IIM Bangalore Exam Analysis 2026 [Difficulty Level, Good Attempts & Expected Cut Off]

IIM Bangalore Exam Analysis 2026: The IIM Bangalore UG Admissions Test 2026 is one of the most-awaited undergraduate entrance exams this season. The exam is scheduled to be held on 13 December 2025 across multiple test centres in India and will be the gateway to IIM Bangalore’s new four-year residential BSc (Hons) programmes in Economics and Data Science from the academic year 2026–27.

With a limited number of seats and high interest among Class 12 students, competition is naturally fierce.

This page will work as your complete IIM Bangalore Exam Analysis 2026 hub – covering:

• Exam overview & pattern
• Section-wise expected difficulty
• Good attempts and ideal score range
• Expected cut-off for BSc (Hons) Economics & Data Science
• Selection process & post-exam timeline
• Prep insights for future aspirants (2027 & beyond)

Note: As the IIM Bangalore UG exam is scheduled for 13 December 2025, the detailed, ground-level difficulty analysis will be updated after the test is conducted. For now, the structure and expectations are based on the official pattern and selection process announced by IIM Bangalore and leading preparation sources.

IIM Bangalore UG Admission Test 2026 – IIM Bangalore Exam Analysis 2026 Overview

The IIM Bangalore UG entrance test (often referred to as the IIMB UG Admissions Test / IIMB UG-AT) is the primary shortlisting tool for admission to the following programmes:

• BSc (Hons) Economics
• BSc (Hons) Data Science

Exam Name	IIM Bangalore UG Admissions Test 2026
Conducting Body	Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB)
Programmes Covered	BSc (Hons) Economics & BSc (Hons) Data Science
Academic Year	2026–27 (first cohort of UG programmes)
Exam Date	13 December 2025
Mode of Exam	Computer-based test (online)
Duration	120 minutes
Question Type	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Total Questions	60
Stage in Selection	Stage 1 written exam – carries 60% weightage in final selection (combined with 40% Personal Interview)

IIM Bangalore Exam Pattern 2026 – Section-Wise Structure

As per the official structure and shared pattern details, the IIM Bangalore UG entrance test follows a 3-section, 60-question, 120-minute pattern with negative marking.

Section-wise Question Distribution

Section	No. of Questions	Duration (Overall)	Nature of Questions
English Comprehension / Verbal Ability	15	Part of 120 mins	RC passages, vocabulary, grammar, and basic verbal reasoning
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation	30	Part of 120 mins	Arithmetic, algebra, basic math, and data interpretation sets
Logical / Analytical Reasoning	15	Part of 120 mins	Puzzles, arrangements, series, coding–decoding, logical sets
Total	60	120 minutes	MCQ-based aptitude test

Marking Scheme

• +1 mark for every correct answer
• −1/3 mark for every incorrect answer (negative marking)
• 0 marks for unattempted questions (to be confirmed by final instructions)

IIM Bangalore Exam Analysis 2026 – Overall Difficulty (To Be Updated After Exam)

This is the core section that most students will refer to right after the test on 13 December 2025. Once the exam is conducted, actual student feedback and expert reviews will be used to finalise the difficulty levels.

Overall Difficulty Trend (Expected)

Post-exam, this IIM Bangalore Exam Analysis 2026 section will summarise:

• Overall Difficulty Level: Easy / Moderate / Moderate–High / Difficult
• Time Pressure: Manageable / Tight / Very tight
• Comparison with Official Pattern: whether the paper matched the announced pattern or included surprise elements like new question types or heavier DI/Reasoning.

Example of how this will read post-exam:

“Based on student feedback and expert review, the IIM Bangalore UG Admissions Test 2026 was [to be updated] in difficulty. While the English section was largely scoring, the Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation section emerged as the most time-consuming part of the paper, with multi-step calculations and dense DI sets. Logical Reasoning offered a mix of standard puzzles and pattern-based questions.”

Section-Wise IIM Bangalore Exam Analysis 2026

1. IIMB Bangalore Exam Analyis 2026: English / Verbal Ability

The English / Verbal Ability section is expected to be a scoring area for students who are comfortable with reading and language usage.

• No. of Questions: 15
• Typical Question Types:

• 1–2 Reading Comprehension (RC) passages
• Vocabulary-in-context / synonyms–antonyms
• Grammar-based error detection/sentence correction
• Para-jumbles or odd-sentence-out

Post-exam, you can describe it as:

• Difficulty Level: To be updated (likely Easy–Moderate)
• Ideal Good Attempts: 12–14 with high accuracy

Question Type	Expected No. of Questions	Difficulty (Post-Exam)	Remarks
Reading Comprehension	6–8	To be updated	Inference and main idea-based questions
Vocabulary / Usage	3–4	To be updated	Root words and context-based questions
Grammar / Sentence Errors	2–3	To be updated	Focus on tense, subject–verb agreement, and modifiers
Para-based / Arrangement	2–3	To be updated	Logical flow and coherence

2. IIM Bangalore Exam Analyis 2026: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

This is likely to be the heaviest section in terms of both weightage and difficulty, especially for aspirants who are not very comfortable with mathematics.

• No. of Questions: 30
• Broad Syllabus Orientation:

• Arithmetic (Percentages, Profit–Loss, SI–CI, Ratio–Proportion, Averages)
• Algebra (Linear equations, inequalities, simple quadratic ideas)
• Basics of Number System
• Data Interpretation (tables, graphs, charts, caselet-based DI sets)

Post-exam, you can capture:

• Difficulty Level: To be updated (likely Moderate–Difficult)
• Good Attempts: 20–24 with decent accuracy

Topic	Expected Weightage	Difficulty (Post-Exam)	Comments
Arithmetic (Percentages, Ratios, Averages, SI–CI, Profit–Loss)	8–10 questions	To be updated	Conceptual with moderate to heavy calculations
Algebra & Equations	5–7 questions	To be updated	Required comfort with algebraic manipulation
Number System / Miscellaneous	3–5 questions	To be updated	A few tricky conceptual questions are possible
Data Interpretation (Tables / Graphs / Charts)	10–12 questions	To be updated	Time-consuming sets where accuracy is crucial

3. IIM Bangalore Exam Analysis 2026: Logical / Analytical Reasoning

The Logical / Analytical Reasoning section tests a student’s problem-solving ability, pattern recognition, and structured thinking.

• No. of Questions: 15
• Expected Areas:

• Linear/circular arrangements
• Team/grouping puzzles
• Series and pattern recognition
• Coding–decoding
• Syllogisms/statement–conclusion-based questions

After the exam, you can summarise as:

• Difficulty Level: To be updated (likely Moderate)
• Good Attempts: 11–13

Question Type	Expected No. of Questions	Difficulty (Post-Exam)	Remarks
Arrangement & Puzzles	5–7	To be updated	Could take maximum time; careful reading required
Series / Coding–Decoding	3–4	To be updated	Scoring if patterns are identified quickly
Syllogisms / Logical Statements	2–3	To be updated	Requires a clear understanding of logical structures
Miscellaneous Reasoning	2–3	To be updated	Mixed difficulty questions

Good Attempts & Ideal Score in IIM Bangalore Exam 2026

This section gives an indicative idea of what could be considered a good attempt range in the paper. It will be refined after the actual exam based on student performance and feedback.

Expected Good Attempts (Template)

Section	Total Questions	Expected Good Attempts (Range)
English / Verbal Ability	15	12–14
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation	30	20–24
Logical / Analytical Reasoning	15	11–13
Overall	60	43–50

A student aiming for a shortlist to IIM Bangalore’s BSc (Hons) Economics or BSc (Hons) Data Science should ideally target accurate attempts in the 43–50 range out of 60, with minimal negative marking. Accuracy is more important than blind guesswork because of the −1/3 negative marking for incorrect answers.

IIM Bangalore Expected Cut Off 2026 – BSc (Hons) Economics & Data Science

Official cut-offs will only be known after the exam and shortlisting round. However, we know that the final selection is based on a composite score where:

• The Entrance Test score carries 60% weightage
• The Personal Interview score carries 40% weightage

Intake is limited, with separate seat counts for BSc (Hons) Economics and BSc (Hons) Data Science. This naturally pushes cut-offs higher for popular categories.

Tentative Safe Score Bands (Indicative)

Programme	Category	Tentative Safe Raw Score Band (out of 60)	Comment
BSc (Hons) Economics	General	42–48	A smaller intake may push the cut-off higher
BSc (Hons) Economics	EWS / OBC-NCL	38–44	Slight relaxation expected compared to the General
BSc (Hons) Economics	SC / ST / PwD	32–38	Reservation benefits plus composite score consideration
BSc (Hons) Data Science	General	44–50	Likely to attract math-strong applicants, so the cut-off may be higher
BSc (Hons) Data Science	EWS / OBC-NCL	40–46	Competitive but slightly lower than the General category
BSc (Hons) Data Science	SC / ST / PwD	34–40	Reservation and composite performance will matter

Disclaimer: These bands are purely indicative based on expected difficulty, competition level, and limited intake. Actual cut-offs may go up or down once IIM Bangalore releases the official shortlist.

IIM Bangalore UG Selection Process 2026 – What Happens After the Exam?

UG admissions to IIM Bangalore follow a two-stage selection process.

Stage 1: Entrance Test (60% Weightage)

• Candidates appear for the IIMB UG Admissions Test on 13 December 2025.
• Scores in this test are used to shortlist candidates for the Personal Interview (PI).

Stage 2: Personal Interview (40% Weightage)

• Shortlisted candidates are called for an online or offline Personal Interview (as notified by IIMB).
• The final selection is based on a composite score that includes:
  • Entrance Test Score – 60%
  • PI Performance – 40%

As per typical academic timelines, PI rounds are expected around January 2026, with final offers being rolled out by late February or early March (tentative and subject to official updates).

IIM Bangalore Exam Analysis 2026 – What It Means for Future Aspirants (2027 & Beyond)

The first few years of the IIM Bangalore UG Admissions Test will set the benchmark pattern for future aspirants. If you are currently in Class 11 or early Class 12 and planning to target IIMB’s UG programmes, the IIMB Bangalore Exam Analyiss 2026 paper will give crucial insights.

• Pattern Stability: Expect the 3-section, 60-question, 120-minute pattern with English, Quant + DI, and Logical Reasoning to continue in the coming years, with only minor tweaks.
• Maths Matters: Strong fundamentals in school-level mathematics will play a big role, especially for BSc (Hons) Data Science. Arithmetic and Algebra will be central.
• Profile + Performance: With a 60:40 balance between exam and interview, communication skills, academic consistency, and clarity of goals will be important for final selection.

Prep guidance for future aspirants:

• Start focused preparation from Class 11 or early Class 12.
• Strengthen fundamentals in Arithmetic, Algebra, and basic Data Interpretation.
• Develop a habit of reading editorials and analysis pieces to improve English comprehension.
• Regularly attempt full-length mock tests simulating the 60-question, 2-hour pattern.

Official Website: https://www.iimb.ac.in/