XAT 2026 Section-wise Preparation Strategy: How Toppers Crack Each Section Without Burning Out

XAT Section Wise Preparation Strategy: The Xavier School of Management (XLRI), Jamshedpur, released the notification for the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2026. The XLRI conducts the XAT on behalf of XAMI to select the most suitable students for management education. XAT, one of the oldest competitive examinations in the country, has consistently evolved with cutting-edge testing methodologies. XAT is known for its unique exam pattern and tricky questions, making smart preparation essential. Instead of studying everything together, focusing on a section-wise strategy helps improve accuracy and time management. Each section of XAT tests different skills and requires a different approach. A clear section-wise plan can significantly boost your overall score and confidence. XAT scores are utilised by over 250+ institutes for admissions. This year, the exam is scheduled to be held on January 04, 2026, at 76 designated test centres spread across the country. In this article, we will section-wise preparation strategy for the XAT 2026 exam.

XAT 2026 Exam Pattern: Overview

Before discussing the last-minute study tips to crack the XAT exam let’s quickly go through the XAT 2026 exam pattern. Below we have tabulated the XAT 2026 Exam Pattern for your reference:

XAT 2024 Preparation Strategy

With a large number of candidates applying for this exam, cracking it requires a focused and systematic approach covering all stages and subjects included in the XAT 2026 Syllabus. This article will discuss essential section-wise preparation tips to help candidates navigate smoothly through the recruitment process and outrank others with ease!

How to Prepare the XAT VALR Syllabus 2026?

In the XAT exam, the purpose of the VALR section is to assess candidates' reading comprehension skills, basic knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary, and logical and analytical thinking. Therefore, candidates need to adopt a strategic approach to prepare for the VALR syllabus.

• Brush up on your grammar rules and practice a lot of questions related to sentence correction, para jumbles, and para completions.

• Enhance your vocabulary to excel in this section. Learn 5-10 new word and their usage daily. 

• Develop a habit of reading books, newspapers, and magazines to improve your comprehension skills.

• Allocate sufficient time to each topic of the VALR syllabus as per your strengths and weaknesses.

• Solve previous year’s XAT question papers to understand the exam pattern and get familiar with the types of questions asked. This will also improve your time management skills.

How to Prepare the XAT QADI Syllabus 2026?

The QADI section is extremely important in the XAT exam, and the candidates have to score well in this section to crack the XAT exam. The QADI section is designed to check the conceptual understanding of the mathematical concepts of the candidates. Here, you can find some tips that should be kept in mind while preparing for the XAT Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation syllabus.

• Develop the ability to quickly analyse the data presented in different formats such as tables, graphs, and charts.

• Brush up on your basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and number systems.

• Focus on topics like percentages, ratios, averages, profit and loss, and time, speed, and distance.

• This section requires a lot of lengthy calculations so you need to improve your calculation speed with accuracy.

• Learn tricks like Vedic mathematics to simplify calculations.

• Learn the shortcut methods to do the arithmetic questions quickly.

• Practice a lot of questions within time constraints to improve your speed and accuracy.

• Always solve mixed question sets of Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation. Do not go for individual QA or DI sets. It will help on the exam day when you find the mixed questions of QA and DI.

• Solve previous year’s CAT question papers to understand the exam pattern and get familiar with the types of questions asked. This will also improve your time management skills.

How to Prepare for the XAT General Knowledge Syllabus 2026?

The General Knowledge (GK) section is crucial in the XAT exam, and scoring well in this section is essential for admission to XLRI. Here are some tips to keep in mind while preparing for the XAT General Knowledge syllabus.

• Refer to the NCERT books of SST for history, geography, economics, and Indian polity. 

• Focus on important historical events, dates, and prominent personalities. 

• Read newspapers, magazines, and online news portals to stay updated with current affairs, national and international events, sports, politics, and science and technology. Always note down details of important events in a separate notebook.

• Solve previous year’s XAT question papers to understand the exam pattern and get familiar with the types of questions asked.

Recommended Books for XAT 2026

The aspirants planning to appear for the XAT 2026 exam must be looking for the best book for XAT 2026 preparation. Books are an essential part of XAT exam preparation as they provide a conceptual understanding of the XAT Syllabus along with lots of practice questions. The table given below provides a list of some highly recommended books for XAT exam preparation.