IIFT vs CAT: Is IIFT Tougher Than CAT Exam?
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 13th, 2023
This article will provide valuable insights about which exam is tough and will also help to learn the differences and similarities between IIFT and CAT. The aspirants preparing for both CAT and IIFT must be well-versed with all the details for these two exams. It is very important as both of these exams are challenging in their own way. The basic difference between CAT and IIFT is that IIFT is the only test for admission into the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. However, CAT is accepted by IIMs and many other B-schools in India.
CAT (Common Admission Test) is a national-level entrance exam and is the key gateway for admission into the top B-schools in India, like IIMs. On the other hand, IIFT (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade) is an entrance test for admission into the flagship programme of MBA in International Business. In this article, Experts have analyzed a detailed study of IIFT vs CAT to assist you in your preparation.
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Table of content
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1.
IIFT vs CAT Similarities
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2.
IIFT vs CAT: Conducting Body
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3.
IIFT vs CAT: Exam Pattern
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4.
IIFT vs CAT: Which is Tougher?
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5.
Verbal Section of IIFT vs CAT
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6.
Quant Section of IIFT vs CAT
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7.
DILR Section of IIFT vs CAT
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8.
IIFT vs CAT: Test Areas
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9.
IIFT vs CAT: Application Fee
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10.
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IIFT vs CAT Similarities
Both CAT and IIFT are national-level management entrance tests. So, there are some basic similarities between these two. Note the table for IIFT vs CAT Exam similarities.
|
Key Highlights |
Details |
|
Course for admission |
MBA |
|
Exam Medium |
English |
|
Level of Exam |
National |
|
Negative Marking |
Yes |
IIFT vs CAT: Conducting Body
CAT and IIFT are conducted by two different authorities. Everybody knows that the official notification of the CAT Exam is released by one of the IIMs on a rotational basis, once every year. For example, CAT 2021 was conducted by IIM Ahmedabad, and IIM Indore and IIM Lucknow conducted CAT 2020 and CAT 2019, respectively. As per the latest notification, the CAT 2022 exam will be conducted by IIM Bangalore on 27th November 2022
On the other hand, the official notification of the IIFT Exam is released by NTA (National Testing Agency) once every year. It is the only institute that accepts IIFT scores for admission in MBA in International Business.
IIFT vs CAT: Exam Pattern
The exam pattern difference between CAT and IIFT is known to everybody who wishes to appear for both of these exams. It is different in terms of the number of questions, exam sections, time limit, and sectional time limit. Note the table below and check all the details about the IIFT vs CAT exam pattern
|
Components |
CAT (as seen in CAT 2021) |
IIFT (As seen in IIFT 2022) |
|
Total Number of Questions |
66 Questions |
110 |
|
Exam Duration |
120 Minutes (40 Minutes Sectional Time limit) |
120 Minutes (No sectional time limit) |
|
Number of Section |
3 Sections
|
4 Sections
|
|
Question Types |
MCQs and TITA |
MCQs |
|
Negative Marking Scheme |
-1 for every incorrect answer (No negative marking for TITA questions and Unanswered questions) |
|
|
Marking Scheme |
+3 for every correct answer |
|
☛ Check for details CAT Exam Pattern and IIFT Exam Pattern.
IIFT vs CAT: Which is Tougher?
As per expert’s analysis, CAT and IIFT are considered as tough MBA Entrance Exam. CAT is a popular exam for MBA admission in IIMs, IITs, and other reputed institutes across India. IIFT is only the key to enter into the country’s three IIFT campuses: IIFT Delhi, IIFT Kolkata, and IIFT Kakinada.
The syllabus of these two exams is almost similar except for 1 section, i.e., General Knowledge and Awareness. General Knowledge and Awareness is an additional section included in IIFT Syllabus. Note the below table to know the topics covered in VARC, Quants, and LRDI sections, along with the variation in the difficulty level.
Verbal Section of IIFT vs CAT
Note the table below to get an idea of the Verbal Section of IIFT and CAT.
|
Topics of Verbal Section |
Difficulty Level in CAT |
Difficulty Level in IIFT |
|
Para Jumbles |
Difficult |
Moderate |
|
Grammar |
Difficult |
Moderate |
|
Reading Comprehension |
Difficult |
Moderate |
|
Para Completion |
Moderate |
Moderate |
|
Critical Thinking |
Difficult |
Moderate |
|
Fill in the Blanks |
Difficult |
Moderate |
☛ Check Section-wise Preparation Tips for CAT
Quant Section of IIFT vs CAT
Note the table below to get an idea of the Quant Section of IIFT and CAT.
|
Topics of Quant Section |
Difficulty Level in CAT |
Difficulty Level in IIFT |
|
Co-ordinate Geometry |
Moderate |
Difficult |
|
Geometry |
Difficult |
Difficult |
|
Arithmetic |
Moderate |
Moderate |
|
Algebra |
Moderate |
Difficult |
|
Numbers |
Moderate |
Difficult |
|
Permutation and Combination |
Moderate |
Moderate |
☛ Check section-wise Preparation Tips for IIFT
DILR Section of IIFT vs CAT
Note the table below to get an idea of the LRDI Section of IIFT and CAT.
|
Topics of LRDI Section |
Difficulty Level in CAT |
Difficulty Level in IIFT |
|
Family Tree |
Moderate |
Moderate |
|
Puzzles |
Moderate |
Moderate |
|
Seating Arrangement |
Difficult |
Difficult |
|
Reasoning Based DI |
Difficult |
Moderate |
Both of these exams require similar effort and approaches for preparation. The aspirants must prepare well and solve sample papers to tackle these exams with ease.
☛Check here for CAT Syllabus
IIFT vs CAT: Test Areas
The aspirants may know that the key differentiator in the IIFT exam has been the General Knowledge and Awareness section. However, this section is of ess weightage, but you must be prepared well for this section to overall score well. The aspirants can expect 20-25 questions from this section with 1.5 marks for each correct answer (with -0.5 marks for each incorrect answer).
The common areas of these two exams are Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability, and Reading Comprehension. Note the table below and understand the test areas of the Quantitative Ability section of IIFT vs CAT.
|
Exam Section |
CAT |
IIFT |
|
Quantitative Ability |
In the CAT exam, the most critical sections are Arithmetic Circles Triangles Geometry Algebra |
Most of the questions are asked from: Probability Permutations & Combinations (P&C) Set Theory Functions (including maxima & minima) Trigonometry (both height & distances and trigonometric expressions) |
You can also go through the detailed study for CAT Analysis and IIFT Analysis
IIFT vs CAT: Application Fee
The aspirants may know that both CAT and IIFT are conducted online once every year. You have to submit the application form and payment for both of these exams online. Note the below table to get an idea about the application fee difference between CAT and IIFT.
|
CAT 2022 |
IIFT 2023-25 |
|
The application fee for the CAT exam is ₹1150 for SC, ST and PwD candidates. |
The application fee for the IIFT exam is Rs.1250/- for SC/ST/Transgender/PWD and Rs.2500/- for other Categories |
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