XAT or Xavier's Aptitude Test is accepted by more than 250+ MBA colleges in India. XLRI, IMT, IMI, Taxila Business School, and XIMB are some of the top MBA colleges accepting XAT. Registration for XAT has already started, and the exam will be held on 04 January 2025. XLRI Jamshedpur conducts this exam every year, and approximately 1,00,000 students appear in this examination. Among all the XAT-accepting colleges, these top MBA colleges provide the best education, higher placements, skill development, research opportunities, entrepreneurship platforms, qualified faculty, and world-class infrastructure.
Important Updates of XAT 2025
| Feature | XAT 2026 |
| Registration Start | 10 July 2025 |
| Last Date to Apply | 05 Dec 2025 |
| Exam Date | 04 Jan 2026 (Sunday, 2–5 PM) |
| Exam Fee | ₹ 2,200 |
| XLRI Program Fee | ₹ 200 per program |
| GMAT Applicants (India) | ₹ 2,500 |
| NRI/Foreign via GMAT | ₹ 5,000 |
| Exam Duration | 210 minutes |
| Number of Questions | 105 |
| Sections | Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, General Knowledge |
| Essay Writing | Not included (removed) |
| Negative Marking | The same rule continues: -0.10 after 8 consecutive unattempted |
| Expected Test-Takers | 1,00,000+ |
| Average Salary (Top Colleges) | XLRI latest avg ~₹ 31 LPA, median ~₹ 29 LPA |
Important Updates of XAT 2025
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Top MBA Colleges Accepting XAT Scores in India
| Rank | Institute Name | Cutoff | Placements |
| 1 | XLRI – Jamshedpur | 95+ | 28.29 LPA |
| 2 | IMT – Ghaziabad | 93+ | 17.35 LPA |
| 3 | IMI – New Delhi | 91+ | 17.01 LPA |
| 4 | Taxila Business School | 90+ | 11.50 LPA |
| 5 | XIMB | 90+ | 19.53 LPA |
| 6 | MICA Ahmedabad | 90+ | 17.45 LPA |
| 7 | FORE – New Delhi | 87+ | 13.50 LPA |
| 8 | TAPMI | 86+ | 13.84 LPA |
| 9 | GIM – Goa | 85+ | 14.72 LPA |
| 10 | Jaipuria Institute of Management – Noida | 83+ | 8.95 LPA |
| 11 | Great Lakes | 82+ | 17.30 LPA |
| 12 | LBSIM | 80+ | 12.24 LPA |
| 13 | KJ Somaiya Mumbai | 85+ | 13.30 LPA |
| 14 | Welingkar | 83+ | 12.47 LPA |
| 15 | FMS – IRM | 81+ | 7.50 LPA |
| 16 | JIMS | 80+ | 8.10 LPA |
| 17 | BIMTECH | 75+ | 11.70 LPA |
| 18 | XIME | 75+ | 10.45 LPA |
| 19 | KIIT | 79+ | 9.50 LPA |
| 20 | BIM Trichy | 78+ | 11.40 LPA |
| 21 | IMI Kolkata | 75+ | 10.65 LPA |
| 22 | IMT Nagpur | 73+ | 10.81 LPA |
| 23 | Woxsen University | 71+ | 9.30 LPA |
| 24 | VIT | 70+ | 9.68 LPA |
| 25 | Shri Balaji University | 68+ | 8.25 LPA |
| 26 | NDIM | 70+ | 7.56 LPA |
| 27 | Indus Business Academy | 65+ | 7.80 LPA |
| 28 | NSB | 70+ | 7.15 LPA |
| 29 | ATLAS | 70+ | 9.10 LPA |
| 30 | Shiva Shivani Institute of Management | 70 | 6.85 LPA |
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Best Private B Schools accepting XAT
| Rank | Institute Name | Fees | Highest Placements |
| 1 | XLRI – Jamshedpur | 23.15 Lakh | 53.53 LPA |
| 2 | IMT – Ghaziabad | 21.53 Lakh | 34.00 LPA |
| 3 | IMI – New Delhi | 20.95 Lakh | 50.00 LPA |
| 4 | Taxila Business School | 9.50 Lakh | 28.60 LPA |
| 5 | XIMB | 9.90 Lakh | 30.00 LPA |
| 6 | MICA Ahmedabad | 23.00 Lakh | 36.00 LPA |
| 7 | FORE – New Delhi | 18.27 Lakh | 70.00 LPA |
| 8 | TAPMI | 8.67 Lakh | 32.02 LPA |
| 9 | GIM – Goa | 12.48 Lakh | 55.00 LPA |
| 10 | Jaipuria Institute of Management – Noida | 12.45 Lakh | 22.00 LPA |
| 11 | Great Lakes | 20.80 Lakh | 37.00 LPA |
| 12 | LBSIM | 19.90 Lakh | 24.75 LPA |
| 13 | KJ Somaiya Mumbai | 20.88 Lakh | 25.96 LPA |
| 14 | Welingkar | 7.00 Lakh | 24.00 LPA |
| 15 | FMS – IRM | 7.20 Lakh | 20.00 LPA |
| 16 | JIMS | 9.25 Lakh | 22.00 LPA |
| 17 | BIMTECH | 14.00 Lakh | 23.43 LPA |
| 18 | XIME | 12.50 Lakh | 16.00 LPA |
| 19 | KIIT | 16.90 Lakh | 20.00 LPA |
| 20 | BIM Trichy | 12.86 Lakh | 13.50 LPA |
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Best Government MBA Accepting XAT in India
| Rank | Institute Name | Fees | Course |
| 1 | IISWBM | 5.15 Lakh | MBA – Public System |
| 2 | IIM Lucknow | 1.40 Lakh | Executive MBA |
| 3 | IMS – Ranchi | 80 Thousand | MBA |
| 4 | Indian Institute of Information Technology – Allahabad | 3.50 Lakh | MBA |
| 5 | Tezpur University | 62 Thousand | MBA |
| 6 | National Institute of Technology – Rourkela | 2.75 Lakh | MBA |
| 7 | Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology | 4.20 Lakh | MBA |
| 8 | Patna University | 76 Thousand | PG – Industrial Management |
| 9 | Institute of Co-operative Management | 1.65 Lakh | MBA |
| 10 | University of Burdwan | 80 Thousand | MBA – Human Resource |
| 11 | Chandragupt Institute of Management | 6.50 Lakh | PGDM |
| 12 | Ravenshaw University Cuttack | 3.50 Lakh | MBA |
| 13 | Gauhati University | 63 Thousand | MBA |
| 14 | Goa University | 44 Thousand | MBA |
| 15 | Mizoram University | 51 Thousand | MBA |
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Eligibility Criteria for XAT Colleges
- Applicants need to have a graduation degree from any recognised institute or university in India in any stream.
- Final-year students or final-semester students with a graduation degree are also eligible to participate in the XAT.
- In XAT, there is no limit for the maximum age or the maximum number of attempts. A person of any age can apply and make as many attempts as he or she wants.
- NRI and foreign country applicants can apply for admission to XAT Colleges with GMAT scores.
- XAT Registration Link – https://xatonline.in/
Admission Process Beyond XAT Score
Clearing the XAT cutoff is only the first stage of admission. Institutes follow a multi-stage selection process.
- Colleges shortlist candidates based on their XAT scores. They also consider academic records, work experience, and profile diversity.
- Shortlisted candidates participate in Group Discussion (GD), Personal Interview (PI), and sometimes a Written Ability Test (WAT).
- The final merit list gives weightage to the XAT score, performance in the selection rounds, and past academic achievements. The weightage differs for every institution
FAQs
What are the eligibility criteria for XAT colleges?
Applicants must have a graduation degree from a recognized institute or university in India in any stream. Students in their final year or final semester of graduation are also eligible to apply.
Is there an age or attempt limit for XAT?
No, there is no limit for the maximum age or the maximum number of attempts for the XAT exam.
How can NRI/Foreign applicants apply to XAT colleges?
NRI and foreign country applicants can apply for admission to XAT Colleges using their GMAT scores.
Is XAT 2025 hard or easy?
The XAT exam is typically considered to be difficult, often more challenging than CAT on a question-by-question basis. Its complexity comes from the unique Decision Making section, calculation-intensive Quantitative Aptitude, and nuanced Verbal Ability.
Do IITs accept XAT scores?
Most IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) mainly ask for CAT scores for their MBA programs. However, some IIT departments, like DoMS at IIT Madras, sometimes do accept XAT scores as well.