XAT Score vs Percentile 2026 – How to Calculate Marks
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The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is a National-level entrance exam for admission in the MBA / PGDM program of XLRI and other top B-schools. However, students often get confused about the marking scheme and cut-off system of top Institutions due to the difference in XAT score v/s percentile.
This blog will aid the aspirants to distinguish in XAT score v/s percentile with the cut-off system of top Educational Institutions.
Contents
What is XAT Score?
The XAT score is the total marks obtained by the candidates. The entrance test consists of 95 questions which are divided into 2 parts. The first part consists of 3 sections; Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning (26 questions), Decision Making (21 questions) and Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (28 questions). Whereas, the second part consists of General Knowledge with 20 questions.
For every correct answer, students are rewarded with +1 mark and -0.25 marks are deducted from the candidate’s total score for each of the incorrect answers. There is no penalty for first 8 unanswered questions but after that -0.10 marks are deducted for each unanswered question. No marks are deducted in the General Knowledge section and also, the marks secured by the applicants in this section are not considered while calculating the results.
What is XAT percentile?
B.XAT percentile reflects the candidates’ relative performance to others, and indicates the percentage of candidates who scored equivalent / lower than them. For instance, a student’s percentile score is 90, which means that the aspirant has scored higher than 90% of the total test-takers & lower than the top 10% test-takers.
Percentile is calculated by using the following formula:
Percentile Score = (Total Number of Candidates – Candidate’s Rank) / Number of Candidates * 100.
XAT percentile is the main factor for selection criteria for top B-Schools where General Knowledge section marks are not included in the percentile. However, GK marks are separately considered in the selection process.
XAT Score v/s Percentile
Aspirants can check out the table given-below for overall score v/s percentile of XAT 2025 & prepare the necessary strategies accordingly to secure a decent score:
| Score | Percentile |
| ≥ 40 | ~97–99 |
| 37–38 | ~96 |
| 31–36 | ~95–97 |
| 25–30 | ~90–95 |
| 23–24 | ~85–90 |
| 21–22 | ~80–85 |
*XAT percentile does not include General Knowledge marks. Thus, the total score is out of 75.
What is the XAT cut-off?
The XAT cut-off is the minimum percentile required for admission in top Educational Institutions like Xavier School of Management (XLRI), Jain University (JU), Quantum University (QU) and many more.
Some of the factors affecting XAT cut-off for top Educational Institutions are mentioned below:
- Exam Difficulty: Generally, XAT papers are of moderate to difficult level but sometimes questions are trickier or easier than usual thus, the cut-offs vary according to the same. For instance, challenging paper leads to lower cut-offs, while easier one leads to higher.
- Gender and Category: The conducting body releases the cut-off for on the basis of categories such as gender (male & female), and category (Engineer & non-Engineer).
- Program Specific: Cut-off varies for different programs. The cut-off for Business Management (BM) program is typically higher than the Human Resource Management (HRM) program.
- Sectional Performance: Students are required to meet the minimum cut-off for each section (Verbal and Logical Reasoning, Decision Making and Quantitative ability) to ensure their overall eligibility for admission in the desired program.
- Seat Availability: The number of seats available in the particular program offered by the respective Institutions also plays a huge role in influencing the cut-off.
Also Check:How Much Time is Required to Prepare for XAT Exam
XAT cut-off: XLRI 2025
Students can go through the following table to check XAT percentile of XLRI overall cut-off in 2025:
| Particular | Required Percentile | |
| PGDM BM (Business Management) | PGDM HRM (Human Resource Management) | |
| Male Engineering | ≥ 96 | ≥ 95 |
| Female Engineering | ≥ 91 | ≥ 90 |
| Male Non-Engineering | ≥ 96 | ≥ 93 |
| Female Non- Engineering | ≥ 91 | ≥ 87 |
In addition to XAT overall score, candidates are required to meet minimum percentile requirement for each section of the exam. For the same, aspirants can refer to the table given below:
| Sections | PGDM BM (Business Management) | PGDM HRM (Human Resource Management) | ||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA) | ≥ 88 | ≥ 82 | ≥ 83
*≥ 76 in case of Non-Engineer category. |
≥ 73
*≥ 68 for Non-Engineer category candidates. |
| Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VA & LR) | ≥ 84 | ≥ 80 | ≥ 90 | ≥ 85 |
| Decision Making (DM) | ≥ 84 | ≥ 80 | ≥ 87 | ≥ 80 |
Note: Every year, the XAT cut-off changes accordingly. For XAT 2026, students are advised to refer to the respective Educational Institution’s official website to gather complete details about the cut-off percentile & other procedures.
Tips for Obtaining Excellent Results in XAT
XAT is one of the most popular entrance examinations for the admissions in the Tier-1 B-Schools in India. Students can follow the following 5 tips to prepare efficiently for XAT 2026:
- Attempt XAT Previous Year Question Paper for understanding the exam structure.
- Create a practical study plan for proficient preparation.
- Develop flexible learning strategies according to the XAT syllabus.
- Attempt mock tests and invest in limited & quality study material for better preparation.
- Regularly revise the topics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the questions frequently asked by the students regarding XAT Score vs Percentile are:
Q.1 What is a good score for XAT 2026?
A good score for XAT 2026 is generally 40 or above which is equivalent to approximately 99 percentile.
Q.2 Is there a caste-based reservation policy for XAT?
No, XAT does not have any caste-based reservation regulations.
Q.3 How to prepare for XAT 2026 in 3 months?
To prepare for XAT 2026, students should plan a practical schedule and cover the syllabus, especially the important topics thoroughly. Along with this, applicants should ensure they attempt the mock tests and PYQs on a regular basis.
Conclusion
In the end, the result of XAT 2026 will be announced on the XAT official website, and after that various Institutions will start releasing their respective cut-off scores for enrolment. However, top B-Schools require a good overall XAT percentile for admission with necessary percentile in QA, VA & LR and DM sections. Therefore, it is crucial for the aspirants to know the difference between XAT score v/s percentile.
Students can prepare for the XAT exam by solving the previous year question paper & mock tests, constructing the effective timetable and doing revision on a daily basis to increase their chances of securing excellent marks in the XAT 2026.
