The
UPL’IIFT’ Series- spearheaded by the
Media Committee, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade,
in collaboration with Inside IIM is an initiative to help aspirants understand and prepare for the IIFT Entrance Exam with strategies exercised by some of the top performers.
In today’s interview, we have
Harshit Srivastava from the MBA (IB) Batch of 2020-22. A snapshot of his profile: Educational Background: B.Tech. in Computer Science || Work Experience: 47 months||
IIFT: Overall- 99.67 QA- 99.61 LRDI- 85.44 VARC- 97.79 GK- 88.83 ||
CAT: Overall- 98.48 QA-98.30 LRDI- 91.83 VARC- 97.94 ||
XAT- 97.90 ||
NMAT – 224 Marks
When did you start preparing for the IIFT exam?
I started preparing for the entrance exams in February 2019 and had covered all the basics by August. I began my full-blown preparation around two months before the exam in October 2019. I believe a dedicated preparation of 6-8 months is sufficient for any aspirant to make his mark in the entrance exams.
Could you enlighten the aspirants a little with your preparation strategy and how you approached the IIFT entrance exam?
My preparation strategy was mainly divided into three key phases, beginning in early 2019. From February, I started my journey and focused on the basics as they are the key to being able to solve any question either. Once I had covered sufficient syllabus by June, I started with giving one mock a week.
It is extremely critical to analyse the mocks thoroughly as that is what helps you learn from your mistakes, identify your weak areas, and overcome them. I also attempted various sectional mocks, which gave me an idea as to how to focus on one aspect and how much time to give to each section.
In November, I focused on consolidating everything that I had prepared in that year and developed my strengths further. Given that there is no time section wise time limit in the exam, one should plan to clear the cut-offs in all sections in the first round. That will also give an idea of the overall difficulty of the paper and which section is easier. In the second round, one should try maximising scores in the areas of their strength.
You mentioned mocks are one of the most important aspects of preparation. How many mocks did you take, and how did you analyse them to improve your score?
Starting from June, I gave a mock each week in initial phases, and in the last months, I attempted two mocks a week. Analysing a mock is as important as giving it. You should not judge yourself by the result that you get but dive deep into the minute mistakes made and focus on not repeating them.
In the next mock, gauge if you were able to improve on the specific mistakes that you identified earlier. No mock is an adequate representation of your potential and you should focus on continuously improving and learning from your mistakes.
Given that 2019 was the first time the IIFT exam was conducted in online mode, how was your online test-taking experience?
The test-taking experience was pretty smooth, and the interface was very user friendly. I would advise the aspirants to take the sample mock that is released before the exam to get familiar with the interface.
You performed well not only in the IIFT Entrance Exam but in other MBA exams as well. What other calls did you have and why did you choose IIFT?
I had calls from NMIMS, a couple of new IIMs, and MDI. IIFT was one of my best calls, and my primary reason for choosing IIFT is its rich legacy and rigorous curriculum. I had heard about the various student-run committees with immense learning avenues and a closely-knit group of brilliant talent. Its own entrance test ensures that the best of students become a part of the batch.
Any final tips that you would like to give to the aspirant out there?
Even in the last month of preparations, you can improve by leaps and bounds. Give ample mocks with enough assiduity so that you get prepared for all situations, and your mind gets accustomed to performing at full potential for the entire exam duration. Read the newspaper regularly to enhance your reading speed and to score well in the GK section. On D-Day, go out there with a calm mind and give it your best shot. All the Best!