XAT 2027 Marking Scheme: Negative Marking and Section-Wise Weightage

XAT 2027 awards +1 mark for every correct answer in Part 1, deducts -0.25 marks per wrong answer, and applies a -0.10 penalty for each unattempted question beyond the first 8; the General Knowledge section carries no negative marking.

Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) 2027 is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur for MBA admissions at XLRI and over 150 associate institutes. The exam runs in two parts: Part 1 covers Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR), Decision Making (DMAR), and Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QADI); Part 2 covers General Knowledge (GK). Knowing the exact marking rules helps you set a realistic attempt target, decide when to skip, and distribute the 170-minute Part 1 window across sections.

• Part 1 has 75 questions worth 75 marks; every question carries 1 mark.
• Wrong answers in Part 1 attract -0.25 marks each.
• Leaving more than 8 questions unattempted in Part 1 costs -0.10 marks per additional skip.
• Part 2 (GK) has 20 questions and carries no negative marking for wrong answers.
• GK scores do not count toward the XAT percentile used for institute shortlisting.
• Part 1 runs for 170 minutes; Part 2 allows 10 minutes.

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XAT 2027 Marking Scheme at a Glance

XAT 2027 uses a differential marking scheme that penalises both wrong answers and excessive skipping in Part 1. You earn one mark per correct answer and lose 0.25 marks per wrong answer. A separate unattempted-question rule deducts 0.10 marks for each question you leave blank beyond the first 8 free skips. The GK section in Part 2 works differently: wrong answers simply score zero, with no deduction at all.

The scheme above is based on the XAT 2026 pattern sourced from the official XAT portal. XLRI will confirm the final rules for XAT 2027 in the official information brochure at xatonline.in.

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Section-Wise Question Distribution and Marks

XAT 2027 is expected to carry 75 questions in Part 1 and 20 questions in Part 2, based on the XAT 2026 pattern. Every question in both parts carries 1 mark, making the maximum possible raw score 95 marks. Only Part 1 scores count toward the XAT percentile used by institutes for shortlisting.

All three Part 1 sections carry equal per-question marks. However, DMAR questions are typically case-based and demand more reading time per question, so the section feels heavier relative to the marks it offers.

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Negative Marking and Unattempted Penalty Rules

Part 1 of XAT 2027 applies two separate deductions you must account for before finalising your attempt plan:

Deduction 1 — Wrong Answer (-0.25 per question)

Every incorrect answer in Part 1 costs you 0.25 marks. To offset one wrong answer, you need four correct answers. This ratio makes selective, confident answering essential. Do not guess unless you can eliminate at least two of the four options — a 50% chance of +1 against a 50% chance of -0.25 still favours attempting. Below that confidence level, skipping is safer.

Deduction 2 — Unattempted-Question Penalty (-0.10 per question beyond 8)

XAT Part 1 gives you eight free skips. From the ninth unattempted question onward, each costs -0.10 marks. If you leave 15 questions unattempted, the penalty calculation is: (15 − 8) × 0.10 = 0.70 marks deducted from your raw score. To avoid this penalty, aim to attempt at least 67 of the 75 Part 1 questions.

General Knowledge — No Negative Marking

Part 2 (GK) has no negative marking. A wrong GK answer scores zero — it does not reduce your total. There is no unattempted penalty in Part 2 either. This means you can and should attempt every GK question without any strategic risk: a guess in GK can only add marks, never subtract them.

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Time Allocation Per Question in XAT 2027

Part 1 runs for 170 minutes across 75 questions, averaging approximately 2 minutes 16 seconds per question. Part 2 gives 10 minutes for 20 GK questions, about 30 seconds per question. Part 1 uses a single shared timer — there are no per-section time caps, so you can move freely between VALR, DMAR, and QADI.

In practice, DMAR case-sets take 4–6 minutes per set since each set bundles 3–4 questions. Many XAT takers allocate roughly 55–60 minutes to DMAR, 55–60 minutes to QADI, and 50–60 minutes to VALR within the shared 170-minute window.

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Scoring Strategy for XAT 2027

Use the marking rules to build a practical attempt plan before exam day:

• Set a Part 1 attempt target of 67 or more. Anything below 67 attempts triggers the -0.10 penalty per additional skip. Reaching 67 attempts uses up your 8 free skips exactly and avoids all unattempted-question deductions.
• Use the 8 free skips on questions with no eliminable options. If you cannot narrow down to two choices, skip and move on. A wrong answer at -0.25 costs more than a free skip at zero.
• Allocate extra time to DMAR. Decision Making sets are case-based and carry the same 1-mark-per-question value as easier VALR questions. Rushing DMAR risks costly wrong answers on questions you nearly understood.
• Attempt every GK question. Since Part 2 has no negative marking, even a random guess can only add a mark. Spend your 10 minutes on GK attempting all 20 questions — there is no downside.
• Monitor your skip count during Part 1. If you have skipped more than 8 questions, revisit the ones where you can eliminate two options and make an educated guess. A 50% chance at +1 beats a guaranteed -0.10.

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