The XAT 2026 exam was held on January 4, 2026 . The exam pattern and difficulty level were similar to past years. This means that the cut-off scores for MBA admissions are not likely to change much this year. The exam results are expected in the third week of January 2026 . After the results, many colleges will announce their specific cut-off scores. These cut-offs are minimum scores candidates need to get to be considered for the next admission rounds, like interviews and written ability tests.
Around 800 MBA colleges across India accept XAT scores for admission. This includes well-known colleges like XLRI, XIMB, KJ Somaiya, and TAPMI . Each college will release its own cut-off percentiles. These percentiles are used to shortlist candidates for further admission steps.
What is a Cut-off Percentile?
A cut-off percentile is a number that shows how well you did compared to other students. For example, if the cut-off is 90 percentile, it means you scored better than 90% of all students who took the exam. To get into a college, your score must be equal to or higher than its cut-off percentile.
Expected XAT 2026 Cut-offs for Top Colleges
Based on the exam difficulty being similar to previous years, the expected cut-off scores for 2026 are similar to last year's. Here are the expected cut-offs for some top colleges:
XLRI Jamshedpur XAT Cut-offs for BM Program
XLRI offers Business Management (BM) programs. The expected overall XAT cut-off percentiles for these courses are given below:
| Category | XAT Percentile (Overall) |
| Engineer/Tech Male | 96 |
| Engineer/Tech Female | 91 |
| Non-Engineer Male | 96 |
| Non-Engineer Female | 91 |
XLRI Jamshedpur XAT Cut-offs for HRM Program
XLRI also offers Human Resource Management (HRM) programs. The expected overall XAT cut-off percentiles for these courses are:
| Category | XAT Percentile (Overall) |
| Engineer/Tech Male | 95 |
| Engineer/Tech Female | 90 |
| Non-Engineer Male | 93 |
| Non-Engineer Female | 87 |
Other Top Colleges Expected XAT Cut-offs
Many other colleges also accept XAT scores. Here are the expected cut-off scores and percentiles for some of them:
XIMB XAT Expected Cut-off
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) is a popular choice for MBA aspirants. The expected XAT cut-off is:
| College | Expected XAT Score | Expected XAT Percentile |
| XIMB | 30.5-32.5 | 90-93 |
TAPMI XAT Expected Cut-off
T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) is another well-known institute. The expected XAT cut-off is:
| College | Expected XAT Score | Expected XAT Percentile |
| TAPMI | 26-27.5 | 80-85 |
KJ Somaiya XAT Expected Cut-off
K J Somaiya Institute of Management offers various management programs. The expected XAT cut-off is:
| College | Expected XAT Score | Expected XAT Percentile |
| KJ Somaiya | 27.5-30.5 | 85-90 |
Next Steps After XAT Results
Once the XAT results are out in January 2026 , colleges will start releasing their official cut-offs. Candidates who meet these cut-off scores will be invited for the next stages of admission. These stages usually include a Personal Interview (PI) and a Written Ability Test (WAT). It is important for students to check the official websites of their preferred colleges for exact dates and detailed information.
