The entrance test for admission into the Post Graduate Diploma in Business Analytics (PGDBA) programme, jointly conducted by IIT Kharagpur, IIM Calcutta and ISI Kolkata, focusing on the field of business analytics was conducted on 14 February, 2016. Let us have a closer look at the pattern of the test.

• Number of questions: 50 (Verbal Ability – 15, Logical Reasoning – 5, Data Interpretation – 5, Quantitative Aptitude – 25) 
• Marks per question: +3 
• Negative Marking: -1 
• Total Time: 3 hours

 Verbal Ability: 

There were 15 questions in this section. The two questions on 'Inappropriate usage of words' were very easy. The three 'Para-framing' questions were doable. The two Reading Comprehension (RC) passages accounted for the remaining questions. RCs would've posed a couple of challenges – the subjects of the passages, the closeness of options. Overall, around 10+ attempts can be considered decent.

 Logical Reasoning: 

There were 5 questions in this section – one on deduction and the others on connections. These were all doable. Overall, a good candidate would have been able to solve all the questions.

 Data Interpretation:

 There were 5 questions in this section, based on histogram. Four of these can be classified to be very easy. The question on arithmetic mean is the only one which required one to be prepared with the concepts – to consider the midpoint of each range to arrive at the mean.

 Quantitative Aptitude: 

There were 25 questions in this section. This section is likely to be the differentiator, as the Quant syllabus for the test is beyond what aspirants prepare for the other tests viz. CAT, XAT, IIFT. While the questions on Permutations & Combinations, Quadratic Equations, Progressions, Calculus, Geometry and Coordinate Geometry would have seemed familiar, the questions on Limits & Continuity, Matrices & Determinants would have been challenging for those who did not have a Higher Mathematics preparation. Overall, a well-prepared candidate would have been able to attempt around 15 questions in the section. 

 This is one of the rare competitive tests where 'time' does not play a role. So, one could re-read the RC passages till an answer could be deduced, spend time to ideate on the method of solving a few of the lengthy Quant questions.