How to prepare for the GK section of CMAT, IIFT, and XAT - Preparing for the GK section of CMAT, IIFT, and XAT requires a balanced and disciplined approach, as this section tests both awareness and retention. Aspirants should focus on static GK fundamentals, along with current affairs from the last 8–12 months and business-economic updates. Regular newspaper reading, monthly current affairs revision, and note-making are essential. Practising CMAT previous-year questions and mock tests helps understand exam-specific trends and improves accuracy and confidence.
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In this article by Careers360, candidates who are preparing for the MBA entrance tests will get to know how to prepare for the GK section of CMAT, IIFT, and XAT.
The entrance exam to the International Institute of Foreign Trade, also CMAT and XAT asks at least 15-25 questions in the test.
Exam and number of questions
Exam | Number of GK Questions |
CMAT | 20-25 |
IIFT | 15-18 |
XAT | 20 (12 Current Affairs and 8 questions from static GK) |
Since the general knowledge section is very wide as huge as an ocean, candidates can strategise their planning by covering the following topics that are given below:
Current Affairs & Social Issues
Business & Economics - Fiscal and Monetary policy changes
UNO - Wings, HQs, Agencies, Abbreviations
International Current Affairs & Events
Global Summits
Countries - Capital, Prominent development, Currency
Constitution of India and recent amendments
Latest Who’s is who
Awards, National, Honours, International days
Questions related to Geography, History, and General Science
Company logo identification
Books, Authors
To ace the GK section in the CMAT 2026 exam, aspirants must follow a well-planned, analytical approach rather than relying on memorisation alone. This section evaluates awareness of static GK, current affairs, and business-economic developments. Consistent reading, structured note-making, repeated revision, and topic-wise practice are essential to improve recall speed, accuracy, and confidence under exam pressure.
Divide GK preparation into three major areas: static GK, current affairs, and business awareness. Static GK includes history, geography, polity, and basic science, which form a strong base. Current affairs should focus on the last 12 months, covering national and international events, government schemes, sports, awards, and summits. Business awareness includes economic policies, budgets, reports, and corporate news. A category-wise plan ensures complete coverage and prevents random preparation.
Follow a disciplined cycle where current affairs are studied daily and revised at the end of each month. Maintaining month-wise notes helps track information systematically and avoids confusion during revision. Frequent revision is crucial because GK retention fades quickly without reinforcement. Linking news events to static concepts further improves memory and understanding.
Create concise revision notes with facts such as dates, numbers, rankings, and organisations for quick recall. Practise GK questions regularly to improve familiarity with question patterns. Analyse mock tests and previous CMAT papers to identify recurring themes and weak areas. This continuous feedback loop helps refine strategy, improve accuracy, and maximise GK scores efficiently.
Expert-suggested GK books for MBA entrance exams focus on building strong fundamentals in current affairs, static GK, and business awareness. These books are widely recommended by mentors for CMAT, IIFT, and XAT preparation because they offer exam-oriented coverage, clear explanations, and reliable updates. Regular reading, note-making, and revision from these resources help improve accuracy and confidence in the GK section.
Book Name | Author |
|---|---|
Lucent’s General Knowledge | Dr. Binay Karna |
Manorama Yearbook | Mammen Mathew (Editor) |
General Knowledge | Arihant Experts |
India Year Book | Publications Division, Govt. of India |
Competition Success Review | Pratiyogita Darpan Group |
Here are some tips which would help the candidates to ace the General Knowledge section in the above-mentioned exams:
Before starting preparation for GK, aspirants should divide the areas from which questions are asked in this section as it will help them a lot to categorize the different types of questions further. GK is broadly divided into two sections, that is, Static Gk and Current Affairs. The current affairs section includes questions based on Business & Economy, International Affairs, Government plans and schemes and their implementation, Awards, and Honours. The Static Gk Section mainly includes questions related to Countries and Capitals, currencies, Books & Authors, United Nations, Sports, and Company records.
In order to cover the section on national and international current affairs, candidates must make sure that they read national daily and listen to the news on Doordarshan as major policy-related decisions are announced on it. Moreover reading the newspaper on a regular basis will help the candidates get an idea about the new appointments that are made in different spheres.
Candidates must practice some current affairs questions on a daily basis from different topics to get updated about what is happening all over the world. Making notes from the daily newspaper is one of the best ways to prepare for current affairs questions. Making such notes will not help the candidates memorize what they have learned but during the last-minute preparation, they will also get an opportunity to flip through the pages and revise.
Business & Economy related questions cover a major part of the GK section in exams like IIFT, CMAT, and XAT. The questions mainly revolve around the economic policies, changes in Corporate and industry, latest business news like, who’s who, Business awards & honors, logos of companies and their performance, etc. Candidates can prepare for this section with the help of business magazines, reading newspapers, etc and scanning through relevant business sites, etc.
Some of the questions in the GK section of CMAT, IIFT, and XAT are asked from prominent international events that have taken place. While preparing for international events, candidates could study from prominent international news sites which provide correct and authentic news as well as intensive information. Therefore, it is important for the candidates to regularly go through these websites, see if any new international treaty is signed, who were the signatories to it so on and so forth.
To prepare the GK section of CMAT, IIFT, and XAT candidates should practice mock tests based on the General Knowledge section of the paper, on a regular basis. This will help them to analyze how well they have prepared for the entrance test and how much more effort they will be required to put in. On a periodical basis, candidates must take quiz as this will also help them to improve their general knowledge.
While making notes or attempting questions throughout the preparation for the GK section, candidates should not only answer one question if asked from a particular topic, instead should create as many extra questions as they can from that particular question so that more knowledge could be gained on a particular topic. For example - suppose a question is asked related to the topic of international affairs and the answer is in the form of the name of the country. Here, candidates should not only answer which country is the correct option but also should pay attention to other information relevant to that country such as capital, currency, current leader, etc., of the country as well.
We know that to retain a particular thing in memory for a long time, it is essential to revise again and again. Hence, therefore it is needless to say that whatever notes one makes on a daily basis, one must revise their notes before going to bed every day. It will definitely help them to have the answer to all the questions at their fingertips.
To master the GK section of CMAT, IIFT, and XAT, focus on a mix of monthly current affairs magazines, reliable newspapers, static GK books, and yearbooks. Regular quizzes, mock tests, and concise revision notes help reinforce facts and improve recall for exam-day accuracy.
CMAT Question Paper
Going through previous years’ CMAT question papers helps you understand the actual exam format, section-wise weightage, and difficulty level. It gives clarity on frequently tested topics and common question types, helping you align your preparation with CMAT standards. Regular analysis of question papers also improves time allocation and reduces exam-day surprises by familiarising you with real exam patterns.
CMAT Previous Year’s Question Papers | Download Link |
|---|---|
CMAT 2024 Slot 1 Question Paper | |
CMAT 2024 Slot 2 Question Paper | |
CMAT 2023 Question Paper | |
CMAT 2022 Question Paper with Answers | |
CMAT 2021 Slot 1 Question Paper with Answers | |
CMAT 2021 Slot 2 Question Paper with Answers | |
CMAT 2020 Question Paper with Answers |
CMAT Sample Paper
CMAT sample papers are designed as model tests that mirror the latest exam syllabus and structure. They help aspirants practise a wide range of questions without exam pressure. By solving sample papers, you can strengthen weak areas, revise concepts, and build accuracy. They also boost confidence by offering repeated exposure to exam-like questions.
CMAT Mock Test
CMAT mock tests simulate the exact exam environment, including timer, difficulty level, and section order. They play a crucial role in improving speed, accuracy, and test-taking strategy. Analysing mock test performance helps identify mistakes, optimise question selection, and enhance time management, which are key to scoring higher in the CMAT 2026 exam.
CMAT Mock Test |
CMAT Practice Sets
CMAT practice sets focus on topic-wise and sectional practice for systematic preparation. They allow aspirants to master individual concepts through repetitive problem-solving. Regular practice sets help improve problem-solving efficiency, reduce conceptual gaps, and increase familiarity with different difficulty levels, ensuring consistent improvement and stronger performance in the actual exam.
CMAT Ebooks 2026
CMAT Ebooks 2026 offer structured, syllabus-aligned content that simplifies complex concepts across all sections. They provide detailed explanations, solved examples, and practice questions for self-paced learning. Ebooks are especially useful for concept building and last-minute revision, as they can be accessed anytime on digital devices. Regular study from CMAT ebooks helps strengthen fundamentals and ensures comprehensive coverage for effective exam preparation.
CMAT 2026 MCQ Guides | |
CMAT 2026 General Awareness Questions with Answers PDF |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There are 15–25 questions covering both static GK and current events in the GK component of the IIFT, CMAT, and XAT examinations.
For GK preparation, toppers advise reading publications like The Economist, Business Standard, Economic Times, and Manorama Year Book.
GK can be divided into Static GK (e.g., countries, capitals, currencies) and Current Affairs (e.g., business & economy, international events, government schemes).
Read national newspapers daily like The Hindu, follow news websites, and make notes of important events. Watching Doordarshan for government policy updates is also recommended.
You should cover static GK such as history, geography, polity, science, and culture, along with current affairs from the past 8–12 months. Business awareness, government schemes, economic policies, awards, sports, and international events are especially important for IIFT and XAT.
GK should be studied daily in short but consistent sessions of 30–45 minutes. Daily reading helps you stay updated, while weekly and monthly revisions ensure long-term retention of facts.
A combination of standard GK books, a national newspaper, monthly current affairs magazines, and online quizzes works best. Using limited but reliable sources prevents information overload and improves accuracy.
The foundation remains the same, but the focus varies. CMAT emphasises general awareness, IIFT focuses more on business and economic news, while XAT includes deeper static GK and decision-related awareness.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Here are some top colleges accepting XAT and CAT exams :
Top colleges accepting CAT:
IIMs (All Indian Institutes of Management)
FMS Delhi
SPJIMR Mumbai
MDI Gurgaon
IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)
IIT Delhi (DMS)
IIFT
IMT Ghaziabad
JBIMS Mumbai
Top colleges accepting XAT:
XLRI Jamshedpur
XIMB Bhubaneswar
IMT Ghaziabad
Great
Hi there,
A female candidate with a CAT percentile of 67.97 and low sectional scores should target private and tier-2/3 B-schools that accept overall CAT scores in the 60–70 percentile range and have flexible sectional criteria.
Some suitable options include AIMS Institute Bangalore, Doon Business School Dehradun, Christ Institute of
Hi there,
Yes, you are eligible for XISS Ranchi with a CAT percentile of 67.60.
According to recent admission trends, the CAT cutoff for the PGDM in Human Resource Management for the general category has been around 60 percentile. For other programs such as Marketing, Finance, and Rural Management, the
Hi there,
Careers360 offers a wide range of eBooks and study materials to assist with CAT preparation. You can access past CAT question papers with solutions to understand the exam pattern and difficulty level. Additionally, there are quantitative aptitude handbooks, cheat sheets, and section-specific practice sets for arithmetic, algebra, and
Hi there,
The minimum eligibility criteria for a general candidate to receive a call from IIM Sambalpur are as follows:
VARC: 65%ile
QUANTS: 65%ile
LRDI: 65%ile
Overall: 90%tile
Keep practising and aim to improve your score. You can also focus on other management exams where you may secure a strong
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