Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Entrance Exam
IIFT has been one of the prominent B-schools in India since its inception in 1963, by the Government of India. This management school is the only public school to have four campuses: Kolkata, Delhi, Kakinada, and Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania).
About 60,000 aspirants sit for the exam every year, for admissions into 16 types of courses available from its campuses.
The registration for online application will be usually out in the second week of July. But this year (2020), the notification will be out in the third week of August. And the registration window begins in September and closes by October.
And the IIFT entrance exam will be conducted in the first week of December, and the results are out by the second week in the same month.
Here is the brief about the IIFT entrance exam.IIFT Exam Overview
The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) conducts its IIFT exam every year for admissions at its various campuses. The premier institute is the only one in the country, where the MBA in International Business is offered.
Candidates who have an interest in international business, imports and exports, and allied executive courses, then the IIFT exam is the right choice.
Let’s look at the outline of the IIFT exam from the table below:| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| IIFT Exam Frequency | Once in a year |
| IIFT Application Mode | Online |
| IIFT Exam Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| IIFT Questions Type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Language of the IIFT exam paper | English |
| IIFT Admission Process |
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- IIFT Exam Registration & Event Dates
- IIFT Exam Eligibility
- IIFT Exam Syllabus
- IIFT Exam Pattern
- IIFT Exam Score
- IIFT Exam FAQs
IIFT Exam Registration & Event Dates
The IIFT entrance exam is a national-level exam and takes place once a year. The dates concerning this test are given in the table below:
| Event | Date/Week (Tentatively) |
| IIFT Online Registration Commencement | 1 st Week, September 2020 |
| IIFT Registration Closing | 3 rd Week, October 2020 |
| IIFT Application Correction Allowed Till | 1 st Week, November 2020 |
| IIFT Admit Card Downloading Window | 2 nd Week, November 2020 – 1 st Week, December 2020 |
| IIFT Exam Day | 1 st Week, December 2020 |
| IIFT Results | 2 nd Week, December 2020 |
Note: the IIFT application correction means not the whole application form, but only photo and signature. Other than that no other corrections are allowed.
After the release of the IIFT exam key, the candidates are given a week’s or so to challenge the key before the final release of the IIFT exam results.
IIFT Exam Eligibility
The candidates applying for the IIFT entrance exam have to meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Education: A Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized institute/university by the government.
- A candidate must secure a minimum of 50% marks in the General Category (45% for the candidates belonging to SC/ST/PwD categories).
- Final year students of graduation are also eligible to apply provided their eligibility subject to the prescribed proof.
- Age: There’s no minimum or maximum age restrictions.
For detailed eligibility, please check the notification at the official IIFT site.
IIFT Exam Syllabus
The syllabus for the IIFT exam is basically the topics from the following sections:
- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension: The section tests the aptitude of test-takers in the English language. The questions may come at the middle school level; jumbled sentences, passages and their questions, vocabulary, and so on.
- Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation: The topics such as seating arrangement, directional sense, blood relations, data case-lets, and charts are covered in the wide array of questions.
- Quantitative Analysis: A candidate is tested to ascertain his mathematical skills by covering the fundamental concepts such as arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and modern mathematics.
- General Knowledge: It’s a vast subject. However, the topics covered are mostly the recent developments, and to see how far the candidate is aware of the events taking place around him. For example, the questions on the WTO recent developments.
IIFT Exam Pattern
The IIFT exam pattern seems to be the same as it was for the previous year. See here below the section-wise questions and other details in the table.
| IIFT Exam Duration | 120 minutes |
| IIFT Exam Total Questions | 110 MCQs |
| IIFT Exam Question Distribution |
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| Negative Marking | Yes;
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| Language of the IIFT exam | English |
IIFT Exam Score
The IIFT exam score is given in percentile. Based on the cut-off score, the candidates are informed to take the Essay Writing and Group Discussion. One important note is that no other B-school considers the IIFT entrance exam score.
Based on the cut-off scores, the admissions are given at the different campuses of the IIFT.
IIFT Exam FAQs
1. Is the IIFT exam conducted on paper?A: No, it’s not. The test has totally become the Computer Based Test (CBT) from the Paper-Based Test (PBT).
2. In how many slots the IIFT exam will be conducted? A: the IIFT exam will be conducted in a single slot. 3. How many years does this IIFT exam score valid for? A: The IIFT exam score is valid for only one year. 4. Can I take my calculator to the test centre? A: No, you can’t. Any electronic device is not allowed.