IIFT Exam 2022: Registration, eligibility, important dates, exam pattern & more

The IIFT exam is an elite-level management entrance test for admission into the flagship MBA(IB) course offered by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT). IIFT conducts the program in all three campuses located in Kolkata, Delhi, and Kakinada. 

It is a top MBA college, especially for students who want to specialize in International Business(IB). Placed on equal footing with the IIMs, IIFT is a top management institute in India, and the entrance exam is quite competitive. However, given the stature of the institute, the competition is natural. 

The stakes are high, and for people who get through, the competition is worth it. Remember, the exam is conducted by the NTA (National Testing Agency). So it is always held in the Computer-Based Test (Mode) at several test centres in India. Registration has started on August 16, 2021, and will end on October 15, 2021.

If you are up for the challenge of IIFT, you need to start by gathering all the information about the exam first. In this article, we have covered all the details to save you some hard work. Read on to find out everything about IIFT 2022.

IIFT Important Dates

It is important to register for the IIFT exam and pay the fee within the deadline set by NTA. There is also a specific window during when corrections into the application are permitted. Failing to complete the tasks within the specified dates might lead to disqualification, so you need to be very careful about them.  

We have compiled all the important dates for IIFT 2022 in the table below:

IIFT Eligibility

The eligibility IIFT exam is similar to other B-school entrance exams in India. We have summarised the basic points regarding IIFT eligibility criteria in the form of bullet points below.

• A 3 years (minimum) Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university

• The minimum marks for General/OBC/EWS category candidates in 50% in aggregate

• For SC/ST candidates, and for candidates in the PWD category, there is a 5% relaxation

• You can apply if you’re in the final year of your Bachelor’s, but if you fail to pass with the required marks, the application will become invalid

• Age limit and work experience are not considered for appearing in the IIFT exam

IIFT Registration

As mentioned before, the registration for the IIFT exam started on 2 September 2021. Candidates will have to register for the exam on the official website of NTA-IIFT. The portal will be open till 15th October 2021, till 5 PM. We have summarised the steps that you need to follow to register for the IIFT exam 2022. 

1. Visit the official website of NTA-IIFT

2. Click on the “Apply for MBA (IB) 2022-24” option

3. Click on the “New Registration” option on the next page

4. Read the instruction carefully on the next page and tap “Click here to proceed”

5. Fill in the basic details and complete the application form

6. Choose a strong password and relevant security questions

7. After you finish registration, the next step is to complete the application form

Documents required for IIFT registration

To register for the IIFT exam, you need to upload scanned copies of several documents. There is a limit to the file size of the scanned copied and the system will not accept them if they are larger than the size specified by NTA. 

We have provided a list of all the documents along with the specified file size below: 

• Scanned copy of recent passport size photograph, either in colour or black and white (file-size: 10 KB to 200 KB)

• Scanned copy of signature (file-size: 4 KB - 30 KB) 

• Category Certificate/PWD Certificate (50 KB - 300 KB)

• The digital copies of the documents should be in JPG/JPEG format only

IIFT Exam Pattern

You need to be well acquainted with the IIFT exam pattern before starting the preparation. A total of 110 questions are asked in the IIFT exam and the total time allotted for the exam is 120 minutes. The difficulty level of the exam is similar to CAT, i.e. between high to moderate. 

However, since the total time is less, cracking the IIFT exam can be a difficult task overall. You can check out all the details about the IIFT exam pattern in the table below.  

IIFT Admit Card

The Admit card for the IIFT exam will only be available online, on the official website of NTA-IIFT. The admit card serves as the hall ticket for the IIFT exam and candidates without a valid admit card will not be allowed to enter the exam hall. Remember that you need to carry a photo ID along with the admit card. Without a photo ID, even a valid admit card will be considered invalid. 

According to the latest notification, the admit card will be available on the official website from 10 November 2021 till the day of the IIFT exam. After you download the IIFT admit card, it is important to check that all the details are correct. If there is any mistake make sure to get in touch with the authorities to get it rectified. 

The admit card is tallied with the exam roll sheet on the day of the exam. In case of any mismatch in details, candidates are disqualified from appearing in the exam. You will also need the signed copy of the admit card to complete the admission process, Make sure to not lose it after the exam, as that might lead to serious trouble later.

How to download IIFT admit card

You can download the IIFT admit card from the NTA-IIFT website by following the six simple steps given below. Remember, only successfully registered candidates will be issued an admit card. 

Step 1: Visit the official website of NTA-IIFT

Step 2: Click on the “IIFT Admit card download” option on the home page

Step 3: The login page to the download portal will appear

Step 4: Enter application number, date of birth, and the security pin

Step 5: Click on the ‘Submit’ option

Step 6: The admit card will be available for download

IIFT Test centres

The IIFT exam will be held in 78 test centres across India. As with all NTA exams, you will be required to choose five test centres in order of preference. You can change the test centre choices during the correction window. However, no changes in test centres will be allowed after the correction window closes. 

We have tabulated all the test centres for NTA-IIFT below.

IIFT Result

The IIFT result is expected to be out by the end of December 2021. NTA is usually quick to release exam results and there’s unlikely to be a lot of delay in IIFT result 2022. The result will be released on the official website of the NTA-IIFT. Note that the result will be available online only and students have to download it from there. 

Under no circumstances will the admit card be sent in a physical mode, via post. The steps to download the IIFT admit card have been given below. 

1. Go to the official website of the NTA-IIFT

2. “Download IIFT 2022: MBA (IB)” option on the home page

3. Enter application number, password, and DOB

4. Click on ‘Submit’ and the scorecard will appear on the screen

5. Option to download/print the admit card will be there

6. Save it and take several printouts

IIFT Preparation

The difficulty level of the IIFT exam is quite high, almost at par with CAT or XAT exams. Your preparation needs to be very thorough if you want to crack the exam with a good score. There are two steps to IIFT preparation: first, you need to cover the important topics in the syllabus comprehensively. Second, you need to take mock tests and solve previous year’s questions to prepare yourself for the exam day. 

You should clear your concepts and solve practice questions. Sections like Quant, Reasoning and DI require regular practice and must be placed high up in the priority list. Time management is crucial, as the time per question in the IIFT exam is quite low. As a result, all preparation must be done keeping in mind the time limit. 

FAQs related to IIFT exam