XAT 2027, the Xavier Aptitude Test that XLRI Jamshedpur holds for its own programmes and for the many management schools that accept its score, is on Sunday, 3 January 2027, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Registration has been open on xatonline.in since 15 July 2026 and closes on 6 December. The admit card is due on 20 December, tentatively. It is one of the last MBA tests of the season, after CAT on 29 November and before CMAT in February.
XAT 2027: the schedule
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration opened | 15 July 2026 |
| Last date of registration | 6 December 2026 |
| Admit card (tentative) | 20 December 2026 |
| Exam | Sunday, 3 January 2027, 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM |
| Answer key and result | After the exam, on xatonline.in |
Who can sit XAT 2027
- A bachelor’s degree of at least three years, or an equivalent, in any discipline.
- Students in the final year of such a degree. If selected, they finish the degree by the date the institute fixes.
- XAT itself sets no minimum marks and no age limit. Each institute that takes the score sets its own marks rule, and work experience is weighed at the institute’s shortlist, not at the test.
NAAC A++
NIRF #2 (2025)Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityNew Delhi, DelhiAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1969View details
NAAC A++
NIRF #4 (2025)Jamia Millia IslamiaNew Delhi, DelhiAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1920 · 239 acresView details
NAAC A++
NIRF #5 (2025)University of DelhiNew Delhi, DelhiAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, JEE MainEst. 1922View details
NAAC A
NIRF #6 (2025)Banaras Hindu UniversityVaranasi, Uttar PradeshAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1916 · 1300 acresView details
NAAC A+
NIRF #10 (2025)Aligarh Muslim UniversityAligarh, Uttar PradeshAdmission: CUET UG, NET/JRF, NEET UGEst. 1920View details
NAAC A+
NIRF #18 (2025)University of HyderabadHyderabad, TelanganaAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1974 · 2000 acresView details
NAAC A++
NIRF #37 (2025)Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar UniversityLucknow, Uttar PradeshAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1996View details
NAAC A+
NIRF #77 (2025)Central University of PunjabBathinda, PunjabAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 2009 · 500 acresView details
NAAC A+
NIRF #79 (2025)Tezpur UniversityTezpur, AssamAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1994 · 262 acresView details
NAAC A
NIRF #82 (2025)Mizoram UniversityAizawl, MizoramAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 2000View detailsFee
| Candidate | Fee |
|---|---|
| XAT registration | Rs. 2,300 |
| Indian candidates for XLRI’s PGDM (General Management) through GMAT or GRE | Rs. 2,600 |
| NRI, foreign, PIO and OCI candidates through GMAT | Rs. 5,000 |
The fee went up by Rs. 100 from the last cycle. It is paid online during registration.
The paper
XAT is a computer based test of three hours, held in a single sitting at about 100 test cities. It has three aptitude sections and a General Knowledge part:
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Decision Making, the section XAT is known for: business and ethical situations with no formula behind the answer
- Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
- General Knowledge
In the aptitude sections a wrong answer loses a quarter of a mark, and XAT also takes off a small fraction for questions left unanswered beyond a set number, so leaving many questions blank is not free. The General Knowledge part carries no negative marking; XLRI uses it at its own interview stage rather than in the percentile. The XLRI notification and the mock test on xatonline.in show the exact number of questions and the timing of each part for this year.
XAT and Central Universities
Besides XLRI, more than a hundred management institutes take the XAT score, and some MBA programmes of Central Universities name it in their admission documents, usually alongside CAT, MAT, CMAT or CUET PG. The XAT page of this site lists those programmes and keeps every step of the exam together.
What comes next
- By 6 December: register and pay. How to fill the form is in XAT 2027 registration.
- 20 December: the admit card, tentatively.
- 3 January 2027: the exam, followed by the answer key and the result.
