MBA Entrance Exam

For 2024 admission, IIFT did not conduct the entrance exam,. Earlier, the National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the IIFT entrance exam on behalf of the institute. In the IIFT exam, about 110 questions were asked from Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability and General Awareness. The exam was held in computer based test mode and the exam duration is 2 hours. There was no sectional time limit. The questions were in MCQ and non-MCQ format carrying 3 marks each. The wrong answers had negative marking of -1.5. In General Awareness section, each question carried 1.5 marks for correct attempt and -0.5 for incorrect attempts. The IIFT exam was an annual test and there was no option of retest.

The MAT application fee is same for all exam modes. The fee amount to be paid is INR 2200 for every single attempt irrespective of the exam mode. If a candidate wishes to combine two attempts (e.g. IBT+IBT, PBT+CBT, IBT+PBT, IBT+CBT), then they will have to pay INR 1500 additionally. Those who opt for additional test will get the benefit of additional 2 Management Institutes for sending their scores in addition to existing option of selecting 5 Management Institutes.

If you wish to take the MAT exam in following combination, then you will have to pay INR 3,600.

For Double Remote Proctored Internet Based Test (IBT)
or PBT+IBT
or PBT+CBT
or CBT+IBT

For every MAT attempt in different phases you need to fill a separate form. However, if you are planning to go for more than one attempt in the same exam phase, they you can apply for a combination of two exam session.

Candidate can take MAT in the following modes and combinations:

• Remote Proctored Internet Based Test (IBT) or
• Double Remote Proctored Internet Based Test (IBT) or
• Paper Based Test (PBT) or
• Paper Based Test and Remote Proctored Internet Based Test (PBT+IBT) or
• Computer Based Test (CBT) or
• Computer Based Test and Remote Proctored Internet Based Test (CBT+IBT) or
• Paper Based Test and Computer Based Test (PBT+CBT) 

 The MAT application form will be common and candidates will have to only mention their exam modes in it.

The IIFT GK section has questions from Current Affairs and Static GK. There are 20 questions in this section and they are asked from a range of fields including Politics, Industry, Geography, Business, Society, International Affairs, Science, Economics, Banking, Awards & Awardees, Entertainment, Sports, History and Mythology. If you think about it, then the IIFT syllabus for GK is too vast, so to prepare for it, stick to GK year books and new journals. Keep yourself abreast with political news and awards.

GK is the only subject that is memory based, so you need to keep studying it every day. But the year book and revise it every week. You can also dedicate an hour every day to GK in the last month of IIFT preparation. That will be enough to cover the GK syllabus.

The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section of IIFT exam includes Vocabulary, Synonyms/Antonyms, Analogies, Spelling Mistakes, Idioms and Phrases, English Proficiency, Sentence Formation, One Word Substitution, Sentence Reconstruction, Sentence Improvement, Sentence Completion, Fill in the Blanks, Rearrangement of Words, Paragraph Formation, Paragraph Completion, Jumbled Paragraph, Reading Comprehension, English Grammar, Word Meaning, Preposition, Odd Word Out, Sentence Correction and Phrases.

Candidates preparing for the IIFT entrance exam, must focus on these topics during preparation. The total number of questions in VARC section of IIFT is 35 and there is negative marking of -1. So, when you are preparing for it, keep your focus on RC passages, Antonym, Word Root, Match the Following, Idioms, Vocabulary and Noun/Adjective as these are the topics from which maximum questions are asked.

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.

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.

No, there is no change in IIFT syllabus for the 2024 exam. The exam will have the same pattern and subjects as per the IIFT 2024 exam, i.e. Verbal Ability, Quantitative Ability, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation. Candidates can start their exam preparation from March onwards to be able to cover the entire syllabus for the exam. 

The Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension section of IIFT exam has maximum weightage. It carries 35 questions and 105 marks. There is negative marking of -1 in this section. This section has a Reading Comprehension passages which are tough and time taking. So, it is very critical to choose only those questions which you can answer correctly. Quantitative Aptitude has 25 questions, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning has 30 questions and General Awareness section has 20 questions.