How to Crack XAT 2026 in First Attempt: Topper Tips, Preparation Strategy & Best Books

How to Crack XAT 2026 in the first attempt? Cracking a top MBA entrance exam can be challenging, especially for first-time test-takers. The same goes for the XAT 2026 exam. However, it’s important to remember that many candidates successfully clear XAT on their very first attempt, with the right preparation strategy and study plan. The XAT 2026 exam is scheduled to be held in January 2026, tentatively. This article covers everything you need to know to prepare effectively for the exam, from how to practice, key preparation tips, and the best books to refer to, all the way to proven strategies that can help you crack the XAT 2026 and secure admission into top B-schools like XLRI. Time management is crucial in both exams, especially given their tight timelines and negative marking. In this article by Careers360, we’ve shared essential tips and strategies to help you crack the XAT exam on your first attempt.

This Story also Contains

1. Is XAT tougher than CAT?
2. XAT 2026 Exam Pattern
3. Why You Should Appear for the XAT Exam?
4. Tips To Crack the XAT Exam
5. XAT 2026 Section-Wise Preparation Strategy Tips by Toppers
6. Recommended Study Material for XAT 2026

Is XAT tougher than CAT?

While both are competitive MBA entrance exams, the difficulty levels vary slightly. XAT preparation and CAT have a similar preparation approach, but their exam patterns differ. The question paper of CAT is more difficult than the XAT exam, considering the syllabus and CAT exam pattern. In terms of question types and overall structure, many consider CAT to be slightly more challenging than XAT. However, XAT includes unique sections like Decision Making, which require a different kind of preparation.

XAT 2026 Exam Pattern

The XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) is an important entrance exam conducted by XLRI for admission to various management programs. It is a three-hour online test comprising five main sections: Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, General Knowledge, and Analytical Essay Writing.

Why You Should Appear for the XAT Exam?

The Xavier Aptitude Test or the XAT exam, is one of the most competitive management entrance exams in India. Every year, thousands of candidates appear for the XAT examination. As far as the XAT 2026 examination is concerned, XLRI, Jamshedpur, conducts the exam.

• Diverse Opportunities: The XAT exam provides access to various top management programs, including those at XLRI and other renowned institutions. This can lead to a range of career paths and opportunities in the business world.
• Comprehensive Assessment: The XAT exam evaluates a wide array of skills, such as analytical reasoning, quantitative abilities, and general knowledge. This helps ensure that you’re well-rounded and prepared for the challenges of a management career.
• Enhanced Career Prospects: Scoring well in the XAT can significantly boost your career prospects by allowing you entry into some of the best management schools. This, in turn, can lead to better job opportunities and career growth.
• Global Recognition: XAT is recognized both in India and internationally, which can be beneficial if you’re considering a career that involves global exposure or working in international firms.
• Networking Opportunities: Being part of a top institution affiliated with XAT allows you to connect with a network of professionals, alumni, and peers. These connections can be valuable for career advice, job opportunities, and industry insights.
• Skill Development: Preparing for the XAT exam helps you develop critical skills such as problem-solving, time management, and effective communication. These skills are not only useful for the exam but also beneficial throughout your career.

Tips To Crack the XAT Exam

• Having a good understanding of the XAT syllabus and pattern of the XAT exam - XAT, being one of the toughest MBA entrance exams, requires hard work and dedication. To crack XLRI's entrance exam in the first attempt only, it is necessary to start preparation six to seven months before the XAT 2026 entrance exam. To start their XAT preparation from a good point, aspirants should clearly understand the syllabus and pattern of the exam they are going to attempt on the exam day.

• Syllabus of XAT 2026 - This year, XAT will be comprised of only one paper, which will consist of objective or multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The questions will be asked from the four sections, namely- Verbal and Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation and General Knowledge.

• Pattern of XAT 2026 - The exam pattern of XAT will specify the number of questions section-wise as well as the total time duration. The XAT exam will consist of about 26 questions of the Verbal and Logical Ability section, about 21 questions in the decision-making section, about 28 questions of the quantitative ability and data interpretation, and 20 questions in the general knowledge. The time allotted for the XAT 2026 exam is 130 minutes, and there is no sectional time limit this year. As per the XAT marking scheme this time, one mark will be awarded for each correct answer and 0.25 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer, and 0.1 marks will be deducted for more than 8 unattempted questions.

The benefit of getting well-versed with the syllabus and pattern of the exam is that the candidates become capable enough to practice and prepare for the exam in a regular manner.

• Emphasize important topics - Aspirants should place more emphasis on those topics specified in the XAT syllabus. Here, from the important topic, we mean the topics in the section that cover a major part of a particular section. Focusing more on important and high-weightage topics would lead you to score more.

• Make effective use of online platforms - Nowadays, online classes, test series, and study materials have become the panacea. Hence, students should go for online classes for effective preparations if they are preparing by themselves at home for the exam and not going to physically established coaching centres. Aspirants may join online study groups as well and can find a mentor to guide them throughout the preparation.

• Take XAT mock tests and sectional tests - Without any doubt, it can be stated that XAT mock tests are a must to crack this competitive exam. Therefore, students should dedicate plenty of their time to taking XAT mock tests and analysing the,m as it would allow them to assess their growth during the preparation.

• The magic of note-making - Regular, precise, and good note-making proves to be the most effective weapon for the XAT last-minute preparation. Aspirants should start making notes from various resources from the very start of their preparation. Mostly, note-making plays a vital role in acing the general knowledge section of XAT and aspirants must inculcate the habit of note-taking on a daily basis from various sources like newspapers, monthly magazines, etc to strengthen their General knowledge.

• Practice from XAT previous year papers - Aspirants, may go for practicing XAT previous year's papers to get an idea about the questions of easy, moderate, and difficult level questions asked in XAT.

XAT 2026 Exam Time Management

Time management for the XAT exam is the process of planning and organizing on how to divide time between different activities. If a candidate is able to manage their time while writing XAT 2026, a candidate will end up working smarter, not harder, to get more questions done in less time- even when the time is quite tight and XAT exam pressure is high. Achievers usually manage their time exceptionally well.

XAT 2026 Section-Wise Preparation Strategy Tips by Toppers

Vandan Shah, who belongs to Surat, Gujarat, scored 99.7 percentile in XAT 2020. In an interview with Careers360, Vandan shares his section-wise preparation strategy. He says “I practiced a lot from past years' XAT question papers. Apart from that, regularly giving the XAT mock tests helped me to decide on how much time I need to allot to each section”. Here is Vandan’s section-wise XAT preparation strategy.

• For VARC - This section is a tad tougher than other exams and a lot of questions are inference-based based as you can see from the past year's trends. So the key is to devote some quality time while reading passages and comprehend them well.

• For QA and DI - This section is pretty much similar to other exams like CAT, so just practising questions can help you get the job done.

• For DM - This is a make-or-break section for me. I regularly solved past years' papers and analysed how my thinking was different from or aligned with the answer key.

Recommended Study Material for XAT 2026

While preparing for XAT 2026, candidates can refer to the books suggested by experts and toppers. Check section-wise XAT preparation recommended study material.

Best Books for XAT QA & DI

• Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by R.S. Aggarwal

• How to prepare for Data Interpretation by Arun Sharma

• Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha

• Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha

Recommended Books for XAT 2026 VA & LR

• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension by Ajay Singh

• A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal

• Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey

• Word Power Made Easy Book by Norman Lewis

• High School English Grammar & Composition by Wren & Martin

Best Study Material for XAT DM Section

• Analytical and Logical Reasoning by Arihant Publications

• Target XAT 2026 (Past papers & Mock tests) by Disha experts

• Jabbing the XAT (with solved papers) by R.K. Jha

Quick Links-

• Best books for XAT preparation

• Best study material for XAT

XAT 2026 General Knowledge Preparation Material

For the XAT General Knowledge section, candidates need to focus on History, Geography, Politics, Science, and Technology, etc. Candidates can also read magazines, newspapers, and journals while preparing for the XAT General Knowledge section.