MBA Application 2026: Scoring around a 90 percentile in the XAT is a bit of a “sweet spot.” While it might feel like you’ve just missed the cutoff for the absolute top-tier programs (like XLRI Jamshedpur’s BM program), it actually puts you in the top 10% of candidates nationwide.
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Many high-quality B-schools specifically target candidates in the 85–95 percentile range. More importantly, several of these institutions keep their application windows open even after the XAT results are released.
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If you are sitting at a 90 percentile, these are the heavy hitters you should look at immediately. Many of these schools have deadlines in late January or February.
It’s easy to feel “stuck,” but the 90 percentile mark is a strategic advantage for three reasons:
- Profile-Based Calls: Schools like GIM and TAPMI often offer “Profile-based” calls where they prioritize your work ex and academics over a 2-point difference in XAT scores.
- The “Waitlist” Movement: Many students scoring 95+ will migrate toward IIMs or XLRI, leaving seats open in the 90-percentile bracket schools during the second and third lists.
- Sectional Flexibility: Unlike XLRI, many private B-schools, do not have strict sectional cutoffs, meaning a high score in one section can carry you through. XAT 2026 Sectional Weightage.
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The XAT exam has different weightage for each section. The highest weightage is given to Quantitative Aptitude. The section-wise weightage is given below:
- Quantitative Aptitude: 28 marks
- Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VA-LR): 26 marks
- Decision Making: 21 marks
- General Knowledge (GK): 20 marks
