What is a Good Score in XAT 2026?
If you are wondering what a good score is in XAT 2026, a score of 34 or more out of 75 is generally considered good since it fetches a student 99 percentile in XAT 2026. With this, you can expect calls from XLRI Jamshedpur, SPJIMR, XIMB, and IMT Ghaziabad, to name a few.
Asking yourself what is a good score in XAT 2026 is to get into your target college? Well, a score above 34 out of 75 can be a good XAT score since it can fetch a candidate 99+ percentile in the XAT 2026 exam . This score will help you clear the first round of the selection process for top MBA/PGDM colleges like XLRI Jamshedpur, SPJIMR, XIMB, IMT Ghaziabad, and others. The exam is expected to be conducted on January 4, 2026. Note that a XAT 2026 good score is the score or percentile that puts you in the college of your choice. A good score not only helps you get shortlisted for the next round of the admission process but also increases your chances of getting a scholarship or financial aid.
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What is a Good Score/Percentile in XAT 2026?
XAT 2026 results will be released on January 31, 2026, on the official website and the participating institutes will release their XAT cutoff in February 2026 and begin the XAT 2026 selection process . Scoring above 34 marks in the XAT this year can be considered an excellent score, as it has the potential to secure a percentile of 99 or higher for the candidate. Similarly, scoring above 26 marks can also be a good score, which can secure a percentile of 95 or higher. These percentiles are indicative of a student's performance compared to other XAT exam takers and can greatly increase their chances of getting admission to top MBA programs.
Type of Score | Score Range | Percentile |
Very Good | 34+ | 99+ |
Good | 23-26+ | 90-99 |
Average | 14-21 | 50-80 |
Section-wise XAT 2026 Good Score
'XAT 2026 Percentile vs Marks
This year, the XAT exam was slightly more difficult than last year. A good score in XAT 2026 is the score that will get you a good percentile and clear the XAT cutoff 2026 required for admission to your chosen college. Based on an analysis of the XAT previous year question papers and a careful study of the XAT score vs percentile analysis, we can get an answer to what is a good score in XAT 2026.
What is XAT 2026 Score?
XAT Score is the marks awarded to candidates based on their performance in the exam. Calculation of the XAT 2026 Score of a candidate is done as per the questions answered by the candidate and the XAT 2026 Marking Scheme, which is as follows:
XAT 2026 Marking Scheme
Particulars | Details |
Marks Allocated Per Question | +1 mark for every correct answer |
Negative Marking | -0.25 marks for every incorrect answer |
Marks for Unanswered Questions |
No negative marking till 8 unanswered questions
|
For General Knowledge Section | No negative marking for the GK Section |
The following formula is being used to calculate the XAT 2026 Score of the candidate:
XAT 2026 Score = (C x 1) - (X x 0.25) - { (U - 8) x (0.10) } |
where,
- C represents correct answers
- X represents incorrect answers
- U represents unattempted questions
The raw marks scored by a candidate in the XAT are their actual score in the exam. Since XAT is conducted in a single shift, normalisation is not employed in this exam. Let us understand how the XAT score is calculated through an example. The following are the details of a candidate who appeared for XAT 2026. Please note that the GK section and Essay Writing are not being considered here.
Particulars | Number of Questions | Marking |
Total Questions Answered (T) | 65 | -- |
Correct Answers (C) | 45 | 45 x +1 = +45 |
Incorrect Answers (X) | 20 | 20 x (-0.25) = -5 |
Unattempted Questions (U) | 10 | (10-8) x (-0.10) = 0.2 |
Total Score | -- | 45 - 5 - 0.2 = 39.2 |
What is XAT 2026 Percentile?
The percentile of a candidate in the XAT 2026 exam is a crucial parameter used to assess their performance in comparison to all the other candidates who appeared for the same exam. The XAT percentile is assigned to each candidate based on their rank, which is determined by their merit in the exam. The rank of each candidate is assigned based on their score, with the top scorer receiving the first rank and so on. Therefore, the XAT 2026 percentile of a candidate will depend on their marks as well as the marks obtained by all other candidates who appeared for the exam. Candidates can use the XAT 2026 Percentile Predictor to calculate their estimated XAT percentile. Aspirants may also use the following formula to calculate their XAT percentile:
XAT Percentile = Candidate’s XAT Rank/ Total Candidates x 100 |
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College-wise Good XAT 2026 Score
Let us now check out what is the good score is XAT 2026 for top MBA/PGDM colleges across India, along with their corresponding percentiles:
College | Expected XAT Score Range | Expected Percentile Range |
34-38+ marks | 93-97+ percentile | |
30-35+ marks | 85-90+ percentile | |
27-30 marks | 85-90 percentile | |
25-28+ marks | 80-85+ percentile | |
22-26+ marks | 80-85+ percentile | |
22-30+ marks | 75-85 percentile | |
22-30+ marks | 75-85 percentile | |
25-28+ marks | 80-85 percentile | |
25-30 marks | 80-85 percentile |
Percentile-wise XAT 2026 Accepting Colleges
Check out the colleges that accept XAT based on percentile requirements below:
Percentile Range | List of Colleges |
50-60 | MBA Colleges Accepting 50-60 Percentile in XAT 2026 |
60-70 Percentile | |
70-80 Percentile | |
80-90 Percentile | |
90-95 Percentile | |
95-100 Percentile | List of MBA Colleges Accepting 95-100 Percentile in XAT 2026 |
Hopefully, we were able to inform you on what is a good score in XAT 2026 so that you can estimate which colleges will accept your admission application. If you want to get an estimate of the colleges that will offer you admission based on your projected percentile, you can use our XAT College Predictor 2026 .
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