How to prepare for IIFT

By Parasharan Chari

Indian Instiute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Delhi will hold its entrance test for admission to MBA in International Business, on November 24, 2013. Here's a look at the preparation strategy for IIFT MBA (IB) aspirants.

Quantitative Aptitude:

Objective: To increase speed and attempt maximum standard questions in less than 80 seconds per question, selection is the key!

1. Revise core topics and theory from QA.
2. Don't touch topics which you are not comfortable with. Focus on topics you know well. Strategy is to pick up familiar questions and leave non-familiar/non-comfortable questions. And this decision should come up in 10 seconds.
3. Revise CAT Essentials - a must. Some questions are reconstructed from ex-CAT questions.
4. Very few question expected from Trigonometry & Statistics. Safely ignore Trigonometry (which constitutes a max of 1-2 questions), you have enough other questions to attempt. For statistics, go through the basics in RS Aggarwal’s book (Statistical Data – only solved examples – AM, GM, HM, Mean, median, Mode, Standard Deviation)

Data Interpretation:
Generally very calculative – based on Line, Bar, Pie graphs, Tables and full of big numbers (4 digit +).

1. IIFT has a history of repeating ex-CAT question or recreating from it. One may expect one or two sets based on some ex-CAT sets – Of these, remove AR  questions, logic-based questions and those questions which you can now easily manage, and solve the remaining sets on daily basis.
2. Speed will be very critical and hence a student should learn to select/reject a question in less than 10 sec.
3. Standard questions on Tables with heavy calculations are expected. These questions are ideally meant to be left alone. Only if the options are not very close, give it a try.
4. DS has not been observed so far.

Analytical/Logical Reasoning:
AR has been weighted higher in IIFT. Though 2012 saw the importance of AR below QA and DI.

1. Solve entire AR sample papers. Questions from Decision Making, Data Structures, Series, Coding-Decoding, Blood relations have been observed. Even Alphabetical Series questions have been observed.
2. Questions from Verbal Logic appearing in AR section have also been observed. Revise Statement & Assumption, Statement & Conclusion, etc. that tend appear frequently.
3. Syllogisms are a regular part of IIFT.

Verbal Ability:

1. Grammar: A quick revision of all Grammar Modules, Verbal Starters (Sentence Correction and Error Detection exercises). Give it 7 hours during preparation.
2. Para-Jumbles: Practice for Para-jumbles from Verbal Starters as well as Verbal Logic Module for at least 4 hours.
3. Vocab-based Questions: ½ an hour to 1 hour every day until the IIFT exam.
   - Vocab Empower – focus on lexicon, words and phrases, and sample tests.
   - Verbal Starters: Synonyms, Antonyms, Analogies, Spelling Tests, Fill in the Blanks.
   - Verbal Logic: Analogies

 Reading Comprehension:
About one hour of RC solving everyday should be increased to 3 hours eight days before the exam. Focus on speed while solving RCs. Practice solving lengthy RCs with less inferential questions quickly.

General Knowledge/Current Awareness:
While revising GK/Current Awareness, go through

• Top news stories
• General Awareness Questions

About the author:

Parasharan Chari is an alumnus of SP Jain and is currently serving as the chief operating officer at Endeavor Careers and is also associated with the design and development of its online testing portal CatGurus.com.

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