The XAT 2026 difficulty level analysis will be available here once the exam is conducted on January 4, 2026. This section-wise difficulty breakdown will help candidates understand how challenging each part of the paper was. From Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning (VALR) to Decision Making (DM), Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI), and General Knowledge (GK), the difficulty level of each section will be assessed based on expert reviews and student feedback. Once the XAT 2026 Exam concludes, you will find a complete section-by-section difficulty analysis, highlighting the nature of the questions, time-consuming sets, tricky areas, and overall student experience. This analysis will also help future aspirants prepare with a more targeted strategy. Conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur on behalf of XAMI, the test evaluates analytical thinking, verbal reasoning, quantitative aptitude, and awareness. Stay tuned for detailed updates on how each section of XAT 2026 performed, and learn how tough XAT 2026 will be after comparing it to previous years.
Also Read: XAT Exam Analysis 2026
Overall & Section-wise XAT Exam Analysis 2026
The overall difficulty level of the XAT 2026 exam will be updated here once the test is concluded. Based on previous year trends, the Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation section is usually the most challenging, while the Decision Making and VALR sections vary in difficulty year to year. The General Knowledge section is not considered for the percentile but is used in the selection process by participating institutes. The detailed XAT 2026 exam review will be added soon, covering candidate reactions, expert comments, and expected XAT 2026 cutoffs.
Overall XAT 2026 Exam Analysis
Here’s the table showing XAT 2026 exam analysis:
XAT VALR Exam Analysis 2026
This section tested reading comprehension, grammar, reasoning, and vocabulary. The breakup is as follows:
XAT Exam Analysis 2026: Decision Making
This section evaluated analytical reasoning through situation-based questions.
XAT Exam Analysis 2026: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
The QA & DI section covered a mix of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data sets.
XAT Exam Analysis 2026: General Knowledge
The GK section was a mix of static and current affairs from diverse domains.
XAT Exam Analysis 2025
Test-takers can check the complete XAT 2025 paper analysis here, including section-wise difficulty, question distribution, expected good attempts, and overall cutoff trends. Check XAT 2025 Toppers Interview.
Overall XAT 2025 Exam Analysis
The XAT 2025 question paper was considered moderate to tough by most students. The Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) section was easier compared to the rest, while Quantitative Ability & DI (QA & DI) was again the most challenging part of the test. Many students reported that arithmetic questions were limited and replaced by tougher topics like geometry and modern math. The Decision Making (DM) section was slightly trickier this year, with lengthy passages and close options. General Knowledge (GK) continued to be tough and fact-heavy. Due to the increased difficulty in QA and the overall paper pattern, XAT 2025 cutoffs are expected to drop slightly compared to last year.
XAT Exam 2025 Analysis: Sectional Exam Analysis (Previous Year)
The XAT exam includes Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, General Knowledge, and Analytical Essay Writing. Based on the feedback shared by students who appeared for the XAT 2025 exam, here is the detailed section-wise XAT analysis for each topic.
Verbal and Logical Ability
Decision Making
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
Part 2: General Knowledge
XAT Exam Analysis 2024
As per the XAT exam analysis and candidates' XAT review, the overall difficulty level of the previous year's XAT exam was moderate. There were no major changes seen in the XAT exam pattern, and there were no technical glitches as well. The XAT question paper pattern was mostly based on the previous year's pattern only. Many students found the QA section to be tricky, but the overall paper was doable.
- VARC: As per the XAT 2024 analysis and students' feedback, the VARC section of XAT 2024 was doable. The questions were asked from the same topics mentioned in the XAT syllabus and were based on the previous year's XAT exam pattern only.
- QA & DI: According to the XAT exam analysis, the QA section of XAT 2024 was a bit on the difficult side and lengthy as well. Many students found the DI section to be doable.
- DM: The XAT Decision-making section was easy and doable as per the XAT exam analysis and XAT review by the candidates.
- GK and XAT Essay Writing: Three topics were asked in the XAT essay writing 2024, based on technology and social media. The pattern of the GK portion was the same as per previous year as well.
Overall XAT 2024 Exam Analysis
Here’s the table showing the overall XAT 2024 exam analysis:
XAT 2024 Exam Analysis: DM
Check out the question-wise breakup for the XAT 2024 DM section:
XAT 2024 Exam Analysis: VALR
The XAT VALR section had 26 questions. The breakup of the VALR section was as follows:
XAT 2024 Exam Analysis: QA & DI
The types and number of questions in the Quant and DI sections in XAT 2024 are as follows. This was the toughest section of all.
XAT 2024 Exam Analysis: GK
Here’s the table showing XAT 2024 exam analysis:
XAT Cutoff 2026 (Expected)
The XAT accepting colleges will release the cutoff marks after the release of the XAT result 2026. Candidates can check the expected XAT 2026 cutoff given below to get an idea of their chances of getting into their desired college.
Overall, the XAT cut-off for the XLRI BM Program is expected to be around 90 to 95th percentile, while the same for the HRM program is expected to be above the 65th percentile.
FAQs
What was the overall difficulty level of the XAT 2025 exam?
The XAT 2025 exam was rated moderate to tough, with the Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI) section being the most difficult. The Decision Making (DM) section was slightly tricky due to closed-option scenarios, while Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning (VALR) was considered easier compared to previous years. The General Knowledge (GK) section was fact-based and challenging.
Which section of the XAT exam is usually the toughest?
Based on historical trends, the QA & DI section is typically the most difficult in the XAT exam. It features questions from modern math, geometry, and DI sets that are often lengthy and calculation-heavy. Students usually report the Decision Making (DM) section as unpredictable and GK as tricky due to wide topic coverage.
Is the General Knowledge (GK) section considered in XAT percentile calculation?
No, the GK section in XAT is not included in the percentile calculation. However, many institutes, including XLRI, use the GK score during the final selection process, especially in PI rounds, so it's advisable to take it seriously.
