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Sanghamitra Deb

Content Writer | Updated On - Jul 26, 2025

XAT 2026 Decision-making questions help the students to analyze the problem statement and how to do analytical thinking to solve the statements. XAT 2026 will be based on business decision-making, situational decision-making, data arrangement, inference & judgment, and ethical dilemmas.

  • XAT 2026 Decision-Making section consists of 22 to 30 Questions.
  • XAT 2026 Decision-Making section does not have a sectional time limitation. Candidates can take their time to solve the problem statement.
  • For each correct answer candidates will be rewarded with 1 mark and for each wrong answer 0.25 marks will be deducted.
  • Out of 7 to 8 case studies, 2 to 3 questions will have Moderate to high-level difficulty.
  • XAT 2026 Question paper will be having Multiple Choice Questions.
  • Candidates must perform well in the decision-making component of the XAT 2026 exam in order to do well. As a result, attempting XAT Decision Making questions requires a proper strategy.

XAT 2026 DM Exam Highlights

The overview of the XAT 2026 Decision-Making highlights are mentioned below: -

Particulars Details
Total Number of questions 100
Total Number of sections 5 (Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, General Knowledge, and Essay Writing)
Duration 180 minutes (+ 10 mins)
Total marks 100
Mode of examination Online
Language of paper English
Number of choices Five
XAT marking scheme
  • +1 mark for a correct answer
  • - 0.25 marks for incorrect answer
  • - 0.10 marks for more than 8 un-attempted consecutive questions
  • No negative marking in the GK section

XAT Decision Making (DM) 2026: Exam Pattern

The XAT exam is divided into three parts, the second of which includes a 5-minute break for Mock Keyboard Testing. The remaining exam is divided into two parts, each of which has five sections. There is no time limit on any of the sections. The XAT 2026 exam pattern is outlined briefly below.

Sections Number of Questions Time
Part-1 75 Questions 165 Minutes
Verbal and Logical Ability 26

There is no sectional time limit.

Decision Making 21
Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation 28
Part-2 25 Questions

15 Minutes

General Knowledge 25
Essay 1 10 Minutes
Total 100 Questions 190 Minutes

XAT Decision Making (DM) 2026 Syllabus

The Decision Making part differs from the XAT 2026 Exam in contrast with all other MBA Entrance Exams. Candidates will be asked to read specific sections in order to answer Decision-Making questions. It evaluates the candidate's mental ability along with their capacity to comprehend a situation so as to examine the candidate's problem-solving and case-solving abilities.

  • This section will include 22 questions.
  • Each question will be given 1 mark for each correct answer.
  • For each wrong answer, 0.25 points will be deducted.
  • All of the questions in this section will be situational.
  • A good attempt typically counts as answering 16 to 17 questions.

Types of Decision-Making Questions in XAT 2026

In the XAT exam, there are primarily two types of Decision Making questions. They are as follows:

  • Mathematical questions

Data Interpretation or Logical Reasoning sets are frequently used in mathematical questions. One can use DILR strategies to tackle such XAT Decision Making section problems, but keep in mind that because these questions are data-intensive, they may take extra time. As a result, applicants should only attempt to answer these kinds of questions if they are confident they can do so accurately within the time limit.

  • Behavioral and managerial questions

Behavioral and managerial issues are frequently based on a circumstance in which many difficulties occur and must be addressed. The candidate must select the most appropriate line of action. These questions basically serve as a test of one's interpretative abilities. The sections are largely about ethical/management/human quandaries. To pass this section, you must have strong English comprehension skills as well as critical reasoning abilities.

XAT 2026 exam includes three types of Decision Making questions:

  • Single Question Prompts: A single passage is followed by a single question of this form.
  • Two to Three Questions per Prompt: Moderate caselets are followed by two to three questions in this category.
  • Four to Five Questions per Prompt: Long caselets are followed by four to five questions in this format. This is the most confusing form of caselet, as it contains different or divergent points of view.

XAT 2026 Decision-Making Important Topics

Candidates can prepare for the XAT Decision-Making part by practicing the following topics.

These are the topics that are generally asked in this section according to the XAT Syllabus

XAT Decision-Making Important Topics

Situations Assumptions Decision Making
Data Arrangement Caselets Conditions and Grouping
Analytical Reasoning Logical Reasoning Complex Arrangement

XAT Decision Making 2026 Important Terms

Candidates should become acquainted with the following terms pertaining to the XAT DM section:

Terms Meaning
Reason A cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event
Conclusion The results are derived from a summary of numerous premises stated in the question.
Premise A premise is a preceding statement or an underlying assumption from which another is deduced.
Proposition A proposition is a statement that expresses a judgment or an opinion and is offered for discussion.
Fact A fact is a piece of information that has been verified and is correct.
Inference A conclusion is drawn from data and facts.
Assumption Something considered to be true.
Inductive Using mathematical reasoning to reach a conclusion
Deductive Something that can be verified by drawing conclusions from logic.

XAT 2026 Decision Making Best Books

Candidates can prepare for the XAT Decision-Making portion by reading the following books.

Name of the Books Author
Analytical and Logical Reasoning Arihant Publications
Target XAT (Past papers and mock tests) Disha Publication
Jabbing the XAT (with solved papers) RK Jha
Wiley's ExamXpert Solved Papers and Practice Tests for XAT Ashu Jain, M K Jain

XAT 2026 Previous Year Exam Analysis for Decision Making: Difficulty Level & Good Attempts

Considering there is no predefined syllabus for the XAT DM portion, reviewing past year papers is the best approach to prepare for the decision-making section. The following is the analysis of the XAT Decision-Making Paper for 2023:

  • There were 22 questions in the XAT 2023 Decision-Making section.
  • Except for the set based on old Dl-Model decision-making questions, the questions were simple.
  • Attempting 15-17 questions was considered good for the XAT Decision-Making section.
  • As a whole, the questions were easy-moderate in difficulty and needed no extensive analysis.
Topics Number of Questions
Increase Diversity in the Workforce 3
Complaints of sexual harassment 3
Moonlighting 2
Bharat Business School (Faculty Recruitment) 3
"Dhan" Entrepreneurial Venture 3
Tea factory (Leaves and Promotions) 2
Recipes to make dishes (flow chart) 3
Floods 3

Check out the Decision Making section's topic breakdown below.

Question Type Number of Question Good Attempts
2 Question Sets 4 2
3 Question Sets 15 2
3 Question DI Type Sets 3 3
TOTAL 22 15-17

XAT Decision Making Section Analysis for past years 2023-2015

The following is an overview of both the number and kinds of questions asked in the XAT Decision-Making section from 2026 to 2015:

Year XAT Decision-Making Section Analysis
2023 2 Question Sets, 3 Question Sets, 3 Question DI Type Sets
2022 In sets of 3-4 questions, Many questions were based on ethical dilemmas. Caselet length: Passages were brief and easy to read.
2021 There were 4 sets of three MCQs each on Business Decision Making and 3 sets of three MCQs each on Ethical Dilemmas.
2020 There were no problems requiring mathematical or analytical reasoning, thus answers 16 - 17 were sufficient.
2019 There were 18 questions of moderate difficulty. Three questions were similar to those from the previous year.
2018 The mathematical portion was on the easier side, whereas the non-mathematical portion consisted of 8 sets of 2 - 3 questions each with a medium level of difficulty.
2017 The non-mathematical portion consisted primarily of lengthy problems of medium complexity. The maths portion was moderately difficult.
2016 The XAT Decision Making portion was similarly tough as in 2017. The reading and interpretation passages, on the other hand, were much shorter.
2015 The DM section questions were challenging to answer.

XAT 2026 Decision Making (DM) Preparation Tips to Solve Questions

Candidates must perform well in the decision-making component of the XAT 2026 exam in order to do well. As a result, attempting XAT Decision Making questions requires a proper strategy.

Here are some pointers for studying for and answering the XAT 2023 Decision-Making section:

  1. Analyse the information provided to reach a conclusion.

Every problem is accompanied by information. You are required to make the correct option based on logical thinking and the facts provided. Reasonable assumptions would result from a diligent and close examination of the facts.

  1. Keep your personal opinions out of it

In no situation should your personal preferences influence your choice of the correct answer. It may appear appealing, but it will cost you marks. You are expected to take a logical and fair approach, which may or may not coincide with your value system. Do not put your personal beliefs into it.

  1. Choose the optimal option that optimizes benefits while minimizing risk.

Again, there are no right or wrong answers to these situations. You are meant to choose the choice that helps the majority of people.

  1. Refrain from engaging in unethical behavior.

Options that suggest unethical approaches to giving solutions should be rejected immediately.

  1. Make certain you understand what each stakeholder desires.

Every problem has its own set of stakeholders or persons for whom the information is important. Make certain you've identified them. Furthermore, you must put yourself in their shoes and examine the situation from each of their perspectives. It also necessitates empathy, as well as a clear head and logical approach.

When answering Decision-Making problems look for multiple stakeholders and analyze the situation from each stakeholder's perspective. In this part, do not use the method of elimination. Examine the questions and options provided in their entirety.

XAT 2026 Decision-Making Types of Questions

Some of the sample questions are mentioned below. The reference questions are from Cracku (2018):-

Question 1: Mr. Shivakumar is Social science teacher and a self-taught engineer who works in Sri. Vidya Government school in Mankulur district of Karnataka. Even though he has no prior experience in building, he proposed the construction of two huge dams that would help to overcome the irrigation problems of the district. The people of the district were enthusiastic about the plan and took Shivakumar’s plan to the district collector. What is the best course of action that should be taken by the collector?

  1. Praise Mr. Shivakumar for the service he has done for the society
  2. Experiment with the plan on a small scale to check its feasibility
  3. Accept the proposal given by Mr.Shivakumar as his plan seems to be plausible
  4. Make necessary arrangements to ensure that the plan is successfully implemented
  5. Reject the proposal of Mr. Shivakumar as he is inexperienced in the field

Question 2. Sri Lankan government is providing incentives for foreign companies investing in the country. Malibaba wants to invest in only one country. Most of the board members are in favour of investing in India while some of them want to invest in Sri Lanka. Which of the following reasons will convince the other members to invest in India?

  1. The market in India is far bigger than the market in Sri Lanka
  2. The cost of setting up the business per potential customer in India would be way lower than that in Sri Lanka despite the government’s incentives
  3. The benefits that Sri Lanka is offering are only for the short term. After some time the taxes in Sri Lanka would be the same as those in India
  4. Only a and b
  5. All of these

Question 3. The company has finally decided to invest in India. However, the FDI restriction laws prevent the company from entering the Indian market in its current form. Which of the following would be the best option for the company in such a scenario?

  1. Give up on the plan to invest in India and invest in Pakistan and Sri Lanka instead.
  2. Register a company with a new name and start operations.
  3. Tie up with an already existing e-commerce company in the Indian market.
  4. Request the Indian government to relax the FDI norms.
  5. Asks one of its board members, who has good political connections, to put pressure on the Indian government to allow FDI.

XAT 2026 Decision-Making Mistakes To Avoid

Candidates can follow the format which is given below to avoid mistakes in preparing the XAT 2026 Decision Making.

  • Misinterpretation of the Question:

Misinterpretation of the question is highly likely in the XAT DM section due to too many propositions for a specific situation. Furthermore, if a candidate misreads the question and overlooks key terms such as critically evaluate, not a definitive judgment, most appropriate, undermine the case, and so on, they will be marked incorrectly.

  • Not Carefully Reading the Offered Options:

Reading all of the offered options is required in order to arrive at the best response. There may be questions where the possibilities are complex, so study all of the supplied options carefully and try to eliminate the incorrect answers.

  • Getting Through the Dataset Quickly:

Candidates are strongly urged not to hurry through the data set provided in the questions. Before drawing firm conclusions, carefully read the provided facts and then examine the demand for the question. Missing even a single word or phrase might lead to poor conclusions.

  • Excessive Time Spent on a Single Question:

Spend less than 90 seconds on any one question. If you don't understand the question's purpose, you should skip it and save your time for the remaining questions.

XAT 2026 Decision-Making Mock Test

Mock tests simulate real-time test conditions, allowing you to prepare for stress-free performance on the real thing.

  • They also assist you in improving your time management abilities.
  • Candidates will also be supplied with in-depth test analysis on our portal to assist you identify your areas of strength and weakness.
  • Candidates can take the practice test on the official website using their XAT 2026 login information.

Candidates are suggested to take mock exams during the final three months of exam preparation, i.e. the last three months before the exam. See below for instructions on how to access the most recent official XAT mock test:

  • Visit the XAT website at xatonline.in.
  • Copy this link or click on the 'Mock Test' tab: Sign in (digialm.com).
  • Enter your login information and click the 'Sign In' button.
  • Begin the XAT mock test.

XAT 2026 Decision-Making FAQs

Ques. Is the XAT 2026 exam subject to negative marking?

Ans: The XAT 2026 exam contains negative grading of -0.25 points for incorrect attempts. There is no negative grading for unanswered questions, but if there are 8 consecutive unanswered questions, 0.10 marks will be subtracted. As a result, candidates must carefully choose which questions to answer in the XAT exam. They should only answer questions that they are confident they can answer correctly.

Ques. What is a good XAT 2026 Decision-Making score?

Ans. The parts on Decision Making and General Knowledge are moderately easy. In the XAT exam, 70-75 attempts with 70-80% accuracy out of 100 questions are considered good attempts. For a good overall score, test takers should attempt two-thirds of the total questions in each part.

Ques. Are the XAT 2026 Decision-Making questions difficult?

Ans: To answer Decision-Making questions, no theoretical or mathematical background is required. They are based on behavioral and managerial decisions that necessitate critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. The questions provide alternative outcomes or solutions to the given issue, and you simply select the best choice.

Ques. How many questions are there in the XAT 2026 Decision-Making section?

Ans. The XAT assigns varying weights to various parts and questions. The 21 questions in this unique stand-alone Decision-Making section play a key role in getting a XAT candidate shortlisted for the final admission round out of the 75 questions required for calculating percentile in XAT.

Ques. How to Prepare for XAT 2026 Decision-Making?

Ans. Read through the passage and perform a rapid analysis to identify the people who are significant to you in the context of the supplied question. Knowing the scope of the situation will assist you in choosing the best decision. Keep the list of persons in mind as you work to understand and solve the problem.

Ques. What is the time limit for completing the XAT 2026 decision-making section?

Ans. The total time restriction for attempting the first three sections of Part 1 of the paper is 175 minutes. Part 1 of the XAT exam consists of Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, and Quantitative & DI. There is no separate subsection time limit for making XAT decisions. It is recommended that you set aside 35 minutes for the XAT decision-making component.

Ques. Can applicants shift between sections of the XAT exam?

Ans. Yes, candidates in Part 1 of the XAT question paper can swap between portions. Candidates can only go to part 2 and subsequently to part 3 portions of GK and the essay after finishing all three sections of part 1 (VALR, DM, and QADI).

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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