Rural Management Entrance Exam

The difficulty level of IRMASAT and SNAP may be subjective and varies from one to another. However, there are a few differences between the two exams that can help one understand their relative difficulty:

• IRMASAT primarily assesses candidate's social awarness and analytical reasoning skills along with communication with a focus on rural and social issues. It includes a Group Discussion and Personal Interview. 
  SNAP evaluates the candidate's aptitude in various areas including English, Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. It does not have any topics related to social awareness. 
• IRMASAT includes subjective components such as Essay, Group Discussion and Interviews which as evaluated subjectively by the interviewers. On the other hand, SNAP is a MCQ based exam where answers are either right or wrong. 
• IRMASAT include questions on social and economic issues, which require deeper understanding of societal problems. Analytical reasoning questions can also be challenging but in SNAP questions are more traditional in nature covering areas like English, Logical Reasoning, Mathematics, etc. 

IRMASAT's difficulty level may be preceived a bit higher than SNAP due to its focus on social awareness, analytical reasoning and subjective evaluation. However, having said this, the difficulty level of the exams may vary on an indivdual's strengths and preparation. It is important to consider your interests and career goals when deciding which exam aligns better with your aspirations. 

If you have a good study plan, you can study independently at home for the IRMASAT exam. This exam is conducted only once a year and is relatively easier than other exams. The following is advice from professionals on how to create an IRMASAT plan:

• Using the IRMASAT syllabus as a guide, make a list of the subjects that the study materials must cover.
• Plan your study time on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis according to the time available.
• Analyze previous IRMASAT tests to note important topics.
• Start reading newspaper and magazine editorials to gain a command of the IRMASAT syllabus.
• Examine your progress through mock tests on a monthly basis.
• Keep analyzing and improving your score over time until test day.

IRMASAT is conducted by the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) for admission to its Postgraduate Diploma in Rural Management (PGDRM) programme. The eligibility criteria for IRMASAT are as follows:

• Domestic Candidates:
  • Graduates in any discipline from a recognised university with at least 50% aggregate or equivalent CGPA.
  • Candidates in their final year of the examination are also eligible, but they must submit proof of qualifying the final year by September 2024.
  • Candidates must have scored 85 percentile or above in CAT 2023, XAT 2024, or CMAT 2024.
• Foreign Candidates:
  • Graduates in any stream with at least 50% aggregate or equivalent from a recognised university.
  • Candidates must have appeared in GMAT/GRE (from 2016 onwards) and have a score that meets the minimum cut-off criteria set by IRMA.
• Sponsored Candidates:
  • Candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university/institution.
  • Candidates should have worked with the sponsoring organisation for a minimum of two years (as of July 1, 2024) as a regular employee on a full-time basis.
• There is no age limit to appear for IRMASAT.

IRMASAT syllabus primarily focuses on assessing the candidates' social awareness, analytical reasoning and communication skills. The important topics for IRMASAT preparation are:

1. Indian Economy
2. Environmental Issues
3. Human Rights
4. Rural Development
5. Sex Ratio
6. Education
7. Employment and Literacy
8. Health Issues
9. Human Development
10. Gender and Social Groups like Caste and Religion

The IRMASAT question paper has only one section which covers these topics. Each question carries one mark, and the exam duration is 80 minutes.

To prepare for IRMASAT, candidates should refer to books specific to IRMASAT or Social Awareness, and solve IRMASAT specific mock tests. It is also important to practice regular study sessions and attempt mock tests to improve speed and accuracy.