What is a good score in XAT 2026 is generally considered to be 40 marks or above out of the total. However, what constitutes a "good" score ultimately depends on the percentile it translates into. Typically, a score of 40+ may correspond to a percentile of around 95 or higher, which is competitive for premier institutes.
What is a Good Score in XAT 2026? When it comes to a good XAT 2026 score, if you have scored 40 or more should anticipate being in the 99th percentile. Similarly, if the XAT score in 2026 exceeds 35, the XAT percentile can reach 95 or higher. A good XAT score is required for admission to top XAT-participating colleges. The XAT exam result was out on January 16, 2026.
Xavier Aptitude Test, or XAT 2026, is the entrance exam conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur for admission to its management courses. It is also one of India's most popular MBA entrance exams. Every year, around 1.5 lakh MBA students take the XAT exam in the hopes of getting into one of India's top business schools.
What is a Good Score in XAT 2026?
A good score is required to clear the XAT cut-off 2026 for admission. By analysing the past trends of percentile and cutoff, the table is created. It also specifies the scores and their respective percentile.
However, XAT general knowledge scores are not accounted while formulating the percentile. Given below in the table is what is a good score in XAT 2026 exam.
| XAT Overall Score (Out of 75) | Expected XAT Percentile |
| 40+ | 99+ |
| 35+ | 98+ |
| 33 - 34 | 96+ |
| 27.5 - 29 | 94+ |
| 27 - 27.5 | 93+ |
| 26 - 26.5 | 92+ |
| 25.5 - 26 | 90+ |
| 25 - 25.5 | 88+ |
| 24 - 24.5 | 85+ |
| 18 - 19 | 80+ |
What is XAT 2026 Score?
XAT 2026 score is the marks awarded to the candidate based on their performance in the exam. The scores are further converted into percentile.
These percentiles are acknowledged by various colleges accepting XAT scores for admission into various management courses.
XAT 2026 Marking Scheme
The XAT score of a candidate is calculated based on the questions answered by the candidate and the XAT 2026 marking scheme, which is shown below:
| Particulars | Details |
| Marks Allocated per Question | +1 mark for every correct answer |
| Negative Marking | -0.25 marks for every wrong answer |
| Marks for Unanswered Questions | No negative marking till 8 unanswered questions |
| -0.10 marks for every unanswered question thereafter. | |
| For the General Knowledge Section | No negative marking for GK Section |
Also Read: What After XAT Exam?
What is XAT 2026 Percentile?
XAT 2026 percentile is the percentage of candidates who scored less than a candidate in the XAT 2026 exam. Every candidate who has attempted the exam gets a XAT percentile based on their rank.
Candidates are assigned a rank based on their merit in the exam. The candidate who is a top-scorer receives the 1st rank and so on.
Hence, the XAT 2026 percentile of a candidate will depend on their marks and the marks scored by other candidates in the XAT 2026 exam.
Also Read: XAT Percentile Predictor 2026
XAT 2026 Cut-Offs and Required Score
All XAT 2026 accepting colleges release their cut-offs once the XAT results are declared. Candidates can set a target XAT 2026 score for admission to their chosen college based on the following data:
| Name of the College | Percentile Cut Off | Good Score in XAT |
| Xavier Labour Relation Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur | 93-97+ | 34-38 |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | 85-90+ | 30-35 |
| XIM Univeristy, Bhubaneswar | 85-90 | 27-30 |
| IMT Ghaziabad | 80-85+ | 25-28 |
| MICA Ahmedabad | 80-85+ | 22-26 |
| IMI Delhi | 75-85 | 22-30 |
| Fore School of Management Delhi | 75-85+ | 22-30 |
| TAPMI Institute | 80-85+ | 25-28 |
| Goa Institute of Management | 80-85+ | 25-30 |
Also Read: XAT Score vs Percentile 2026
XAT 2026 Exam Pattern
XAT 2026 has 100 MCQs and 1 Descriptive Question. The marks scored under QA, DM, and VA sections are taken into consideration while tabulating the final percentile.
The General Knowledge section with 25 questions is not counted for percentile calculation. The XAT 2026 exam pattern is as follows:
| Parts | Name of Section | No. of Questions | Duration |
| Part 1 | Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning | 26 | 165 minutes |
| Decision Making | 21 | ||
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation | 28 | ||
| Part 2 | General Knowledge | 25 | 15 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 180 minutes | |
Also Check: XAT Response Sheet Date 2026: Tentative Release Date Based on Previous Year Trends
Conclusion
A good score in XAT 2026 is 40 marks or above, which typically corresponds to a 95+ percentile. Since XAT scores are converted into percentiles for admission, scoring high across all sections increases your chances of getting shortlisted by top B-schools like XLRI and XIMB.
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XAT is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur for MBA admissions. -
Around 1.5 lakh students appear for XAT annually. -
XAT 2026 result was declared on January 16, 2026. -
General Knowledge section has no negative marking.
