How to prepare for IIFT exam 2022?

IIFT exam is conducted by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade for admission to MBA-IB courses at IIFT Delhi, IIFT Kolkata, and IIFT Kakinada. IIFT is conducted every year right after the CAT exam. Usually, there is a gap of one week between the two exams. IIFT exam is conducted at approximately 220 cities across India. The major sections of the exam are- Quantitative Ability, Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation, and General Awareness. Candidates get a total of two hours (120 minutes) for completing the exam. 

What makes IIFT different is that the total number of questions changes every year. It is not fixed. The IIFT exam follows a unique and distinct marking scheme for different sections. Each section has its own sectional cut-off.  Along with that, there is a general awareness section, as well. So, IIFT tests everything like subject knowledge, analytical skills, time management skills, and the ability to perform well under pressure. Therefore, preparing for such an exam requires a specific strategy. Our blog on how to prepare for IIFT will brief you about all the necessary tips and strategies which will help you in your IIFT preparation. But before discussing the strategies to crack IIFT, let us go through the IIFT exam pattern to understand the exam better. 

IIFT Exam Pattern

The exam is conducted in online mode. The total number of questions varies from 110 to 123. The marking scheme is also variable; i.e., it is different for different sections. However, for a wrong question, one-third of the marks per question will be deducted.

Following table shows the exam pattern of IIFT 2022

A candidate is eligible for the exam if he or she has secured at least 50% marks in his or her graduation degree of at least three years duration from a reputed or recognized college/university. Moreover, candidates in their final year of graduation can also take the exam. Also, there is no particular section-wise duration allotted to each section of the IIFT exam. Therefore, a candidate can devote as much time as he or she wants in each section. However, candidates should keep in mind that there are individual sectional cut-offs of each section. 

How to prepare for IIFT? 

Now that you have gone through the IIFT exam pattern, let us discuss how to prepare for IIFT. Here are the IIFT preparation strategies which will be helpful for you to crack the IIFT exam- 

1. Focus on all sections

IIFT has a different marking scheme for each section. And each section has its own sectional cut off. You need to clear individual sectional cut-offs along with the total cut-off of the exam. However, the individual cut-off of each section is quite low. So, a perfect strategy to crack this exam will be to focus on all sections and maximize your attempts in your strong section. For example, if you think that your strong sections are verbal and quants and Logical Reasoning is your weak section, then you can just attempt a few questions of logical reasoning to clear its cut-off. You can utilize the remaining time to the fullest by maximizing your attempts in the Verbal & Quants section, which are your strong sections. This way, you will make sure that you clear both sectional cut-offs as well as the individual cut-offs. 

2. Practice Time Management with Mocks

In the IIFT exam, time management plays an important role. The more effectively you manage your time in the exam, the more are your chances of cracking it. Mocks are a great way to practice your time management skills for the IIFT exam. Moreover, mocks help to build your ability to perform under pressure. Take all the mocks seriously and analyze them afterward. With your analysis, make a list of your strong and weak areas. Practice accordingly to strengthen the weak areas. This will help devise your strategy for the main exam wherein you need to maximize your attempts in your strong areas. 

3. Do not get stuck on questions

In the IIFT exam, you need to maximize your attempts in the given amount of time. Therefore, it is always advisable not to get stuck on a particular question. Instead, use that time to answer other questions. You need to practice for learning this art of not getting stuck. Practice with sectional tests and mocks. 

4. Do not ignore the General Awareness section

The aspirants usually ignore the general Awareness section. But you should not do so. Even though the marks per question are lowest in this section, but you need to clear its cut-off. Make sure you stay aware of the current affairs happening every day. And do not get tempted to guess answers to questions. They may result in negative marking, ultimately hampering your chances to clear the sectional cut-off. 

5. Improve Reading Speed and brush Up Basics of Grammar

The RCs in the IIFT exam is quite lengthy. However, they are not as trickier as other MBA entrance exams. So, ultimately RCs can act as a score booster for you. For answering RC questions correctly, you need to have a good reading speed. You need to read newspapers daily. Also, IIFT asks questions related to grammar, like identifying different clauses and phrases. For that, you need to have your basics of grammar quite clear.