IIFT 2023 selection process includes 3 stages- shortlisting candidates based on IIFT cut off scores, conducting WAT, GD, Extempore & PI (Personal Interviews), and preparing the final merit list.
- Candidates who cleared the overall & sectional IIFT 2023 cut offs have been shortlisted for the 2nd round of IIFT MBA admission process- GD/ Extempore & PI. IIFT cut off 2023 is 40.5 for the general category, 33 for EWS/ OBC-NCL, and 25.5 for SC/ ST/ PwD/ KM categories. Check IIFT 2023 cut off
- IIFT will release the final list of shortlisted candidates for admission to IIFT MBA (IB) 2023-24 batch based on various factors- IIFT exam score, WAT scores, GD/ Extempore & PI scores, academic/ gender diversity, and work experience.
- Foreign Nationals will be able to apply directly through GMAT score. Check IIFT Score Accepting Colleges
IIFT Admission Dates
IIFT 2023 Selection Process: Important Dates
Event | Dates |
IIFT 2023 Exam | December 18, 2022 |
IIFT 2023 Result | February 10, 2023 |
IIFT 2023 Cut off Release Date | March 1, 2023 |
Release of IIFT Shortlist 2023 | March 1, 2023 |
IIFT 2023 GD/ Extempore/ PI/ WAT | March 2023 |
IIFT Final Merit List | May 2023 |
IIFT 2023-24 Session Begins | July 2023 |
IIFT Selection Process
IIFT Selection Process 2023
IIFT Selection Process 2023 includes taking IIFT exam, clearing the cutoffs, essay, GD, and PI. Each round will act as a filter to shortlist the most deserving candidates for admission to IIFT Delhi, Kolkata, and Kakinada campuses. Here are details of all IIFT Selection Rounds for your reference:
IIFT Cut off
Only those candidates who appear IIFT 2023 exam and clear the overall and sectional cut offs will be eligible to participate in the further rounds of IIFT admission process. Given below are the expected IIFT sectional cut offs for your reference:
General | Gen-EWS/ OBC-NCL | SC/ ST/ PwD/ KM/ Non-Migrants |
40.5 | 33 | 25.5 |
IIFT Shortlist Criteria
Stage 1: IIFT 2023 Shortlisting
IIFT 2023 exam was conducted in online CBT mode on December 18, 2022. Candidates have been shortlisted for WAT/ GD/ PI rounds on the basis of the parameters mentioned in the table below along with the weightage:
Parameters | Weightage (Score) |
IIFT 2023 score | 73 |
Class 10 marks | 10 |
Class 12 marks | 10 |
Academic Diversity | Engg.- 0 Non-Engg. - 5 |
Gender Diversity | M - 0 F - 2 |
Total score | 100 |
IIFT Extempore & PI
Stage 2: IIFT Extempore & PI rounds
Shortlisted candidates have to appear for the further rounds of IIFT selection- Extempore and PI rounds. These rounds are expected to commence in the 2nd week of March 2023 and will continue till the third week of April 2023. This year WAT and GD rounds will not be conducted.
IIFT Extempore
This year, IIFT will conduct the extempore round instead of the GD round. In this round, candidates will be given a topic to speak on for a specific time limit. The selection panel will judge the candidates on their speaking skills, clarity of thought & expression, and spontaneity.
Sample Topics for IIFT Extempore
- Business and ethics don't go hand in hand these days.
- Union Budget is a useless exercise and activities like recession put it off-track
- Essential services like water, electricity should not be privatized
- Is disinvestment in profit-making PSUs advisable?
- British Raj in India was good or bad.
- Child rights in India.
- Should CSR be made mandatory?
- Moral policing is an obstruction to the country's art and culture.
IIFT Personal Interview (PI)
Personal Interview in IIFT is aimed at getting to know who the candidate really is, as an individual.
- A confident personality, a creative thought process, and an innovative bend of mind are the parameters that are looked for in the candidate.
- If the candidate can maintain a calm and composed persona without getting flustered under pressure, then chances are that he would get selected, given everything else is in order.
- He should know the answers to some very common questions such as “Tell us something about yourself” and “What are your strengths and weaknesses”.
- These are questions that are asked as ice-breakers in every interview and being ill-prepared for such questions may lead to low scores.
- The candidate gets an opportunity to turn the interview in his favor.
- The panel on the other hand also gets the chance to drill the candidates about any existing loopholes.
- Hence, the candidate should be able to justify anything that has been mentioned in his profile and have reasonable explanations for any discrepancies.
IIFT Essay Writing/ Written Ability Test (WAT)
- The average time for the WAT round is 20 minutes and the word limit is 300 words.
- Here, candidates are tested on the basis of their excellent writing skills and conceptual knowledge about the topics presented.
- In order to prepare for this round of the selection procedure, it is important to read newspapers, especially the economy and business sections, regularly.
- One should also inculcate the habit of reading books and magazines from various genres, to develop a well-rounded thinking process.
A well-composed essay has a clearly defined introduction, a middle body, and a strong conclusion. To be able to put one’s thoughts into concise words, one is advised to write an ample number of essay pieces, covering some of the most important topics.
IIFT Group Discussion
GD round is aimed at figuring out how the candidate tends to work in a team.
- Candidate may be tested for an inclination to take charge or initiative.
- A candidate must have an optimistic, positive attitude and a tendency to resolve conflicts.
- As a part of GD, the candidates may be split into groups of 7 or so and then, they may be given a topic related to current affairs or business affairs to discuss.
- Candidates are adjudged on the basis of their ability to initiate proceedings, negotiation & persuasion skills, managerial in smooth conduct of the group discussion round, encouragement skills (who is able to ensure that everyone gets a chance to voice out their opinions), and ability to conclude by summarizing the points of discussion and bring the GD to a meaningful end.
IIFT Final Merit List
Stage 3: IIFT 2023 Final Merit List
For preparing the final merit list for IIFT MBA (IB) 2023-25 Admissions, the authorities will take into account the candidate’s performance in IIFT exam and Extempore/ PI rounds. The weightage that will be assigned to these parameters is mentioned below:
Parameter | Weightage |
IIFT 2023 Score | 45% |
WAT/ Extempore | 20% |
PI | 20% |
Academic Diversity (Engg.- 0, Non-Engg. - 2) | 2% |
Gender Diversity (Male- 0, Female- 2) | 2% |
Work Experience | 3% |
Academic Consistency (Class 10- 4%, Class 12- 4%) | 8% |
IIFT Selection for Foreigners
IIFT Selection Procedure for Foreign Nationals
- Candidates who fall under the category of Foreign Nationals or Non-Resident Indians (NRI) are also eligible to apply for IIFT 2023.
- They can apply directly through their GMAT (General Management Aptitude Test) Score, without appearing for IIFT Entrance Exam.
- For seeking admissions into MBA (IB), candidates’ GMAT results reach the institute latest by March 2023.
- IIFT Application Form for foreign nationals is available until the 1st week of February 2023, and the application fee is INR 4500.
IIFT Selection Process Centers
IIFT Centers for Selection Process
Candidates will have to report to the allotted center in the designated city for these rounds. The cities where the further rounds of IIFT selection process are conducted are -
- Bengaluru
- Chennai
- Delhi
- Hyderabad
- Kolkata
- Lucknow
- Mumbai
Once all these rounds have been completed, the final merit list of selected students will be declared by IIFT on their official website.
IIFT Final Selection Criteria
IIFT Selection Criteria 2023
For preparing the final merit list for IIFT MBA (IB) 2023-25 Admissions, the authorities will take into account the candidate’s performance in IIFT exam and GD/ WAT/ PI rounds. The weightage and the calculation of rating scores are mentioned below:
Parameter | Weightage |
IIFT 2023 Score | 45 |
WAT | 10 |
GD/ Extempore | 10 |
PI | 20 |
Academic/ Gender Diversity, Work Experience, and Academic Consistency | 15 |
Rating Score for Class 10th
Rating Score for Class 12th
Rating Score for Work Experience
Final Score of Work Experience = (Score based on number of years of experience) * (Score given by faculty in interview panel on 10 points Likert scale) / 10
IIFT Seat Intake
IIFT 2023 Seat Intake
Every year around 30000 candidates appear for IIFT exam, out of which about 1000 make it to the final rounds of selection. Out of these only 571 candidates will be allotted a seat in IIFT. The Seat Intake for IIFT 2023-24 MBA (IB) Admission is tabulated below for your reference:
IIFT Campus | Seats |
IIFT Delhi | 258 |
IIFT Kolkata | 253 |
IIFT Kakinada | 60 |
Frequently Asked Questions
IIFT Selection Process 2023 FAQs
Ques. Who conducts the selection process for IIFT MBA (IB) admission?
Ans. IIFT selection process is conducted by IIFT Delhi for admission to MBA (IB) courses offered by all 3 campuses- Delhi, Kolkata, and Kakinada. However, IIFT exam is conducted by NTA.
Ques. What is the shortlist criteria for IIFT 2023 MBA admission?
Ans. Candidates who meet the minimum sectional cut off criteria will be shortlisted for participation in Essay/ Extempore/ GD/ PI rounds. The parameters considered for shortlisting include IIFT exam score, class 10th and 12th scores, academic & gender diversity. All the parameters will be assigned different weightage.
Ques. How many seats are being offered through IIFT 2023 selection process?
Ans. For IIFT 2023-25 batch, the admission process will be conducted for filling 571 seats. The seat intake for all the 3 campuses is mentioned below:
- IIFT Delhi- 258
- IIFT Kolkata- 253
- IIFT Kakinada- 60
Ques. How does IIFT prepare the final merit list?
Ans. IIFT prepares the final merit list based on various factors like the candidate’s performance in WAT, GD, & PI rounds, IIFT exam scores, work experience, academic consistency. The selection criteria followed in 2022 is tabulated below for your reference:
Parameter | Weightage (%) |
IIFT Entrance Exam score | 45 |
WAT | 10 |
Extempore/ GD | 10 |
PI | 20 |
Gender Diversity | Female- 2 Male- 0 |
Academic Diversity | Non-Engg.- 2 Engg.- 0 |
Work Experience | 3 |
Academic Consistency | 8 |
Total | 100 |
Ques. What are the different rounds in IIFT selection process?
Ans. After getting shortlisted, candidates have to go through 3 rounds before final selection:
- Essay Writing/ Written Ability Test (WAT)
- Group Discussion (GD)/ Extempore
- Personal Interview (PI)
Ques. What is the minimum cut off for IIFT Admission 2023?
Ans. IIFT 2023 cut off will be released on February 2023. Candidates need to clear both the overall and sectional cut offs for IIFT admission. IIFT cut off 2023 is 42.6 for the General category, 35.1 for EWS/ OBC, and 27.6 for SC/ ST/ PwD/ Kashmiri Migrants.