XAT Score vs Percentile 2026: The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2026, conducted annually by XLRI Jamshedpur on behalf of XAMI, remains one of India's most important management entrance examinations after CAT. XAT scores are accepted by more than 250 business schools across the country for admission to MBA and allied management programmes. The examination was held on January 4, and the result is expected in the last week of this month.
According to the official information bulletin, the XAT 2026 scorecard will be available for download on the official website between January 31 and March 31, 2026. While XLRI uses XAT scores for admissions to its own programmes, it does not play any role in the admission process or academic evaluation of other institutes that accept XAT results.
Based on score-percentile trends from the last six years, the expected XAT score required for top percentiles in 2026 is likely to be slightly lower than 2025. According to tentative estimates, a score of 35-36 marks may be sufficient to secure a 99 percentile in XAT 2026, compared to 38.4 marks required in 2025. For the 95 percentile, candidates may need 29-30 marks, while a 90 percentile is expected around 25-26 marks.
Previous years' datas show significant year-on-year variation depending on exam difficulty. In 2023, a relatively easier paper pushed the 99 percentile score as high as 46.5, whereas tougher papers in 2024 and 2025 brought the requirement down to the mid-30s. Over the past six years, the 95 percentile score has ranged between 28 and 38, highlighting the impact of paper difficulty and competition.
XLRI Jamshedpur and XLRI Delhi usually maintain overall cut-offs of around 95-96 percentile, along with mandatory sectional cut-offs. Candidates must clear both overall and sectional benchmarks to be considered for interview shortlisting.
With XAT conducted in a single session, percentiles are calculated directly from raw scores without any scaling. Understanding score-versus-percentile trends can help aspirants set realistic targets and shortlist colleges more effectively ahead of the XAT 2026 admission cycle.
