XLRI Announces Major XAT 2027 Updates: Marking Scheme Revised, HRM Seats Expanded to 240, and 17 New B-Schools Added
JAMSHEDPUR — XLRI Xavier School of Management has officially introduced significant updates for the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2027. Overseen by Prof. Rahul K. Shukla, Convenor of XAT and Admissions, the revisions include modifications to the exam pattern, an expansion of seat capacity in flagship programs, and an expanded network of participating associate management institutes.
The overall structure of XAT 2027 remains set at 95 questions spread across four core sections, with a total duration of 180 minutes (170 minutes for Part 1 and 10 minutes for General Knowledge). However, a key strategic relief has been introduced in the marking scheme:
Unanswered Questions Limit Raised: Candidates can now leave up to 12 questions unanswered in Part 1 without incurring a penalty, up from the previous limit of 8 questions.
Unattempted Penalty: Any unattempted question beyond the 12-question limit will attract a deduction of 0.10 marks per question.
Standard Marking: Each correct answer awards +1 mark, while an incorrect attempt incurs a -0.25 mark penalty. General Knowledge carries no negative marking and does not count toward the primary percentile calculation.
To cater to growing demand, XLRI Jamshedpur has expanded the intake capacity for its flagship Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (PGDM-HRM) program. The seat count has been increased from 180 to 240 seats, adding 60 new seats (a 33.3% increase in intake). Admission cutoffs are expected to remain competitive across categories despite the capacity expansion.
XAT 2027 scores will be accepted by over 250 business schools nationwide. XLRI has officially added 17 new associate B-schools to its network for this admission cycle, providing test-takers with a wider range of management admission opportunities.
The online application process for XAT 2027 is currently open via the official portal (xatonline.in).
Application Deadline: December 6, 2026
Admit Card Release: December 20, 2026 (tentative)
Exam Date: Sunday, January 3, 2027 (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
Application Fee: INR 2,300 standard registration fee + INR 200 for each selected XLRI program
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