How many times is XAT held in a year?

XAT is conducted once a year, generally in early January as a national level entrance test for MBA and PGDM programmes. Understanding its frequency, pattern, and dates is essential for planning your preparation around the XAT exam 2026 date, XAT 2026 syllabus, and XAT exam date 2025.

In this blog, we will discuss, how many times is XAT held in a year and highlight XAT exam 2026 date and its syllabus.

How many times is XAT held in a year?

The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is held only one time in a year, and there is no mid‑year or second cycle like some other entrance tests. Official notifications and exam FAQs clearly state that the frequency or periodicity of the XAT exam is annual, which means candidates, get one main attempt every admission cycle.

This annual schedule makes long-term planning crucial for aspirants who want to target top B-schools that accept XAT scores. Since XAT is usually conducted in the first week of January, it often comes after other major management exams, giving students one consolidated opportunity to improve their B-schools options for that academic year.

The good part is that while XAT is held once a year, there is no cap on the total number of attempts over different years. Candidates can appear for XAT multiple times to improve their scores, profile, or chances of getting into institutes such as XLRI and other leading management colleges.

XAT exam date 2025 and 2026

When aspirants search for XAT exam date 2025, they are usually trying to understand how much time they have left for preparation and how the exam fits in with other tests and academic schedules. XAT is a computer based test that has consistently been scheduled in early January, and recent exam cycles have followed this pattern.

For the 2024–25 admission cycle, the exam referred to as XAT 2024 was scheduled in early January 2025, with notifications and pattern details clearly mentioning that it would be conducted as a single day national level test. The XAT exam date 2025 thus followed the standard practice of using the first week of January, aligning with the broader management admission timeline. Following is the XAT 2025 and 2026 tentative timeline:

Event	XAT 2025 Timeline	XAT 2026 Timeline (Tentative)
Registration Start	July 15, 2024	July 10, 2025
Registration End	December 10, 2024	December 11, 2025
Admit Card Release	December 20, 2024	December 25, 2025
Exam Date	January 5, 2025	January 4, 2026
Result Declaration	Third week January 2025	January 31, 2026
Scorecard Validity	Till March 2026	Till March 2027

Looking ahead, the XAT exam 2026 date has already been communicated in official and coaching platform updates. Multiple sources confirm that the exam for the 2026 admission cycle is scheduled for 4 January 2026, to be conducted in a single session in online mode across numerous cities in India.

Along with the XAT exam 2026 date, related events like registration start, registration end, admit card release, and result dates are also mapped out in advance to help candidates plan effectively. Registration for XAT 2026 is expected to remain open from July to early December 2025, giving aspirants several months to complete the application process before the test.

XAT 2026 syllabus overview

When aspirants talk about XAT 2026 syllabus, they are essentially referring to a well-defined set of areas that the exam tests every year. XAT focuses heavily on decision-making, quantitative skills, verbal ability, and general awareness, aiming to assess whether a candidate can handle complex managerial situations. Following is the XAT 2026 syllabus breakdown:

VALR (26 questions): RC passages, vocabulary, grammar, para jumbles, critical reasoning. Focus on inference and cloze tests.
DM (21 questions): Ethical dilemmas, caselets, and prioritization scenarios testing managerial judgment.
QA-DI (28 questions): Arithmetic (percentages, ratios), algebra, geometry, modern math, DI sets with graphs/tables.
GK (20 questions): Current affairs (last year), static GK (economy, history), business news.

Section	Questions	Time Allocation	Key preparation Tips
VALR	26	Shared 170 min	Daily RC (3 passages), vocabulary builders
DM	21	Shared 170 min	Case studies from newspapers
QA-DI	28	Shared 170 min	50 quant problems daily
GK	20	10 min	Monthly current affairs quizzes

Negative marking (-0.25 per wrong; -0.10 for >8 unattempted in Part 1) demands strategy.

The XAT 2026 syllabus broadly includes topics like reading comprehension, critical reasoning, vocabulary, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data interpretation sets, and logic based decision-making scenarios. In General Knowledge, questions span current affairs and static topics, combining national and international events, economy, business, and important organizations.

A key change highlighted for recent and upcoming XAT editions is the reduction in total questions to around 95 and the removal of the separate Analytical Essay Writing section from the main test, with essay evaluation now integrated into later stages like GD/PI for XLRI. Despite these structural updates, the core XAT 2026 syllabus remains centered on testing analytical thinking, clarity of communication, numerical proficiency, and awareness of the business environment.

Why knowing the frequency of XAT matters

Understanding that XAT is conducted once every year is important because it shapes learners preparation and backup strategy for management admissions. Unlike exams that have multiple sessions or attempts in a year, XAT gives you a single, highs rate of opportunity per cycle, so planning your study schedule around the XAT exam 2026 date becomes critical.

Following is the preparation flowchart:

Start

↓

Know **How many times is XAT held in a year? ** (Once → Plan 6 months)

↓

Cover **XAT 2026 syllabus** (3 months: Section-wise mocks)

↓ → weekly: 2 full mocks + Analysis

Daily Practice ───┼──> Revise Weak Areas (1 month)

↓

Track **XAT exam 2026 date** (Jan 4) → Exam Day Strategy

↓

Post-Exam: GD/PI Prep for XLRI

↓

End: Admission Offers

Focused Effort: This linear path, adapted from topper strategies, ensures no surprises. Since the XAT exam date 2025 and later dates are set in early January, serious aspirants often use earlier months to attempt other tests and then leverage XAT as a final opportunity to secure seats in top B-schools that rely heavily on this score.

Predictable Calendar: Knowing the annual frequency also helps learners decide whether to take a drop year, attempt again, or combine XAT with other exams as part of a broader application strategy.

This flexibility, combined with the predictability of the January schedule and clear notification of the XAT exam 2026 date, makes XAT a well structured opportunity for MBA/PGDM aspirants.

Score Improvement Window: Pursuing the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) requires a clear grasp of its structure, especially since it happens just once a year, giving candidates a focused window to showcase their skills for top MBA programs.

With predictable timing around early January and a syllabus that emphasizes decision-making alongside quant and verbal abilities, XAT stands out as a gateway to elite B-schools like XLRI and others across India.

Final Takeaway

In conclusion, the straightforward answer to How many times is XAT held in a year? is once, typically in the first week of January, which underscores the need for disciplined preparation tied to dates like the XAT exam date 2025 and XAT exam 2026 date.

This annual rhythm allows aspirants to align their efforts with the XAT 2026 syllabus, covering verbal reasoning, quantitative challenges, decision scenarios, and general knowledge, all designed to identify future managers who think critically under pressure.

For ambitious students eyeing management careers, mastering XAT through repeated practice on past papers and mocks will pay off, especially with the XAT exam 2026 date set for 4 January 2026, opening doors to rewarding postgraduate opportunities.