Among various MBA entrance exams in India, IIFT has the most challenging and interesting exam format. Some of the stand-out features of the exam are: a unique marking scheme accompanied with differential marking, multiple sections divided into sub-sections, and a variable number of total questions in the exam. The unique nature of the exam also means that it gives a lot of jitters to numerous students. Understanding the pattern of the exam is of paramount importance as it will help you in formulating a winning strategy to tackle the exam.
First of all, take a look at the format of last year’s IIFT:
| Section | Sections | No. of Questions | Marks per Questions | Total-Marks |
| (A) | (B) | (C) | (D) | (E)=(C)*(D) |
| Section -1 | Quantitative Ability | 20 | 1.00 | 20 |
| Section -2 | (Part-1) Analytical & Logical Reasoning | 22 | 0.75 | 16.5 |
| (Part -2) Data Interpretation | 20 | 1.00 | 20 | |
| Section -3 | (Part -1) Reading Comprehension | 16 | 1.00 | 16 |
| (Part -2) Verbal Ability | 20 | 0.75 | 15 | |
| Section -4 | General Awareness | 25 | 0.50 | 12.5 |
| Total | 123 | 100.00 |
This table clearly highlights the fact that differential marking plays an important role in IIFT and you should allocate time as per the weightage of each question.
Following are some more details about IIFT based on previous year papers:
| Number of Sections | 4 (With Sub Sections) |
| Marks Per Question | Differential, for 2016 paper it was (0.5 for G.K, 0.75 for Verbal Ability, 1 for RC, 1 for DI and Quant and 0.75 for Analytical and Logical Reasoning) |
| Negative Marking | 1/3rd of the marks allotted to the question |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Number of questions | Variable. In 2011 there were 122 questions, 135 in 2012, 128 in 2013, 118 in 2014, 124 in 2015 and 123 in 2016 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Sectional cut off | Yes |
| Mode | Paper Based Test. Students need to mark answers on OMR sheet using pencil |
| Number of sets | Four (A,B,C,D) |
While IIFT has not specified the syllabus for the exam, generally the areas tested in the exam are: English Usage/Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge. The major takeaways based on the above analysis are as follows:
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