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XAT 2026 results were released. This year's score-to-percentile trends show a sharp jump compared to previous years, which means students needed much higher scores this year to get a good percentile. This article breaks down actual marks vs percentile data (2024–2026), XLRI BM & HRM cutoffs and explains why a 95 percentile now needs ~40 marks.
The XAT 2026 percentile shift was driven by record competition, with 1.42 lakh candidates raising the scoring baseline. Strategically, students minimized the unattempted penalty of 0.10 marks by taking calculated risks after 8 skips. While Quant was difficult, approachable VALR and logical Decision Making sections acted as buffers, allowing overall scores to remain high despite the tough Math section in the XAT 2026 exam. It is anticipated that you now need about 40 marks to reach the 95th percentile.
In previous years, students could get the same percentile with much lower scores, but this year the bar has been raised. If you are aiming for XLRI, you need a score in the 95 to 96 percentile range (expected) to get an interview invite. Other top B-schools like XIMB or IMT Ghaziabad require a 90 percentile, which is around 36 marks. Remember that XLRI evaluates individual sectional performance in addition to the overall score, making balanced excellence across the entire paper essential for securing an interview call.
| Key Takeaways |
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XAT Cutoff 2026: Overall & Sectional Marks (Expected)
Based on recent 2026 student performance and mentor analysis the expected percentiles into the Raw Marks required for Part A (VALR + DM + QA) are given below:
XLRI Business Management (BM) Program
| Stream | VALR (Marks) | DM (Marks) | QA-DI (Marks) | Overall (Marks) |
| Male candidates | 8–9 | 10 | 7–8 | 29–30 |
| Female candidates | 8–9 | 9–10 | 6–7 | 26–27 |
XLRI Human Resource Management (HRM) Program
| Stream | VALR (Marks) | DM (Marks) | QA-DI (Marks) | Overall (Marks) |
| Male (Engineers) | 10–11 | 10 | 6–7 | 29–30 |
| Female (Engineers) | 8–9 | 7–8 | 5–6 | 26–27 |
| Male (Non-Engineers) | 10–11 | 10 | 5–6 | 28–29 |
| Female (Non-Engineers) | 8–9 | 7–8 | 5–6 | 25 |
How Have XAT Cutoffs Changed from 2024 to 2026?
Knowing your XAT marks vs. percentile is key for top MBA colleges. It is expected that you need higher marks for the same rank compared to 2024 or 2025. Use the tables below to see how these trends have changed over the years:
XAT 2026 Cutoff (Expected)
The 2026 data reflect a higher scoring paper. For example, a 95 percentile now requires approximately 40 marks, whereas in previous years, it was achieved at 30–31 marks.
| Percentile | Overall Score (Out of 75) | VALR Score | DM Score | QADI Score |
| 99.9+ | 60.0 | 18.5 | 18.6 | 22.7 |
| 99 | 45.0+ | 15.4 | 14.7 | 16.8 |
| 95 | 40.0–41.0 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 11.7 |
| 90 | 36.0–37.0 | 10.3 | 11.0 | 9.7 |
| 80 | 30.0 | 8.2 | 9.4 | 7.3 |
XAT 2025 Cutoff
In 2025, the difficulty was moderate, maintaining a middle ground between the "tougher" 2024 and the "easier" 2026 exams.
| Percentile | Overall Score | VALR Score | DM Score | QADI Score |
| 99 | 35.0–36.0 | 14.8 | 12.8 | 17.5 |
| 95 | 30.0–31.0 | 12.2 | 10.7 | 13.0 |
| 90 | 25.0–27.0 | 10.7 | 9.7 | 10.8 |
| 85 | 22.0–24.0 | 9.7 | 9.0 | 9.5 |
| 80 | 19.0–21.0 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 7.8 |
XAT 2024 Cutoff
The 2024 paper was considered moderate-to-difficult, particularly in the Decision Making and Quant sections, resulting in lower raw score requirements for high percentiles.
| Percentile | Overall Score | VALR Score | DM Score | QADI Score |
| 99+ | 39.0+ | 16.0 | 14.5 | 15.5 |
| 95 | 33.0–34.0 | 13.5 | 12.5 | 11.0 |
| 90 | 29.0–30.0 | 11.5 | 11.2 | 9.5 |
| 85 | 26.0–27.0 | 10.2 | 10.0 | 8.0 |
| 80 | 23.0–24.0 | 9.0 | 9.2 | 7.0 |
For category-wise trends, check our:
- Detailed XAT 2025 Cutoff Analysis: Year-wise Trend, Course-wis %ile
- Last 5-Year XAT Cutoff 2025 Trend Analysis for All Categories
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