The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is one of India’s premier MBA entrance exams, conducted annually by XLRI Jamshedpur for over 70 years. Apart from XLRI, top management institutes such as IMT, XIMB, IMI, MICA, and TAPMI also consider XAT scores for admission.
For aspirants aiming for a successful MBA career, understanding XAT Score Vs Percentile 2025 is crucial. In particular, the Decision Making section of XAT 2025 has piqued student interest due to its unique difficulty.
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Table of Contents
What is XAT Score?
The XAT score is essentially the raw score you achieve in the exam, calculated based on the number of correct and incorrect answers. It is the first step in evaluating your performance and forms the basis for percentile calculation.
XAT 2025 Marking Scheme
| Parameter |
Details |
| Total Questions |
95 |
| Total Marks |
95 |
| Correct Answer |
+1 mark |
| Incorrect Answer |
–0.25 mark |
| Unattempted Questions (after 8) |
–0.10 mark per unattempted question |
| General Knowledge Section |
Considered for percentile calculation, not for raw score |
Example:
Suppose a candidate attempts 85 questions, getting 75 correct and 10 incorrect. The raw score would be: Raw Score=75−(10×0.25)=72.5\text{Raw Score} = 75 - (10 \times 0.25) = 72.5Raw Score=75−(10×0.25)=72.5
The raw score gives you a concrete number, but on its own, it doesn’t show how well you did compared to other aspirants. That’s where percentile comes in.
For preparation strategies, explore CAT 2026 Course for Students and Working Professionals.
What is XAT Percentile?
The XAT percentile measures your relative performance. It tells you the percentage of candidates you have scored better than.
- Example: A percentile of 99 means you performed better than 99% of all test-takers.
- Percentile takes into account total candidates, raw scores, and normalization by XLRI to account for variations in difficulty across shifts.
Importance:
- Percentile is what most colleges use for shortlisting candidates.
- Raw scores alone don’t guarantee admission; a high percentile is key for top colleges like XLRI, MICA, and XIMB.
How to Calculate XAT Percentile
Step 1: Count Correct and Incorrect Answers
- Correct answer: +1 mark
- Incorrect answer: –0.25 mark
Step 2: Calculate Raw Score
Raw Score=(Number of Correct Answers)−0.25×(Number of Incorrect Answers)\text{Raw Score} = (\text{Number of Correct Answers}) - 0.25 \times (\text{Number of Incorrect Answers})Raw Score=(Number of Correct Answers)−0.25×(Number of Incorrect Answers)
Step 3: Use Percentile Formula
Percentile=Number of candidates scoring less than you Total number of candidates×100\text{Percentile} = \frac{\text{Number of candidates scoring less than you}}{\text{Total number of candidates}} \times 100Percentile=Total number of candidates Number of candidates scoring less than you×100
- This formula calculates the percentage of candidates who scored lower than you.
- XLRI applies normalization to balance any shift or section difficulty differences before finalizing percentiles.
Step 4: Wait for Official Results
- XLRI releases official percentiles along with normalized scores.
- Your XAT score vs percentile can then be used to estimate the colleges you can target:
| Raw Score (Approx) |
Expected Percentile |
| 38–40 |
99+ |
| 33–37 |
97–98 |
| 29–32 |
92–95 |
| 24–28 |
85–90 |
| 20–23 |
80–84 |
Key Insight: Even a small difference of 2–3 marks can shift your percentile by several points. Monitoring XAT score vs percentile trends from previous years helps aspirants set realistic targets and plan attempts strategically.
XAT Score Vs Percentile 2025: Overall
| XAT Score |
Percentile |
| 38.2 |
99 |
| 33.8 |
97 |
| 29.25 |
92.5 |
| 24.7 |
85 |
| 20 |
80 |
| 16 |
75 |
| 12 |
70 |
| 11 |
65 |
| 10 |
60 |
Observation:
- 35–40 marks → ~90 percentile
- 45–50 marks → 95 percentile or more
Tip: Aim for 40+ marks to target 95+ percentile and top MBA colleges.
XAT Section-wise Score Vs Percentile 2025
Sectional scores are critical as many institutes like XLRI consider them for shortlisting.
| Percentile |
QA & DI |
VA & LR |
DM |
| 99 |
15 |
14.75 |
12.5 |
| 97 |
12.75 |
13.25 |
11.5 |
| 95 |
11 |
12 |
10.5 |
| 90 |
10.5 |
10.5 |
9.5 |
| 85 |
9 |
9.5 |
8.75 |
| 80 |
7.75 |
8.5 |
8.25 |
| 70 |
6 |
7.25 |
7.5 |
Strong performance in DM and QA/DI boosts overall percentile significantly.
XAT Percentile-wise Top Colleges
| College |
Fees (in L) |
Avg Pkg (LPA) |
Min XAT Percentile |
| XLRI, Jamshedpur |
28.6 |
32.7 |
94+ |
| MICA, Ahmedabad |
21 |
20 |
90+ |
| XIMB, Bhubaneshwar |
21.5 |
20.03 |
91+ |
| IMT, Ghaziabad |
19.53 |
17.6 |
90+ |
| IRMA, Anand |
16.09 |
15.5 |
83+ |
| FORE, Delhi |
20.42 |
14.5 |
88+ |
| GIM, Panaji |
21.04 |
14.87 |
80+ |
| TAPMI |
19.45 |
14.6 |
80+ |
| BITS Pilani |
10.87 |
15.9 |
70+ |
| K J Somaiya |
21.78 |
12.28 |
70+ |
| NIBM, Pune |
16 |
15.22 |
70+ |
| LIBA, Chennai |
19.29 |
10 |
86+ |
| Great Lakes |
19.95 |
14.5 |
~90 |
| IFMR, Chennai |
18.41 |
13 |
Profile Based |
| IMT Nagpur |
15.12 |
10.81 |
80+ |
Use percentile targets to shortlist colleges. For detailed admission criteria, refer to IIM Admission Criteria.
How to Check XAT 2025 Score
Your XAT score vs percentile is the key metric to assess your performance and estimate admission chances in top MBA colleges. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Login
- Visit the official XAT website: xatonline.in
- Enter your XAT ID and password to access your account.
Step 2: Copy Response Sheet
- Navigate to the Candidate Response section.
- Copy the URL or download your response sheet to submit to the XAT Score Calculator.
Step 3: Submit to XAT Score Calculator
- Paste your response sheet URL into the calculator.
- The tool computes your raw score using:
- +1 mark for each correct answer
- -0.25 mark for each incorrect answer
- -0.10 mark for unattempted questions after 8 consecutive skips
- The raw score is the first step in predicting your XAT percentile.
Step 4: Check Sectional Performance
- XAT reports scores across:
- Your XAT score vs percentile is influenced not only by total marks but also by sectional performance, especially for institutes like XLRI that weigh sections differently.
Example: A total raw score of 36 with strong DM and VALR performance can lead to a 99 percentile, whereas a similar score with weaker DM may result in a slightly lower percentile.
Factors Determining XAT Score vs Percentile
Understanding the relationship between XAT score and percentile helps aspirants target specific percentiles and plan preparation effectively.
- Total Candidates Appeared
- More candidates → higher competition → percentile depends on relative performance.
- XAT score vs percentile charts help predict expected percentile for a given raw score.
- Difficulty Level of the Exam
- Moderate difficulty → raw score aligns closely with percentile.
- High difficulty → lower scores can still yield high percentiles.
- By comparing XAT score vs percentile from past years, aspirants can gauge how their raw score might translate.
- Normalization Process
- XLRI normalizes scores across shifts/sections to ensure fairness.
- Even if raw scores vary slightly due to shift difficulty, the XAT percentile adjusts to reflect relative ranking.
- Raw Score
- Directly affects percentile.
- XAT score vs percentile tables indicate the approximate percentile for each score range.
- For example:
- Score 38–39 → 99 percentile
- Score 33–34 → 97 percentile
- Sectional Performance
- Strong performance in QA/DI, VALR, and DM can boost overall percentile even if total score is slightly lower.
- Institutes like XLRI may consider sectional cutoffs, so understanding XAT score vs percentile section-wise is essential.
- Score Distribution
- In competitive exams, many candidates may score similarly.
- Small differences in marks can significantly impact your XAT percentile, highlighting the importance of every correct attempt.
Tip: Regularly reviewing XAT score vs percentile trends helps set target scores for future attempts. For example, aiming for 40–42 raw marks may safely place you above 95 percentile, improving chances of admission into top colleges.
Past Year XAT Score Vs Percentile Analysis
| Year |
Percentile |
Total Score |
Quants |
Verbal |
Decision Making |
| 2024 |
99.5 |
36.3 |
17 |
18-19 |
17-18 |
| |
99 |
33.5 |
13 |
16-17 |
14-15 |
| |
95 |
26 |
9 |
13-14 |
12-13 |
| |
90 |
23 |
7.5 |
11-12 |
11-12 |
| 2023 |
99 |
46.5 |
20.5 |
18.5 |
14.5 |
| |
95 |
38 |
16 |
15 |
12.4 |
| |
90 |
34.5 |
14 |
13 |
11 |
| 2022 |
99 |
36 |
18.3 |
15 |
9.8 |
| |
97 |
32.1 |
15.8 |
13.3 |
9 |
| |
95 |
29.5 |
14.3 |
12.3 |
8.2 |
Observing trends helps estimate expected XAT 2025 percentile.
XAT Cut-offs for XLRI MBA Programs
MBA Business Management (BM) – 2025
| Category |
QA |
VALR |
DM |
Overall |
| Engineer/Tech Male |
88 |
84 |
84 |
96 |
| Engineer/Tech Female |
82 |
80 |
80 |
91 |
| Non-Engineer Male |
88 |
84 |
84 |
96 |
| Non-Engineer Female |
82 |
80 |
80 |
91 |
MBA Human Resource Management (HRM) – 2025
| Category |
QA |
VALR |
DM |
Overall |
| Engineer/Tech Male |
83 |
90 |
87 |
95 |
| Engineer/Tech Female |
73 |
85 |
80 |
90 |
| Non-Engineer Male |
76 |
90 |
87 |
93 |
| Non-Engineer Female |
78 |
85 |
80 |
87 |
Candidates must aim for 85 percentile+ to secure XLRI shortlisting.
Understanding your XAT Score vs Percentile 2025 is vital for estimating your chances at top MBA colleges. While the raw score gives a numeric measure of performance, the percentile reflects your ranking among all aspirants and is the key metric for shortlisting. By analyzing section-wise performance, normalization effects, and historical percentile trends, candidates can strategically target scores to achieve a 95+ percentile. Focusing on critical sections like Decision Making (DM), QA/DI, and VALR not only boosts your overall XAT percentile but also improves your eligibility for institutes like XLRI, MICA, and XIMB.
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