Strategy for IIFT
“Never attempt an IIFT Entrance Test without a well-defined strategy”
– Most of the IIFT Toppers
The above quote says it all. The strategy for IIFT Entrance Test keeps changing every year. So having a strategy towards your preparation will help you in covering all your bases.
What is IIFT exam?
The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade conducts the IIFT exam every year for admissions in its two-year MBA in International Business which is offered at its campuses in New Delhi and Kolkata. This written test is followed by an Essay Writing task, a Group Discussion and a Personal Interview. Though IIFT exam was written based but from last year it has been computer based and there is change in the entire pattern from the previously based exams conducted.
IIFT is a very unique exam, in fact, the only exam to have a differential marking scheme with no set pattern in terms of the number of questions. It is highly based on your speed and time management skills, which is why the conceptual clarity coupled with the right Strategy is just to make sure you clear the cutoffs. This video will provide you with the right approach towards the exam and also the brief idea on what to study and focus on in the next few days before you go for the exam.
Know more about IIFT exam and college
IIFT Exam pattern
As earlier said the exam pattern of IIFT exam is changed as it is shifted from written based to computer based exam.The exam used to contain 6 sections but now it contains only 4 sections namely Verbal Ability; English Reading Comprehension; General Knowledge & Awareness; Logical Reasoning; Data Interpretation and Quantitative Analysis.There is a negative marking scheme as well in IIFT exam. The IIFT exam pattern , sectional wise no. of questions and sectional cutoff is as follows:
| Section | Total questions | Mark awarded for each correct answer | Max sectional marks out of 300 | Sectional cutoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | 35 | 3 | 105 | 62 |
| Quantitative Analysis | 25 | 3 | 75 | 35 |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | 30 | 3 | 90 | 42 |
| General Awareness (GK | 20 | 1.5 | 30 | 13 |
| Total | 110 | NA | 300 | 145 |
Kisckstart your IIFT exam preparation now
IIFT Exam Strategy
Quantitative Ability
Most of the questions in quantitative ability, along with some questions in verbal is based on proper concepts. It will not be possible to solve them just based on pure logic alone. Topics like Algebra, Geometry and Modern maths contain a lot of terms and concepts. Many questions will incorporate the same. Therefore, get yourself familiarized with the different concepts that you come across while preparing.. Revise your concepts and formulae thoroughly .There is negative marking in IIFT exam, so develop the skill of choosing only those QA questions you can solve with 100 per cent accuracy. For this, practice mock tests and sample questions.
Also Read:IIFT syllabus and difficulty level
General Knowledge
Do not take this section lightly while preparing. A good score in GK can shoot up your total score. Keep studying and more importantly, keep revising whatever you learn in this subject. You should be updated on the current affairs, at least up to the month before the exam. Therefore, keep reading that newspaper daily.
Know more about GK questions here
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
The data interpretation questions are pretty intensive. They will consist of long tables and complex data sets along with questions demanding lengthy calculations. However, the ones involving lengthy calculations are usually pretty straight-forward. So start familiarizing yourself with such questions so as to avoid any panic/frustration on the day of the test. Increasing your calculation speed would help to minimize the time taken for each question. This will hold true for the lengthy calculations in certain Quantitative ability questions as well. This section will also include logic based questions. Revise your concepts and formulae thoroughly and analyze your mocks properly.Practice from previous years’ IIFT question papers and mock test series. This will expose you to variety of LRDI questions – tough, tricky, lengthy and easy.
Reading Comprehension & Verbal Ability
Remember, for IIFT, it is highly advisable to read the questions first before solving the passage. It will save a lot of time and give you that extra time needed for the other questions. Another way of saving time would be to simultaneously keep increasing your reading speed. Keep your grammar basics intact and you can sail through the sentence correction questions. Also, a good vocabulary is undoubtedly key to sailing through most of the questions. So, improving your vocab would be something to focus upon. For Verbal Ability revise the grammar and vocabulary probably that you revised during your school time. Solving sectional mocks or full length mocks will help you strengthen your basics for IIFT exam.
Prepare for IIFT exam with best alunini and expects today
How to Practice mocks for IIFT exam
No MBA Exam preparation is complete without giving mocks. Attempting mocks is one of the most important things in a student’s preparation. Keep giving mocks and previous years’ papers regularly to make yourself accustomed to the IIFT paper pattern. Initially, a mock a week would be ideal. Give at least 3-4 mocks in the final week before the d-day. This will help you to be at your best on the day of the exam.
For cracking IIFT, the ratio of time taken for a question to the accuracy of your answer, is extremely important. Too much time on a question will give you high accuracy but hamper your speed. While hasty approximations and attempts will hamper accuracy and lower your score. The key to increasing your time and accuracy ratio would again be to give more mocks. While practising mocks, your strategy should be to get over with the easy questions first. The easier the questions, the greater the accuracy. Also, such questions can be solved quickly. So, in a way, it will increase your time & accuracy ratio significantly.
Now that you know how to prepare, it’s time to get started. Maximize your scores with these tips. Emerge a winner!
Related Links:
