XAT 2027 changes: 12 unanswered questions without penalty, 60 more XLRI seats

XLRI Jamshedpur, which conducts the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT), announced on Friday, 6 November 2026 a set of changes for XAT 2027, the entrance exam used for MBA and PGDM admissions at XLRI and many other business schools. Candidates can now leave up to 12 questions unanswered in Part 1 without a penalty, up from 8. XLRI is also raising seats in its PGDM-HRM (human resource management) programme from 180 to 240 and adding 16 new associate institutes that accept XAT scores. Registration closes on Sunday, 6 December 2026 and the exam is on Sunday, 3 January 2027.

XAT is one of India's major management entrance tests, and its marking rules have long been different from those of other exams. Besides wrong answers, XAT also penalises candidates for leaving too many questions blank, which pushes them to attempt more questions even when they are unsure. Raising the free limit from 8 to 12 gives candidates more room to skip questions they cannot solve in time, without losing marks for it. That changes exam strategy: aspirants who planned their attempts around the old rule of 8 should rework their approach in mock tests before 3 January.

The seat increase matters for students interested in HR careers. Sixty extra seats means more offers in the 2027 admission round, though competition will remain stiff. The 16 new associate institutes give candidates more places where a XAT score can be used, which is useful for those who are also writing the Common Admission Test (CAT) and want more options.

The free practice papers are an incentive to apply early. Candidates who register by 11 November get two years of past papers with answer keys, which are among the most useful resources for understanding the exam's style.

What the reader should do next: check the full notice on xatonline.in, confirm the new Part 1 rule there, apply by 11 November to receive the past papers, and in any case before 6 December 2026.

Peepals calculation: The free limit for unanswered questions rises by half (12 ÷ 8 = 1.5), from 8 to 12. Under the new rule, a candidate who leaves 16 questions blank in Part 1 would lose 0.40 marks for the four beyond the limit (4 × 0.10 = 0.40), where under the old limit of 8 the same 16 blanks would have meant eight penalised questions. The PGDM-HRM seat rise from 180 to 240 is an increase of one-third, or 33.3% (60 ÷ 180 ≈ 0.333). Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Candidates preparing for XAT 2027 need to adjust their attempt strategy for Part 1 and can use the free past papers if they register by 11 November.

Long-term: More HR seats at XLRI and more associate institutes widen the options for management aspirants, and a gentler rule on blank answers may reduce guesswork in the exam.

Who is affected: MBA and PGDM aspirants, especially those aiming for HR management; coaching institutes and test-prep providers; XLRI and the associate business schools that use XAT scores.

What to watch next: the close of registration on 6 December 2026 and the exam on 3 January 2027.

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