseen passage was a bit tough and the options were quite similar. There was 1 image-based question in this section. The questions are as follows:
- 5 Reading Comprehension with 3 questions
- 1 poem with 2 questions
XAT DM Section Analysis 2025
There were 21 questions from this section. There were 7 sets of 3 questions each. However, the sections were lengthy and a but tricky.
XAT 2024 Paper Analysis
The details of the 2024 exam are as follows:
XLRI BM Program
| Category | VA-LR Section | DM Section | QA-DI Section | Overall (Part A) |
| Male candidates | 6-7 | 5-6 | 9-10 | 30-32 |
| Female candidates | 5-6 | 4-5 | 8-9 | 28-30 |
XLRI HRM Program
| Category | VA-LR Section | DM Section | QA-DI Section | Overall (Part A) |
| Male (Engineers) | 7-8 | 5-6 | 8-9 | 29-31 |
| Female (Engineers) | 6-7 | 4-5 | 7-8 | 27-29 |
| Male (Non-Engineers) | 7-8 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 27-29 |
| Female (Non-Engineers) | 6-7 | 4-5 | 6-7 | 26-28 |
XAT Paper Analysis 2023
The level of difficulty ranged from moderate to high in XAT analysis 2023. A detailed analysis of the same is shared below.
- VALR and DM had a few difficult questions that weren't challenging.
- The QADI exam was the hardest and had the most extensive questions. Additionally, some students claimed that this session was more DI-focused.
- The toughest one was GK. Questions from Geography, Politics, Science & Technology, and Current events were asked.
- Additionally, candidates had the alternative of answering one of the two question options in the essay writing component.
- The time allotted for the essay writing component was only ten minutes.
XAT Sectional Paper Analysis 2023
XAT 2023 paper analysis sectional details are listed below for all four examination areas. XAT 2023 paper analysis included the number of questions asked, reasonable attempts, and difficulty levels.
|
Section Name |
No of Questions |
Good Attempts |
Difficulty Level |
|
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation |
28 |
15-17 |
Difficult |
|
Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 |
18-22 |
Easy-Moderate |
|
General Knowledge |
25 |
10-11 |
Difficult |
|
Decision Making |
21 |
16-18 |
Moderate |
|
Overall |
100 |
59-68 |
Moderate-Difficult |
XAT 2022 Analysis
Candidates rated the XAT 2022 level of difficulty as moderate to difficult overall.
- It was observed that the Decision Making Section was the simplest to complete.
- However, the Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation component was the most challenging to achieve.
- The questions on Data Interpretation were lengthy and needed more time to be completed.
The sections for the XAT paper analysis 2022 are broken down into the following sections.
|
Section Name |
Difficulty Level |
No of Questions |
|
General Knowledge |
Moderate |
25 |
|
Verbal and Logical Ability |
Easy |
26 |
|
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation |
Difficult |
28 |
|
Decision Making |
Moderate |
21 |
|
Overall |
Moderate-Difficult |
100 |
The XAT exam analysis 2026 is on of the best ways to judge the candidate's performance and calculate the tentative marks.
FAQs on XAT Paper Analysis
Q: When was the XAT exam analysis 2026 released?
The XAT exam analysis 2026 was released soon after the exam was conducted successfully on Jan 7, 2024. The analysis has been shared based on the candidate’s reaction and the expert’s opinion.
Q: What is the XAT 2026 difficulty level?
Based on the paper analysis and the expert’s opinion, the XAT 2026 paper was of moderate to difficult level. Candidates can check the section-wise expected analysis shared.
Q: Are XAT question papers more difficult than the CAT papers?
The XAT and CAT papers are similar. The questions asked in both papers are tricky and time-consuming, but the general knowledge section of XAT makes the paper more challenging.
Q: Which is the most difficult section in XAT exam?
All the sections asked in the XAT examination are moderate to difficult. However, based on the reviews of the students, comparatively, the Verbal Ability and Decision-Making section is difficult as this section requires extra attention.
Q: What was the difficulty level of the XAT 2023 Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation paper?
The difficulty level of QA and DI for XAT 2023 was moderately difficult. The questions asked were tricky and confusing. Most questions were asked from the number system, probability, and DI chapters.
Q: What was the overall difficulty level of the XAT 2022 paper?
The difficulty level of the XAT 2022 paper was moderate to difficult overall. The most difficult questions were asked from Quantitative Aptitude, and the lengthy questions were asked from Data Interpretation.
Q: What was the XAT 2021 Decision-Making paper difficulty level?
The XAT 2021 paper analysis for decision-making is as follows: The situational questions had a moderately complex level, and since there were no singlets, they were simple to answer. The XAT paper analysis 2021 decision-making portion, in the opinion of the students, could have been more interesting.
