IIFT Exam Pattern | IIFT 2019 Paper Pattern

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	20	1	20
	(Part -2) Data Interpretation	20	0.75	15
Section -3	(Part -1) Reading Comprehension	16	1.00	16
	(Part -2) Verbal Ability	20	1	20
Section -4	General Awareness	18	0.50	9
	Total	114	100

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.

Suggested Action :

Download IIFT Previous Year Papers

Following are some more details about IIFT;

Number of Sections	6 (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	1/3^rd 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, 123 in 2016, 114 in 2017 and 114 in 2018.
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)

Further Reading :

Check in-depth expert analysis of IFT 2016 for the IIFT Exam

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:

Give equal importance to all the 6 sections as clearing sectional cut- off is the gateway to move ahead.
Keep a proper tab on the time management as there is differential marking scheme with 120-200 questions in 120 minutes.
Overall, the IIFT test can be best managed if you follow a three-pronged approach - ensuring concept familiarity, developing application orientation and sharpening test-taking strategies.
For Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning: you should keep in mind that you can comfortably attempt 10-12 questions in quant, 10-12 questions in reasoning, and 8-10 questions in DI section.