IIFT (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade )

01 January 1990

IIFT 2026

Notification | Eligibility | Application Form | Exam Schedule | Syllabus | Pattern | Admit Cards | Results

The IIFT 2026 (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade) is a national level entrance examination which stands as a prominent gateway for students aspiring to pursue an MBA in International Business. Recognized for its rigorous selection process, the IIFT exam evaluates candidates across a spectrum of competencies, including quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, verbal ability, data interpretation, and general awareness. The exam is designed to test not only academic proficiency but also the analytical and decision-making skills essential for future business leaders. However, since 2019 the authorities of IIFT have decided to take admission of its students based on the CAT scores.

The said exam was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of IIFT. With a comprehensive syllabus that covers topics such as current affairs, business, economics, and language skills, the exam aims to identify well-rounded individuals ready to excel in the global business environment. The two-hour computer-based test challenges its applicants with 120-130 questions, ensuring that only the most prepared and versatile candidates secure admission to this prestigious institution.

 Click here: IIFT Sample Question Papers

IIFT 2026 Important Dates:

Event

Tentative Dates for 2026

Online registration starts

3rd week of October 2025

Deadline for online registration

1st week of December 2025

Last date of payment

1st week of December 2025

 

IIFT 2026 Test Centres

IIFT 2026 Eligibility Criteria:

  • Year Post Graduate Program (MBA):
  • Candidates must have a minimum 3-year bachelor’s degree from a recognized university or institute.
  • General category candidates need at least 50% marks in graduation; SC/ST/PwD candidates require 45% marks.
  • Those in the final year of their bachelor’s degree can apply, but must submit proof of passing the qualifying exam by the specified deadline (typically October 2026).
  • Indian citizens, NRIs, and foreign nationals are eligible. Foreign/NRI applicants must provide supporting documents and meet residency requirements.
  • For 2026 admissions, candidates must appear for the CAT exam (IIFT will not conduct its own entrance test).
  • There is no upper age limit to apply for IIFT 2026.
  • Candidates with professional degrees equivalent to a bachelor’s degree (recognized by the Government of India) are also eligible.
  • Candidates must have studied mathematics or statistics at the graduation level or at the 10+2 level.
  • These criteria apply to both domestic and eligible international applicants seeking admission to IIFT’s flagship MBA programs in 2026.

 

Get full details IIFT 2026 Eligibility Criteria 

IIFT 2026 Exam Pattern:

The IIFT 2026 exam pattern will follow the CAT exam pattern which has been listed below.

  • The exam will be online in a Computer-based mode.
  • The duration of the exam will be of 2 hours (120 minutes).
  • The exam will be conducted in English
  • There will be approximately 110 (may range between 110–130) questions which will be Multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
  • Candidates can allocate time across sections as they wish.
  • There will be -1 for each incorrect answer in QA, VARC, & DILR and -0.5 in GA.
  • The syllabus will contain Quantitative Analysis, Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and General Awareness.
  • The exam difficulty level will be moderate to difficult.

Following is the exam structure listed below in a tabular form.

Section

Number of Questions

Marks per Question

Negative Marking

Total Marks

Quantitative Analysis

25

3

-1 per incorrect answer

75

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

35

3

-1 per incorrect answer

105

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

30

3

-1 per incorrect answer

90

General Awareness (GA)

20

1.5

-0.5 per incorrect answer

30

Total

110

300

 

 Check IIFT 2026 Exam Pattern

 

IIFT 2026 Application Form:

  • The IIFT 2026 application form will be available online starting from the third week of October 2025and the last date to apply will be the first week of December 2025.
  • Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree of at least 3 years with minimum 50% marks (45% for reserved categories) and final-year students can also apply.
  • The application process requires registration on the official IIFT website, filling in personal, academic, and contact details, and uploading a recent photograph, signature, and relevant certificates in the specified format.
  • The application fee must be paid online with INR 3,000 for General/ OBC/ EWS (MBA-IB), INR 2,000 for General/ OBC/ EWS (MBA-BA), INR 1,500/ INR 1,000 for SC/ ST/ PwD/ Transgender, and $200 (INR 16,000) for Foreign Nationals/ NRIs.
  • CAT 2025 scores are mandatory for admission to IIFT’s MBA (IB) and MBA (BA) programs as no separate IIFT entrance exam will be held.
  • Once submitted, no changes can be made to the application form.
  • Candidates should print and save a copy of the confirmation page for future reference.
  • Only candidates who meet all eligibility criteria and complete the application process will be considered for further rounds like Group Discussion, Written Skills Assessment, and Interview.

IIFT 2026 Application Process:

Requirements:

  1. Candidates must have a valid email id and phone number for ease of communication.
  2. Candidates will be required to provide their personal and academic details.
  3. Candidates need to upload their scanned images of a recent passport-size photograph and signature in JPEG/JPG format (size around 50 KB and signature size around 30 KB).

Steps to Apply for IIFT 2026:

Online Mode:

  • Candidates need to visit the official IIFT website (iift.ac.in) and click on the link for IIFT MBA (IB) or MBA (BA) 2026-28 application.
  • Candidates need to register themselves as a new user by providing their name, mobile number, and email ID. Set a password and choose a security question for future logins. Confirm the registration with the OTP sent to the mobile/email.
  • Candidates need to Log in using their application number and password to access the application form.
  • Fill out the application form with all required details, including personal, academic, parental, professional, and communication information. Candidates will need to select the preferred test city.
  • Upload scanned copies of recent passport-size photograph, signature, and relevant certificates (such as category or academic certificates) in the specified format and size (photo: 10–200 kb, signature: 4–30 kb, certificates: 50–300 kb; all in JPG/JPEG format).
  • Candidates will then have to verify their email ID using the OTP sent, and review all details before final submission.
  • Pay the application fee online via debit/credit card, net banking, or UPI. The fee is non-refundable and varies by category (e.g., INR 3,000 for General/OBC/EWS for MBA-IB).
  • Download and print the confirmation page after successful submission for future records.

 

Get Full Details IIFT 2026 Application Form

Registration Fee

Category

Fee

General / OBC Candidates

Rs.3000 /-

SC/ST/PH Candidates

Rs.1500 /-

Foreign National / NRI / Children of NRI Candidates

USD $ 200 (Rs.1600/-)

IIFT 2026 Syllabus:

The IIFT 2026 syllabus for the MBA entrance exam is structured into four main sections, each assessing different skill sets relevant for management studies. However, the syllabus is same as that of CAT as IIFT has stopped conducting its own exam since 2024-25 academic session and accepts CAT scores.

Following is the list of the topics that are usually covered in the syllabus for the exam.

  1. Quantitative Ability (QA): Arithmetic (Profit & Loss, Time & Work, Speed & Distance), Algebra (Quadratic Equations, Functions, Progressions), Geometry (Circles, Triangles, Mensuration), Number Systems (LCM, HCF, Divisibility Rules), Data Interpretation (Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts).

Additional areas: Permutation & Combination, Logarithms, Probability, Mixtures & Allegations, Simple & Compound Interest, Percentages, Pipes & Cisterns3.

  1. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC):
  • Verbal Ability:Spellings, Para jumbles, Sentence completion & correction, Voices, Phrases, Idioms, Proverbs, Prepositions, Word Matching, Speech, Synonyms & Antonyms, Odd One Out, Articles, Fill in the Blanks.
  • Reading Comprehension:Passages from diverse fields such as history, science & technology, business, literature, and arts.
  1. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR):
  • Data Interpretation:Line Graphs, Bar Graphs, Tables, Pie Charts, Mixed Graphs.
  • Logical Reasoning:Series & Analysis, Seating Arrangement (linear & circular), Comparison, Selection, Clocks, Calendars, Blood Relations, Input-Output, Coding-Decoding, Direction, Puzzles, Tournaments, Scheduling.
  1. General Knowledge & Awareness (GK):
  • Current Affairs:National and international events, economics, business, sports, awards, politics.
  • Static GK:Geography, currencies, books & authors, brand logos, wildlife sanctuaries, eminent personalities, mythology, films, literature, banking, bureaucrats, fictional characters.

Scholarship Details:

New Scholarship Scheme (NSS):

  • Coverage:10% of students in all full-time/regular degree courses (MBA-IB, MBA-BA, MA Economics, IPM).
  • Amount:20% of the tuition fee.

Eligibility:

  • Awarded on a means-cum-merit basis (70% weightage to means, 30% to merit).
  • Family income from all sources must be less than INR 8 LPA (subject to revision).
  • Scholarship is disbursed after successful completion of the programme.

Special Category Topper: Topper among SC/ST students receives a scholarship equivalent to the first-year tuition fee, capped at INR 3.5 lakh.

OPJEMS Scholarship: For MBA(IB) students (Delhi campus), selected through an online test and interview.

  • Amount: INR 1.5 lakh.

Central Sector Scholarship Scheme for SC/ST:

  • Eligibility:Family income should not exceed INR 6.5 LPA.
  • Benefits:Full tuition fee, non-refundable charges, living expenses (INR 2,220/month), and books/stationery (INR 3,000/year).

Need-Based Scholarship (for students admitted before AY 2023):

  • Benefit:Interest subsidy on educational loan for 27 months.
  • Eligibility:Family income less than INR 6.5 LPA.
Get Full Details about IIFT 2026 Syllabus

 

IIFT 2026 Admit Card:

  1. Candidates will be provided with admit cards by the authorities through the official website.
  2. Admit card is mandatory without which no candidate will be allowed to appear for the exam.
  3. Candidates will be able to download their hall tickets/admit cards from the official website with the help of login credentials or other information such as registration number, date of birth, etc.
Check IIFT 2026 Admit Cards 

IIFT 2026 Results:

The merit list/shortlisted candidates’ name will be announced by the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) in the 2nd week of February 2026. The IIFT conducts its admission procedures based on CAT exam which will be conducted in the 4th week of November 2025.

Candidates will then have to appear for the second round of selection which includes – writing assessments, interviews, group discussions, etc. This will be conducted during the 1st week of March 2026.

 

IIFT 2026 Selection Process:

  • After the IIFT 2026 exam results are published candidates can check their scores on the official website.
  • Based on the entrance exam scores, candidates will be shortlisted for the next stage, which typically includes Group Discussion (GD), Writing Skill Assessment (WSA), and Personal Interview (PI).
  • Shortlisted candidates will be receiving call letters with details about the schedule and venue for GD, WSA, and PI rounds.
  • Shortlisted candidates will need to participate in the Group Discussion, Writing Skill Assessment, and Personal Interview as per their schedule.
  • The final merit list will be prepared considering entrance exam score, performance in GD, WSA, PI, academic profile, and work experience (if applicable).
  • Selected candidates will receive admission offers, which are provisional until all required documents are verified and fees are paid.
  • Candidates must submit necessary documents and pay the admission fee within the stipulated deadline to confirm their seat.

IIFT 2026 Instructions:

  1. Candidates should upload their photograph and signature with the preferred size in the portal which should be clearly visible.
  2. Candidates need to carry their admit card/hall ticket to the exam centre. Candidates will be prohibited from entering the exam hall without this document.
  3. Candidates will also be required to carry a valid ID proof such as – Voter ID Card/ Aadhaar Card/ PAN Card/ Driving License, etc.
  4. It is advisable for all candidates to enter the designated exam hall before time for a smooth security process before the beginning of exam.
  5. Any candidate violating the rules will be strictly dealt as per the norms of the exam centre.
  6. Any candidate pursuing any unfair means in the exam hall will be dealt with as per the rules and regulations of the test centre.