Is IPMAT Exam Hard To Crack? (No, Not With These Tips!)

IPM (Integrated Programme in Management), one of the best dual degree programs (Bachelors + Masters), is a flagship course conducted by IIM Indore and IIM Rohtak for candidates who have completed the 12th standard.

Any candidate with a valid IMPAT score can apply to IIM Indore, IIM Rohtak, IIM Ranchi, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Jammu, and Nirma University, Institute of Management, Ahmedabad for the IPM program.

Here are some insider secrets for cracking The IPMAT exam, as provided by an aspirant Shubhanshi Rathi.

Know your 'Why'

Yeah, I know that sounds cliché, but trust me when I say you'll need it a lot during your journey. There will be times when you will wonder, "Do I really belong here?". "What is all this hard work for?", "Will I ever be able to make it?", and so on. But in these moments, I want you to close your eyes and remember your ‘why’... everything else will fall into place after that.

I recommend that you create a vision board of your dream college, including images related to your ‘why’. If not, at least write it down and make a comprehensive list of it.

Simply writing it down will not help; you must also believe that you will succeed if you work hard enough.

‘Planning but not executing/Procastination' syndrome

If I had to list the blunders students make while preparing for the exam, this would be at the top. But please, my friend, do not fall into this trap.  Your mind will lure you to postpone studying and before you know it,  the exam would knock on your door, and you would wish you had prepared earlier. Don't put yourself in that position. 

The best way to overcome this syndrome is to force yourself to accomplish things right away. It may be challenging at first, but you will quickly become accustomed to it. (Check out 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins)

A little hack that I used was to repeat to myself, “Studying is the easiest thing to do. There is nothing easier than studying. These subjects are so interesting. I love solving maths and learning English. So refreshing." My brain gradually began to believe in this, and then there was no looking back!

Once you start enjoying the process, you will want to do it more and more.

Consistency

If you are looking for that secret sauce that differentiates a topper from an average grader, it is this! It is so important that I can't emphasize it enough!

You could listen to any successful person's success story and I bet you would find 'consistent hard work’ in it. It is NOT a coincidence.

Hoarding material

It is better to solve 2 books fully without leaving a single concept than to solve 100 books partially.

The time and energy that you spend in collecting books should be better utilized in solving the material you have. It is going to help you more. But if you are still so keen on solving more books then first complete what you already have and then start looking for more.

Revision

There is nothing worse than studying a topic but not being able to remember it during the exam.

Hack: Revise your syllabus atleast 4 times and watch yourself pass with flying colors! You can also use the 'Teach to learn' technique. Pretend to be a teacher and teach the concepts to imaginary students out loud. This will improve your retention and conceptual clarity.

(You can take reference from the Forgetting curve and design a revision schedule for yourself if that helps.)

Find out what works best for yourself and use it.

Mindset matters

1. Opportunity, not challenge: This point is very important because if you keep thinking of the IPMAT exam as a challenge, you will focus on problems but If you think of this exam as an opportunity, you will think of solutions. The problem-solving mindset is extremely crucial.
2. Role play: It is a long journey, you might lose focus sometimes and there will be 'I don't feel like studying' Relax, it is perfectly normal. But remember the consistency point? We can't let out mood get to us.

A trick that I used in such times was that I assumed myself to be the lead of a movie and the scene being shot is that of study. Bring the aesthetics in and you are good to go!

Another way I tricked my brain when I scored low in mocks was -

I considered myself to be the CEO of a company and the goal we are currently working on is to nail the exam. We all know that raising the profitability of a firm that is already profitable is far easier than turning a loss-making company profitable. If a leader can achieve it, he is certainly a man to revere since it takes a lot of skill and determination to pull it out. Using the same approach, I would tell myself, 'Okay, I'm not performing great right now, but if I can get myself out of this slump, that would be fantastic.' This sense of responsibility and inspiration motivated me to work harder.

3. Don't overthink: Don't get involved in the useless talks on the telegram groups. It is a waste. Also, have the courage to move out of the 'This exam is really difficult. It is impossible to crack it.' You don't want your brain to hear any of that.

Also, don't overthink how many people are going to appear for the exam and how long they have been preparing. Remember, It does not matter who starts first, what matters is who finishes better.

And I know it is a competitive exam but don't let that competitiveness scare you. All you need to do is study hard. Everything else will be taken care of.

Mocks

Everybody knows this but as a reminder: You don't have to wait for completing your syllabus before you appear for a mock. Mocks seem very intimidating at first. Agreed. But it is not so difficult too. You will never know if you will never take a mock.

You see, scoring in these entrance exams is an art in itself. You need to know which questions to choose, which question to solve by options, which questions to make approximations in, which guesses would work, etc. And mocks are designed to teach you this art.

However, just giving mocks is not enough. It also has to be analyzed properly. I suggest you make a proper excel sheet and keep track of your marks and areas to improve from there.

Linking a video here on how to analyze mocks: https://youtu.be/Uii8919PG6k You can also find good strategies on Quora and YouTube. 

The second brain

With the huge syllabus also comes a lot of things to memorize. You are likely to mix things up. So here's a recommendation to help you stay sane while sailing through the world of unlimited information. Click here.

Balance your preparation

A healthy mind needs a healthy body. While it is very important to hustle, it is equally important to take care of your health and body in the process. Sleep well, eat healthy and nutrition-rich food, exercise, and do a little meditation.

If time permits, recharge yourself by pursuing your hobbies side by side. It will help boost your productivity.

Preparation resources

Here are my top recommendations:

I hope you found this article helpful. Before wrapping it up, here is a poem that can best document my preparation journey for the IPMAT exam.

Poem

VA: With every word, I discovered a new world

A little more confidence drew upon me as my thoughts were left afree

Our incorrect usage of grammar left me surprised

But the ability to unlearn and relearn improvised.

The thought of how enriching this language is showered and left me empowered.

QA: Geometry is full of mystery

Algebra has a big history

Learning it is a bit hard, but practice is your guard.

If you notice it has pearls of wisdom

Every problem has a solution that gets imprinted in your system.

What a complex yet beautiful subject it is, eager to use it in the biz.

CR breaks everything down into its smallest bits

How mindless we were in making assumptions, suddenly it hits.

Understanding the unsaid is a skill,

Rational mindset is what we all shall mill.

Mocks? Oh, don't ask. You never know how that pass.

The highs and the lows make you mad

But if you try, it's not so bad.

Motivation ends, hustle makes you burn

But picking yourself again from those points is what you learn!

But most importantly, I got to know a lot of things about myself in the process

Along with the potential I was never able to assess.

Not to lie, the preparation also has times of distress,

But what matters is how we address it.

A lot many unexplored sections in the brain are tapped,

Making us a lot more curious by nature perhaps.

Value of every single second was recognized, making us more wise.

Alike the questions in exam, the opportunities in life are many, 

but what you do in the limited time determines the stories you will tell your children as a granny!

So grateful to have chosen this path in my life that gave me so much to learn.

All the very best!

*All the materials cited are not endorsed by Unstop.