One the most important competitive exam for almost all MBA aspirants is the
IIFT exam which the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade conducts for admission into its coveted MBA (IB) program. The institute changes the exam pattern every few years to check the level of preparation of the students.
IIFT Exam 2017 surprised many students as there was a major shift from the pattern which was followed till 2016. The most prominent difference was the segregation of paper into 6 sections with each section having a separate cut-off. This raised the level of difficulty of the paper significantly from previous years wherein there used to be four sections. In order to do well in the exam, one needs to gear their preparation and strategy according to the requirements of the exam.
With just a few days before the
exam here is a list of Dos and Don’ts which might come in handy during the exam.
Dos:
1.
Solve the question paper in rounds: In the first round, the focus should be on attempting questions from all the sections so that we can comfortably clear individual cut-offs of each section. It is imperative to perform well in all sections. Once a certain number of questions from each section have been answered, the focus should be on the overall score maximization via attacking those sections in which the candidate is most comfortable.
However, this also depends on the level of difficulty of the particular sections.
2.
Keep a check on time: One of the most important skills this exam checks is time management. Since one is required to juggle between multiple sections it is easy to lose track of time. It is advisable to allow a certain time to each section during the test and adhere to the time limit. This ensures that you do not end up wasting too much time on a single section.
3.
Keep your kit ready: IIFT is one of the few exams which is still conducted in a pen-paper based style. Arrange your stationary and all other documents a night before the exam.
Always keep an extra set of pencils so that if the tip of one breaks, you can easily resume the exam without much wastage of time. Also, do not forget to keep your admit card and ID card.
4.
Handle the OMR sheet with care: The OMR sheet is issued only once, therefore be extra careful while marking your personal details. Also, make sure you do not make any stray marks on the sheet by mistake. Furthermore, darken the answer choice appropriately such that the entire bubble is covered. Also, make sure you are darkening the correct bubble while answering as sometimes we tend to darken the wrong options due to exam stress.
5.
Read and understand the questions properly: Do not rush to attempt the question before reading it properly as there might be some tricky questions with close answers. You might end up marking an incorrect answer choice due to unwarranted hurry despite knowing the correct answer.
Don’ts:
6.
Don’t waste time on a single question: IIFT exam is known to contain some very calculation intensive questions in both quant and DI sections. Hence, it is advisable to skim through the question paper once and pick out the questions which can be done with minimal calculations.
7.
Don’t take uncalculated risks: As the exam contains negative marking, the students should be cautious in answering the questions and should refrain from attempting the questions unless they are sure about the answer.
8.
Don’t panic: Since the exam is known to throw surprises to the students, it is best to retain your cool if a sudden change in pattern crops up. The key to handle this is to have confidence in your preparation level and remember that almost everyone is grappling with the changes. Moreover, sometimes during the exam, if you feel you are not able to complete the questions in the allotted time slot do not lose hope as the questions might actually be tougher and require more time than usual. Keep your calm, and focus on attempting the questions with as much accuracy as you can.