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Hi. The crash batch for 2026 has already been launched. If you are interested in joining the crash batch, in this blog you will find everything that you need to know about the crash.

Let’s start talking about Michil, and how we do what we do. Michil is a personal mentor-led IBA Admission preparation community where you are mentored for the IBA Admission Test in the fun way. Our gamified website that absorbs you in the practice all the day, our personal mentors to guide you throughout your admission journey, and our aspirant community that has people of similar drive to perform well in the test are what an Aspirant at Michil gets while preparing for the IBA Admission Test. In shorter words, you get everything you need to perform well in the IBA Admission Test.

There are two batches in Michil: 1. The regular batch and 2. The Crash Batch. Unlike the regular batch that starts right after HSC, the Crash Batch starts late. Everything that is taught in the regular batch is taught in the crash batch, too, but for the Crash Batch, everything is covered within a shorter period of time since the batch starts late. To be specific, you get-

8 Live Classes that cover everything
200+ Practice Tests
10+ Recorded Classes
6 topic-wise tests
10 Online Mock Tests
20+ Materials
Support for BUP FBS, BUP BBA GEN, JU IBA
Access to B/C unit Questions and Materials of the website
Access to The IBA Exam

Besides these, you get the guidelines on the website that give you important insights, you get mentors who will guide you through whenever you are stuck, you get a community that is locked in towards achieving the same goal.

To get into IBA, one has to pass each section of the test. I mean you will have to pass English, Maths and Analytical individually, and you will have to pass the written section too. And if you are called for the viva, you will have to pass that too.

Passing the test is sort of the most difficult thing here, too. People with amazing preparation often miss the pass bar by a very small margin and end up not getting in. This is the point where everything gets very scary. So, I think you understand by now that to pass the exam, you need to have extensive practice.

Michil tries to ensure that. Besides offering classes that have holistic lessons, we emphasize the importance of taking tests, too. Our website has 200+ Practice Tests. Each test has a median score that is determined by the performance of the people who took the test, accuracy percentage, difficulty level of each question and important stats that will exactly tell where you stand.

Who can join the Crash Batch?

Anyone from HSC 26
Anyone from HSC 27
Anyone preparing 2nd time for BUP

Also,

If you are stuck
If you need direction
If you need competition
If you have started late

Everything is Gamified-

To make your admission journey a little fun, everything on our website works like a game.

You get coins for attempting each question on the website, and one more coin for getting each question correct.

There is a coin leaderboard that shows how many coins you have earned so far and your standing compared to others.

Besides, to unlock our materials, the students need to spend their coins and get the materials. The more materials you want to unlock, the more coins you try to earn- this is how it works.

How is the crash batch run? The schedules?

The instructors teach you in the class and instruct you about what you need to do once you are done with the class. Using the coins, you get to unlock important materials. Once you are done going through the slides and the materials, you are left with a good number of Practice Tests that start from easy (difficulty level) and become difficult each step you move further.

Once we are done with classes in October, we will have 6 topic wise live tests to help you organize and revise everything. Then in November, we will have the online mock tests to assess the readiness and fix weaknesses for the IBA Admission Test.

On 28th November, you will get to sit in the IBA Exam by Michil where all the students from Michil take the exam together in the same venue, and take the final feedback.

How to enroll?

To enrol, you have to visit tathirmichil.com/crash. Here, find the Batch Application Form (Apply for the Batch button) and fill it up. Answer every question asked, because we thoroughly go through what you write. We prefer genuine and thoughtful answers.

Once you are done with the application, wait for 6-8 hours for the decision. The decision can be either “Accepted to the Crash Batch” or “Rejected”. If you are accepted, you will be batch assigned–which means that you will be assigned to the crash batch. Now, complete the subscription.

Payment-

The subscription fee for the Crash Batch is 8k taka. This is a one time payment and you will get an access to the website for the next 4 months (Until the last b/c unit related admission test)

If you are accepted, you will be emailed the batch group chat link and the facebook profile link of your instructor. Join the batch gc.

This is pretty much about it. To get notified everything about our batches and our mock programs, join the IBA Aspirant Group: https://m.me/ch/AbY1I7Q5pj5qYqMG/

If you have any queries about the Crash Batch, text me-

https://www.facebook.com/nayem.muntasir.logno.2025

Visit tathirmichil.com/crash to apply and see all the details discussed above.

1f:T2020,

The IBA admission test has no strict syllabus to maintain. Anything that tests your aptitude in mathematics, English, and analytical reasoning can appear in the exam. This cruel flexibility can make you struggle to decide where to start your preparation. Then again, the plethora of resources for each subject is already there to overwhelm you.

And trust me, if you are confused about where or how to start your preparation, almost 90% of the aspirants are facing the same struggle. However, no matter how common this confusion is, it is always important to find your own way out of it. In this blog, I will try to break down how I think you can kickstart your IBA preparation in two segments:

- for HSC 1st year students
- for HSC 2nd year/post-HSC students.

For HSC 1st Year Students:

If you have just freshly gotten into college and are trying to keep your head above water, but at the same time, are already thinking about where you will end up after college and considering giving IBA a shot, don’t worry; I got you.

First of all, I would say, hold your horses. Trust me, you have enough time. Try to navigate your way through your college life first. Understand how things work and how to maintain a balance between your life and academics. Then, if you manage to get enough breathing space after that, you can think about losing your sleep over your admission phase.

However, if you have already figured out how to maintain that balance and want to stay ahead in the competition by starting early, then there are a few things you can do.

You can start by learning vocabulary. Vocabulary is a very crucial and truly game-changing for the IBA admission test. Having a good grasp of the ocean of words will definitely help you get a strong kickstart in the admission race. But you don’t have to have your heart in your mouth while learning vocabulary in your first year.

Don’t set large goals at once. Take smaller steps at a time. It will make the journey more interesting, make the learning process less hectic, and keep the retention rate satisfactory. Just grab a vocabulary resource like Word Smart I & II, SAT and GRE Hit Parades, and start building a routine to learn new words regularly.

But don’t let this routine task make you lose your sanity. Fit it into your free time. For example, I used to get around 30 to 45 minutes before college, and I used that time to learn 5 to 10 words regularly.

Then you can do things that will enhance your aptitude in the background. Things like playing chess, solving puzzles, or even solving Rubik’s cubes. To improve your English comprehension, you can read English newspapers, newsletters, literature, or blogs. You can try journaling as well. Watching English movies and series can also help.

I don’t know whether there is any statistical evidence behind this, but from observation, people who engage in these activities tend to have better aptitude and comprehension ability.

Since the academic syllabus of HSC English is a bit boring and most people do not even study English in the dedicated time for it, you can go through books like Cliff’s TOEFL and Common Mistakes in English by T.J. Fitikides. You don’t need to remember every rule from these books. Just going through them will give you a solid head start in your admission phase.

If you still manage to get enough free time while covering your HSC syllabus, then you can grab a dedicated IBA admission book. My recommendation will be The IBA Book. You can randomly start solving questions from it on your own just to get an idea of what you are going to face.

Speaking about getting familiarised with the pattern, last but not least, try to sit for at least one diagnostic test if possible. This is very important, no matter when you start your preparation. You don’t need any preparation before sitting for it.

This will give you a somewhat clear, if not perfectly accurate, picture of your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t expect an epiphany, but it might send some signals about which direction you should move. Try to listen if your gut has something to say.

For HSC 2nd Year / Post-HSC Students:

If you are in your second year, then the first thing I would suggest is that you get determined about which path you want to follow as soon as possible. Don’t remain confused when you are approaching your admission journey.

You will hear about people who got into IBA, BUET, Medical, and almost every other university in Bangladesh at the same time. This might motivate you to become a “master of all trades” as well. But just to help you realise how rare that is, the acceptance rate of IBA is less than or nearly 1%.

Now I hope you can connect the dots and understand how eccentric this goal is and how much effort it requires to achieve something like that. I am not trying to demotivate you. If you are confident enough that you can make this once-in-a-blue-moon thing happen, then go for it. But make sure your plan is sorted in your head and that you execute it properly.

Now, keeping these aside, if you are serious about preparing for IBA, whether before or after your HSC, then again, the first thing you should start with is vocabulary.

Make learning vocabulary a habit.

Set a primary goal for yourself. Decide how many words you want to learn in your first week, first month, or first three months. Set a number that will push you. Try to be gritty enough to go beyond your own targets. Having a strong command of vocabulary will take you very far in this race. Trust that.

Then, for grammar, before you start practising exercises like error detection or sentence correction, go through Cliff’s TOEFL properly at the beginning. Don’t worry if you struggle to retain all the rules. That is normal. Practising those exercises will help you revisit what you have learned. Just make sure you practise enough.

For mathematics, start by clearing your concepts properly. When you begin a chapter, try to understand all the underlying ideas, patterns, and types of questions. Make your concepts so strong that even a new type of question starts to make sense when you read it carefully in the exam hall.

But again, only understanding concepts is not enough. If you don’t practise, you won’t be able to solve questions efficiently or manage your time properly in the exam. So practice is equally important, if not more.

Usually, aspirants start their analytical preparation a bit late. You can leave it for later as well. Start it after a month or two once you have made some progress in math and English.

Now, a few final suggestions.

From the very beginning, understand that you will have bad days. Not every day will go your way. Life will throw unexpected curveballs at you. But at the same time, you are capable enough to deal with them. Even if you don’t manage to handle all of them perfectly, you will still keep moving forward.

If you have decided to seriously prepare for IBA, that itself shows courage. Now be determined enough to turn that courage into something meaningful.

Be determined enough to start fresh every day with new energy. Be determined enough to give it what it takes to turn your vision into reality.

I wish you all end up living a life even better than the one you have imagined.

Godspeed.

Abdullah Zakir Mahir
IBA BBA 33rd Batch

Check out our Personal Batch for IBA Preparation

20:T1491,

This question crosses the minds of almost everyone at some point. If you like most aspects of IBA, you might wanna try it out.

Statistically, the acceptance rate is around 1%. It’s not something you can gamble on. If you already have a decent foundation or generally perform better in aptitude tests, your chance is a lot better than that.

To evaluate that, there are open-to-all assessment tests on this website. Sit for a test without any prior knowledge or preparation. You can then estimate your chances of getting in if you start preparing.

There are many assessment tests that you can choose from. The best one to assess yourself with is "THE IBA MOCK". Just like the IBA exam, you will get 70 questions in total: 30 English, 25 math, and 15 analytical. The "standard" of the next intake can never be predicted, but I've kept the questions similar to the recent years' standards.

Each right answer gives you one mark. There's a -0.25 penalty for each wrong answer and no penalty for the questions you don't answer. You get a total of 90 minutes, so around 1 min 15 s per question.

You cannot use a calculator, but you can do rough work on a sheet of paper so that calculations are easier. In the actual exam, you'd have to do it in the space between the questions or the blank space at the end of the question paper.

In the IBA exam, the passing bar is dependent on the performance of the examinees on that test. It varies based on the difficulty of the questions and the quality of the candidates. That’s why it is very difficult to try and predict what the passing bar will be until it is announced in the final results. But having a rough idea about the passing bar of each section is crucial to passing the test.

Last year, the passing bars were:

English 11.75/30 Mathematics 7/25 Analytical 6/15 Writing Part 12/30 Viva 12/20
Total: 49/100 and 61/120

After you submit the assessment test, you will see a detailed test result page that shows your total score out of 70 and individual scores in each section. There will be remarks such as "Needs Work" or "Good" beside the scores for your understanding.

You can also check the median of all the test takers that have ever taken this test! However, for free tests like these, the median tends to be very low because people are testing themselves out here without any preparation or clear intent.

The standard passing bar of this assessment test is around 30% in each individual section. If your scores are too low in a section, then chances are you might miss the passing bar in the IBA exam in that same section as well. But if you're confident that you can improve significantly through preparation, you can still give it a shot.

You will see individual section performances with score, attempt, accuracy, and time taken per score. Attempt is the percentage of total questions you attempted. Accuracy means the percentage of attempted questions you got right. Try to get both to more than 60%.

You'll also get these analyses topic-wise so that you can figure out the areas you are lacking in and work on those. There's a share button on the test result page. You can also share it with someone to get their opinions on it.

You can also find the questions in a separate tab and check which ones you got wrong and why. There are explanations as well. You will also see the time you spent on that specific question and figure out which questions take you more time.

You should read all the blogs on this website. They'll help you get a much better understanding of the dos and don'ts of DU IBA preparation.

Just like everything else, there are levels to the IBA admission test and its preparation. For now, keep it simple and slow. Don't overwhelm yourself. Just try to have fun along the process.

A short action sequence:
1. Sit for a quick assessment test first (it takes 30 mins)

2. Read the preview pages of the IBA book to get a better understanding of IBA as an institute: https://www.tathirmichil.com/book/preview
3. Read the blogs on this website for a better understanding of the admission test: https://www.tathirmichil.com/blogs
4. Sit for the full-length assessment test.
5. Decide whether you want to go all in, try your luck, or choose some other path.

Best of luck!! If you need any help, drop a detailed text addressing your situation and doubts: https://www.facebook.com/tathirmichil

21:T15f2,

The IBA Admission Test is essentially an aptitude test. Just like any other aptitude test, it tests your quantitative skills, language and communication, reasoning, and critical thinking ability. IBA follows question standards from the standardized aptitude tests, such as the GMAT, GRE, SAT, and CAT.

There's an MCQ part of 70 Marks and 30 Marks in the written. Each section of the test must be passed individually. There's a cut-off in the total marks as well. The passing bar depends on the performance of the candidates who sat for the test that year. So, you cannot predict it beforehand. But for safety, dhore rakho, the passing bar is 40% in each section.

You can expect 30 marks in English. 25 Marks in Maths. And 15 marks in Analytical in this year's MCQ part. And Argumentative Essays (and Creative writing) in the Writing part.

Do not worry about the viva at the start. The written exam is 100 marks and filters thousands down to roughly 160 to 180. Then the Viva board picks about 120 from them. If you get selected, you'll get plenty of time later to prepare for it.

In English, there are three major parts.
One is, of course, vocabulary, where they'll test whether you can use words such as Abash, Abate, Abdicate properly in a sentence. The question types can be either correct usage of words, sentence completion, cloze test, or something else.
Then there's the comprehension part, where you might be given a full reading comprehension passage and asked 4-7 questions on it. Or maybe one passage per question for questions such as para summary, para jumbles, para completion, etc.
Then there's the grammar part, which mainly has error detection and sentence correction. These are questions that test whether you know the basic grammar rules, such as modifiers, parallelism, subject-verb agreement, etc.

In Maths, there's arithmetic, work problems, probability, algebra, geometry, permutation and combination, profit-loss, mixture, ... the list is long! But you've done most of it throughout high school. If you revise these concepts and practice a little, you'll be fine. (given that you have studied them well in school).

In Analytical, there are puzzles. Puzzles are really fun! There's critical reasoning, where you'll be given an argument, and you have to evaluate it. There are data sufficiency questions, where you'll be given two data statements and asked a question based on those. You do not have to answer the question itself; you just have to tell whether the given data is sufficient to answer the question or not.

If you want to know more in-depth about the so-called "syllabus", you can go through the table of contents of The IBA Book. It is publicly available on the preview page: tathirmichil.com/book/preview

If you go through them all, tomar "syllabus" shesh hoye jabe. However, it is important not to be too fixated on completing x amount of resources and solving y amount of questions. I didn't even finish Mentors' Math Qbank or GRE Big Book or GMAT Official Guide, or anything really. I consecutively aced each mock test. My worse ever rank was 7 nationwide. I stood first in the admission test. Got 60+ out of 70 in the MCQ part. The passing bar was prolly around 30. So any one who tells you that you "need" X Y or Z is just being ignorant about the subjectivity.

You should rather focus on ensuring that when it's time to sit for the IBA admission test, you can confidently score more than 40% in each section. That's the only thing you need. For some people, it was possible without any prep, while some couldn't pull that off after a shit ton of effort.
You do not need to think or research about what worked for whom and which coaching or what book/website can do it for you. Ultimately, it has countless variables: mostly your aptitude, effort, and luck.

When I started preparing, I saw that I was really good at maths and analytical, but not as good in English. So I spent the rest of the time making sure that I do really well in English. Because I knew if I ever failed a section, it would be English. I memorized WordSmart I. I practiced ED from barron's SAT, SC from GMAT Official Guide. And even went for more.

The simple idea is that the more you improve your weaknesses, the better your chances of not failing that section in the test. Just follow this idea. And cut through all the other noise. Nothing will help you more than having the clarity of what you need to. Because with time, it's only gonna get more and more complex and overwhelming for you. If you need anything, you can drop me a detailed text addressing the issue. I'll try my best to help you out. Best of luck!!

You can join the HSC 26 IBA Aspirants messenger community chat for discussions and updates: https://m.me/ch/AbY1I7Q5pj5qYqMG/

22:T230c,

I am not sure whether IBA is right for me. Should I even start preparing?

You do not need to make that decision based on your gut or what other people say.

Read the guideline blogs on our website. Check out the preview section of The IBA Book, it has the first three sections of the book available online. These will help you understand IBA, the admission test, the curriculum and the kind of preparation it requires.

Start by sitting for a few assessment tests on the Michil website. These will help you understand your current baseline. Based on your results, you can decide further.

I keep hearing about lots of things together. Where do I actually start?

You can start with the guideline videos on the Michil YouTube channel.

The videos will give you the bigger picture before you start collecting books and solving random questions. You can then use the blogs on our website for more detailed guidance. The goal is to understand the preparation process first, then choose your resources.

How do I learn the basics before I sit for tests to improve?

In our live classes, each topic begins with the necessary concepts and gradually moves towards actual problem solving. The instructor explains the method, solves examples and then helps you apply the concept through practice.

The classes cover every single topic. If your basics are weak, the structured progression will help you build them before moving towards more difficult questions.

How do I know what I should study every week without getting overwhelmed?

You do not have to create the entire plan by yourself.

The curriculum page shows which topics will be covered and in what order. Your weekly schedule keeps your classes, practice, live tests and other activities organised.

Regular Guideline posts and sessions also explain what you should prioritise and how you should approach the coming week. This gives you a clear next step instead of waking up every day and wondering what to study.

We will cover everything through our weekly schedule before the final month of prep, which is dedicated to full length tests, exam hall strategy, and last minute fine-tuning.

After learning a topic, where can I find enough relevant questions to practise?

The Practice Test section of the website contains handpicked topic wise and difficulty wise tests across all sections and topics.

You can begin with easier questions while learning a topic, then gradually move towards medium and difficult sets. The website also allows you to create separate tests from questions you previously answered incorrectly or skipped.

Again, if you solve these you don’t need further practice.

How do I assess my performance and know whether I am genuinely improving?

Your dashboard tracks your scores, accuracy, sectional performance and test history.

Instead of judging yourself through one good rank or one bad test, you can observe your performance over time. You can see which sections are improving, where your accuracy is falling and which topics require more attention.

The purpose of the analytics is to help you make better decisions about your preparation.

Where can I sit for “standard” tests that follow the IBA format?

The Michil website hosts regular Live Tests where you can practise under the actual structure of the admission test.

These tests include a timer, negative marking, sectional pass bars, rankings and detailed performance analysis. They help you practise question selection, time management, accuracy and time/nerve control alongside subject knowledge. After each test, you can ask your instructor for feedback and work on them.

What if I get stuck, fall behind or need advice based on my personal situation?

Every Personal Batch student is assigned a personal mentor they can reach out to regularly.

Your mentor can help you understand your weaknesses, review your preparation strategy and decide what to do next. This is particularly useful when you are confused, struggling, or unsure whether your current plan is working.

I am also preparing for BUP, JU IBA and DU B or C Unit. How do I manage all my backups?

You do not need to create a completely separate preparation system for these.

The Units section on our website contains dedicated practice questions and materials for other relevant admission tests, including BUP, JU IBA and DU B and C Units. You can easily cover your backup preparation through the resources you find here. For further guidelines, we’ll host sessions by relevant experts.

Online tests feel different from sitting inside an exam hall. Where can I take offline mocks?

You can find upcoming dates, centers, and registration information on the Offline Mocks page.

The full-length offline mocks allow you to experience an actual exam setting with a fixed reporting time, physical question paper, invigilation, and other serious candidates around you.

Where can I find the right books, class materials, and preparation resources?

The Materials section keeps relevant books, notes, slides and other resources organised in one place. There’s nothing missing here that you “Need” to cover.

What happens if I miss a live class or need to understand a difficult concept again?

Available class recordings and related materials can be found in the Classes section of your account.

You can rewatch a difficult explanation, revise an older lesson or catch up on a class you missed. The slides and connected practice materials also help you continue from where the class ended. Still try not to miss weekly classes and tests, otherwise the backlogs can be troublesome.

How do I actually manage so much together?

Consistency becomes easier when your progress is visible and there is always a clear next activity. The website brings you everything inside one simple and fun interface.

Weekly tests, XP, leaderboards and friendly challenges give you regular checkpoints. Features such as 1v1 and batch versus batch activities can make practice more active and social.

The leaderboard gives you a reality check so that you always keep at it.

How do I apply for the Personal Batch and complete my enrolment?

Create an account on the Michil website and visit the Personal Batch page. Read the batch details and submit the application form with the required information.

Once submitted, your application will be reviewed, and the decision on your apication will be sent within two days. Accepted students will receive the next instructions through mail for selecting an available batch and completing enrolment. You can check out the announcement section for further details after you are assigned a batch. Once you subscribe through Bkash, you will be able to access the classes, tests, and everything else included in our website.

When will the classes start?

Our classes will formally start on 29th August, with an orientation in the first class. There will be two classes per week, providing lessons for the mastery of two specific topics. Classes on specific topics will go on until our mock tests begin in November. However, sessions and strategy classes will continue until the IBA Admission Test.

You do not need to use every possible resource on your first week. Read one blog, Watch one video, Take one assessment, understand what this whole thing is and where you stand. choose the next step from there.

If you need any help, just text any of us!

23:T3161,

Hi everyone!
This is Farhan Anjum from BBA 34th, instructor of Growlithe. Many of you may know that I come from a Business Studies NCTB background, which is a rarity in IBA (demotivating, I know). Every year around 2-5 students from this background make it into IBA. In my year, the number was only 1. Another one of my batchmates also made it to the viva but sadly failed the viva by 0.25 marks.
This is a guideline for students who want to prepare for IBA (Business Studies background), answers to the common questions I face and my personal experience.

1. Why don't students from this background make it into IBA as much as Science students do?

The second you chose this group, you limited your options compared to someone from a Science background. You can't prepare for medical, engineering, and become strictly restricted to DU C unit as your main goal (considering you want a public university seat). IBA is also an option but it's nowhere near the curriculum you will study in SSC and HSC. Everything else such as JU and JnU become backups. At some point in your academic years, you will hear about IBA and learn that it is the best business school in Bangladesh. You will become motivated and wonder why you never heard about it in the first place. You do some research and you figure out why. Math. (I'm assuming you have a solid base in English. You watch English movies and have no trouble understanding conversations in English. The question being in English doesn't intimidate you either)
The Math is not Accounting or Finance. It's something completely different. It's close to General Math you faced in SSC but much much harder. To make it worse, you won't have a calculator either. You try solving some previous year questions. You solve questions from the 90s and think to yourself "maybe I can figure it out" but the more recent the question papers get, the more you realize that the difficulty only kept rising.

This is the first demotivating factor for students of our background. The Math is insanely more difficult than what you had practiced in SSC or will learn in college.
Students from Science background aren't as intimidated as we are. They've solved really difficult problems in Physics, Chemistry, Higher Math that challenge their thinking. They are more than willing to take on this challenge.
In the end, students from a Business Studies background (I'm writing Business Studies over and over cause I don't want to abbreviate it) fail to get past the initial hurdle of the Math section and decide early on that IBA may not be for them. Business students are comparatively lower, and only a small number of that portion actually prepare for IBA, and an even smaller number actually make it into IBA. Because, simply remember, your chances of getting into IBA is minuscule compared to not getting into IBA.
Notice how I assumed you are good in English before writing all of this. I personally believe that if you don't have a decent foundation in English (you follow "it sounds good so it must be the answer", watch English movies, can follow English conversations easily), you shouldn't start IBA preparation at all. Everything is in English. If you have to translate a question to Bangla before solving it, that puts you in the bottom of the bracket of people who are preparing for IBA. Play it safe. Admission season is one of the most important times in your life. Make smart decisions, not emotionally blinded ones.

2. Should I prepare for IBA if I'm from a Business Studies background?

Before anyone decides that they want to give IBA prep a shot, they should definitely know the question pattern and sit for an assessment test beforehand to get a general idea of how the exam works. It's applicable for students from any background. Doing bad in the assessment test is alright as long as you understand what your weaknesses are. If you are confident in covering up these weaknesses in the upcoming months then you should definitely prepare for IBA. However, another important question comes to mind. Should you solely prepare for IBA? No, I don't think anyone should solely prepare for IBA due to how risky it is. Preparing for IBA helps you prepare for BUP BBA Gen, NSU/BRAC, and JU IBA. That's about it. People aiming for medical, engineering, FBS DU- the IBA prep won't help them significantly or at all if IBA doesn't work out.
So should you prepare for IBA? Yeah, if you want to and you're confident that you can take care of your weaknesses over some time and you have proper backups ready if IBA doesn't work out.

3. Common problems faced by Business Studies students

You will face a lot of problems during the admission season just like any other candidate will. Some will be unique, and most of it will be something every other candidate is facing as well. "Vocab mukhostho hoy na", "math pari na", "data sufficiency bujhi na" - these are not commmerce specific problems. It's something the majority of the candidates will face and you probably won't be an exception. You will need to figure out how to solve or tackle the obstacles.

A common problem among commerce aspirants (I was no exception until the last 2 weeks before the exam) is low self-esteem. You will constantly see people who do better than you, especially at the beginning of the preparation. You will mess up easy math problems that everyone else solves in a blink of an eye. You will feel that you lag behind and everyone else has a head-start but not you. However, you have to remember one thing: don't make it an identity issue.
What I mean to say is that, whenever you fail a math test or struggle keeping up, you cannot tell yourself "Ami commerce tai pari na" because it will soon become engraved in your identity and at some point in life you will have a hard separating the problem from yourself. A problem needs to be solved, not be made a part of your identity. This will result in low self-esteem and you will feel your confidence plummet over time.
So how can you tackle this? You don't make the issues a part of your identity. You couldn't solve an easy math problem because "tumi commerce" but because "practice hoy nai/concept bujhi nai bujha lagbe". You struggle with Math not because "tumi commerce" but because "tumi enough practice koro nai" and enough practice will eventually solve the problem. Believe what you say about yourself, and make sure you say things that will help you in the admission season and not the other way around. You have to be your best friend during the admission season and you can't do that by constantly lowering your self as a person. Be confident and rational and put in the effort.

Another problem will be: finding people to relate to. Everybody is an EV student, or a Science student, or an EM student. You don't know any seniors with the same background. For that, I'm here. Find me on Facebook. Ask me about all the other seniors I know that got into IBA from a Business Studies background.

Another problem is: managing backups. This is a common issue for most aspirants, but I'm gonna talk about the commerce side of it. You have every typical commerce student's dream: DU FBS. The syllabus for C unit (DU FBS) is just your college academics, just more in-depth. I personally had a hard time preparing for C unit because while I was really good in academics, I hated the syllabus. I did not enjoy studying Bangla, Management, Finance, Accounting theory cause it was just a lot of memorization and there wasn't a lot of room for fun imo. You might find yourself in a similar situation. However, it's best you prepare for C unit side-by-side. It's possible, and you just need to find a system that works for you; where you can enjoy the IBA preparation and dedicate some time make sure you get a seat in C unit. C unit prep will also help you secure seats in JU and JnU. My honest advice would be to prepare for C unit side-by-side even though I couldn't do it. I was under a lot of stress after I quit my C unit preparation and always kept wondering "IBA na hoile ki korbo", and it's one of the worst feelings ever. You don't want all that extra stress during the admission phase and you surely need to have good backups.

4. Actual preparation

If you're not an aspirant right now, maybe you are HSC 27 or 28, you can actually take this time to collect books like Saifurs BBA Math. This book provides you with basic Math concepts and helps you keep your Math in practice. However, this is not the book you should collect if you are an aspirant right now. You collect all the resources you are supposed to (I'm not mentioning them here since it's already covered in other blogs) and start practicing. This is how section-wise preparation as a commerce student looked for me:
Math: This is probably what you will be spending most of your time on. For the first month, you might even feel clueless and doubt yourself. However, there is indeed a gap. A gap[ that is caused by studying in commerce and you have to work just a little extra hard to cover that gap up. You will probably spend more time in Math than any other section. Best advice for this is: don't focus on finishing more resources. Focus on understanding the concept behind the problems. Solving and reviewing a handful of decently difficult yet rewarding questions is more important than finishing a lot of resources. Solve a math problem. See if you got it right. If yes, move on. If not, review it properly. Find faster and more efficient ways to solve the same problems. Become really good at hand-calculation. Since you will have to multiply/divide huge numbers without a calculator, you have to be really fast with it. Minimize your errors by practicing consistently.

English: I hope you believe that you have a decent foundation in English. You can learn grammar over time and figure out what patterns to look for in the English section. Make sure you are good in vocab as well. Finishing Word Smart 1 and the hit parades is a huge boost in confidence. There's a blog on the English section as well. I personally was really confident about English so I maximized my marks on this section. You can too if this suits you.

Analytical: I believe just a few weeks in analytical is more than enough for anyone. If you were able to keep up with everything else in your IBA preparation, this section will come naturally to you. As a commerce student, you might struggle a little in the data sufficiency section since it also requires good understanding of Math, but if you have been consistent with your Math preparation, this should be easy at some point. One advice I'd give to students who are preparing early is that: Start solving puzzles early. You can find puzzles in the IBA book, GRE bb, and find playlists on YouTube that show you how to approach puzzles in general.

That's about it about the IBA prep. It won't look too different than any other aspirant, but you have to find ways to differentiate yourself from the average aspirant.

5. Mentality

I know this sounds weird but you have to be your best friend during this vulnerable time. Low self-esteem and unimaginable stress will hamper your confidence if you are not careful enough. Your background is not a handicap for you to use every time things go wrong. Learn to believe that you have a chance if you make consistent effort. Learn what mistakes students make in the exam hall that ultimately result in them not getting in. Learn what strategies IBA students used that helped them stay calm during the exam and the weeks leading up to it.

Lastly, don't get the "IBA or nothing" mentality. It will do you more harm than good. Prepare smartly. Every year 2-5 students from a Business Studies background make it to IBA. Maybe you are one of them, maybe not. Don't get too fixated on the idea of IBA and learn to make changes to your plan so when the admission season ends, you are at a place you are content with. Best of luck.

Farhan Anjum
IBA BBA 34th
HSC SSC Business Studies

24:T16cb,

Unlike aptitude-based business school admission tests, DU B unit is an exam that rewards memorization and writing skills. That means you need to put in some hours for the test along with your IBA preparation.

The exam has three sections: Bangla, English and General Knowledge.

Marks Distribution

MCQ — 60 Marks

Bangla/Elective English (for EM students)
Total Marks: 15
Pass Mark: 5

English
Total Marks: 15
Pass Mark: 5

General Knowledge
Total Marks: 30
Pass Mark: 10

Combined MCQ Section Pass Mark: 24+

Writing — 40 Marks

Bangla/Elective English (for EM students)
Total Marks: 20
Pass Mark: 5

English
Total Marks: 20
Pass Mark: 5

Combined Writing Section Pass Mark: 11+

Overall Total Combined Minimum: 40+

Get yourself a Question Bank or a website/app that has practice tests.
Start with a test. It can be a question paper from the previous years or a practice on a specific topic. Attempt the questions based on your prior knowledge and intuition. After you’re done, learn from your mistakes. Learn from the questions themselves. If a question states new information, that is something you need to learn.

Keep doing it for every topic till you’re confident you’ve covered most of it. This process takes away the monotony of cramming loads of rules, facts or random words. All you need to do is learn while you’re solving questions.

This is not to say you’d just solve all the questions mindlessly. Take a pause midway, and learn everything from the relevant materials. Then come back to solving questions. You’ll get better at it.

You may consider getting a course and/or private tutor. Since B unit is your backup, you might slack off without a proper routine and accountability. This is totally up to your consistency and preference.

The writing section is the game changer. Most people only emphasize on the MCQ part all while keeping the writing section for later. This is something you may have to improve a lot. Fortunately, it only takes regular practice. The question pattern is repetitive, so you should be able to get better at it. Make time for practicing writing early on.

Bangla is difficult. You’d find yourself lost with the boring rules and jaw-breaking words. That’s only if you go all out at everything. Start with the process of solving questions. Try to understand the concepts and pick the pattern. If a rule is way out of your reach, don’t bother yourself for the time being. Get back to it only if you see it appearing frequently over the years.

Bangla Writing requires deeper understanding as well as good writing skills. Read in between the lines while answering the passage related questions. Unlike the mcq section, questions from “birochon” require deeper understanding in the case of writing.

Good News: English will be a walk in the park for you. Just familiarize yourself with the question pattern. You should be alright. Missing a point should hurt your ego as an IBA aspirant.

The writing part for English is predictable. Sentence making is a common question type. Word Smart helps, but the words/phrases that appear frequently are easier for someone good with communicative English (Something you can learn). Make sure you practice writing paragraphs on various topics regularly. The analytical essay tested in IBA will help you prepare for similar paragraphs.

General Knowledge: I won’t tell you to dig up newspapers or read history books for B Unit gk. You can go the extra mile ofc, but an easier route would be solving questions along with learning from capsules (current affairs) and GK books (static GK).

In short, the bottom line is, practice as many questions as you can while learning the basics of the things being tested. Get a well-rounded question bank and follow the process.

Words of wisdom:

By the time you sit for the B unit exam, you’ll probably know whether or not you’ve passed the IBA written exam (I was practicing gk questions when I got my iba result). Be prepared early on, as you could be heartbroken a week before the exam. You’re getting at least 3 weeks after the IBA exam, which is enough even if you haven’t done “enough” the whole season.

B Unit is different from the IBA exam. You’ll find questions in common if you practice enough. That’s something you should look for by analyzing the question pattern.

Make sure you pass the test. If you have a desired department, be mindful of the criteria. Your whole preparation should revolve around your exam hall strategy. This was my whole plan for B unit.

Writing will take you places. To reiterate, PASS the MCQ part and then maximize your score in the writing section.

Preparing for a backup doesn’t have to be an all out parallel preparation. It’s better if you are on track, but it’s still not the end of the world if you are not. Trust the process and do your thing whenever you feel like it. Unfortunately, talking about backups comes with a dull tone. But it can be fun if you gamify the preparation process. Make sure you're having fun, and you’ll be just fine.

Yasir Affan
DU Economics

25:T3f16,

Everything you need to know about DU C unit (Business Studies Background)

Seat overview:

Management: 150 seats
Business Studies: 135; Science: 12; Humanities: 3; Quota: 12.

Accounting & Information Systems: 150 seats
Business Studies: 135; Science: 12; Humanities: 3; Quota: 12.

Marketing: 150 seats
Business Studies: 135; Science: 12; Humanities: 3; Quota: 12.

Finance: 150 seats
Business Studies: 135; Science: 12; Humanities: 3; Quota: 11.

Banking & Insurance: 100 seats
Business Studies: 90; Science: 8; Humanities: 2; Quota: 8.

Management Information Systems: 100 seats
Business Studies: 90; Science: 8; Humanities: 2; Quota: 8.

Tourism & Hospitality Management: 100 seats
Business Studies: 90; Science: 8; Humanities: 2; Quota: 9.

International Business: 100 seats
Business Studies: 90; Science: 8; Humanities: 2; Quota: 8.

Organization Strategy & Leadership: 50 seats
Business Studies: 30; Science: 15; Humanities: 5; Quota: 4.

Total seats across all departments: 1,050

The quota figures are already included within the total seat counts.

Students from the Business Studies stream hold the largest share of total seats across all departments in the Faculty of Business Studies. Being in the top 200 in the admission test gives you the leverage to choose any department you like.

Do not choose any department just because your seniors/parents told you to do so. Carefully look up the actual syllabus for your top 3 choices. See which subjects you would actually enjoy reading and studying for the next 4 years. Look up the job opportunities in each department too.

Different business disciplines suit different personality types and work habits:

Finance / Accounting & Information Systems (AIS): This stream is ideal for the analytical thinker. Within Finance / Accounting & Information Systems (AIS), you work with numbers and financial modelling. Ideal if you're considering professional designations like CA, ACCA, CFA, or CMA down the line, as you’ll get many exemptions in a few degrees too.

Marketing / International Business: Best if you thrive on human psychology, communication, brand strategy, global market trends, and consumer behavior. If you’re a creative person, you can go for it.

Management Information Systems (MIS): Ideal if you like the intersection of technology and business, like working with data analytics, database management, and tech-driven corporate operations.

Management / Organization Strategy & Leadership (OSL): Great if you are interested in broad organizational dynamics, HR, operations, strategy, or general entrepreneurship.

Banking & Insurance / Tourism & Hospitality Management: Specialized fields designed for candidates who want direct domain knowledge in financial services, risk management, or the service/hospitality industry.

It’s only YOU who has to survive here, so don’t gamble with your future.

Subject-wise marks distribution and suggestions

BANGLA:

Question Pattern:

MCQ - 12
Written - 8
- বাক্য শুদ্ধিকরণ (4): HSC pattern
- অনুবাদ (4)

Guidelines:

Books: MCQ অভিযাত্রী or সরোবর;

বিরোচন part er jonno ATM (boi er naam ee ATM)

Written এর জন্য Paragon এর Written বই

Focus more on Bangla Grammar even though you don’t need to study it in depth like for B unit.
Most of what you need is already covered in the class 9-10 Bangla grammar book and the HSC grammar portion. Bangla 1st Paper doesn't need extensive focus.
Unironically, every year around 10/11 questions get asked from the অভিযাত্রী book.
You should thoroughly understand all the grammar topics. Skipping any topic totally won’t be the right choice.
The Bangla syllabus is a bit extensive, so try to understand one topic thoroughly each day, then practice all the questions from that topic.
If you’re unsure about any MCQ, skip it. Guessing answers in Bangla might cost you a lot of negative marking. Instead, try to earn marks from the written part.
For the written section, practice translation, sentence and spelling correction (Bakko o Banan Shuddhikoron).
MUST: Solve past 10-year questions of C unit.
**Playlists to follow if you want to take a more in-depth prep for B unit too: **
- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4FxIVKf-zeJQ1jaQ_2SCu8V6YW31xE1q&si=rjShPQjkZTsSkzHt **(Bangla 2nd) **
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLztYvv_PswTokI6Z0klow1hWc9MRXedpr (Bangla 1st full)
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLztYvv_PswTpTr8ctEjGZVU7X3EUnn42W** (Sirajuddaula)**
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2U5jhWbr76FRbMkBVqC5CtI3ZXTztPL3 (lalshalu)

ENGLISH:

Question Pattern:

MCQ- 12
Written- 8
- Error Detection (4): Way easier than IBA
- Translation (4)

Guidelines:

Book: Generally, books aren't necessary if you have a strong foundation. However, to practice: Master, Adroit, or English Bichitra any would work. For Written Paragon: Written book
This is the only subject with a fixed passing bar. One needs to get at least 5/12 in the MCQ part in English to get their written script checked. Getting less than 5 basically means you’ve failed already. If you don’t have strong basics, then focus more on English.
If you’re preparing for C unit along with IBA prep, you don’t have to worry much about the English part. It’s just basic English application.
Some topics are heavily tested every year, like causative verb, subjunctive verb, clause, determiners, article, etc
For vocab, words from Wordsmart 1 are frequently seen.
For C unit, English 1st paper is not important at all. It’s wiser to just skip it.

ACCOUNTING:

Question pattern:

MCQ - 12
Written - 8

Guidelines:

Book: RABS by Paragon Publications
CALCULATOR IS NOT ALLOWED
Basic hand calculations for short numerical problems (not full-length like HSC, but condensed)
Practice past 10-year papers — repeated sums are very common.
Make a formula sheet (ratios, accounting equations, depreciation, etc.).
Definitions + formula-based questions for written
Don’t skip any topic and focus a bit more on the full syllabus.
BV kids can follow along with the YouTube channel ACCOUNTING CLUB it pretty much covers all the important topics for C unit: https://www.youtube.com/@AccountingClub21

MANAGEMENT:

Question pattern:

MCQ - 12
Written - 8

Guidelines:

Book: Fundamentals of Business by Paragon Publication
The 2nd paper's chapters are more important
Have to remember dozens of years and random names, so prepare a note just for that
Having a strong foundation is important. Practice as many questions as you can.
MCQs are usually direct theory lines from the book → read thoroughly.
Written answers: stay to the point (short definitions/application).

NOW OPTIONAL SUBJECTS. You can choose whatever you find easier. There’s a misconception that if you answer marketing you can’t get Department of Finance. Well, it totally doesn’t matter which one you are answering in the exam. Marketing is easier if you had it in HSC; otherwise, Finance isn’t that hard either. However, what you answer for MCQ is what you need to answer for written too.

FINANCE:

Question pattern:

MCQ - 12
Written - 8

Guidelines:

Book: Fundamentals of Finance by Paragon Publication
Full syllabus, but focus more on the short syllabus
AGAIN CALCULATOR IS NOT ALLOWED
Math problems are not that difficult. You can skip the complex math formulas, such as big present value, future value, and annuity maths. Just learn math topics like perpetuity and small ones that you can do without a calculator easily.
For Written → definitions + very short numerical explanation (no long derivations).
Solve C unit past papers: 10 years, because finance questions repeat heavily.

MARKETING:

Question pattern:

MCQ - 12
Written - 8

Guidelines:

Book: Fundamentals of Marketing by Paragon Publication
Really easy and basic questions
Easier for students who had it in HSC, but even without it, you can prepare with summaries & past papers.
Most of the questions are either repeated or a slightly updated version of any previous question.

When to Start & Time Allocation

Ideally, start 3-4 months before the exam. If you’re starting late, prioritize core subjects first (Bangla, English, Accounting) since they carry the most weight.
Weekly distribution if managing multiple preps:
- Bangla – 3 days (heavier focus if you’re weak in grammar)
- English – 2 days
- Accounting – 3 days
- Management – 2 days
- Optional (Finance/Marketing) – 1–2 days, depending on comfort
- Try the spaced repetition study method.
Don’t touch all subjects every day → rotate with focus blocks. Example: Day 1: Two mathematical subjects + one theory (Accounting, Management, Finance); Day 2: Two theoretical subjects + one mathematical subject (Bangla, Accounting, English).
Take mock exams weekly after finishing 50–60% of the syllabus. If you’re not in any exam batches, collect questions from your friends. You can give self-tests from Qbanks too. Otherwise, you can use AI to create standard questions too.
Don’t waste time chasing “rare” topics. Focus on high-frequency areas. (But don’t totally skip anything!!!)
Keep one notebook only for mistakes → revise before the exam.
Last 7 days → solve only past papers and revise notes, no new topics.
Mock yourself weekly: set a timer, solve 60 MCQs + written under exam conditions.
Do chapter/topic-wise analysis → don’t just read passively. Write down what mistakes you made and re-practice those topics.

Exam strategy:

First 5 mins → scan MCQs
Attempt the MCQs you’re totally sure of first
You’ll get 45 minutes for 60 MCQs, and 45 minutes for 40 written questions. So, use that time wisely.
Passing Bar: you must score at least 24 out of 60 in the MCQ section and a minimum of 5 out of 12 in the English component, while your written paper requires an evaluation threshold of 12 out of 40
THERE’S A NEGATIVE MARKING OF 0.25 FOR EACH QUESTION YOU GET WRONG. BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT. ANSWERING TOO MANY WRONG QUESTIONS WILL COST YOU YOUR SEAT.
Don’t answer anything in the last minute out of pressure; in most cases, it turns out to be wrong
Instead, use the last minute to scan through the written part
Don’t overwrite in Written; stay to the point
You can write your answer with just one or two words in the written part, but it’s better to write it in a whole line.
In Bangla and English, translate the sentence by meaning, not word by word

HOW YOUR OMR SHEET WILL LOOK LIKE:
https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1EJJkdXT64/

HOW YOUR WRITTEN SCRIPT WILL LOOK LIKE:

1. Translate the following sentences into English:

i. ______________________________

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