XAT Previous Years' Papers are important for candidates preparing for XAT 2027 examination. Going through the XAT Previous Years' Papers will help you understand the structure and format of the XAT examination.
- Previous years’ papers of the XAT 2027 examination are important in determining the difficulty level and question types of the examination.
- Solving XAT question papers in timed conditions will help you analyze your preparation and identify weak areas.
- By solving previous years’ papers of XAT, you will get to know which section can help you increase your score and which one can drag your score down.
- XAT question paper 2027 is divided into 2 parts, with Part A including 3 sections and Part B including 1 section.
- Part A includes sections like VALR, DM, and QA & DI, with VALR carrying 26 questions, DM carrying 21 questions, and QA & DI carrying 28 questions.
- Part B includes the General Knowledge section and carries a total of 20 questions for 10 marks.
XAT question paper 2027 will carry a total of 95 questions for a total of 100 marks. You will have 170 minutes to complete Part A and 10 minutes to complete Part B of the XAT question paper.
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XAT Question Paper 2026 with Solutions
| XAT Question Paper | Question Paper PDF | Solution PDF |
|---|---|---|
| XAT 2026 Question Paper with Answer Key | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
XAT 2026 Question Paper Analysis: Difficulty Level
“Unacademy CAT” expert in a YouTube video discussed the XAT 2026 paper analysis. The expert in his YouTube video discussed the complete paper analysis and noted the following.
- XAT 2026 question paper was on the tougher side compared to previous years' question papers.
- VALR was lengthy, including 5 RCs, each with 3 questions, with a total of 15 questions out of 26.
- DM was easy, carrying a total of 6 sets, with 3 sets carrying 3 questions each and the remaining 3 sets carrying 4 questions each.
- XAT QA 2026 was tougher than the questions asked in the section in 2025, with 6 questions from geometry, 4 questions from Numbers, and 3 questions each from Arithmetic, Algebra, and Modern Maths.
| XAT Section | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|
| VALR | Difficult and Lengthy |
| DM | Easy |
| QA & DI | Difficult |
| Overall | Difficult |
You can go through the video below to check last year’s section-wise XAT question paper analysis.
In a Reddit Thread for XAT 2026 paper discussion, a user noted that DM questions were easy and VALR was moderately difficult. However, the user found the QADI section to be difficult because of difficult DI sets. Geometry questions were also difficult, the user noted.
Another user in the comment section noted that the DI set with the “sunburst chart” was lengthy.
Source: Reddit
XAT Previous Years Papers PDF- 2020-2025
You can download XAT previous years' papers from 2020 to 2025 from the table below. You can also check the solutions for XAT previous years' papers below.
| XAT Question Paper | Question Paper PDF | Solution PDF |
|---|---|---|
| XAT 2025 Question Paper with Solutions PDF | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| XAT 2024 Question Paper with Solutions PDF | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| XAT 2023 Question Paper with Solutions PDF | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| XAT 2022 Question Paper with Solutions PDF | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| XAT 2021 Question Paper with Solutions PDF | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| XAT 2020 Question Paper with Solutions PDF | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
XAT Previous Years’ Papers: 2025 Question Paper Analysis
According to experts, XAT 2025 held on January 5, 2025 was moderate to difficult, time-intensive, and longer due to RCs & Decision Making sets.
- Verbal & LR: RCs were dense, included a poem & image-based question. Difficulty moderate-difficult. Good attempts: 13–18.
- Decision Making: Lengthy, nuanced caselets. Ethical/business dilemmas made it challenging. Good attempts: 11–14.
- Quant & DI: Moderate, covered Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Probability; DI sets manageable. Good attempts: 9–18.
- GK: Easy–moderate, mix of static & current affairs. Only 10 mins for 20 Qs. Good attempts: 10–16.
XAT Previous Years Papers PDF- 2016-2019
XAT previous years papers along with their solutions are discussed in the table below for the years 2016 to 2019.
| XAT Question Paper | Question Paper PDF | Solution PDF |
|---|---|---|
| XAT 2019 Question Paper with Solutions PDF | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| XAT 2018 Question Paper with Solutions PDF | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| XAT 2017 Question Paper with Solutions PDF | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
| XAT 2016 Question Paper with Solutions PDF | Download PDF | Check Solutions |
Topic-Wise XAT PYQs
XAT 2027 Question Paper Pattern
XAT 2027 question paper will be available only after the exam is conducted by the concerned authority. However, you should check the XAT question paper structure before appearing for the exam to prepare your paper-solving strategy.
- XAT Decision Making will include a total of 21 questions, and the important topics include ethical dilemmas, business decision-making, data arrangement test, etc.
- XAT GK will carry a total of 25 questions
- Quant & DI section of XAT 2027 will carry a total of 28 questions in the XAT question paper.
- VALR section of XAT 2027 will carry a total of 26 questions to be asked from topics like vocabulary, analogy, critical reasoning, etc.
Source: Official Website
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XAT Previous Years Papers FAQs
Ques. Which was the toughest XAT question paper?
Ans. As per the expert analysis and student reviews, XAT 2024 and XAT 2025 question papers are considered to be the toughest among the recent years. Before that, the XAT 2018 question paper was considered to be the toughest XAT question paper.
Ques. Is there negative marking in XAT 2027 question paper?
Ans. Yes, XAT has a negative marking of -0.25 for each incorrect answer in Part A. For unattempted questions, you will be deducted -0.10 marks for each incorrect answer beyond 8 unattempted questions.
Ques. What is the marking scheme of XAT Part B?
Ans. The marking scheme for XAT Part B includes +1 mark for each correct answer and no negative marking for incorrect answers.
Ques. Is there additional time given to PWD candidates for solving the XAT question paper?
Ans. Yes, PWD candidates are given an additional time of 20 minutes for solving XAT 2027 question paper.
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