XAT 2026 General Knowledge Questions: Sample Paper, Syllabus, Topics & Preparation Guide

XAT General Knowledge 2026: Overview & Importance

The XAT 2026 GK section carries 25 questions, making it one of the highest-weight sections in terms of question count. Although GK scores are not included in the overall percentile, they play a crucial role during the PI stage. The section usually includes a mix of current affairs (around 12–14 questions) and static GK (around 10–13 questions) covering history, geography, science, business, and global events. A strong GK performance helps candidates stand out during interviews and final selection rounds.

Also check the year wise XAT General Knowledge question weightage asked over the years below.

Every year in the XAT exam, 25 questions feature from the GK section. But from XAT 2025, the number of questions has reduced to 20 from 25. This includes 8 questions from static GK and 12 from current affairs. While the XAT GK section would not be considered for the overall XAT marking, it plays a significant role during further selection rounds for the candidate. Hence, overlooking the GK section during the candidate's XAT preparation can be fatal.

Also Read: XAT Question Paper with Answer

XAT 2026 General Knowledge Syllabus Breakdown

The General Knowledge syllabus for XAT 2026 covers detailed information regarding important topics designed to assess candidates' overall awareness and knowledge. The syllabus covers traditional subjects, such as history and geography, alongside contemporary issues and recent events. Candidates must prepare across multiple domains to perform well in this comprehensive knowledge assessment.

Important Topics for XAT 2026 GK

General knowledge topics can be divided into two parts.

1. Static GK

2. Current Affairs

Static GK Topics

These topics remain constant across years but require a deep understanding:

• History & Civilization – Ancient to modern history, cultural developments, independence movements

• Geography – Physical geography, rivers, climate zones, population distribution

• Indian Economy – Key reforms, taxation, GDP trends, sectors of growth

• Science & Technology – Innovations, health, environment, and energy developments

• Awards, Sports & Organizations – Nobel Prize, Olympic events, global agencies

Key Static GK Topics for XAT 2026

Current Affairs for XAT 2026 – GK Focus Areas

Current topics from 2024–26 form a major part of the paper:

• International summits like G20, COP29, and trade agreements

• Scientific breakthroughs such as vaccine developments and AI applications

• Climate change initiatives and global environmental policies

• Economic changes, digital currency trends, and major industry shifts

• Global health alerts and disease outbreaks

• Important summits and conferences (2023-24)

• Olympics, the Last FIFA World Cup, the Cricket World Cup, and other major sports tournaments from 2023-24

• Important appointments like Indian ambassadors in different countries and various brand ambassadors

• Recent global disasters, environmental issues and international conflicts

• Publication of recent books by famous personalities

• Recent deaths between 2023-24 of famous persons and their working field

• Sports milestones and recognitions

Reviewing GK for XAT 2026 current events regularly helps you stay updated and confident.

How to Attempt XAT GK Questions 2026

The General Knowledge (GK) section in XAT 2026 checks a candidate’s awareness of current events and static facts rather than calculation skills. Though GK marks are not counted in the final percentile, they play an important role during the interview stage. A smart, selective approach helps candidates attempt this section confidently without wasting valuable time.

Focus More on Current Affairs

Give priority to national and international events from the last 12–18 months. Topics like economy, government schemes, global issues, business news, and major appointments are frequently asked. Daily newspaper reading and monthly current affairs capsules are enough if revised properly.

Revise Static GK Selectively

Static GK questions usually come from areas like Indian polity, geography, history basics, important organizations, and awards. Do not try to cover everything. Prepare commonly repeated themes such as countries–capitals, currencies, books–authors, and important days.

Avoid Blind Guessing

XAT GK may have negative marking in some years. Attempt questions only when you are reasonably sure of the answer. Random guessing can reduce your overall score and affect confidence during the paper.

Use Elimination Techniques

Many GK questions can be solved by eliminating incorrect options. Use logic, basic awareness, and contextual clues to narrow down choices, especially when you are unsure of the exact answer.

Manage Time Wisely

Do not spend more than a few seconds on any GK question. Attempt easy and familiar questions first and skip difficult ones. Since GK does not affect the percentile, it should never disturb your performance in core sections.

Comparison of XAT GK 2026 vs Previous Years

• 2023-24 papers: Focused more on static GK and fact recall.

• 2025 paper: Included analytical reasoning based on current events.

• 2026 paper: Expected to have a balanced approach with more scenario-based questions and updated current affairs from 2024–26.

• Number of questions may slightly increase, but total time will remain limited.

• Analytical ability and decision-making under pressure are now emphasized.

Reviewing past papers and XAT 2026 GK questions static + current affairs helps you adapt to these changes.

Prepare GK for XAT – Strategy & Tips 2026

• Daily Reading: Dedicate 30–45 minutes daily to reading news summaries and fact-based reports.

• Note-Making: Maintain a notebook with key events from 2024–26, separated by topic.

• Mock Practice: Solve at least two GK quizzes weekly to improve speed and accuracy. XAT 2026 Mock test practice helps in boosting the preparation.

• Group Discussions: Engage with peers to discuss current affairs and exchange perspectives.

• Revision Cycle: Revise frequently, especially before mock tests, to ensure retention.

• Focus Areas: Prioritize high-weightage topics like economy, governance, and environment.

• Time Management: Practice under timed conditions to simulate the actual test environment.

Best Resources for XAT General Knowledge Preparation

Preparing for the Static GK part is easier than the current affairs section. Static GK covers history, geography, science, economics, and politics. Before studying objective-type questions, read subjective books on these topics. After building the basic foundation for these topics, try objective-type questions.

Some of the objective-type XAT GK questions and answers books are:

• Lucent’s GK book

• Arihant’s GK book

To follow current affairs, read daily newspapers like The Hindu, Times of India, and The Indian Express. Follow journals and monthly magazines like the Manorama yearbook. You can also check online about the important events around the world. Some top sites to follow current events are GKToday, AffairsCloud, and Jagran Josh. Note the events that you think are important to memorize later. To sum up, referring to highly esteemed XAT preparation books is essential for XAT success. Apart from the famous books, you should also refer to the preparation tips shared by the toppers.

XAT General Awareness Section: Preparation Plan

Good knowledge and performance in the General Awareness section in the XAT exam increase your chances of being admitted to the top B-schools like XLRI.

How General Awareness Differs from General Knowledge in XAT

General knowledge and General awareness are both almost the same terms used interchangeably.

General knowledge focuses mainly on the static GK parts, where facts can not be changed. But using the General awareness term, we focus mostly on current events like events of national and international importance, economy, environment, sports, etc, and some of the static GK.

In the XAT exam 2026, static GK and current affairs hold the same importance.

XAT 2026 GK Preparation: Dos and Don’ts

Some of the common mistakes students make in the GK section are:

• Focusing too much on the static GK part and neglecting the current affairs. Preparing for both is essential to achieve high marks in the exam.

• Students often do not read regular newspapers. Daily newspapers keep us updated with national and international events.

• Lack of attempting mock tests in the GK part often plays a dividend role during the preparation. Mock tests are set as per the exam’s syllabus, covering diverse topics. Attempting those will help you to learn new things as well as identify the areas in which you need more practice.

• Students often ignore the mock test results. After checking the mock test number, most of the students do not check the correct answers to the wrongly attempted questions. Make a note of new questions that you learn during those tests.

Time Management Tips for XAT 2026 GK Section

Time management skills are very important in the XAT exam. Here are some tips to manage time while answering the GK section in the XAT exam.

• As we know, the GK section of the XAT exam has no negative marking, so allot 10-15 minutes in the end to do this section.

• Do not overthink easier questions. Trust your instinct and answer the next question.

• Attempt the ones that are familiar to you first to boost your confidence level. Then try those questions that you are unsure of. This can be very essential for you to score better in your first XAT attempt.

• Eliminate the incorrect options and make an educated guess to solve those questions.

• Do not spend too much time on one question; move on to the next and return later.

• At the end of the exam, if there is time left, then take a revision and check if all the answers you gave in the GK section look correct to you.

XAT 2026 General Knowledge Sample Questions & Solutions

At the beginning of the preparation, go through the previous year's sample paper and check the answer keys. It will help you to understand the important topics, the difficulty level of the questions, and answer techniques.

Some of the questions asked in the previous XAT exams are:

Q1. Which of the following Indian states does the River Ganges not flow through?

1. Bihar

2. Jharkhand

3. Uttar Pradesh

4. Haryana (Correct answer)

5. Uttarakhand

Q2. Which of the following years is NOT a leap year?

1. 1900 (Correct answer)

2. 2000

3. 1924

4. 1896

5. 2024

Q3. What is X-37B?

1. The U.S. military plane that has gone into space. (Correct answer)

2. The name of India's Jupiter mission.

3. The new electric vehicle is to be launched by Tesla.

4. The name of the youngest kid of Elon Musk.

5. None of the above.

Q4. What is the common terminology used to describe the following applications: ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Chatsonic?

1. News Aggregators

2. Dating Tools

3. Generative AI Tools (Correct answer)

4. UPI Applications

5. Gaming Applications

Q5. Which rocket was used to launch Aditya-L1?

1. LVM3 -M4

2. GSLV-F12

3. PSLV-C57 (Correct answer)

4. NGLV

5. TERLS

Recent/Current Affairs GK Questions – Specifically from 2024–25–26

1. Name the largest freshwater lake in India.
   Answer: Wular Lake

2. Who is the first Indian to get the Nobel Prize, and in which category?
   Answer: Rabindranath Tagore in 1913 for "Geetanjali"

3. What is the currency of Japan?
   Answer: Yen

4. Which indigenous computational software was developed by ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) for computational fluid dynamics (CFD)?
   Answer: PraVaHa (Parallel RANS Solver for Aerospace Vehicle Aero-thermo-dynamic Analysis)

5. Which countries became the newest members of BRICS in 2024?
   Answer: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates

6. Credit cards are known as:
   Answer: Plastic money

7. Which film won the Best Picture award at the 96th Oscar ceremony?
   Answer: Oppenheimer

8. What is "Bachpan Bachao Andolan"?
   Answer: A movement in India protecting the rights of children.

9. Who has been declared the new Chief Minister of Assam?
   Answer: Sarbananda Sonowal

10. The 'Bandipur National Park', established in 1974 as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, is located in the Indian state of _______
    Answer: Karnataka

XAT General Knowledge Questions for 2026

Practice some XAT 2026 General Knowledge sample questions with solutions and review them. It will enhance your answering techniques. Additionally, you will gain insight into important topics and the difficulty level of the questions.

Here are some important questions with solutions that have come in recent years.

Q1. Malfunction of which of the following organs is the MOST common cause of vertigo?

1. Heart

2. Kidney

3. Stomach

4. Lung

5. Ear

Q2. Which Indian state enjoys special provisions under Article 371(D)?

1. Jharkhand

2. Meghalaya

3. Tripura

4. Andhra Pradesh

5. Arunachal Pradesh

Q3. In which Indian state is Sriharikota located?

1. Tamil Nadu

2. Andhra Pradesh

3. Odisha

4. Kerala

5. Telangana

Q4. Which is the largest landlocked saltwater lake in India?

1. Chilika Lake

2. Chital Lake

3. Vembanad Lake

4. Pulicat Lake

5. Sambhar Lake

Q5. Which of the following rivers does not cross international borders?

1. Tapi

2. Ravi

3. Brahmaputra

4. Ganga

5. Teesta

Q6. What is a grey market?

1. The trade of a commodity for which the country of origin is not mentioned

2. The trade of a commodity through distribution channels not authorised by the manufacturer

3. The trade of a commodity that is recognised as a counterfeit product

4. The trade of a commodity for which the taxes are evaded

5. The trade of a commodity that is unbranded

Q7. Who is the first Field Marshal of independent India?

1. A.S. Vaidya

2. Bipin Rawat

3. KM Cariappa

4. Krishnaswamy Sundarji

5. Sam Manekshaw

Q8. From the following options, choose the one that arranges the given queen's ascension to the throne in chronological order.

1. Razia Sultana, Ahilyabai Holkar, Durgavati, Lakshmi Bai, Rudrama Devi

2. Ahilyabai Holkar, Durgavati, Razia Sultana, Rudrama Devi, Lakshmi Bai

3. Razia Sultana, Rudrama Devi, Durgavati, Ahilyabai Holkar, Lakshmi Bai

4. Rudrama Devi, Razia Sultana, Durgavati, Lakshmi Bai, Ahilyabai Holkar

5. Razia Sultana, Rudrama Devi, Ahilyabai Holkar, Durgavati, Lakshmi Bai

Q9. Omuamua is:

1. A character in the TV series "Star Trek"

2. A Buddhist chant

3. An interstellar object

4. A small primate

5. NASA's spaceship to Pluto

Q10. Which Indian state has different capitals in summer and winter?

1. Gujarat

2. Mizoram

3. Maharashtra

4. Uttarakhand

5. Sikkim

Answer Key for XAT GK Sample Paper 2026

After solving the XAT 2026 exam sample GK questions, review the answer key thoroughly and note the areas from which the questions are coming more frequently. Also, try to identify the area where you are making the most mistakes and revise those chapters urgently. These will help you to increase your accuracy.

Here are the answer keys to the above questions.

• Q1. Option E: Ear

• Q2. Option D: Andhra Pradesh

• Q3. Option B: Andhra Pradesh

• Q4. Option E: Sambhar Lake

• Q5. Option A: Tapi

• Q6. Option B: The trade of a commodity through distribution channels not authorised by the manufacturer

• Q7. Option E: Sam Manekshaw

• Q8. Option C: Razia Sultana, Rudrama Devi, Durgavati, Ahilyabai Holkar, Lakshmi Bai

• Q9. Option C: An interstellar object

• Q10. Option C: Maharashtra

Step-by-Step Guide to Solve XAT 2026 GK Sample Papers

Regular practice of XAT GK sample papers will enhance your knowledge and improve your answer techniques.

Step 1: Separate current affairs and static GK before you start
While attempting the sample paper, first identify which questions are from current affairs and which are static. This helps you judge whether your weakness lies in news-based topics or core GK areas like history, economy, or science.

Step 2: Attempt questions in one pass without overthinking
XAT GK questions are fact-based. Answer what you clearly know and avoid second-guessing. Mark doubtful questions for review instead of spending extra time on recall.

Step 3: Track topic-wise accuracy, not just score
After solving, note how many questions you got right in areas like business, global events, awards, or static subjects. This gives better insight than total marks.

Step 4: Create a revision list for XAT GK Section
For every mistake, write one crisp fact or concept. This turns each sample paper into a focused revision tool.

Step 5: Compare patterns across multiple sample papers
Analyse repeated topics or question types appearing across papers. These patterns often reflect high-probability GK areas for XAT 2026.