IBSAT Exam Pattern Overview
The IBSAT Exam Pattern is set by ICFAI. The exam is composed of 4 sections and measures Verbal Ability, Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency and Reading Comprehension.
The pattern usually remains more or less similar every year. It is conducted for students seeking admission to the MBA/PGPM/PhD programs.
IBSAT Exam Pattern
ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education is responsible for setting the IBSAT exam pattern for ICFAI Business School Aptitude Test (IBSAT) for MBA/PGPM programmes. IBSAT is divided into four sections, i.e. Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, Data Adequacy and Data Interpretation and Reading Comprehension. Those who will be appearing for IBSAT must check out the detailed IBSAT exam pattern along with section-wise weightage on this page.
IBSAT Exam Pattern Highlights
IBSAT is a national-level entrance examination which is conducted once a year for admission to the MBA/PGPM programs offered by the nine institutes accepting IBSAT score. Check more details of the IBSAT exam pattern below:
|
Particulars |
Details |
|
Conducting Body |
The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education |
|
Courses Offered |
MBA, PGPM and PhD |
|
Mode |
Online (Computer Based Test) |
|
IBSAT Duration |
2 hours |
|
Nature of Questions |
Objective (MCQ's) |
|
Number of Questions |
140 |
|
Total Marks |
140 |
|
Number of Sections |
4 |
|
Marks |
1 Mark per correct answer |
|
Negative Marking |
No Negative Marking |
|
Medium |
English |
IBSAT Exam Section wise Details
The exam consists of 4 sections and measures Verbal Ability, Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency and Reading Comprehension.
Verbal Ability
The Verbal Ability section of the IBSAT exam tests the command over the English language, covering vocabulary, grammar and verbal reasoning. The Types of questions included are synonyms, antonyms, sentence correction and sentence completion etc. This section is to assess how well you can communicate which is very important in the business world.
Quantitative Ability
The Quantitative Ability section measures the mathematical skills covering arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data sufficiency. It has problems testing numerical aptitude, logical reasoning and ability to solve quantitative problems efficiently. This section is to evaluate your analytical skills which is very important in a data driven business environment.
Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency
The Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency section tests the ability to analyze data presented in various forms like graphs, tables and charts. It also has questions where the candidate has to determine if the given data is sufficient to answer a question. This section is to test your data analysis skills which is essential to make strategic business decisions based on accurate data interpretation.
Reading Comprehension
The Reading Comprehension section tests the ability to understand and analyze written passages. There will be several passages followed by questions to extract key information, infer meanings and identify tone and main idea. This section is to assess how well you can process and interpret written content which is essential for informed decision making in business.
Section wise Marks Distribution for IBSAT Exam Pattern
IBSAT is a test of English and Mathematics. Unlike most management tests, IBSAT has separate Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension sections. The importance and weightage given to the Verbal Ability section is quite disproportionate, as it is 20 marks more than the other sections. So you need to prioritize the Verbal Ability section while preparing for IBSAT. Here is the section wise distribution of marks for IBSAT:
|
IBSAT Section |
Marks Allotted |
Number of Questions |
|
Verbal Ability |
50 |
50 |
|
Reading Comprehension |
30 |
30 |
|
Quantitative Ability |
30 |
30 |
|
Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency |
30 |
30 |
|
Total |
140 |
140 |
IBSAT Marking Scheme
The IBSAT (ICFAI Business School Aptitude Test) is an entrance exam for admission to various MBA and PGPM programs offered by ICFAI Business Schools. Below is the marking scheme for IBSAT :
|
Parameters |
Details |
|
Negative Marking |
There is no negative marking for incorrect answers. |
|
Total Marks |
140 |
|
Marking |
Each question carries 1 mark. |
|
Duration |
2 hours (120 minutes). |
Most Recommended Books for IBSAT Exam
In order to prepare for the IBSAT exam , candidates are advised to practice the subject wise books available. The list of books for the IBSAT exam is given in the following table.
|
Subject |
Name of Book |
Publisher/Author |
|
Verbal Ability |
Word Power Made Easy |
Norman Lewis |
|
High School English Grammar and Composition Key |
Wren & Martin |
|
|
English Plus ICSE for Class 10 |
Xavier Pinto |
|
|
Mastering the Verbal Ability for CAT |
Ajay Singh |
|
|
Reading Comprehension |
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT |
Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay/Arihant |
|
CAT Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension |
Gautam Puri |
|
|
Quantitative Ability |
Quantum CAT |
Sarvesh K. Verma |
|
Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning |
R. V. PRAVEEN |
|
|
Data Sufficiency and Data Interpretation |
How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT |
Arun Sharma |
|
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation |
Nishit K. Sinha |
Guidelines for IBSAT Exam Pattern
You can infer the following things from the IBSAT paper pattern:
- All sections are of equal importance as scoring maximum is the ultimate goal.
- Level of difficulty varies for each section. So strategy and time management is a must to succeed.
- Taking Mock Tests will improve your performance as well as speed and accuracy.
- Verbal ability section needs more emphasis as it carries maximum weightage. Further Reading Comprehension is another section which means English Language as a whole has more weightage in the exam.
- Strong conceptual base in Geometry, Number System, Probability and DI with good application orientation is the key to crack Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation.
- Speed and accuracy is all that matters to score in IBSAT.