IIFT Exam 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.

Section	Sections	No. of Questions	Marks per Questions	Total-Marks
(A)	(B)	(C)	(D)	(E)=(C)*(D)
Section -1	Quantitative Analysis	20	1.00	20
Section -2	Logical Reasoning	20	1	20
Section - 3	Data Interpretation	20	0.75	15
Section -4	Reading Comprehension	16	1.00	16
Section -5	Verbal Ability	20	1	20
Section -6	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.

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Following are some more details about IIFT;

Number of Sections	6 (Include Sub Sections)
Marks Per Question	Differential
Negative Marking	1/3^rd of the marks allotted to the question
Duration	2 hours
Number of questions	Variable (123 in 2016, 114 in 2017 and 114 in 2018)
Total Marks	100
Sectional cut off	Yes
Mode	Computer Based Test

Tips for IIFT Exam Strategy

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.

The Verbal section is a mix of Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Grammar based questions. Reading Comprehension questions have more weightage than the English usage questions and the English Usage section consists heavily of vocabulary based questions.
Generally, GK sections have very low cut-offs, so you need not attempt a large number of questions. Also, this section features 'Match the following questions' type of questions. Make sure you go through these as even if you know some of the correct matches it might help you solve the question.

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