All About XAT Exam: Score, Percentile, colleges, and more

In today’s world, where a business mind lies in every household, students often aim for courses in business administration. It is one of the top career options for students. Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) and Post Graduate Diploma in Management(PGDM) are often opted for by students in higher education. These career options provide tons of benefits, from high salary packages to job satisfaction. But with the growing competition, the path to reaching these courses has been made difficult. Colleges offering MBA or PGDM degrees conduct entrance examinations to select the deserving and best candidates. From the Common Aptitude Test(CAT) to Xavier’s Aptitude Test (XAT), every entrance examination has its own requirements and scoring criteria.

In this blog, we will discuss the Xavier’s Aptitude Test (XAT) and its scoring criteria, XAT score vs percentile, and preparation tips.

WHAT IS XAT EXAM?

Xavier’s Aptitude Test is a competitive examination conducted by Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur institute. While the exam is specifically for admission to Xavier’s Institute, many other colleges consider the XAT result.

The examination can be given by students aiming to apply in MBA and PGDM courses.

SYLLABUS FOR XAT EXAMINATION-

There are four sections in the entrance examination that the students have to prepare in depth to score well in the examination-

• Verbal and Logical ability
• Quantitative aptitude and Data Interpretation.
• General Studies and Awareness
• Decision Making

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA OF XAT EXAMINATION

Students must fulfil the following criteria to become eligible to appear in the examination.

• Students must complete their bachelor’s degree in any discipline or must be in the final year of their graduation.
• Working professionals can also appear for the entrance examination.
• There are no age limitations for appearing in the examination.

XAT MARKS VS PERCENTILE

XAT is one of the most competitive examinations, and the scoring of the examination depends on various factors, making it equally complicated. There are two scoring criteria in the XAT examination: XAT Marks vs Percentile-

• Score- refers to the raw score obtained in different subjects in the XAT examination.
• Percentile- Percentile refers to ranking. It depends on different factors and based including raw scores and appearing candidates, and shows your rank in the exam.
• The scoring ranges from 0- 100. Students who have a high raw score have a higher percentile. Students who score in the range of 35-50 will achieve a percentile of 90- 95 and more.

COMPARISON OF XAT MARKS VS PERCENTILE

Here are the cut-offs of the past two years (XAT score vs percentile 2024 and XAT score vs percentile 2025). The scores and percentile are to help students compare and comprehend the patterns of scores and percentile. This will help them in their preparation as well.

XAT SCORE VS. PERCENTILE 2024 AND 2025

Here is a comparison of the XAT score vs percentile 2024 and XAT score vs percentile 2025 overall.

XAT SCORE VS PERCENTILE 2024 AND 2025 SUBJECT WISE

Here is a comparison of the XAT score vs percentile 2024 and XAT score vs percentile 2025 subject-wise.

FACTORS DETERMINING XAT SCORE VS. PERCENTILE

There are various factors that affect the XAT Score vs Percentile. Some of the factors are-

• One of the main factors affecting the percentile is the total number of candidates. The percentile shows your rank in comparison to other candidates and how many candidates scored below you. Thus, the more the competition, the higher the score required to get the same percentile. The raw score required in 2024 for 99 percentile was less than that needed in 2025 for the same percentile. This may be because of a larger number of appearing candidates.
• The XAT score vs percentile also depends on the difficulty level of the exam. If the exam is difficult, the percentile would drop. In 2024, the lower raw scores for high percentile depicts that the exam must be difficult.
• The examination score undergoes a normalisation process to ensure an equality is maintained throughout different sections and shifts. Heavy normalisation leads to lowering of scores and or increase in scores as while. Depending on the normalisation extent, the percentile is decided.
• The XAT exam has different sections. The scores achieved in each section affect the final score and percentile.

The intense difference between the percentile scores in 2024 and 2025 highlights how different factors influence the overall score and the cut-offs of the year.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q.1) What is the XAT examination?

Ans. XAT stands for Xavier’s Aptitude Test. It is an entrance examination conducted by Xavier’s Institute for admission in MBA or PGDM courses. Many other colleges also consider the score of XAT.

Q.2) What are the XAT 2025 score vs percentile?

Ans. The overall XAT 2025 score vs percentile is-

• For 99 percentile, students must have an overall score of 38.2
• For 95 percentile, the raw score required is 31
• For 90 percentile, students must have a score of 27
• For 80 percentile, the raw score needed is 21.

These are the percentile scores that most colleges prefer.

Q.3) What are some XAT accepting colleges?

Ans. Some XAT accepting colleges, besides Xavier’s, are-

IMT Ghaziabad

IMI, New Delhi

Jaipuria, Noida

 Amity University, Gurugram

Q.4) When will the XAT examination be conducted in 2026?

Ans. The tentative date for the XAT examination in 2026 is 4th January, 2026.

Q.5) What are the subjects for the XAT examination?

Ans. The subjects covered in the examination are Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, General Awareness, and decision making.