The IIFT exam, due to be conducted in the latter half of January 2021, is one of the most crucial exams in the MBA admissions season since it opens up the gateway to one of India's most prestigious business schools - the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. Usually, IIFT is conducted right after CAT but has been delayed this year by nearly a month and a half. This exam is not easy, especially given that the onus of section-wise time management is on the test-taker. What can help is to know before you appear for the exam the type of questions you can expect to see, based on past trends.
To create this section-wise analysis of the various types of questions that have appeared on the IIFT exam, we've taken the help of IMS Learning's analysis of individual IIFT papers over the past five years, compiling section-wise data to identify possible trends. Please note that analysis for the VA-RC and GK sections is limited due the sheer width of the types of questions that have featured in these sections.
Which Type of QA Questions Does IIFT Ask?
It would be fair to assume that most aspirants appearing for IIFT 2020/2021 will have prepared for CAT 2020, and given that the syllabus for the two exams is nearly identical, serious students will not face much trouble maneuvering in this section. However, it may help to create a priority list of areas to focus on in the next 45-odd days to IIFT. The table below provides a break-down of the various Quantitative topics from which questions have appeared on IIFT in the past five years.
| IIFT 2019 | IIFT 2018 | IIFT 2017 | IIFT 2016 | IIFT 2015 | |
| Number of Questions | |||||
| Arithmetic | 11 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 7 |
| Geometry | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| Modern Maths | 4 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 8 |
| Algebra | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Number Systems | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 25 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 |
Over the past five years, in terms of the average number of questions asked every year, two topics stand out - Arithmetic and Modern Maths. An average of 6 questions each have been asked from these topics over the past five years.
The next topic with nearly as many questions on average is Geometry, with an average of 5 questions being asked in every IIFT exam over the past five years. On average, nearly 3 questions have been asked from the topic of Algebra over the past five years. On average, 1 question from the topic of Number Systems has appeared on the IIFT exam in the past five years.
The table below captures the number of questions from each topic as a percentage of the total number of questions.
| IIFT 2019 | IIFT 2018 | IIFT 2017 | IIFT 2016 | IIFT 2015 | |
| Number of Questions As A Percentage of Total | |||||
| Arithmetic | 44% | 20% | 30% | 15% | 32% |
| Geometry | 28% | 25% | 35% | 15% | 14% |
| Modern Maths | 16% | 35% | 5% | 55% | 36% |
| Algebra | 8% | 20% | 10% | 10% | 14% |
| Number Systems | 4% | 0% | 20% | 5% | 5% |
While we can establish a pattern based on the average number of questions asked from a given topic, there appears to be no pattern around the topic-wise percentage of questions asked every year. For instance, the percentage of Modern Maths questions has ebbed and flowed, with 55% of the questions on IIFT 2016 and only 5% of the questions just next year on IIFT 2017 coming from this topic.
Similarly, while 20% of all questions on IIFT 2018 were from Arithmetic, this shot up to 44% on IIFT 2019. Way back in 2016, only 15% of all questions were from the topic of Arithmetic. Hence, no particular pattern can be inferred. What can be inferred is that Number Systems questions have been scarce in all but one of every IIFT paper in the past five years, with only 4% of all questions coming from this topic in 2019 and no questions from Number Systems in 2018.
Evidently, there is no identifiable pattern, which can lead us to conclude that it would be prudent to cover all the five topics in detail, with special emphasis on Arithmetic, Geometry, and Modern Maths.
What Types of Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Questions Does IIFT Ask?
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning together carry the maximum percentage of questions in the IIFT exam. Over the past five years, on average, about 19 questions have been asked the DI and LR sections each.
| IIFT 2019 | IIFT 2018 | IIFT 2017 | IIFT 2016 | IIFT 2015 | |
| Number of Questions | |||||
| Data Interpretation | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 |
| Logical Reasoning | 12 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 20 |
| Total | 30 | 40 | 40 | 42 | 38 |
The table given below captures the various LR topics from which questions have been asked on the IIFT exam over the past five years. What becomes evident is that questions from topics like Linear/Circular Arrangements, Matrices, and Sequential Output (Input-Output) feature almost regularly in the LR section. In the past, there have also been questions based on Games & Tournaments, Binary Logic, Directions, and Data Sufficiency, amongst others.
| IIFT 2019 | IIFT 2018 | IIFT 2017 | IIFT 2016 | |
| Number of Questions | ||||
| Linear/Circular Arrangements | 7 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| Matrix | 0 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
| Venn Diagram | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Input-Output | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Miscellaneous | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Binary Logic | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Games & Tournaments | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Puzzle | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Directions | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Syllogism | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Data Sufficiency | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Also worth noting is that on more than one occasion, IIFT has also given singleton LR questions based on topics like Series Completion, Numerical Logic, Syllogisms etc. These questions are not part of a set and were meant to be solved independently.
What Type of GK Questions Does IIFT Ask?
The General Knowledge and Current Affairs section of IIFT is perhaps the most feared section of the paper. So what kind of questions are asked in the GK section of IIFT? The table below captures the number of static and current affairs questions on the IIFT exam in the past five years.
| IIFT 2019 | IIFT 2018 | IIFT 2017 | IIFT 2016 | IIFT 2015 | |
| Current Affairs | 14 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 9 |
| Static | 6 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 19 |
Once again, there is no discernable trend that appears. While in IIFT 2019 and IIFT 2018 the number of current affairs/dynamic GK questions outweighed static GK questions, the opposite was true from 2015 to 2017.
Personalities, Sports, Brands, Geography, Space Science, Awards, Corporate Entities, Government Schemes & Policies, Corporate Logos, International Trade, Currencies, Stock Exchanges, Multilateral Organizations, Book & Authors, Music, Politics, etc. are some of the topics from which questions have appeared on the IIFT exam in the past five years.
What Type of VA-RC Questions Does IIFT Ask?
One of the major distinctions (amongst many) between an exam like CAT and an exam like IIFT is the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section. While CAT usually tests VA concepts such as parajumbles, para-summaries, and odd-one-out, IIFT tends to expand the scope of topics tested by including concepts such as synonyms, analogies, English grammar, word-meanings, idioms and metaphors, etc. Further, IIFT can present questions in the form of crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blanks, etc. Given below are some examples of the types of questions asked in the VA-RC section of IIFT 2019.
Another distinction, though a minor one, between the VA-RC section of CAT and IIFT is the length of the Reading Comprehension passages. While in CAT, the passages are generally of 500-550 words, in IIFT, the length of the passages can range between 450-600 words, making some passages in IIFT laborious to read.
The IIFT exam will be conducted on the 24th of January 2021, giving you ample time to brush up on your basics and ace the exam. Though CAT is over, it is important to not lose steam at this crucial stage of the MBA entrance exams season. If you need some motivation to keep at it, do take a look at this compilation of 20 motivational stories that can boost your morale!
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