Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) is one of the most prestigious and sought after management institute in the country. IIFT conducts a national level management entrance exam every year for admission to its master's level Management program. IIFT's MBA entrance exam is one most competitive MBA entrance exam in the country that opens doors to MBA in International Business. The students are offered exposure to international perspectives by being exposed to subjects like international finance, international marketing, international strategy etc. The total intake of students to the course is 300 per year against the number of applicants being in lakhs, making it tough on competition.
There are four sections in the paper: Quantitative Ability(QA), Logical Reasoning(LR) and Data Interpretation(DI), Reading Comprehension(RC) and Verbal Ability(VA) and General Awareness(GA). The different questions carry different weightage, i.e. marks per question differ, and this makes IIFT one of a kind of management entrance exam. The total marks for the exam is 100, whereas total number of questions is 120 (as per 2018 pattern). There is 1/3rd Negative marking for every wrong answer. The total time allotted for IIFT exam is 2 hours.
IIFT comes with an addition to CAT exam. Therefore, all books one keeps handy for CAT exam should suffice, with inclusion of one or more books, which are based to enhance your knowledge on General Awareness. For general awareness section, "the Manorama Year Book" is an ultimate guide; it gives you complete insight to current affairs related to economics, sports, technology, schemes etc. Keep the Lucent's book handy, which is again a good book that keeps you updated with the latest facts and general knowledge. The best approach to preparing general knowledge would be reading newspaper daily or watching news on a routine basis. Current affairs are not something that can be learnt at the last moment, but is something that can be lived daily and revised at the last moment.
Few other books that could help in preparation of IIFT:
* Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
* The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning by Nishit Sinha
* How to prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma and
* Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha.
Like, CAT exam and other competitive exams, IIFT exam is also about speed and accuracy. The negative marking and differential marking makes speed and accuracy a crucial aspect of the IIFT exam. It's important that one first attempts the questions which involve maximum marks, that too correctly. One-third marks are deducted for every question answered incorrectly. Time management is the key. You need to attempt questions not just quickly but correctly as well. Do not get stuck on one question. Exam time is not the right time to challenge the questions. Be quick enough to decide on which question it seems right to invest time. Questions which can be solved easily need to be attempted first. Long and time consuming questions should be entertained later. IIFT does not require many questions to be attempted for a good and call converting score. Per 2018, cut-off marks ranged from 33 to 41 for different campuses of IIFT.
I have been stressing on this term in every article. It's just because a healthy mind rests in a healthy body. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Take time for fresh air, meditate, exercise, all this helps you to stay fit. Look after your diet and consumption of liquid. Avoid anxiety and over load of studies.
Practice your basics. Be confident about the same. Revise the fundamentals from starting. Practice again and again if you have learned them well. Practice all the shortcuts (you have made) well. Cracking IIFT requires smart tricks. Read books. Mug up good words to increase vocabulary. Try recalling and experimenting with words you have already learnt.
IIFT Eligibility Criteria 2021
It's important that you make an analysis of the entire syllabus and get an understanding of what topics are your strong areas and which ones are your weak areas. Practice the weaker areas on an routine basis and improve your speed and accuracy. Convert them into opportunity. The more you practice, the ease you learn to work with. Attempt solved questions in the starting, and then shift to unsolved questions.
Practice daily. Set the stop watch and analyse your score in the time frame. This will help you know your worth and then you could add on the requisite efforts. Practice previous year papers. They will help you understand the trend over time. You could thus forecast and understand the pattern expected this year. Giving mock test would give you an edge over the basic preparation.
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Also Read:
IIFT 2021: All about Eligibility Criteria, Exam Pattern, Important Dates and Admit Card
General Awareness (GK) for MBA exams: Tips for XAT, CMAT, IIFT and SNAP
