XLRI Jamshedpur releases the XAT Eligibility Criteria every year on their official website. The XAT 2026 exam notification released on 10th July 2025 and the exam is scheduled for 4 January 2026. Before the candidates apply for the XAT exam it is important to know and understand the XAT Eligibility Criteria. The criteria includes age limit, minimum qualifications, and the reservation criteria (if any).
As per XAT eligibility criteria, candidates must have secured at least 50% marks in graduation in the general category and 45% marks in the reserved category. Read all about the XAT Eligibility Criteria. It must be noted that candidates who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be eligible for the admission process.
For admission to the MBA/PGDM programs offered by the XAT participating institutes the candidates must fulfil this eligibility criteria. The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) offers admission to almost 700 top B-Schools.
XAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria
the XAT eligibility criteria comprises of the educational qualification to appear for the XAT exam, the age limit, minimum marks, and other criteria which the applicants must fulfil to sit for the XAT 2026 exam. Candidates must ensure that before filling the XAT application form, they check the eligibility criteria for XAT. Given below is the detailed eligibility criteria for the XAT exam.
XAT Educational Qualification Required
- Candidate must have completed Minimum 3 Years Bachelor's Degree
- Candidates in their final year or awaiting results can apply for the exam
- Candidates appearing in final examination or awaiting results must provide their bachelor's degree certificate and mark sheet by the end of the admission year
- Some of the XAT accepting colleges may have the minimum score criteria of 50 percent in Graduation (45 percent for Reserved category candidates).
XAT Minimum Marks Requirement
Candidates should have a minimum of 50% marks in graduation and 45% marks are mandatory for candidates belonging to the reserved category
XAT Age Limit
There is no upper age limit for XAT and candidates can apply irrespective of their age. Both fresh graduates as well as working professionals can apply for the XAT exam.
XAT Maximum Number of Attempts Allowed
There is no limit on the number of attempts in the XAT 2026 exam and the candidates can appear for the exam as many times as they wish. However, the XAT score is valid only for 1 year.
XAT Eligibility Criteria for XLRI Courses
The eligibility criteria for different courses at XLRI is different. XLRI offers 3 basic types of courses - General Management (GM), Human Resource & Business Management (HRM & BM), and Part-Time BM. Candidates are advised to check the detailed eligibility criteria for XLRI courses below.
XAT exam dates now out → check here
Business Management and Human Resource Management
- Candidates should have a bachelor's degree or an equivalent of three-year duration in any discipline from any university as recognised by Central or State legislature or from an institute approved by AICTE are eligible to apply.
- If candidates are appearing for final year examination then their last exam should be over by June 10, 2025.
General Management
- Candidates seeking admission to the General Management Programme offered by XLRI must have obtained a three-year bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognized University in India or abroad.
- Candidates should be a full-time employee after completing their bachelor's degree.
- Candidates must have a minimum of five years of significant managerial experience as on March 31, 2023, in any organisation in either of the sectors i.e. public, private or non-governmental.
Part-Time Business Management Program
- Candidates need to have a minimum 3 years degree in any discipline
- Work experience is not mandatory for this program
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XAT Syllabus & XAT Exam Pattern
Who is Not Eligible for XAT 2026?
When talking about the XAT Eligibility Criteria, certain candidates are deemed not eligible as well. Check the list of XAT Non-Eligibility Criteria below.
- Graduates of the 1980s with a 2-year bachelor's degree
- Candidates whofailto pay their registration fees within the stipulated time
- Candidates whose final year of examination were not be over by June 10, 2025
- Candidates whograduated from an unrecognized institution
Learn More -
XAT Eligibility Criteria for Foreign Nationals/NRI/PIO
Candidates belonging to any one of the below categories are eligible to apply for the XAT 2026 Exam through the GMAT exam. Check the eligibility for Foreign nationals appearing for the XAT exam.
- NRI:A person is treated as "not ordinarily resident/ NRI" when any of the following conditions are met:
- If they have not been resident in India in nine out of ten preceding years; or
- If they have not been in India for a period of 730 days or more during the preceding seven years.
- Persons of Indian Origin:"Persons of Indian Origin" (PIO) means a person having foreign citizenship (except Pakistan and Bangladesh) without "NRI" status, but who holds a Foreign Passport at the time of sending application, consideration for admission and during the period of his study and he/she or anyone/ both of their parents or anyone / both of his /her grandparents is (or was) / are (or were) citizen (s) of India by virtue of the provisions of the Constitution of India.
- Foreign National:A "Foreign National" (FN) is an individual having citizenship of a foreign country (citizens of all countries other than India) and not having the status of "NRI" and/or "Persons of Indian Origin" (PIO)
Eligibility for admission to XLRI courses through GMAT scores
- All NRI and Foreign candidates seeking admissions to XLRI offered courses and other associate B-schools will have to apply through theirGMAT examscores only. The GMAT scores are valid only if obtained between December 01, 2019, and December 31, 2024.
- However, candidates applying through GMAT scores also need to register for XAT 2026 as it is a mandatory step in admission process
- Indian candidates seeking admission through GMAT scores are eligible to apply only for General Management programme
- NRI and Foreign candidates can apply for General Management, Business Management and Human Resource Management offered by XLRI.
XAT Exam Eligibility Reservation Policy
According to the official updates on XAT Eligibility, XLRI Jamshedpur does not provide any relaxation for candidates belonging to the general category. However, the XAT Accepting Colleges may have their own specific reservation that students can get to know about before applying for the programs offered.
Besides, there is no concession in the XAT Application Fees for candidates belonging to the reserved categories such as SC, ST, OBC, and PwD. XAT 2026 Eligibility and XAT 2026 Application Fee will remain the same for all aspiring candidates. XAT 2026 Fee is INR 2200.
Read In Detail: XAT Application Process & XAT Registration Form
XAT Eligibility 2026 - Course Fees and Eligibility
Candidates can check the different courses offered by XLRI and the course fee and eligibility for each of them in the data presented below.
Course | Fees | Eligibility |
PG Diploma | ₹4.26 Lakhs (1st Year Fees) | Graduation |
Executive Diploma | ₹4.1 Lakhs (Total Fees) | Graduation |
PGDM BM/ HRM | ₹11.8 Lakhs (1st Year Fees) | Graduation |
PG Certificate | ₹3 Lakhs (Total Fees) | Graduation |
Diploma | ₹4 Lakhs (Total Fees) | Graduation |
EFPM | ₹8.5 Lakhs (Total Fees) | Post-Graduation |
XAT Selection Criteria
The selection process for XAT 2026 at participating institutes will commence once the GD/PI shortlist becomes accessible. Those who successfully meet the XAT 2026 cutoff criteria will qualify for the selection rounds at various colleges and institutes affiliated with XLRI, Jamshedpur. The XAT 2026 counselling process will be conducted online. For admission to XLRI institutes in 2026, the XAT admission process will encompass the following stages.
- Candidates have to appear for XAT 2026
- Shortlisting of candidates
- Selection rounds
- Final selection
Read In Detail: XAT Selection and Admission Process
