Check List of Best Books for IIFT Preparation

Q: What are the important topics of IIFT Quantitative Aptitude syllabus?

Quantitative Aptitude section of IIFT entrance exam comprises all the topics of Geometry, Algebra, Number System, Arithmetic, Mensuration, Trigonometry and Modern Math, etc. that include Percentages, Number System, Binomial Expansion, Arithmetic Progression, Simple Interest, Ratios, HCF & LCM, BODMAS, Median, Compound interest, Arithmetic Mean, Co-ordinate geometry, Standard Deviation, Vectors, Set Theory, Instalments/ payments, Permutation & Combination, Mode, Trigonometry, Mensuration, Probability, Clocks & Calendar, Time, Speed, Distance, Logarithm, Geometric Progression, Averages, In- equations Quadratic, Profit & Loss, Venn Diagram, Geometric Mean, Ratios & Proportions, Linear Equations, Algebra, Geometry, Work & Time, Harmonic Mean. Candidates must start preparation of IIFT Quantitative Aptitude section about 6-8 months in advance so as to be able to have enough time to complete the syllabus and practice sample questions. This section also requires practice of sample questions as mere theoretical understanding is not enough. The need for speed and accuracy is critical for IIFT exam so candidates must focus on gaining conceptual clarity of every topic and correct application for the theorems and formulae. Having a mentor or guide will be helpful so join a coaching institute or online study groups.

Q: Can I skip a question in IIFT exam? Will my marks be deducted?

Yes, it is not mandatory to answer all the questions in the IIFT exam and no marks will be deducted for skipping questions. If you are not sure of the right answer to a particular question, skip it to avoid negative marking. Candidates should solve only those questions in the IIFT exam which they can solve accurately and minimum time. However, candidates must keep in mind that they need to meet a minimum cut off in every section so they should not skip too many questions. Meeting the sectional cut off will ensure that their overall IIFT score is high enough for selection in the personal interview and group discussion round of MBA admission.

Q: Which section of IIFT exam has maximum weightage?

The Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension section of IIFT entrance exam has the maximum weightage. There are 35 questions in this section and total marks is 105. Each question carries 3 marks for correct attempt and -1 for incorrect attempt. This section is usually of moderate difficulty level. The questions are asked from Reading Comprehension passages, Identify the Synonym, Identify Grammatically Correct/Incorrect Sentence, One Word Substitution, Jumbled Paragraphs, etc. The Reading Comprehension passages are simple and fact based so there's not much pressure on candidates to get the gist right. Verbal Ability and Grammar questions are usually easy and can be completed within minutes.

Q: What are the important topics for DILR in IIFT syllabus?

The important topics of DILR syllabus for IIFT include Decision Making, Series, Data Structures, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding, Alphabetical Series, Syllogisms, Verbal Logic, Visual & Critical Reasoning, Linear & Matrix Arrangements, Puzzles, Family Tree Problem, Statement & Conclusion, Cause & Effect, Input & Output, Partnership, Line Graph, Tables, Bar Graph and Pie Graphs. The IIFT DILR section has 30 questions in total. To prepare for these topics, candidates need to first learn the types of questions and their key elements. LR questions are mostly like a puzzle where you have to uncover a pattern and to complete the series. This requires a bit of analytical and a bit of logical deduction. Practice a good number of IIFT DILR questions of previous years as well as sample papers to master this section.

Q: How many months are required to prepare for the IIFT exam?

Ideally, a candidate must prepare for the IIFT exam for at least six to nine months. They must study for the exam diligently for six to eight hours every day and the daily plan should include studying a chapter, solving related sample questions and memorising formulae. The first few months should be spent in covering the IIFT syllabus. An important aspect of IIFT preparation is practicing sample questions that are based on the important topics of IIFT syllabus. After that candidates must spend about two months in solving practice questions and mock tests. In the last month before the exam, candidates must make time for revision of all the important chapters and have problem solving sessions to tie up the loose ends. In the last month, keep the focus on important topics from which maximum questions are asked.

Q: What is the sectional weightage in IIFT exam?

IIFT exam has four sections - Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability and General Awareness. Among all the four sections, Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension has the maximum weightage as it has 35 questions. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning section has 30 questions, Quantitative Ability has 25 questions and General Awareness has 20 questions. Check the table below for IIFT sectional weightage which includes total number of questions and total marks. IIFT sections No. of questions Total marks Quantitative Ability 25 75 VARC 35 105 DILR 30 90 General Awareness 20 30 Total 110 300

Q: Are CAT books enough to cover IIFT syllabus?

The topics under Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension are the same for both CAT and IIFT. The latter, however has an extra subject – General Awareness (For General Awareness preparation, candidates need to devote only one month before the exam). Since to topics are same in both exams, the books recommended for IIFT are same as for CAT. Candidates can prepare for both exams simultaneously but the preparation strategy has to be exam-specific for both. Candidates need to practice sample questions and mock tests for IIFT. Solving CAT mock tests or sample question will not be helpful for IIFT as the type and difficulty level of questions are very different from CAT. The exam pattern and marking scheme of IIFT are also different from CAT. So, even though the CAT and IIFT syllabus are the same the preparation has to be different from each other.

Q: If I am preparing for CAT, do I need to prepare separately for IIFT?

Hello, Most of your task is done for IIFT if you are preparing for CAT. Difficulty level for both the exams is at par. The only difference is the General Knowledge section which can be easily covered by Reading newspapers on a daily basis. Ensure to solve mock papers for IIFT to get a look and feel of how the pattern is, what the difficulty level of the exam is. Focus on your CAT preparation and IIFT preparation will follow. Remember, do not try to put your leg into both the paper as far as preparation is concerned. Just focus on your CAT preparation. Try to complete your syllabus well before time so that you have time to agile yourself to set for IIFT also. Hard work and smart work will definitely make your way for both of the entrance exams.

Q: Are recommended books enough to cover IIFT syllabus?

No, you can’t rely only on the recommended books for IIFT syllabus coverage. You need to invest time in secondary readings and guidebooks to have a better understanding of chapters and topics. Along with books, notes and study material, you need to join online study groups where you can join video lectures for various topics of IIFT. These video lectures will help you in understanding the topics better with examples. Apart from that, to cover the IIFT syllabus, you need to practice sample papers and mock tests. These sample test papers and mocks will help you in improving your problem solving skills in limited time and help you gain knowledge of which formula to apply on which type of questions. There is no particular limit to practicing mock tests for IIFT preparation as it depends on each candidate's ability and grip on the topics. However, on an average the candidates must practice at least 25-30 IIFT mock tests and sample papers for preparation.

Q: Which are the best books to refer for IIFT exam preparation?

For Quantitative Aptitude- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude by Arun Sharma The Pearson Guide To Quantitative Aptitude And Data Interpretation by Nishit Sinha Quantum CAT by Sarvesh K Verma For Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning- How to Prepare for Data Interpretation by Arun Sharma How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning by Arun Sharma The Pearson Guide To Verbal Ability And Logical Reasoning by Nishit K. Sinha For Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension by Meenakshi Upadhyay, Arun Sharma The Pearson Guide To Verbal Ability And Logical Reasoning by Nishit K. Sinha Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis Apart from this, solve many mock papers in exam like conditions. Analyse your mistakes and work on them. All the best.

Updated on Jun 27, 2024 18:17 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

IIFT books for preparation – To prepare for the IIFT entrance exam, one needs to devote about eight to ten months (or at least six months) and have a clear understanding of the IIFT syllabus and question types. Although the pattern and syllabus of IIFT exam are same as other MBA entrance exams, one needs to have exam specific study material to prepare well. There are many IIFT preparation books available in the market, but you need to choose only the best books for IIFT preparation.

For admission to 2024 batch, IIFT did not conduct the entrance exam. Selction of candidates was based on CAT 2023 score. It is not known yet, whether the institute will conduct the exam for 2025 admission. Aspirants should prepare for both CAT 2024 and IIFT entrance exam.

The first thing you must do is to get hold of the relevant IIFT books for preparation. In this article, we have listed down section-wise best books for IIFT preparation. Read below.

Q: Are CAT books enough to cover IIFT syllabus?

Q: If I am preparing for CAT, do I need to prepare separately for IIFT?

Q: Are recommended books enough to cover IIFT syllabus?

Table of content

IIFT Books: Syllabus and Important Topics
Best Books for IIFT Preparation 2025: Quantitative Ability
Best Books for IIFT Preparation 2025: DILR
Best Books for IIFT Preparation 2025: VARC
Best Books for IIFT Preparation 2025: General Knowledge
IIFT Preparation Tips
FAQs on IIFT Books and Study Material

IIFT Books: Syllabus and Important Topics

IIFT syllabus includes topics related to Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and General Knowledge. Given below are some important topics of these subjects:

IIFT Exam Sections	Number of questions	Important Topics
Quantitative Aptitude	25	Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Modern Mathematics, Numbers, Mensuration
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension	35	Reading Comprehension, Synonyms (Root Word, Match the Synonym, Crossword Synonym) Sentence Correction, One-Word Substitution, Para Jumbles, m
Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation	30	Circular Arrangement, Tournaments, Scheduling, Linear Arrangement, Coding, Puzzle, Line Graph, Bar Graph, Table, Pie Chart
General Knowledge	20	Static GK and Current Affairs

Commonly asked questions

Q: Which are the best books to refer for IIFT exam preparation?

Q: Is IIFT tougher than CAT?

Q: What is the IIFT exam pattern?

Best Books for IIFT Preparation 2025: Quantitative Ability

Listed below are best books for IIFT Quantitative Ability section. These books are easily available online and offline. Candidates mus refer to these books for conceptual clarity and practice questions.

IIFT Books	Author/ Publisher
How to prepare for Quantitative Ability for CAT	Arun Sharma
The Pearson Guide To Quantitative Aptitude And Data Interpretation	Nishit Sinha
Quantum CAT	Sarvesh K Verma
Quantitative Aptitude	R.S. Aggarwal
Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations	Abhijit Guha

Commonly asked questions

Q: What are the important topics of IIFT Quantitative Aptitude syllabus?

Q: Can I skip a question in IIFT exam? Will my marks be deducted?

Q: Which section of IIFT exam has maximum weightage?

Best Books for IIFT Preparation 2025: DILR

Listed below are best books for IIFT Data Interpretation section. These books are easily available online and offline. Candidates must practice questions from these books for best results.

IIFT Books	Author/ Publisher
Data Interpretation for The CAT	Arun Sharma
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT & other MBA exams	Nishit K Sinha
Data interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT	Pearson

Download: IIFT question papers of previous years

Best books for IIFT Logical Reasoning

Listed below are best books for IIFT Logical Reasoning section. These books are easily available online and offline. Candidates preparing for IIFT 2025 must refer to these books for conceptual clarity and practice.

IIFT Books	Author/ Publisher
How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT	Arun Sharma
Verbal Ability And Logical Reasoning for the CAT	Nishit K. Sinha
Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning	R. S. Aggarwal

Commonly asked questions

Q: What are the important topics for DILR in IIFT syllabus?

Q: How many months are required to prepare for the IIFT exam?

Q: What is the sectional weightage in IIFT exam?

Best Books for IIFT Preparation 2025: VARC

Listed below are best books for IIFT Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension section. These books are easily available online and offline. Candidates must refer to these books for optimum preparation.

IIFT Books	Author/ Publisher
The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning	Nishant Sinha
Word Power Made Easy	Norman Lewis
High School English Grammar & Composition	Wren & Martin
30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary	Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension	Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning	RS Aggarwal

Commonly asked questions

Q: What are the important VARC topics of IIFT syllabus?

Q: Which is the best book to cover IIFT Verbal Ability syllabus?

Q: What is the mode of IIFT exam?

Best Books for IIFT Preparation 2025: General Knowledge

The General Knowledge section of IIFT exam includes questions from static GK and current affairs topics. To prepare for this section of IIFT 2025, candidates must stay updated with all the event and happenings in the world of business, politics, economy, technology, industry, etc. Newspaper is a good source for preparation of current affairs topics. For static GK, candidates can refer to GK year books such as Manorama Year Book, India Year Book, etc.

Commonly asked questions

Q: What is the syllabus for IIFT GK section?

Q: What is the difficulty level of IIFT exam?

Q: How many questions should I attempt to get a decent score in IIFT?

IIFT Preparation Tips

Take a look at the articles listed below for IIFT exam preparation tips and strategy. Also know what to do and what not to do, during exam preparation phase:

IIFT Exam Mock Test will help you to get an idea about the type of questions asked, the exam pattern and marking scheme. After taking the test, you can immediately check your score. You can also download the Question Paper along with answers and their explanations for Free. Click below to start the free online test now.

Free IIFT Exam Mock Test