FLAME University · Lavale, Pune, Maharashtra
FLAME FEAT: exam pattern, syllabus and how to prepare
Everything about the FLAME Entrance Aptitude Test — the four sections, the differential marking that makes Reasoning worth double, and worked questions from the official sample paper.
Last reviewed 27 July 2026
FLAME University in Pune is one of India’s pioneers in liberal education, built around interdisciplinary learning across the social sciences, humanities, sciences, business, design and performing arts. Admission to its BA, BSc, BBA and BBA — Communications Management programmes runs through the FLAME Entrance Aptitude Test (FEAT).
FEAT is an online, home-proctored test of 100 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes, with a separate 20-minute essay on the same day and a personal interview to follow. Applicants with valid SAT (DI code 6784) or ACT (college code 8974) scores can apply without taking FEAT.
The single most important thing to understand about FEAT is that its four sections are not weighted equally. Reasoning carries 2 marks per question and Verbal 1.25, so 20 Reasoning questions are worth nearly as much as 40 Verbal ones. Plan your time against marks, not question counts.
FEAT at a glance
Exam pattern and marking scheme
FEAT is 100 MCQs across four sections, each with exactly one correct answer. Marks per question differ by section — this is the detail most candidates miss.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability1.25 marks each | 40 | 50 | ~50 min |
| Reasoning Ability2 marks each — highest value | 20 | 40 | ~25 min |
| Quantitative Ability1.5 marks each | 20 | 30 | ~25 min |
| General Knowledge1 mark each — fastest to clear | 20 | 20 | ~20 min |
| Total | 100 | 140 | 120 min |
- •There is no negative marking. Attempt every single question — a guess has positive expected value and a blank has none.
- •You can answer questions in any order within a section, and flag questions to revisit later.
- •The test is monitored by webcam and screen-share throughout. Navigating away from the test window repeatedly can lead to disqualification.
- •A valid photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN or passport) is mandatory on exam day.
- •The essay is written before the MCQ test begins, and once you move past it you cannot return to edit.
Section-wise syllabus
Verbal Ability (40 questions, 50 marks)
- •Reading comprehension — factual, inferential and critical questions
- •Para jumbles — rearranging sentences into a coherent paragraph
- •Vocabulary — synonyms, antonyms, analogies, similar-sounding words
- •Grammar — fill in the blanks, error detection, sentence correction
- •Argument analysis — strong vs weak arguments, statements and assumptions
- •Logical deduction — syllogisms, inferences, cause and effect, course of action
- •Contextual usage — odd one out, contextual word meaning
Reasoning Ability (20 questions, 40 marks)
- •Analytical puzzles — linear, matrix and circular seating arrangements, scheduling
- •Number and letter series — missing terms, series patterns
- •Visual reasoning — figure patterns, odd one out, cubes
- •Logical arguments — assumption, premise and conclusion; syllogism
- •Data interpretation — bar graphs, pie charts, tables
- •Coding and decoding — number and letter codes
- •Blood relations and family trees
- •Direction and distance problems
- •Venn diagrams, data sufficiency, clocks and calendars
Quantitative Ability (20 questions, 30 marks)
- •Arithmetic — ratio and proportion, percentages, averages, profit and loss, mixtures
- •Algebra — linear and quadratic equations, inequalities
- •Geometry — triangles, quadrilaterals, circles, coordinate geometry, mensuration
- •Number system — divisibility, factors, LCM and HCF
- •Time and work, time-speed-distance, pipes and cisterns
- •Data interpretation, probability, permutations and combinations
- •Simple and compound interest, instalments
- •Arithmetic progressions
General Knowledge (20 questions, 20 marks)
- •Current affairs — national and international news, politics, economy
- •Business and economy — business figures, brand taglines
- •History and geography — Indian and world
- •Science and technology
- •Sports — cricket, Olympics, major tournaments and record holders
- •Culture and arts — books and authors, awards, entertainment
- •Static GK — Indian Constitution, government schemes, world records
Eligibility criteria
Admission process, step by step
- 1
Register online
Create an account on the FLAME application portal; login credentials arrive by email.
- 2
Fill the application
Contact details, education, extracurriculars, a Statement of Purpose, and your preferred FEAT cycle. SAT/ACT scores go here if applicable.
- 3
Upload documents
Class 10 marksheet and certificate, Class 12 marksheet if available, SAT/ACT scorecard if applicable, and a passport-size photo.
- 4
Pay the application fee
INR 2,000 by card, netbanking, UPI, wallet or demand draft. Non-refundable.
- 5
Preliminary screening
FLAME shortlists applications and sends date and time details for the test, essay and interview.
- 6
Take FEAT, essay and interview
All three run online on the same day — 120-minute test, 20-minute essay, then the panel interview.
- 7
Results and offer letter
Announced on the application portal per the cycle schedule; offers go out by email.
- 8
Accept and pay the deposit
Accept the offer on the portal and pay the enrolment deposit within the validity window.
How the admission calendar works
On dates: exam and deadline dates change every admission year, so we describe how the calendar is structured rather than publishing dates that go stale. Always confirm current dates on the official source linked below before planning around them.
- •FLAME runs FEAT in several separate admission cycles across the year rather than as a single annual exam, so there are multiple entry points into the same intake.
- •Each cycle follows the same shape: a registration window, then an exam window of roughly five days, then results about four to six weeks after the exam.
- •Registration for a cycle closes before that cycle’s exam window opens — applying early gives you more cycles to fall back on if a result does not go your way.
- •Because dates shift every year, check the official admission schedule for the current cycle before you plan around any specific date.
How to prepare
Play the marking scheme
- •Reasoning is worth 2 marks a question — double General Knowledge. Twenty minutes well spent there beats twenty minutes in GK.
- •With no negative marking, your last two minutes should be spent filling in every unanswered bubble, not re-checking work.
- •Because you can move freely within the test, open with your strongest section to bank marks and build rhythm.
Verbal Ability (highest question count)
- •Read editorials and long-form opinion pieces daily — the comprehension passages reward readers, not crammers.
- •Drill para jumbles specifically with five and six sentence sets.
- •Practise all three comprehension question types: factual, inferential and critical.
- •Argument-based questions (assumptions, strengthening, weakening) overlap heavily with the Reasoning section — study them together.
Reasoning Ability (highest value)
- •Master arrangement puzzles in all three shapes: linear, circular and matrix.
- •Aim to solve each question in under 75 seconds under timed conditions.
- •Do not skip visual and figure-based reasoning — it appears in the official sample paper and is easy to neglect.
Quantitative Ability
- •The emphasis is on applied word problems rather than abstract manipulation.
- •Ratio and proportion, percentages, and time-speed-distance recur most often.
- •Do not skip geometry — triangles, circles and mensuration all appear.
General Knowledge and the essay
- •Read a national daily every day and keep a monthly current-affairs digest.
- •Revise static GK: the Constitution, capitals, awards, books and authors.
- •Write two or three practice essays of 200–250 words against a 20-minute clock before exam day.
- •Structure the essay as introduction, two or three body points, conclusion — and outline for two minutes before you start typing.
Solved sample questions
Questions from the official sample paper, with worked explanations.
Reasoning — Assumption
Undertaking broader advertising and redesigning the workflow for greater efficiency are two strategies available to Buy Cheap supermarket for increasing the profits of all its retail stores. Broader advertising will increase profits more than the workflow redesign. Therefore, by spending more on advertising, Buy Cheap will be doing the most that can be done to increase its profits. Which of the following is an assumption on which the conclusion above is based?
- A.Redesigning the workflow will not be more expensive than broader advertising.
- B.Aside from sales in its retail stores, Buy Cheap does not undertake any other activity that contributes to profits.
- C.Buy Cheap can use different types of advertisements, some more effective than others.
- D.Profits will not increase more by using a combination of both strategies.
Answer: D
The conclusion claims advertising alone is the *most* that can be done. That only holds if combining both strategies would not do better. Option D closes exactly that gap; the others are irrelevant to the "most that can be done" claim.
Reasoning — Arrangement puzzle
Three friends of different age and height stand in a queue for a photograph. The photographer asks the youngest to stand to the right of Anu. The tallest stands at the extreme left. Bhanu does not stand in the centre and he is not the youngest. Charu is not in the centre either. All face the photographer. No person has the same rank when ordered by age and by height. Who is the shortest?
- A.Anu
- B.Bhanu
- C.Charu
- D.Cannot be determined
Answer: C
Bhanu and Charu are both out of the centre, so Anu is in the centre. The youngest stands to Anu’s right and Bhanu is not the youngest, so Charu is youngest and on the right; Bhanu takes the extreme left and is therefore tallest. Since no one holds the same rank in both orderings, Charu — youngest — cannot also be shortest-ranked identically, and working the constraint through leaves Charu as the shortest.
Quantitative — Ratio and proportion
The ratio of children going for a picnic to those not going is 8:3. Of a total of 55 children, 3 who were not going earlier are now ready to go. What is the new ratio?
- A.8:1
- B.9:2
- C.51:4
- D.43:12
Answer: D
Originally going = (8/11) × 55 = 40, not going = 15. After 3 switch over: going = 43, not going = 12. The new ratio is 43:12.
Quantitative — Time-speed-distance
A train travels 8 km in the first quarter of an hour, 6 km in the second quarter and 31 km in the third quarter. What is its average speed over the entire journey?
- A.60 km/h
- B.72 km/h
- C.77.33 km/h
- D.78.5 km/h
Answer: A
Total distance = 8 + 6 + 31 = 45 km. Total time = three quarters of an hour = 0.75 h. Average speed = 45 ÷ 0.75 = 60 km/h. Note that average speed is total distance over total time — not the average of the three quarter-speeds.
Verbal — Para jumble
Arrange into a coherent paragraph. A: The best known example of this latter process is solid carbon dioxide, which has the appearance of cloudy ice. B: It is common for a liquid to turn into vapour when heated; it is less common for a solid to turn directly into vapour without passing through the liquid stage. C: Indeed, nuclear reactions involving certain substances are highly complex and unpredictable. D: When heated, it does not turn into liquid but directly to its gas state.
- A.A D C B
- B.C D A B
- C.B A D C
- D.B D A C
Answer: C
B introduces the two processes and names "this latter process", which A then exemplifies with dry ice; D elaborates on that example. C is a non-sequitur about nuclear reactions and gets parked at the end. Hence B–A–D–C.
General Knowledge
Which famous personality’s image is printed on the US $100 bill?
- A.Alexander Hamilton
- B.Benjamin Franklin
- C.George Washington
- D.Abraham Lincoln
Answer: B
Benjamin Franklin — statesman, inventor and Founding Father. Hamilton is on the $10, Washington the $1, Lincoln the $5.
Frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in FLAME FEAT?
No. FEAT has no negative marking, so there is no penalty for a wrong answer. You should attempt all 100 questions — leaving one blank can only lose you marks.
How many questions are there in FEAT and what are the marks?
FEAT has 100 multiple-choice questions worth 140 marks in total, taken over 120 minutes. The sections are weighted differently: Verbal Ability 40 questions at 1.25 marks, Reasoning Ability 20 at 2 marks, Quantitative Ability 20 at 1.5 marks, and General Knowledge 20 at 1 mark.
Can I get into FLAME University without taking FEAT?
Yes. FLAME accepts valid SAT (DI code 6784) and ACT (college code 8974) scores in place of FEAT, and there is no minimum cut-off score for SAT or ACT applicants. You still have to write the essay and attend the personal interview.
What is the eligibility for FLAME University?
You need to have passed Class 12 with English as a subject — 40% aggregate for BA, and 45% for BBA, BSc and BBA Communications Management. Students awaiting Class 12 results can apply, with admission remaining provisional. IB and A-Level students are eligible.
How long is the FEAT essay and what does it test?
The essay is 20 minutes for roughly 200 to 250 words, written on the same day as FEAT and before the MCQ test. The topic is given on the spot. It tests written communication, clarity of thought and coherent structure. Every candidate writes it, including SAT and ACT applicants, and you cannot return to edit it once you move on.
How many times a year is FEAT conducted?
FLAME runs FEAT in multiple admission cycles across the year rather than as a single annual exam, so there are several entry points into the same intake. Check the official admission schedule for the current cycle dates.
Official sources
We compile these guides from official university material, but universities change their patterns and dates at their own discretion. Verify anything you plan around:
Other exam guides
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