Last updated: 13 November 2026 | Sources: XAT official website and XLRI’s announcement of 6 November 2026
You can now skip 12 questions in XAT 2027 and lose no marks. XLRI Jamshedpur has raised the no-penalty limit for unanswered questions in Part 1 from 8 to 12. The rest of the XAT 2027 marking scheme stays the same: +1 for a correct answer, -0.25 for a wrong one, and -0.10 for every unanswered question beyond the 12th. This guide explains the rules, shows score examples, and tells you how to use your free skips.
What Changed in the XAT 2027 Marking Scheme
| Rule | Earlier rule | XAT 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Unanswered questions without penalty (Part 1) | 8 | 12 |
| Penalty per unanswered question beyond the limit | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Penalty for a wrong answer | 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Negative marking in GK | None | None |
Only the skip limit changed. XLRI announced the revision on 6 November 2026, and the latest-updates banner on xatonline.in carries it. Older guides and previous-year material still quote 8. Treat that as last year’s rule.
XAT 2027 Marking Scheme at a Glance
Each question carries 1 mark.
| Situation | Part 1 (VALR, DM, QA & DI) | Part 2 (GK) |
|---|---|---|
| Correct answer | +1 | +1 |
| Wrong answer | -0.25 | 0 (no negative marking) |
| Unanswered: 1st to 12th | 0 | 0 |
| Unanswered: 13th onward | -0.10 each | 0 |
XAT 2027 Exam Pattern and Marks by Section
| Section | Questions (approx.) | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) | 26 | 170 minutes for the three sections together |
| Decision Making (DM) | 21 | |
| Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation (QA & DI) | 28 | |
| Part 1 total | 75 | 170 minutes |
| General Knowledge (GK): 8 static, 12 current affairs | 20 | 10 minutes |
| Total | 95 | 180 minutes |
XLRI lists these counts as approximate. The official site states that XAT has no sectional time limits. You can attempt Part 1 sections in any order and switch between them.
Also Read: XLRI HRM Seats Increased to 240: What It Means for XAT 2027 Aspirants
How the 12 Free Skips Rule Works
The limit covers Part 1 only
The 12 free skips apply to the 75 questions in Part 1, counted across VALR, DM and QA & DI together. You do not get 12 skips per section.
The penalty starts at the 13th skipped question
Every unanswered question beyond the 12th costs 0.10 marks. Your 13th skip costs 0.10, your 14th costs another 0.10, and so on. XLRI’s announcement does not mention consecutive questions, so the skips do not need to follow each other.
GK follows different rules
The GK section has no negative marking, so a wrong GK answer costs nothing. GK marks do not count toward your overall percentile or cutoff. XLRI considers them only for its own programmes.
Old vs New Penalty: How Much Does the Change Matter?
| Questions skipped in Part 1 | Penalty under the old rule (8 free) | Penalty under the new rule (12 free) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | 0.20 | 0 |
| 12 | 0.40 | 0 |
| 13 | 0.50 | 0.10 |
| 15 | 0.70 | 0.30 |
| 20 | 1.20 | 0.80 |
The new rule saves you at most 0.40 marks, which is four extra free skips at 0.10 each. The real gain is freedom. You can leave a long or doubtful question blank without feeling forced to guess, and wrong guesses cost far more than skips: 0.25 each.
XAT 2027 Marking Scheme Score Examples
These examples use Part 1’s 75 questions.
| Scenario | Correct | Wrong | Skipped | Final Part 1 score | Score under the old 8-skip rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attempts everything | 52 | 23 | 0 | 46.25 | 46.25 |
| Skips 12 | 50 | 13 | 12 | 46.75 | 46.35 |
| Skips 15 | 48 | 12 | 15 | 44.70 | 44.30 |
How to read the rows:
- Skips 12: 50 – (13 × 0.25) = 46.75, with no skip penalty.
- Skips 15: 48 – (12 × 0.25) = 45.00, then 3 skips beyond the 12th cost 0.30, so the final score is 44.70.
The second row beats the first even though it has two fewer correct answers. Ten extra wrong answers cost 2.5 marks, which wiped out the two extra correct answers (+2).
Skip or Guess? A Simple Rule for XAT 2027
Compare the cost of a skip with the average result of a guess. A guess with probability p of being right gains +1 with chance p and loses 0.25 with chance (1 – p).
| Your situation | Cost of skipping | Attempt only if you are at least this sure |
|---|---|---|
| Free skips still left | 0 | 20% |
| After your 12th skip | 0.10 | 12% |
These are long-run averages across many questions. Any single question can go either way. The practical idea is simple. Spend your 12 free skips on questions you would otherwise guess blind. Once they are gone, a skip costs a little, so a reasoned guess becomes worth more.
How to Practise the New Rule in Your Mocks
- Count your skips in every mock. Know your number before you submit.
- Use two passes. Answer what you know, flag the doubtful questions, then return to them with your skip count in mind.
- Review your wrong answers. If most were low-confidence guesses, you gave away marks that a skip would have saved.
- Keep GK separate. It has no negative marking, so attempt every GK question.
XAT 2027 takes place on 3 January 2027, and the official bulletin lists the result for the last week of January.
Also Read: XAT 2027 New Colleges Added: Complete List of 17 Institutes
FAQs on XAT 2027 Marking Scheme
Is there negative marking in XAT 2027?
Yes. Each wrong answer in Part 1 costs 0.25 marks. The GK section has no negative marking.
How many questions can I skip in XAT 2027 without a penalty?
You can leave up to 12 questions unanswered in Part 1 without a penalty, up from 8. Each unanswered question beyond the 12th costs 0.10 marks.
Do the 12 skipped questions have to be consecutive?
XLRI’s announcement does not mention consecutive questions. It sets a limit of 12 unanswered questions in Part 1, with a 0.10 penalty on each one beyond that.
Does the skip penalty apply to the GK section?
No. The 12-question limit and the 0.10 penalty apply to Part 1. The GK section has no negative marking, and it does not count toward your overall percentile or cutoff.
Should I guess or skip in XAT 2027?
While you still have free skips, attempt a question only if you are at least 20% sure of the answer. After your 12th skip, the break-even point drops to 12%.
Where can I verify the revised XAT 2027 marking scheme?
XLRI announced the revision on 6 November 2026, and the latest-updates banner on xatonline.in shows the revised limit of 12 unanswered questions in Part 1.
Conclusion
The XAT 2027 marking scheme now gives you 12 free skips in Part 1. A wrong answer still costs 0.25, and each skip beyond the 12th costs 0.10. Save your skips for questions you would otherwise guess blind, and practise with the 12-skip rule in your mocks. Ready to test yourself? Take a mock test at CATMOCK.
You May Also Like : CATMOCK, CATMOCK PYQ
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