IBSAT 2015 commenced on 12 December. As per the feedback received from the test takers on the first day, the paper seems to be close to the mock test provided on the official website of IBSAT 2015.
Time allotted
2 Hrs.
Total no. of questions
140
Total Marks
140
Marking Scheme
1
Sections
4
Number of choices
5
Negative Marking
No
Sections
No. of Questions
No. of Marks
Verbal Ability
50
50
Reading Comprehension
30
30
Quantitative Ability
30
30
Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency
30
30
Total
140
140
Note - The following observations have been made based on test-takers' feedback from day 1.
Section I – Verbal Ability (English Usage)
The section had a mix of vocabulary, grammar and para-jumble questions. As is usual in IBSAT, focus was on vocabulary. Someone good with words would have a definite edge over others.
Overall, around 27-30 can be considered a decent attempt. The time to be allocated for this section need not have been more than 25 minutes.
Section II - Reading Comprehension
This section comprised four RC passages - of lengths varying between 200 and 500 words. With the exception of a few inference based questions, most of the questions in the section were fact-based and direct.
Around 17-20 could be comfortably solved in 30 minutes in the section.
Section III - Quantitative Ability
The Quant section had a good mix of questions from Arithmetic, Geometry-Mensuration, Algebra, Higher Maths. Though there are some straight forward questions, most of the questions can be classified as moderate to difficult-level.
The section had quite a few time-guzzlers. The Quant part this year had definitely some time consuming questions but a good student who prepared well should have been able to attempt around 18-20 questions correctly by spending about 35 minutes.
Section IV - Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency
The section had a pie-chart clubbed with a table-based set, a line-graph and a stacked bar graph based DI sets. Though the data for the pie-chart based questions is slightly bigger, the questions were doable. In the other sets, some of the questions were calculation-intensive while some were a minor calculations or even observation-based. Regular questions like percentage change, ratios, average were seen in this section. There were 15 questions based on these sets.
Data sufficiency was dominated by Quant-based DS coupled with some reasoning-based questions. Majority of the questions were of easy-moderate level of difficulty questions.
A good student should have been able to attempt around 17-20 questions in this section in 30 minutes.
Bottom Line
Good Vocabulary, high reading speed, smart question selection and keeping a tab on time would have ensured a student did well in the test.
