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CAT vs XAT
CAT: 68 questions, 204 marks, 120 minutes. XAT: 95 questions, 75 marks, 180 minutes. Both test Quantitative Aptitude / Maths, Reasoning, so preparing for one covers much of the other. Most aspirants in this bracket sit both.
| CAT 2026 | XAT 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Conducted by | IIMs (CAT 2026 by IIM Indore) | XLRI Jamshedpur |
| Questions | 68 | 95 |
| Marks | 204 | 75 |
| Time | 120 min | 180 min |
| Seconds a question | 106 | 114 |
| Marking | +3 for a correct answer. −1 for a wrong MCQ, no negative marking for a wrong TITA (type-in-the-answer) question. About a third of the questions are TITA. | +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one. After 8 unanswered questions, each further unanswered question in Part 1 costs 0.10. GK has no negative marking and does not count towards the percentile. |
| Sections | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability | Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, Decision Making, Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning, General Knowledge (not in percentile) |
| Languages | English | English |
| Next exam | 29 Nov 2026, three sessions; admit card around 4 Nov | 3 Jan 2027, 2–5 pm; register by 6 Dec 2026 |
| Last cut-off (UR) | Not published | Not published |
| Mocks on RankVyuh | 5 full (2 free) | 5 full (2 free) |
Which should you prepare for?
- Both test Quantitative Aptitude / Maths, Reasoning, so preparing for one covers much of the other. Most aspirants in this bracket sit both.
- Dates: CAT 29 Nov 2026, three sessions; admit card around 4 Nov; XAT 3 Jan 2027, 2–5 pm; register by 6 Dec 2026. If they are weeks apart, prepare the shared sections first and the exam-specific ones in the last weeks before each.
Neither is "easier": cut-offs move with vacancies and candidates every year. Take a free mock of each and compare your two reports; the gap to each exam's last cut-off is the honest answer.
FAQ
- Can I prepare for CAT and XAT together?
- Yes. Both test Quantitative Aptitude / Maths, Reasoning. Prepare those once, then the sections only one of them has.
- Which has negative marking, CAT or XAT?
- CAT: +3 for a correct answer. −1 for a wrong MCQ, no negative marking for a wrong TITA (type-in-the-answer) question. About a third of the questions are TITA. XAT: +1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one. After 8 unanswered questions, each further unanswered question in Part 1 costs 0.10. GK has no negative marking and does not count towards the percentile.
- What are the age limits for CAT and XAT?
- See each exam's official notification; the age-limit calculator on RankVyuh checks your date of birth against it.
Sources: official notifications of IIMs (CAT 2026 by IIM Indore) (website ) and XLRI Jamshedpur (website ). Age-limit calculator · All comparisons