Entrance exams are a test of your subject knowledge and your time management skills, performance under stress, and how you weigh speed against accuracy. This article aims to deliver the following two things for your preparation regarding the aptitude test for IIM Indore’s Integrated Program in Management (IPM):
Preparation Strategy for IPM Aptitude Test
Test-Taking Strategy for IPM Aptitude Test
IPMAT Exam pattern
Before we delve into a detailed strategy to prepare for this highly competitive exam, let us briefly look at the paper pattern for IPM:
The 90-minute online test comprises 50 MCQs and 10 Short Answer questions.
Out of this, 20 MCQs are from Quantitative Ability, 30 MCQs from Verbal Ability and 10 Short Answer Questions from Quantitative Ability.
The candidates will be selected on the basis of overall performance in the Aptitude Test (AT) and Personal Interview (PI).
Any candidate who fails to appear either in Aptitude Test or in Personal Interview or both shall not be considered for selection.
The Basics: Both sections have questions that are concept-driven. Hence, you must revise and strengthen your basics. Prepare the concepts well, revise them regularly and practice a plethora of questions for each concept.
Advanced Mathematics: The Quantitative Aptitude section comprises 60% of the paper. The questions are mixed from various areas, and the difficulty level is between moderate and difficult. Hence, you must score well in this section to achieve a good overall score.
Mock it up: The IPM Aptitude Test checks you on subject knowledge and your ability to manage time without compromising on accuracy. And as it is an online test, you must practice several mock tests. This will condition you to the actual test-taking conditions and help you score well.
Analyse Strengths & Weakness: Post the mock test; it is strongly advised that you thoroughly analyze the test. Recognize your strong and weak areas and work on them accordingly. Revise your strong topics regularly and devote extra time and effort to improve the weak ones.
Ace the game with Practice: It’s about how quickly and accurately you solve a certain question nationally. Practice does make a man perfect. Live by this rule when preparing for this exam.
Test-Taking Strategy for IPMAT:
The Spice of time: Unlike the previous years’, IIM Indore has introduced sectional time for its 2020 IPMAT. All the sections have been given 30 minutes each to complete the sections. So, devote time carefully to each question.
Selection of Questions: As the difficulty level of this exam is not easy, it is not possible to attempt all the questions within the given time. Hence, choose the questions you want to attempt wisely. Knowing your areas of strength and weakness here is of great importance. For instance, recognize and attempt all algebra questions first if you are good at algebra. This will give you a head start in terms of time and build up your confidence for the rest of the questions.
Take a calculated risk: The sectional time and negative marking make the choice of questions very important. Do not make rough estimates and approximations. Be careful with the Verbal ability section, as students often tend to make wild guesses. With Quantitative Aptitude, it is a little easier to apply this even if you are not aware of the concept, but be careful while guessing; at times, you might not reach a particular solution.
Don’t Tussle: Remember that the clock is ticking. Sometimes you might get stuck on a question from an area you are good at. If you are unable to crack it, don’t waste time on it. Move on to the next question and come back to it later if time permits. You don’t want to miss out on an easier question that could have fetched you equal marks.