The Verbal Ability (VA) Section in the Integrated Program in Management Aptitude Test (IPMAT) is reputed for the significant weightage it carries in the entrance exam. The VA Section in the entrance test holds 50% of the entire exam, comprising around 45 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). Additionally, apart from volume, the section is also renowned for demanding maximum discipline and a consistent routine to master the examination questions. In this article, Hitbullseye aims to detail 8+ habits that help you ace the Verbal Ability Section in IPMAT. These tips and strategies should slowly but ideally become an IPMAT aspirant’s habit, enabling them to learn better and use their knowledge optimally to crack their maximum potential.
For the unversed, the Verbal Ability section of the IPMAT Indore examination consists of 45 multiple-choice questions worth 180 marks and is conducted under a fixed sectional time limit of 40 minutes. Each correct answer carries four marks, while each incorrect answer attracts a penalty of one mark. In this section, reading comprehension typically accounts for the largest share, often contributing 12 to 18 questions drawn from two to four passages of roughly 300 to 500 words. The remaining questions test vocabulary in context, grammar and sentence correction, and verbal reasoning skills such as para-jumbles and para-completion.
The following habits have been identified across coaching analyses, previous-year paper reviews, and student feedback as practical ways to improve both accuracy and speed in the Verbal Ability section. They are designed to fit alongside Class 12 board examination preparation and can be sustained from the present stage of preparation through to the expected May 2027 examination.
Habit 1: Read one editorial or long-form article every day and write a short summary
Start by setting aside 20 to 30 minutes every day for reading an editorial from The Hindu or The Indian Express, or a longer analytical piece from a source such as The Economist. After finishing the piece, we recommend you write a two or three sentence summary that states the central argument and notes the author’s tone. This single habit improves reading speed, trains attention to main ideas, and builds the inference skills required for reading comprehension questions. Over several weeks the summaries also create a personal record of the kinds of arguments and vocabulary that appear in examination passages. For students balancing board examinations, the reading can be done in the evening and the summary written in five minutes or less.
Habit 2: Learn vocabulary through roots, prefixes, and suffixes rather than isolated lists.
A widely recommended resource for this approach is Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis. The book organizes words around common Latin and Greek roots, which allows a candidate to decode unfamiliar words during the examination. Spend 15 to 20 minutes on three or four days each week working through the relevant chapters. Record new roots and the words derived from them in a notebook. When an unfamiliar word appears in a reading passage, try to break it down using known roots before looking up the meaning. This method is more efficient than memorising long word lists because a single root can unlock many related words that appear in synonyms, antonyms, and fill-in-the-blank questions.
Habit 3: Maintain a personal word journal that includes context and example sentences.
Each day, add five to eight new words encountered during reading or practice. For every word, note its meaning, one synonym or antonym, and an example sentence taken from the article or passage in which the word appeared. Review the journal twice a week, focusing first on words learned earlier in the week and then on older entries. This spaced review strengthens long-term retention of words in mind. The journal is particularly useful for contextual vocabulary questions, which form a significant portion of the Verbal Ability section. Candidates who rely only on printed word lists often struggle when the same words appear in new sentence structures under timed conditions.
Habit 4: Practice active reading by identifying the main idea, tone, and supporting details
While reading any article or passage, pause after the first two or three paragraphs and state the main idea in your words. Continue reading and note any shifts in the author’s tone or any supporting examples. At the end, check whether your initial understanding still holds. This habit directly prepares candidates for the main idea, tone, and inference questions that dominate reading comprehension. It also reduces the common error of selecting an answer that is factually present in the passage but does not answer the question asked. Over time, the process becomes automatic and requires less conscious effort during the examination.
Habit 5: Solve one timed reading comprehension set three or four times a week
Once basic reading comfort has been established, introduce time-bound practice. Choose a passage of 300 to 500 words and attempt the accompanying questions within 12 to 15 minutes. After finishing, review every incorrect answer and identify whether the error was caused by misreading the passage, misunderstanding the question, or falling for a common trap option. Previous years’ IPMAT Indore papers provide the most authentic practice material. Regular timed practice builds the speed required to complete the 40-minute section while preserving accuracy. Candidates who practice only under untimed conditions often find that their accuracy drops sharply when the sectional timer is applied.
Habit 6: Revise vocabulary using spaced repetition rather than massed practice
Instead of reviewing the entire word journal every day, schedule shorter revision sessions at increasing intervals. For example, review new words the next day, again after three days, and again after one week. Digital flashcard applications can support this process, but the cards should contain the original example sentence rather than only the definition. Spaced repetition has been shown to improve long-term retention compared with cramming. Since vocabulary questions in recent IPMAT papers have included both direct synonyms and contextual usage, the ability to recall a word quickly and accurately under pressure is more valuable than knowing a large number of words that cannot be retrieved during the examination.
Habit 7: Read across a range of topics and writing styles
Limit the habit of reading only familiar subjects such as sports or entertainment. Deliberately include pieces on economics, social policy, science, philosophy, and business. Also alternate between opinion editorials, explanatory articles, and occasional narrative or conversation-style passages. IPMAT Reading Comprehension passages have covered a wide range of themes, and some have been conversation-based rather than conventional essays. Exposure to varied topics and styles reduces the risk of losing time or accuracy when an unfamiliar subject appears on the examination day. A simple weekly plan is to cover at least four different subject areas.
Habit 8: Connect new vocabulary immediately to the day’s reading
Whenever a new word is added to the journal, find or create one additional sentence that uses it in a different context. If the word appeared in an editorial, try to use it in a sentence related to a Class 12 subject or a current event discussed in school. This immediate application strengthens memory and improves the ability to recognize the word when it appears in a different sentence structure during the examination. The same habit also helps with fill-in-the-blank and sentence-completion questions, which reward an understanding of how words function in context rather than isolated meanings.
Habit 9: Use reading to support grammar and verbal reasoning practice
While reading, notice correct examples of subject-verb agreement, parallel structure, and modifier placement. On two or three days each week, spend 15 minutes on targeted grammar exercises that focus on the most frequently tested areas, such as subject-verb agreement, tenses, and sentence correction. For para-jumbles and para-completion, practice identifying logical connectors and the overall flow of ideas. Because these skills improve with exposure to well-structured prose, the daily reading habit reduces the amount of separate grammar study that is required. Candidates who combine reading with short, focused grammar practice tend to improve accuracy on error-spotting questions more steadily than those who study grammar rules in isolation.
Habit 10: Analyse every incorrect answer in practice sets
After each Reading Comprehension set or vocabulary exercise, record the reason for every mistake. Common categories include misreading a key sentence, choosing an option that is too extreme, or failing to recognize a word in context. Review these notes once a week and observe the patterns. This analysis prevents the same errors from recurring and is more valuable than attempting more questions without review. Many candidates who clear the sectional cut-off report that systematic error analysis was as important as the volume of practice.
To conclude these tips and tricks, every aspirant needs to inculcate these habits, which can be integrated into a sustainable routine. On weekdays, 25 to 35 minutes of reading and vocabulary work is usually sufficient. On weekends, the same activities can be extended and combined with one full timed reading comprehension set and a short grammar or para-jumble exercise. When board examinations approach, the daily reading can be shortened to 15 to 20 minutes of lighter material while the word journal continues to be revised. After the board examinations, the same habits expand naturally into full sectional practice under examination conditions.
Useful supporting resources include previous years’ IPMAT Indore question papers, editorials from The Hindu and The Indian Express, Word Power Made Easy, and free or low-cost Reading Comprehension sets available on established coaching platforms. The consistent application of the habits listed above, rather than the accumulation of additional materials, produces the most reliable improvement in verbal ability scores.
For aspirants preparing for the 2027 examination, beginning or strengthening these reading and vocabulary habits at the present stage provides sufficient time to see measurable gains before the post-board period. The same habits also support clearer expression during the personal interview stage of the admission process.
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