Admission Open For 2025-2026

Last Month Strategy for XAT 2026: Key Focus Areas, Exam Pattern & Expert Tips

Staff Writer: Upasana Sen

Last Updated: November 24, 2025

Synopsis: With XAT 2026 approaching on January 4, candidates must use the final month for revision, GK updates, and XAT-specific practice. The exam includes four sections with a unique focus on Decision Making and GK. A clear understanding of the exam pattern, time limits, and past papers is essential for strong performance.

With XAT 2026 scheduled for January 4, 2026, aspirants now enter the final and most crucial month of preparation. By this stage, candidates should ideally have completed 90% of the syllabus, as the remaining weeks must be dedicated to intensive revision, brushing up static GK, and practising XAT-focused questions. Since most MBA candidates will have already taken CAT 2025 on November 30, their CAT performance will serve as a reference to identify strengths and weaknesses across areas like Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation.

XAT 2026 will include four sections — Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge. Aspirants preparing for multiple exams should now shift their priority to Decision Making and Quantitative Aptitude, as these play a decisive role in XAT.

The exam has a sectional time structure, with 170 minutes allotted for the first three sections and 10 minutes for the GK section. There is no essay writing this year, reducing pressure during the test.

XAT 2026 Exam Pattern Highlights:

Total duration: 180 minutes
Questions: DM (22), Verbal & LR (26), QA & DI (27), GK (20)
+1 for correct answers, –0.25 for wrong, –0.05 for 8+ unattempted consecutive questions
GK section has no negative marking

For GK, candidates should revise key events in politics, economy, science, sports, and international affairs from the past year. For Decision Making, solving previous XAT papers, case studies, and business scenarios is essential, as answers must reflect logical, ethical, and practical judgment.