XAT 2026 Question Paper
Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.
MultiKrack, one of the oldest FMCG companies in Eastern India, was run by the Malhotras, a traditional business family, for generations. The organization believed that key positions should be held only by family members and close friends.
But, as the organization grew in size, the top management decided to bring in fresh thinking and fill key positions from premier management institutions. The need for such a decision was also brought upon by changes in consumer preferences, which the top management felt could be best handled by recruiting premier talent from the younger generation (Gen Z).
MultiKrack drew the best talent, from premier management institutions, by offering highly attractive salaries. The first batch of Gen Z management trainees joined MultiKrack. Anindita was one of the seven management trainees recruited. She reported to Uday, a senior manager, who directly reported to the top management.
XAT 2026 - Question 31
A few months passed. Anindita was a valuable member of her team and the top management was impressed with her. However, the other management trainees left the organization. In their exit interviews, they shared the condescending behavior of senior management as the reason for their departure. Some even left MultiKrack to join organizations that paid lesser than what MultiKrack paid. The top management understood that the seniors belonged to a different generation; they found it difficult to appreciate the intergenerational differences. The top management felt it was high time to do something about the senior management’s behavior towards the juniors.
Which of the following actions, considered by the top management, will BEST enable change in the senior management's behavior?
Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.
Abhishek, a student of a prestigious business school, gets interested in Payeasy, a fintech firm, after listening to a pre-placement talk by Neha Bhupati, a senior leader at the firm, and an alumna of the same business school. He joins Payeasy through campus placement. Neha plays a key role in recruiting him, seeing great potential in him.
Abhishek starts working in the digital payments vertical under Mukesh Kumar, who reports directly to Neha. Mukesh, Abhishek’s direct superior, is impressed by his performance and rates him very high in the first year. Abhishek understands that if Mukesh consistently rates him as “Excellent Performer” for the second year as well, his chances of getting promoted will improve. (The organization promotes individuals who are consistently rated as “Excellent Performer” for at least two years by their immediate superiors.)
Over time, Abhishek realizes that the learning opportunities in his current role have plateaued. Given his longstanding interest in blockchain and cryptocurrency, he starts exploring opportunities in that vertical within the company. This change is not possible without the consent of his immediate boss, Mukesh. When Abhishek brings this up with Mukesh, he acknowledges Abhishek’s curiosity and enthusiasm; however, he emphasizes how Abhishek’s competencies fit him rightly into the current vertical. Mukesh assures Abhishek of more challenging assignments in the future, provided he remains a good team player. Further, he shares his skepticism about the long-term prospects of cryptocurrency. Hence, Mukesh politely declines Abhishek’s request.
XAT 2026 - Question 32
Abhishek is not happy with Mukesh’s decision. Abhishek is aware that he needs to be in the good books of Mukesh for his performance rating. However, he is passionate about cryptocurrency; hence, he considers approaching Neha directly to discuss a possible move. Neha can take such decisions independently, but Neha and Mukesh usually see eye to eye on most issues.B49
Which of the following reasons, IF TRUE, will BEST encourage Abhishek to reach out to Neha regarding his desired change to a different vertical?
XAT 2026 - Question 33
Dissatisfied with Mukesh’s response, Abhishek reaches out to Neha for a vertical change. Though she listens to Abhishek, she shares her displeasure with the request. In fact, she brushes his request off, telling him to resign from Payeasy if it does not charm him anymore. Abhishek gets worried as he has a huge educational loan to pay, and such a departure will put him in a fix.
Later that day, in one of the team meetings, Abhishek feels ignored as he is cut twice while he tries to share his project progress. Thereafter, he starts believing that Mukesh is not happy with him. This fear appears to get substantiated when Mukesh assigns an important project to another team member, which Abhishek wants to work on. His fear keeps growing regarding Neha and Mukesh not being happy with him. However, when he receives his annual rating, he finds out that Mukesh has rated him as the “best performer” of the year, based on his previous year’s performance.
Abhishek wants his relationship with Mukesh to be back on track, as it was, before he reached out to Neha.
Which of the following options will BEST enable Abhishek rebuild his relationship with Mukesh?
XAT 2026 - Question 34
After two years at Payeasy, Abhishek applies to a competing firm and is called for an interview. The hiring manager, Amit, is impressed with Abhishek and tells him that he will take the final decision to select Abhishek in a day or two. After the interview, Amit wants to know more about Abhishek since Abhishek will be leading a team of 15 people and his people management skills are very important for the team’s success. He calls Mukesh, Abhishek's superior. Mukesh is Amit's classmate who Amit trusts immensely. Mukesh informs Amit that though Abhishek is a good talent, he questions his superiors too often. Mukesh further shares that such a behavior makes it difficult for the superiors to manage the team.
Amit needs a good talent, but is confused if he should recruit Abhishek, given Mukesh’s assessment of Abhishek.
Which of the following data will BEST enable Amit to take a decision on Abhishek’s recruitment?
Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.
Fine Elements Inc. is an Indian organization with a substantial presence in South and East India. The company is recruiting talent to expand in North and West India. The organization’s head of talent acquisition, Premnarayan, entrusts the interview process, a key stage in the recruitment process, to his line managers who take the responsibility of selecting candidates. Premnarayan, however, lays down stringent rules that the line managers need to follow to achieve consistent outcomes.
Joginder Mahato, a line manager, has been interviewing candidates. During the interview, Joginder realizes that one of the candidates, Animisha, called for the interview, does not satisfy the necessary condition of five years experience. Upon enquiring, he finds out that this happened due to an oversight by an inexperienced secretary who was asked to prepare the shortlist for the interview. However, as Animisha is present for the interview, he decides to conduct her interview. Joginder finds Animisha’s candidature to be the best among the candidates he has interviewed so far.
XAT 2026 - Question 35
Joginder wants to recommend Animisha for selection despite her not fulfilling the experience criterion.
Which of the following reasons, IF TRUE, will BEST convince Joginder to recommend Animisha?
XAT 2026 - Question 36
Joginder shares his preference for Animisha with Premnarayan, the talent acquisition head. However, while rolling out the offer, Premnarayan realizes that Animisha does not meet the eligibility criteria. Though the recommendation has come from Joginder, who is a senior, he wants to reject Animisha for the role.
Which of the following reasons will BEST help him in rejecting Animisha’s candidature?
.webp)
XAT 2026 - Question 37
Joginder recommends Animisha’s candidature only to be turned down by Premnarayan. However, he wants Premnarayan to reconsider his decision.
Hence, Joginder has compiled a list of reasons to persuade Premnarayan to reconsider Animisha’s selection:
A. Animisha is academically strong and a gold medalist during her graduation.
B. Animisha's experience is falling short only by a few months for the role she has applied for.
C. The number of applicants applied for the role she has applied for is very small.
D. Animisha’s college is known for producing the best business leaders for past many years.
E. Before he retired, Animisha’s maternal uncle was associated with Fine Elements Inc. for over 10 years.
F. Average industry experience for the role she has applied for is much lower than what Fine Elements Inc. has advertised.
Which of the following combination of reasons will BEST convince Premnarayan to reconsider his decision regarding Animisha’s selection for the role?
Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.
Mr. Screwvala, a highly successful investment banker, had a career of nearly 25 years. In his circle, he was respected for his straight-shooter image and industrious behaviour. Screwvala loved travelling; he travelled extensively, both for his job and personal interests. He always wanted to share his life experiences with people at large.
He chanced upon such an opportunity when his old friend, Mr. Patel, a well-known publisher, offered Screwvala to publish a book based on his life experiences. Screwvala grabbed the opportunity; however, given his thorough nature, he took a three-year long sabbatical to finish the book.
During that period, Patel guided Screwvala at every step, reviewing every chapter personally. At the end, the book was probably as much Patel’s, as it was Screwvala’s!
On publication, the book turned out to be a bestseller, and Screwvala became famous.
XAT 2026 - Question 38
Patel had a new proposal for Screwvala: he wanted Screwvala to work on a detective novel. Patel promised him good money but proposed that Screwvala would only write the final chapter of the novel, after his co-authors had completed the first nine chapters. Screwvala was surprised at the offer, since he never tried writing anything creative, and definitely not fiction. He wanted to be sure whether he could actually measure up with the co-authors who were established creative writers.
Which of the following, IF TRUE, will be the MOST compelling reason for Screwvala to accept the offer?
XAT 2026 - Question 39
Patel had a new proposal for Screwvala: he wanted Screwvala to work on a detective novel. Patel proposed that Screwvala would only write the final chapter of the detective novel, after his co-authors. Screwvala accepted the offer.
Though the project started on time, a few of the authors could not manage to submit their chapters within the given timeline. Hence, it created a delay for the authors to follow.
Having to wait endlessly for the other authors to finish their chapters, with no end in sight, Screwvala started getting impatient. In the meantime, he was offered another proposal from a rival publisher to write a travelogue on a country of his choice, which would involve all-expense-paid trips. Because of his love for travel, Screwvala felt inclined to accept the offer. However, this would mean getting out of the contract of the detective novel, which could cause a serious friction with Patel.
Which of the following, IF TRUE, will be the MOST compelling reason for Screwvala to continue with the detective-novel project?
XAT 2026 - Question 40
Patel had a new proposal for Screwvala: he wanted Screwvala to work on a detective novel. Patel proposed that Screwvala would only write the final chapter of the detective novel, after his co-authors. Screwvala accepted the offer by signing a contract.
While waiting for his turn to come to write his chapter for the detective novel, Screwvala started writing a travel blog. Because of his radiant style, the blog became popular. Hence, he started mulling over converting the blog articles into a book.
When Screwvala shared this idea, Patel sprung a surprise by pointing out to a clause in their contract. The clause forbade Screwvala from publishing anything else until the detective novel got published. Screwvala signed the contract without reading it as he trusted Patel as a good friend. Further, Patel offered Screwvala an extra sum of money if he would delay the publication of his travel blog articles as a book.
Screwvala felt betrayed. Which of the following will be the MOST compelling reason for Screwvala to continue with publishing his blog as a book, ignoring the contract with Patel?
