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IIM Bangalore BBA DBE Exam Analysis 2025: Detailed Insights

Author : Leekesh Suryavanshi

September 2, 2025

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Overview: Dive into the comprehensive IIM Bangalore BBA DBE exam analysis 2025 for the DBE program held on 20th July 2025. Gain insights into the exam's structure, difficulty levels, key sections, and key takeaways.

The exam for IIM Bangalore's online BBA program in Digital Business and Entrepreneurship iwas commended on 20th July 2025.

This article offers a detailed analysis of the entrance exam, designed to assess candidates' aptitude in management, digital technologies, and entrepreneurship.

Our experts provide insights into the exam structure, difficulty levels, and key sections, along with strategic advice to help prospective students prepare effectively.

Let's dive in our IIM Bangalore BBA DBE exam analysis 2025.

IIM Bangalore BBA DBE Exam Analysis 2025: Exam Structure and Pattern

The IIM Bangalore BBA DBE Exam 2025 consisted of 60 questions with time limit as 90 minutes.

The 4 major included are,

Section Questions
Quantitative Aptitude + Data Interpretation 20
Verbal Ability + Reading Comprehension 20
Logical and Analytical Reasoning 10
General Awareness 10
Total 60

Highlights of the exam

  • No sectional time limit – As expected
  • No negative marking – As expected
  • Overall moderate
  • Last year's selection criteria: 20% right answers in General Awareness section & 50% and above in VARC, Quants, and LR

IIM Bangalore BBA DBE Exam Analysis 2025: Level of Difficulty (Overall) 

Section Difficulty Level
Quantitative Aptitude and DI Moderate to Difficult
General Awareness Moderate to Difficult
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Easy to Moderate
Logical Reasoning Easy
Overall Moderate

IIM Bangalore BBA DBE Exam Analysis 2025: Section-wise Highlights

1. Quantitative Ability 

The Quant section in this exam leaned towards a slightly more challenging end, featuring a combination of data interpretation and core mathematical concepts.

Below is a detailed topic-wise breakdown:

Data Interpretation (DI):

  • A multi-format DI set combining bar graphs and line tables was featured.
  • The data revolved around the population of three towns over a span of four years.
  • Candidates were required to calculate the percentage of the literate population, total literate population of town 2, and interpret other literacy-based metrics.
  • This set alone consisted of 4 questions, testing both interpretation and calculation speed.

Arithmetic and Algebra-Based Topics:

  • Voting and Ratio Shares: Questions based on vote counting, distribution, and share ratio problems were present.
  • Boats and Streams: Two questions tested conceptual understanding of upstream and downstream speed problems.

Series and Progressions:

  • Questions on sequence and series were included, focusing on patterns and logic. One question tested Arithmetic Mean (AM) understanding.

Time and Work (TnW):

  • Standard questions from Time and Work tested the efficiency of individuals or groups.

Functions:

  • Questions were based on evaluating and interpreting mathematical functions, likely involving composite functions and domain-range analysis.

Geometry:

  • Lines and Angles: Included fundamental problems around angles formed by intersecting lines or parallel lines with transversals.

Permutations and Combinations (PnC):

  • A question or two focused on basic and intermediate-level counting principles, covering arrangement and selection scenarios.

Let's uncover IIM Bangalore BBA DBE Exam Analysis for VARC.

IIM Bangalore BBA

IIM Bangalore BBA

2. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

This section was relatively straightforward, designed to test a student’s comprehension skills, vocabulary, and fundamental grammar understanding.

Here's a detailed breakdown:

Reading Comprehension (RC):

  • A short passage based on Okinawa City was included, followed by 4 comprehension-based questions.

The questions primarily focused on:

  • Identifying the statement that does not follow logically from the passage.
  • Determining the appropriate title or theme of the passage.
  • Understanding the central idea or main point being conveyed.

Vocabulary and Usage:

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

  • English Questions tested the contextual understanding of common idioms such as “turn a deaf ear” and relevant phrasal verbs.

Synonyms and Antonyms:

  • Two vocabulary-based questions required identifying synonyms or antonyms of given words.

Word Meaning:

  • One question focused on determining the meaning of a word or phrase in context.

Grammar and Sentence Correction:

Error Identification:

  • Over 3 questions were asked where students had to spot grammatical errors within given sentences.

Sentence Arrangement and Completion:

Para Jumble:

  • One question required students to rearrange jumbled sentences into a coherent paragraph.

Para Completion and Fill in the Blanks:

  • Combined question types where students had to complete missing parts of a paragraph and choose the correct option to fill the blanks.

Let's check out IIM Bangalore BBA DBE Exam Analysis 2025 for LR section.

3. Logical Reasoning (LR)

The LR section closely matched the pattern seen in the mocks, with standard question types and predictable difficulty.

All key reasoning topics were represented, each contributing one question, making the paper well-balanced and approachable.

Topic-Wise Breakdown of Logical Reasoning Section

Topic

Number of Questions

Series 1
Calendar 1
Direction Sense 1
Blood Relations 1
Syllogism 1
Sitting Arrangement (Linear) 1
Sitting Arrangement (Circular) 1
Statement & Conclusion 1
Coding-Decoding 1
Analogy 1

4. General Awareness (GA)

The General Awareness section tested a mix of current affairs and static GK with a special focus on Indian culture, notable personalities, awards, and historical events.

While the number of questions was limited to 10, they were spread across diverse themes requiring both factual knowledge and recent awareness.

Current Affairs:

  • A question was asked about N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Group, who was recently honored with a knighthood by the United Kingdom.
  • Another current affairs question focused on India Post Payments Bank, which was recognized with the Digital Payments Award 2024-25 by the Ministry of Finance for its role in promoting financial inclusion in rural India.

Art and Culture:

Dance-related questions featured prominently, including:

  • Identification of classical and folk dance forms.
  • A match-the-following type question involving different dance forms and their associated states or regions.

IIM Bangalore BBA DBE Exam Analysis 2025 showed questions from art & culture from different regions of India.

Geography:

  • A question on the Narmada River, likely related to its origin, course, or associated projects, tested students’ knowledge of Indian physical geography.

Modern Indian History:

  • One question checked the factual accuracy of events related to the Dandi March, a significant movement led by Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom struggle.

Books and Authors:

  • Students were required to identify the correct author for a specific book or match books with their writers — a commonly recurring topic in static GK.

Social Reform Movements:

  • A question highlighted the Society of Friends against Caste Rigidity, testing awareness about lesser-known but historically relevant reformist groups working toward social justice in India.

IIM Bangalore BBA

IIM Bangalore BBA

IIM Bangalore BBA DBE 2025 Expected Cutoffs

The cutoffs are expected to follow the last year's data as the paper was very similar to last year's paper.

However, it will be based on the number of students attempting the paper, normalization and overall difficulty. 

IIM Bangalore BBA DBE Exam Analysis: Key Takeaways for 2026 Aspirants

  • Read books regularly to build vocabulary and comprehension.
  • Practice mock tests consistently to evaluate performance and identify weak areas.
  • Leverage the LR (Logical Reasoning) and VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) sections, as they are generally more scoring.
  • Cover all topics in Quantitative Ability; do not skip any chapter regardless of difficulty.
  • Stay updated with current affairs by reading newspapers daily to strengthen the General Awareness section.

The IIM Bangalore BBA entrance exam represents a unique opportunity for prospective students to enter a cutting-edge program designed for the digital age.

By understanding the exam format, expected difficulty, and preparing accordingly, candidates can enhance their chances of success significantly.

Key Takeaways:

  • The IIM Bangalore BBA 2025 entrance exam was of moderate difficulty, featuring 60 questions across Quant, VARC, LR, and GA.
  • Quant and GA sections were relatively tougher, while VARC and LR offered scoring opportunities with familiar patterns.
  • Data Interpretation, idioms/grammar, standard reasoning types, and current affairs like awards and rivers were heavily tested.
  • There was no negative marking or sectional time limit, offering flexibility in strategy and time management.
  • Aspirants targeting 2026 should master every chapter in Quant, read newspapers, and focus on VARC + LR for a strategic edge.
  • As per the IIM Bangalore BBA DBE exam analysis 2025, 2026 aspirants should prepare accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

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About the Author

Faculty
Leekesh Suryavanshi

Senior Content Writer

A seasoned content writer with 4 years of hands-on experience in SEO content writing across diverse domains including education, technology, health, and lifestyle. Additionally, I am proficient in Technical writing, Email writing, Ghost writing, Proofreading, and Editing.... more