MSE MA Economics Entrance Exam Syllabus 2025

Are you preparing for the Madras School of Economics (MSE) MA Economics Entrance Exam 2025? Looking for the latest and complete syllabus? You’re in the right place!

In this post, we’ll break down the MSE MA Economics Entrance Exam syllabus 2025, key subjects, preparation tips, and FAQs to help you stay ahead in your preparation.

Overview of MSE MA Economics Entrance Exam 2025

Madras School of Economics or popularly called MSE is among India’s premier institutes to pursue postgraduate studies in economics. The entrance exam is highly competitive and tests your grasp over Economics, Mathematics, and Statistics. The exam is a gateway to the multiple courses from different domains of economics :

General Economics,
Financial Economics,
Applied Quantitative Finance,
Actuarial Economics and
Environmental economics

MSE MA Economics Entrance Pattern

Overall the paper is divided into 2 Parts:

Part-A (COMPULSORY)
Part-B (OPTION TO CHOOSE BETWEEN Mathematics/Statistic stream & Economics stream)

MSE MA Economics Entrance Exam Total Questions

Total Question :100;

Part-A: 60 Questions

Basic Mathematics & Statistics – 30 questions

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning – 15 questions

Language & Reading Comprehension – 15 questions

Part-B: 40 Questions (Mathematics/Statistics stream)

Advanced Mathematics – 20 questions

Advanced Statistics – 20 questions

Part-B: 40 Questions (Economics stream)

Microeconomics – 10 questions

Macroeconomics – 10 questions

Indian Economy & Related Topics – 20 questions

MSE MA Economics Entrance Exam Duration

Total Duration of the exam is 120 Minutes or 2 Hours

MSE MA Economics Entrance Exam Marking Scheme

MSE MA Economics Entrance Exam is MCQ Based Exam:

Correct : 1 Mark

Incorrect : -0.25 Mark

MSE MA Economics Syllabus

Here is the syllabus for MSE MA Economics Entrance Exam:

Syllabus Part A

• Part-A consists of 60 questions, divided 2:1:1 proportion among three sub-sections:

Basic mathematics & statistics,
Data interpretation & logical reasoning, and
Reading comprehension, respectively.

• The syllabus for this part will be similar to the one followed in other standard aptitude tests such as CAT, MAT, XAT etc. However, for basic mathematics & statistics the syllabus would include basic calculus and algebra. • Indicative topics covered under the three sub-sections of Part-A are listed below:

Basic Mathematics & Statistics	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning	Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
Basic mathematics including Profit, loss and discount; LCM & HCF; Percentages; Linear & Quadratic equations; Complex numbers; Simple and compound interest; Logarithm; Sequences and series; Permutation & Combination; Coordinate geometry; Matrix Algebra; Basic Calculus (Functions of one variable: Limit, continuity, differentiation); Basic Statistics (mean, median and mode; standard deviation; correlation coefficient; elementary probability)	Tables; Graphs & Charts – Bar, Line, Column, Pie, Venn; Calendars; Numbers and Letter Series; Clocks; Binary Logic; Seating Arrangements; Logical Sequence; Logical Matching; Logical Connectives; Syllogism	English Usage and Grammar; Synonyms & Antonyms; Fill in the Blanks; Sentence Correction; Jumble Paragraph; Analogies; Verbal Reasoning; Reading Comprehension

Syllabus Part-B: Mathematics/Statistics Stream

Differential Calculus: Functions of one variable: Limit, continuity, differentiation; Rolle's Theorem; Taylor's theorem Functions of two real variables: Limit, continuity, partial derivatives, differentiability

Integral Calculus: Definite integrals and their properties; Fundamental theorem of integral calculus; Methods of integration of algebraic functions including exponential and logarithmic functions; Double and triple integrals. Integration as the inverse process of differentiation; Definite integrals and their properties.

Algebra: Groups, subgroups, Abelian groups, cyclic groups, permutation groups; Normal subgroups; Lagrange’s Theorem for finite groups; Group homomorphism and quotient groups. Vector spaces, Linear dependence and Independence of vectors, basis, dimension, linear transformations, matrix representation with respect to an ordered basis; Rank and inverse of a matrix; Determinant; Solutions of systems of linear equations; Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors.

Real Analysis: Sequences and series of real numbers; Convergent and divergent sequences; Bounded and monotone sequences; Convergence criteria for sequences of real numbers; Absolute and conditional convergence; Tests of convergence for series of positive termscomparison test, ratio test, root test, Leibnitz test for convergence of alternating series. Interior points, limit points; Open sets, closed sets, bounded sets, connected sets, compact sets. Domain of convergence of power series; Term-wise differentiation and integration of power series.

Complex Analysis: Functions of a complex Variable; Differentiability and analyticity; Cauchy Riemann Equations; Power series as an analytic function; Cauchy theorem; Consequence of simply connectivity; Index of closed curves; Cauchy’s integral formula; Morera’s theorem; Liouville’s theorem.

Other Topics: Ordinary differential equations of the first order; Homogeneous differential equations-separable solutions; Convex function and concave functions; Formulation of Linear Programming Problem (LPP); Concept of basis, basic feasible solution; Graphical method of solving LPP.

Probability: Axiomatic definition of probability and properties; Conditional probability; Multiplication rule; Theorem of total probability; Bayes’ theorem and independence of events.

Random Variables: Probability mass function; Probability density function, Cumulative distribution functions; Distribution of a function of a random variable; Mathematical expectation; Moments and moment generating function; Chebyshev's inequality.

Standard Distributions: Binomial, negative binomial, geometric, Poisson, hypergeometric, uniform, exponential, gamma, beta and normal distributions; Poisson and normal approximations of a binomial distribution.

Joint Distributions: Joint, marginal and conditional distributions; Distribution of functions of random variables; Product moments, correlation, simple linear regression; Independence of random variables.

Sampling Distributions: Sampling distributions of Mean, Variance, Proportion in Large Samples; t, F and Chi‐squared distributions, and their properties; law of large numbers; Central limit theorem.

Statistical Inference: Estimation (unbiasedness, consistency, efficiency of estimators, uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimators, Rao‐Cramer inequality, sufficiency, factorization theorem); Method of moments and method of maximum likelihood; Confidence intervals for the parameters of univariate normal, two independent normal, and one parameter exponential distributions

Testing of Hypotheses: Null and Alternative hypotheses, two types of errors, level of significance; Tests of hypotheses for mean, variance, proportion and correlation co-efficient; Confidence interval for these parameters.

Syllabus for Part-B: Economics Stream

Microeconomics

Consumer Theory or Behaviour: Demand; Utility; Indifference Curve; Revealed Preference Theory; Consumer Surplus

Production Theory: Production Function; Law of Variable Proportions; Returns to Scale; Cost Function – types and concepts

Price and Output Determination in Market: Perfect and Imperfect Competition (Monopoly, Price Discrimination, Monopolistic, Duopoly and Oligopoly models)

General Equilibrium, Efficiency and Welfare: Equilibrium and efficiency under pure exchange and production; Overall efficiency and welfare economics; Externality

Macroeconomics

National Income Accounting

Income and Output Determination: Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply; Effective Demand Principle; Classical and Keynesian Theory

Money and Inflation: Demand and Supply of Money; Money Multiplier and High Powered Money; Credit Creation; Role of Central Bank and Commercial Banks; Quantitative Theories of Money; Philip’s Curve

Consumption and Investment Function: Permanent, Relative and Life Cycle Hypothesis; Determinants of business fixed investment; Residential investment and inventory investment; Multiplier and accelerator

Open Economy Models: Mundell and Fleming Model (IS, LM and BP curve); Balance of payments; Exchange rate determination; Purchasing Power Parity

Economic Growth: Harrod-Domar model; Solow model.

Indian Economy

Overview of colonial economy: The imperial priorities and the Indian economy; Drain of wealth; International trade; capital flows and the colonial economy – changes and continuities

Macro Trends: National Income; Population; Occupational structure.

Poverty in India: Magnitude and determinants; Concepts of Poverty and Poverty Line; Trends and pattern of Urban and Rural Poverty; Committees on poverty estimation; Poverty eradication programmes; Pattern of income distribution and the question of inequality in India

Agriculture: Agrarian structure and land relations; Agricultural markets and institutions – credit, commerce and technology; Trends in performance and productivity; famines.

Economic Crisis of early 1990s: Macro economic reforms since 1991; Structural Adjustment Programmes; Globalisation; Liberalisation and Privatisation; Impact of 25 years of reforms on various sectors of the economy; Planning to markets - NITI Aayog and discontinuation of Central Planning; Demonetisation and its macro-economic impact; Growth and inequality from regional perspective in India; Agriculture during the reform period - New Agricultural Policy; WTO and Indian Agriculture; Current Issues in Indian agriculture; Investments and subsidies in Indian agriculture; Agrarian distress and related issues; The de-industrialisation debate; Evolution of entrepreneurial and industrial structure; Nature of industrialisation in the interwar period; Constraints to industrial breakthrough; Labour relations; New Industrial Policy 1991; Public enterprises; Micro, Small and Medium Scale Industries (MSMEs) – Role, problems and remedies; Role of FDI in industrialization process; ICT based industrial development strategy; Make in India.

Service Sector – as the engine of growth in India; Trade in services; Global technological change and Indian IT boom; Challenges of India’s Service sector; External Sector; Foreign Trade – Salient features, Composition and Direction; Trade reforms - Balance of Payment; Exchange rate- India and WTO; Money and Banking- Organisation of India’s money market and capital market; Changing role of Reserve Bank of India, Commercial banks, Development finance institutions, foreign banks and Non-banking financial institutions.

Issues in Indian Public Finance – Fiscal reforms in India post 1991; Tax reforms and reforms in public expenditure management; Goods and Services Tax; Public Debt and Sustainability issues; Implementation of FRBM Act; Fiscal and Monetary Policy dynamics in India; Centre State Fiscal relationship; Cooperative and competitive federalism in India; Role of Finance Commission, Local Bodies in India.

More details in subsequent blogs

Hope this helps you all and BEST OF LUCK.

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