IIFT exam preparation 2022: Strategies, home-based preparation, last-minute & exam-day tips

Due to the high difficulty level of the exam, everything pretty much hinges on your IIFT exam preparation. Good preparation for the IIFT exam is not about how well you are being able to solve the questions. 

It is also about how familiar you are with the exam situation. A clear knowledge of the exam pattern and a clear strategy with definite tasks to accomplish is the next step. 

In this article, we are going to tell you how to see the complete picture of IIFT exam preparation. The points covered will add that extra sharpness to your preparation. Read on to find out more!  

Highlights of IIFT Exam Preparation

• To make your IIFT exam preparation top-notch you need to train yourself for time management with special emphasis. 

• You will have to solve 110 questions in 120 minutes - which is quite tight. 

• On top of that, the difficulty level of the exam is between high and moderate. 

• Without a clear strategy, aspirants often flounder and the process fall short of its actual potentials.

• You can do the preparation at home or at a coaching centre near you

IIFT Exam Pattern

You need to know the exam pattern well to get an idea of the broad objectives that you need to achieve. It also helps to see how a preparation strategy can be thought of. 

The table below summarises the exam pattern in the IIFT exam along with all the important details.

Total number of questions	110 (there may be minor variations)
Number of sections	4
Details of sections	Section 1: Quantitative Ability (QA)  Section 2: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)  Section 3: Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation (LRDI)  Section 4: General Knowledge (GK)
Question type	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Sectional time-limit	NO
Negative Marking	YES
Marking scheme details	+3 marks for every correct answer  in Section 1, 2 & 3 +1.5 marks for every correct answer in Section 4 - 1 for every wrong answer in Section 1, 2 & 3 - 0.5 for every wrong answer in Section 4
Total Marks	300
Total Time	2 hours or 120 minutes

Six Months Preparation Strategy for IIFT

Six months is ideal for IIFT exam preparation, as it allows you to pay adequate attention to each topic. Especially if you’re starting from the very beginning, you will need at least six months to complete IIFT exam preparation. 

There would be two parts to the preparation process - in the first part, you will cover all the important topics and clear your concepts. And in the second part, you will practice for the exam day. 

The latter involves solving previous year’s questions, practising time management, and taking as many mock tests as possible. We have outlined below the key tasks that you need to accomplish in a six months IIFT exam preparation strategy.    

• Practice Quant, Reasoning, and DI on a daily basis

• Revise grammar and read passages from newspapers, magazines, and other sources

• Start by making a daily routine for study, try to devote 5 -6 hours

• You should start with clearing the important concepts first and then move to the practice part

• Go through the previous year’s question papers to get a fair estimate of what kind of questions to expect

• Sign up for mock tests at a coaching institute or online platform

• Practice solving questions accurately in the first attempt - remember that it may take some time to achieve perfection, so no need to lose heart

• You can sign up for coaching classes at an institute near you or on online platforms like Byjus and Unacademy

• The most important thing is to stay focused and have faith in your abilities

Three Months Preparation Strategy for IIFT

You can also prepare for the IIFT exam within three months if you have experience of appearing for other national-level management entrance tests. Although the exam is a step up, with a focused approach, you can complete your IIFT  exam preparation in three months. 

In the first month, you need to complete the study of concepts. After that, solve questions from the chapter-end exercises and previous year’s questions. Sign up for mock tests as that can help boost your preparation levels. 

We have given below a set of guidelines that you need to remember if you’re doing IIFT exam preparation in three months. 

• With three months in hand, the focus should primarily be on execution 

• Remember the tight time limit right from the beginning and prepare accordingly

• Be very quick to study and revise the concepts and start with practising questions as soon as possible

• The Quant, Reasoning and DI sections require special emphasis

• Identify your strong as well as weak areas and pay extra attention to them

• It is advisable to sign up for coaching classes since 3 months is a relatively short time for IIFT exam preparation

• Along with classes, self-study is also absolutely essential and several hours must be devoted to that

• You have to make your IIFT exam preparation smart and play to your strength rather than obsessing on your weaknesses   

IIFT Preparation at Home

You can prepare for the IIFT exam at home as well. The syllabus can be covered at home without the help of any guidance. There are many resources freely available as well - you can access many free lectures on YouTube and several key books can be downloaded online. 

If you are already a professional or can’t stick to a schedule due to other reasons, preparation at home would be ideal for you. You can make it flexible and study at your own pace. However, there are certain downsides to IIFT exam preparation at home. 

It might suit some people, while for others it might backfire. People who find it hard to maintain a schedule on their own should not opt for home-based IIFT exam preparation

With the rise of the blended mode of learning, it is also possible to combine how-based preparation with online teaching. You can study at home and take lectures from online platforms like Byju’s or Unacademy - that way, you can have the best of both worlds!

Last-Minute Preparation Tips for IIFT

The final week is the most important phase in IIFT exam preparation. The focus in this period is entirely on execution. By the time you reach this phase, you should have a clear idea of your strong and weak areas. You also need to practice strictly according to the exam-day situation for best results. 

We have compiled a set of last-minute tips that you can follow to not miss any detail in this crucial phase of your preparation. 

• Stay calm and have faith in your abilities - do not stress yourself too much

• Focus on your strength more, but also pay special attention to your weaknesses

• Practice time management, as that is the most important thing in this period

• Do not compare your preparation with others as that can hamper your confidence levels

• Take as many mock tests as you can and get a fair estimate of how well you might score in the exam

• Work on accuracy as you will need this skill a lot on the exam day to score well  

IIFT Exam Day Tips

On the exam day, candidates must focus on completing all the formalities correctly and take the exam with a calm and cool head. A slight mistake on this day can cause a lot of difficulties and may lead to grave consequences - such as disqualification. 

You can find below a list of all the important points you must keep in mind on the exam day.

1. Do not study or panic and have complete faith in your preparation levels

2. Prepare the stationeries and document on the previous night so that you can focus on the exam

3. Carry a photo ID and a printout of the admit card - otherwise, you will not be allowed to enter the exam hall

4. Read the exam-day instructions on the admit card and follow them diligently

1. Reach the exam venue on time and make sure that you’re not late for the exam

Best Books for Preparation

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

• How to Prepare for the VARC for the CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay (Tata McGraw-Hill)
• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
• The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning by Nishit Sinha

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR)

• Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency by Ananta Ashisha
• How to Prepare for DILR for CAT (Tata McGraw-Hill) by Arun Sharma
• Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha

Quantitative Aptitude

• QA for CAT and Other MBA Entrance Exams from Trishna Knowledge Systems (Pearson)
• How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma
• The Complete CAT Digest, by Tata McGraw-Hill by Arun Sharma

 General Knowledge (GK)

• GK Mock Tests for IIFT
• IIFT Previous GK questions
• Manorama Year Book 2022

FAQs About IIFT Preparation