XAT 2026: This MBA exam wins Generation Z with Harry Potter and the anti-rote memorization philosophy to reduce exam stress | Education News

As registrations for XAT 2026 continue, management aspirants across India are gearing up for one of the most prominent MBA entrance exams in the country, conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur on behalf of the Xavier Association of Management Institutes (XAMI).

Chocolate He highlighted how the test includes elements such as pop culture references, such as Harry Potter (a series of novels by J. K. Rowling about a fictional wizard), in its questions, and what makes it different from other mainstream administrative entrance tests among other things.

Pop culture references make XAT less stressful

In an unprecedented move for the MBA admission test, XAT 2025 has included questions involving Harry Potter characters and themes. The response was extraordinary.

Logic is practical and compassionate. When test takers encounter familiar characters they like, even if the challenge remains rigorous, it provides a moment of connection and ease.

“This philosophy extends throughout the design of the exam. XAT has introduced poems such as reading comprehension passages and cartoons from The New Yorker To explain visual humor,” in one memorable case, students tracked down an actual cartoonist on Instagram to discuss the question, Shukla shared.

Recognizing the fact that reading long paragraphs on screens is different from reading on paper, the testers decided to reduce the length of the paragraphs. Everything can now be placed on one screen, eliminating the need for excessive scrolling.

“Not difficult, just different”: Debunking the XAT myth

For many years, the XAT has gained a reputation for being one of the “toughest” MBA admission tests. Shukla explains that the test is not difficult; It is structurally different in what it measures and how it measures it.

“The difference lies in the holistic approach of the XAT. While most MBA admissions tests focus heavily on mathematical intelligence, the XAT goes several steps further with two additional sections: decision making and general awareness,” he said.

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“We are trying to understand whether students are able to think logically. At the same time, whether students can think clearly and comprehensively; whether they can think about different stakeholders when they solve problems because that will be essential when they become managers tomorrow,” Shukla explained.

The test intentionally avoids questions in which students can simply enter memorized formulas.

how? In the verbal ability sections, reading comprehension processes never involve direct questions, everything depends on interpretation. “Even for quantitative sections, we never ask questions where you have to use formulas directly. What we mainly try to do is that you have to understand the applications of those formulas, and what to apply in that particular question,” he said.

How XAT promotes critical thinking to overcome crowding

One of the distinctive elements of XAT is the decision-making section, which initially baffled students and coaching centers alike, Shukla said. Unlike other departments that can be “gamified” through extensive practice, decision making requires real critical thinking in context.

The section presents real-world scenarios and asks candidates to consider multiple stakeholders, distinguish between symptoms and underlying problems, and evaluate solutions that serve all involved.

“Decision making is the section where we don’t need to think using a particular framework or a particular mental model. You have to think on the move, you have to think in a particular context,” Shukla said. “This section is very difficult to do, you can’t practice and come and follow certain methods and get the right answer. You will have to use your brain.”

“XAT serves engineers and non-engineers without any bias”

One of the distinctive features of the XAT is its comprehensiveness across different types of intelligence. While most mainstream MBA entrance tests heavily favor candidates with strong mathematical abilities, and candidates from a technical engineering background, the XAT takes a more balanced approach.

The numbers speak for themselves: In recent years, the top performers at XAT have been non-engineers, Shukla said. There has been a consistent 10% increase in the number of female candidates compared to the previous year.

Source: XAT registration data shared by XLRI

“The test measures linguistic intelligence through verbal ability, interpersonal intelligence through decision making, mathematical intelligence through quantitative sections, and general awareness. This multi-dimensional assessment ensures that candidates from diverse academic backgrounds are able to showcase their strengths,” Shukla explained.

Familiar context without societal role biases

Before any set of questions is finalized, they are reviewed by panels from diverse backgrounds to identify and remove potential biases, both in terms of cultural context and gender representation.

Shukla pointed to a specific example: “There was a question about bike racing in an early draft. Someone objected, saying if the candidate doesn’t know anything about bike racing, how would that person be able to answer it in that context?” Such questions are rejected because they assume familiarity with specialized interests.

Besides avoiding ambiguous topics, XAT also carefully removes sexism. Principle: Questions should use contexts that are familiar to everyone, rooted in everyday activities rather than scenarios that may benefit specific demographic groups.

“We are trying to bring those contexts that are more familiar to everyone,” Shukla explained. “And not skewed towards a certain section of society or towards a certain gender. So that it is neutral and relatable.”

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For example, instead of asking “A woman plans her family budget” or “An engineer solves machine problems” – which reinforces stereotypes – XAT might ask: “A group of friends decide to split expenses equally on a trip. If the total cost is Rs 12,000 and two friends withdraw, how does this affect the individual contribution?”

The scenario is universal and does not assign any gender-specific roles to any participant.

Anti-AI philosophy: Why humans should keep asking questions

In an age where AI has permeated almost every aspect of education, XAT takes a deliberately contradictory stance: it does not use AI to ask questions.

Shukla explains that AI runs on algorithms and cannot think like humans. Since XAT questions are rooted in real-life, contemporary scenarios of everyday life, they require human insight to formulate them effectively: “We help them understand how to use AI, but to an extent where it does not affect your thinking patterns,” Shukla explains. “Today, AI helps you. But imagine if you continue to rely on AI for the next 10 to 15 years, what will that do to your critical thinking?”

XAT scores have increased over the years, but do high achievers still take the test?

Last year, XAT received 1,45,000 registrations and expectations are that this year it will surpass this number. While CAT receives more registrations (about 2.9 lakh), the top 20-30% of candidates have a significant overlap between the two exams.

Most importantly, the narrative around XAT has changed dramatically. While social media previously echoed complaints about the difficulties, recent years have seen increasingly positive discussions. Students appreciate contemporary content, relevant context, and thoughtful design that respects their intelligence and stress levels.

The test is accepted by over 250 B-schools and is one of only six tests recommended by AICTE for MBA admission.