How to Prepare For IIFT 2023 Exam: Know Preparation Tips & Best Books

Read below to know how to prepare for IIFT 2023 exam. Get free syllabus PDF and IIFT previous year question papers for practice.

Have you made your plan or still searching online for ‘how to prepare for IIFT 2023 exam?’ Read this article for all about IIFT preparation plan and exam day strategy. IIFT exam is conducted for admission to MBA-International Business programme offered by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi. The entrance exam is on the tougher side as compared to other MBA entrance exams. Thus, you need start IIFT exam preparation early and make a plan accordingly. 

IIFT exam will be conducted by the NTA in the first week of December 2022. Thus, this is the right time to take the plunge, i.e. start IIFT 2023 exam preparation. If you are beginning to prepare now, you must make an exam centric plan, i.e. focus on topics which carry maximum weightage in the IIFT question paper. In this article, we have shared all about IIFT 2023 preparation including, exam syllabus, pattern, question papers, best books for IIFT and section-wise strategy. 

IIFT Exam Highlights

• It is important to meet sectional cut offs for a good overall score IIFT exam. So make sure you cover minimum number of questions in each section to cross sectional cut off.
• Although there is no sectional time limit but the total time duration of IIFT exam is less than other MBA entrance exams. One has to solve over 100 questions in 120 minutes.
• Time management is the key to perform well in IIFT exam as one will get about a minute to solve each question.
• IIFT exam has negative marking so the selection of questions is crucial for scoring well.
• Unlike in CAT, not Quantitative Aptitude but Data Interpretation is often the toughest unit in IIFT exam.
• VARC section of IIFT exam is usually easy, while GK section has more questions from current affairs than static GK.

IIFT 2023 preparation will involve broadly three things -- knowing the exam pattern & syllabus, choosing the best books and practicing mock tests. Read below for details.

1. Know the IIFT Exam Pattern and Syllabus

IIFT exam is conducted in online mode and the duration is two hours. The questions of IIFT 2023 will be in MCQ format carrying one mark each. Given below is a brief overview of IIFT exam pattern.

IIFT Exam Syllabus

IIFT exam syllabus includes four subjects English Comprehension, General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Analysis. Shiksha has IIFT syllabus in PDF format for aspirants to download and use. Download the PDF for detailed syllabus.

2.Choose the Best Books for IIFT Exam Preparation

Those preparing for IIFT 2023 exam, must refer to the books listed below. They must additionally refer to secondary study material available in online study groups on Telegram, WhatsApp, facebook, Quora, etc.

Best books for IIFT preparation: Quantitative Analysis

Best books for IIFT preparation: Logical Reasoning

Best books for IIFT preparation: Data Interpretation

Best books for IIFT preparation: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

Best Study Material for General Knowledge & Awareness

• Newspapers: The Hindu, Indian Express, Financial Express, Economic Times
• Magazines: Business Today, Business India, Outlook, Business World, Forbes
• Manorama Year Book
• India Year Book

3.Solve Previous Year's IIFT Question Papers

Besides studying books recommended for IIFT exam, the candidates must solve previous years’ IIFT question papers, sample papers and practice as many mock tests as they can. Points to remember viz. practice tests during IIFT preparation.

• Previous years IIFT question papers will give you an idea of type of questions asked in the exam and the number of questions asked from each unit.
• Do not solve many IIFT question papers, sample papers or mock test before completing the IIFT syllabus.
• Make sure you analyse your performance after taking each mock test. This will tell you your weaknesses and strengths.
• Try to solve at least 25-35 sample papers and mock tests. Focus on variety of sample papers as it will give you an exposure of all types of questions – tough, easy, lengthy and tricky.

Section-wise IIFT Preparation Tips

To prepare well for IIFT 2023 exam, the aspirants must pay equal attention to each section of the exam, even the GK section. The aim should be first meeting the sectional cut off and then capitalizing on it.

• Quantitative Analysis

Since this section is calculation based, you need to apply time management skills to the best of your abilities. You will get a mix of tough and easy questions in QA section of IIFT exam. Spot the easy questions and try to meet the sectional cut off. Do not attempt questions which you feel you cannot solve with 100 per cent accuracy to prevent negative marking. During the IIFT exam preparation focus on Algebra, Arithmetic and Geometry. Also Read: IIFT Preparation 2023: How to Crack Quantitative Aptitude

• Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

The DI section of IIFT exam is usually tough as it mostly features calculation intensive sets. On the other hand, the LR section is easier and approachable. Practice pie charts, bar graphs, data tables, line charts & combinations, arrangements, family trees and complex data situations. Also Read: IIFT Preparation 2023: Tips to Crack DI and Reasoning

• Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

The Reading Comprehension section of the IIFT exam is usually direct and factual, while para-jumbles tend to be tricky. The vocabulary section is easy. Study Norman Lewis well to crack this section. To avoid surprises in this section of IIFT 2023, practice long RCs. Also Read: IIFT Preparation 2023: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension 

• General Knowledge & Awareness

Most of the questions asked in this section are from current affairs (international) and business news. If you find questions tough, do not attempt as the cut off of this section remains low. Do not risk negative marking. Brush up your current affairs of past six months, specifically in business field. Read up some static GK.

Also Read:

IIFT Exam Strategy

In IIFT exam, achieveing sectional cut offs is very important for GD/PI selection, as the institute will not only consider overall IIFT score but also sectional score in shortlisting the students. Thus, during the IIFT 2023 exam, be sure of solving just enough number of questions so that you cover the sectional cut off. Once you've achieved the sectional cut off, then capitalise on it. You also need to keep in mind the time you should spend on each section in the exam. Given below is the suggested time to spend on each section of IIFT 2023 exam.

IIFT Mock Test

Take free online IIFT mock test by Shiksha and assess your strenght and weaknesses. Also, know which topics have more weightage in the exam.

All the best for IIFT 2023!

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