XAT vs CAT: Is XAT Tougher Than CAT? Exam Pattern, Difficulty & Key Differences

XAT vs CAT: Is XAT Tougher Than CAT? Exam Pattern, Difficulty & Key Differences

Team Careers360Updated on 22 Dec 2025, 05:52 PM IST

Is XAT tougher than CAT? When comparing XAT VS CAT, both depict almost the same difficulty levels. They share similarities and have their own differences. CAT and XAT are among the top MBA entrance exams taken for MBA admission in India. So let’s discover more about MBA admissions through the CAT Vs XAT comparison. When we think about XAT VS CAT, which is better? The number of MBA colleges accepting CAT scores is higher than that accepting XAT scores. How the XAT differs from the CAT exam will be understandable by reading this XAT vs CAT article.

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This Story also Contains

  1. XAT VS CAT
  2. XAT Vs CAT: Difference
  3. XAT Vs CAT: Similarities
  4. XAT Vs CAT: exam pattern and marking scheme
  5. CAT Vs XAT: Exam Dates
  6. CAT Vs XAT: Syllabus
  7. CAT Vs XAT: Preparation Tips and Important Topics
  8. XAT Vs CAT: Study Material
  9. XAT Vs CAT: Question paper
  10. XAT Vs CAT: Mock test
XAT vs CAT: Is XAT Tougher Than CAT? Exam Pattern, Difficulty & Key Differences
XAT vs CAT

The difference between XAT and CAT is mainly based on their syllabus, type of questions, marking scheme and time limits. MBA aspirants who have prepared for the CAT exam can easily appear for the XAT exam. The topics covered in the CAT syllabus are similar to the XAT syllabus. Have a look at the XAT Vs CAT tabular differentiation, similarities and difficulty levels in this article.

XAT VS CAT

Top MBA colleges like IIMs, IITs, MDI, XLRI, XIMB, SPJIMR, etc. offer admission based on the MBA entrance exams like CAT and XAT. So a common question arises, which one is better CAT or XAT? Or is CAT tougher than XAT? CAT and XAT are both moderately difficult and equally competitive. As per the exam analysis, the toughest section of CAT exam is DILR and of XAT exam is the Quantitative Aptitude section.

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Particulars

CAT 2025

XAT 2026

Full form

Common Admission Test

Xavier Aptitude Test

Conducting Body

IIM

XLRI, Jamshedpur

Eligibility Criteria

Graduation with 50 % aggregate (45 % for SC/ST students)

Graduate in any stream from a recognised university

Exam mode

Online

Online

Marking Scheme

+3 marks for correct answer
-1 mark for incorrect answer

+1 mark for a correct answer
- 0.25 marks for incorrect answer
- 0.10 marks for more than 8 un-attempted consecutive questions

Type of Questions

MCQ & TITA (Type In The Answer)

MCQ and Essay

Exam fee

Rs. 2,400 for General category
Rs. 1,200 for SC/ST/PwD

Rs. 2,200 and Rs. 200 per XLRI program chosen

Mode of registration process

Online

Online

No. of accepting B-schools

21 IIMs & 1000+ B-schools in India

160+ MBA colleges

Also Check:

XAT Vs CAT: Difference

The major difference between XAT and CAT is their syllabus, types of questions and exam pattern. The difficulty levels are almost the same. Like any other MBA entrance syllabus, both exams consist of the same sections, like QA, DILR, VA and RC passages. The only difference between them is that XAT exam consists of additional sections like GK, decision making and essay writing. Check out the differentiation between CAT and XAT.

Difference between CAT Vs XAT

Basis of Differentiation

CAT 2025

XAT 2026

Sections

VARC, DILR, Quantitative Aptitude

Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, Decision Making, General Knowledge, Essay Writing

Number of Sections

3

5 (including GK, Decision Making and essay writing)

Additional Sections in XAT

None

Decision Making, General Knowledge, Essay Writing

Negative Marking for Un-attempted Questions

No

Yes

Time Duration

2 hours

3 hours 30 minutes

Specific Difficulty Areas

DILR section is often challenging

The decision-making section is unique and challenging

XAT Vs CAT: Similarities

Apart from differences, there are various similarities between these top MBA entrance exams. CAT and XAT share a similar syllabus, and both carry negative markings. From CAT vs XAT comparison, we can say that both of them are a speed-based test that examines the accuracy of the candidates. Have a look at the similarities between XAT and CAT exam.

Similarities between CAT Vs XAT

Basis of Similarities

CAT 2025

XAT 2026

Sections

Verbal Ability, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude

Verbal Ability, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude + Decision Making, General Knowledge, Essay

Number of Sections

3

3 (excluding GK, Decision Making and Essay)

Types of Questions

Analytical Ability, Logical Reasoning, English Communication Skills

Analytical Ability, Logical Reasoning, English Communication Skills, Decision Making, General Knowledge, Essay

Syllabus Similarity

Yes

Yes

Negative Marking Scheme

Yes

Yes

Speed-based Test

Yes

Yes

Difficulty Level

Moderate to Difficult

Moderate to Difficult

XAT Vs CAT: exam pattern and marking scheme

CAT and XAT exam pattern are completely different from each other but their syllabus still have certain similarities. Let's have a look at the comparison between the XAT and CAT exam pattern and their syllabus through a table.

CAT 2025 and XAT 2026 marking scheme and exam pattern

Details

CAT Marking Scheme

XAT Marking Scheme

Number of Questions

68

100

Total Marks

204

100

Negative Marking

  • 3 marks for correct answer
  • -1 mark for incorrect answer
  • No negative marking for non-MCQs
  • 1 marks for correct answer
  • -0.25 mark for incorrect answer
  • -0.5 marks for more than 8 unattempted questions
  • No negative marking in GK section

Number of choices in MCQs

4

5

Sectional Time Limit

40 minutes for each section

175 minutes for Part 1 (VA, QA, DM), 5 minutes for Part 2 (Mock Keyboard Testing) and 30 minutes for Part 3 (GK Essay Writing)

CAT Vs XAT: Exam Dates

Candidates can check the XAT and CAT 2025 exam dates for the MBA admission 2026-28 session.

MBA Exam

MBA Exam Date

CAT 2025

November 30, 2025

XAT 2026

January 04, 2026

CAT Vs XAT: Syllabus

After going through all the differences and similarities between XAT and CAT entrance exams, candidates must decide which MBA exam they want to take. They must prepare an effective study plan and start with the preparation of the exam they wish to appear for. Before preparing a study plan, it is crucial to know the syllabus of CAT and XAT syllabus mentioned below.

XAT Vs CAT: Study Material

Have a look at the best XAT and CAT study material like previous year CAT question papers, XAT question papers and mock test series to help you prepare for these upcoming MBA entrance exams.

XAT Vs CAT: Mock test

Given below are the best mock test series by Careers360 for XAT and CAT 2025 preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How many colleges accept CAT 2025 score?
A:

The CAT 2025 score will be accepted not only by 21 IIMs, but also by 1000+ B-schools. 

Q: Is XAT accepted in IIM?
A:

No, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) does not accept XAT score for MBA admission. IIM's only accept CAT score.

Q: XAT is accepted by how many colleges in India?
A:

160+ colleges in India will accept the XAT 2026 score for management courses. 

Q: Which is better, XLRI or IIM?
A:

The question of whether IIM or XLRI is better depends on specific career goals and preferences. XLRI is mainly known for its Human Resources (HR) programme, while IIMs are preferred for broader management roles, especially in finance and consulting.

Q: Does IIM accept the XAT score?
A:

No, Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) do not accept XAT scores for admission to MBA programme. They primarily accept scores from the Common Admission Test (CAT). 

Q: Is the syllabus for CAT and XAT the same?
A:

No, the CAT and XAT syllabi are not the same as XAT includes separate sections for Decision Making and General Knowledge, which are not the CAT exam. 

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello,

The results for the CAT 2025 entrance, which is conducted on November 30, 2025, were declared on December 22, 2025. Candidates can download and see their results on the official IIM CAT website. On the website, click on the "CAT 2025 Result/Scorecard" link to download the result by entering the required details.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,

The link to the website where you can check the published result is attached herewith.  The result will be out soon. You can also check the cutoffs on the website of Careers360.

https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-result

Thank you.

CAT does not restrict eligibility based on stream. Candidates from commerce, arts, science, engineering or any other background can appear for CAT and apply to MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top B-schools.

The basic eligibility criteria for CAT are:
You must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university with at least 50 percent marks (45 percent for SC, ST and PwD categories). Final-year graduation students are also eligible to apply.

Being a commerce graduate can actually be an advantage in areas such as accounting, finance, economics and business studies, especially during MBA coursework in finance, marketing and operations.

After qualifying CAT, admission depends on multiple factors including CAT percentile, academic background, work experience (if any), performance in GD, WAT and personal interview rounds. Many IIMs and B-schools follow a diverse academic background policy, which means non-engineering candidates, including commerce graduates, often receive additional weightage.

Apart from IIMs, several reputed institutes such as FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, and many state and private universities also accept CAT scores for MBA admissions.

So, as a commerce graduate, you are fully eligible to appear for CAT and pursue an MBA, provided you meet the minimum academic requirements and perform well in the selection process.

If you want, I can also help you with realistic CAT percentile targets based on your academic profile or suggest suitable MBA colleges.


Hello aspirant,

With a CAT 2025 raw score of 84 and strong sectionals, your expected percentile may fail in the high 98 range , depending on scaling. Your excellent academics and 2 years of work experience strengthen your profile .IIM Lucknow calls are possible but competitive for EWS engineers , while FMS Delhi looks mainly at CAT score and VARC , so you have a reasonable chance there . Final calls depend on cutoffs and composite score.

FOR REFERENCE : https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-cutoff

Hope the details will help you.

THANK YOU

Hello,

For a raw score of 56 in CAT 2025 Slot 3, your expected overall percentile is likely to be in the range of the 90th-95th percentile. The exact percentile can vary slightly on the final normalization process and the process and performance of all test-takers. In this article you'll find more about the CAT result.

I hope it will clear your query!!