Exam On - 4 May '26
Preparing for boards and IPMAT 2026 exams together can be challenging but with the right study plan, preparation strategy and time management, students can ace both exams. Read the article below to know how to prepare for boards and IPMAT together and get a good score.
How to Prepare for Boards and IPMAT
Preparing for IPMAT exam along with Boards can be somewhat overwhelming. IPMAT exam tests the candidates on their logical and analytical aptitude, while the Boards preparation requires a conceptual understanding of the subjects taught in school. IPMAT preparation demands studying extensively complex topics such as Quantitative Aptitude and Verbal Ability. Having said that, both exams have significant syllabus overlap and hence, IPMAT and Board exam preparation can be done by proper time management, preparation strategy and planning. This can help you score well in the board exams and crack the IPMAT 2026 exam in the same year.
IPMAT 2026 will be held on May 4, 2026. The IPMAT exam is usually conducted after Class 12 board exams are over. Read the article below to know how to prepare for IPMAT and Boards together and get a good score in both.
- Why Can IPMAT and Boards Preparation Be Done Simultaneously?
- Understanding the IPMAT and Boards Syllabus Overlap
- Balanced and Realistic Study Plan
- Smart Study Techniques
- Time Management
- Using Recommended Study Material
- Stay Consistent
- Shiksha Poll Insights
Why Can IPMAT and Boards Preparation Be Done Simultaneously?
Many students think that preparing for boards and IPMAT exam can be difficult, but in reality, there is significant syllabus overlap, as the mathematics component forms the foundation for IPMAT Quantitative Aptitude section. English Grammar and Comprehension is one section which can help in IPM prep as well as Boards prep.
IPMAT and board exam preparation require time management. Both are speed-based exams, and hence, preparing for one concept can significantly help with the other exam. Also, IPMAT preparation sharpens speed and logical thinking, which helps in board preparation.
Challenges that the students can face when balancing IPMAT with Boards preparation are that the difficulty level of both exams differs. In the IPMAT exam, the questions are more application-based and the difficulty level is higher. Also, students can face a time crunch as they would need to balance school, tuition, and IPMAT practice and preparation.
IPMAT or IPM Aptitude Test is conducted by the Indian Insitute of Management, Indore. The IPMAT question paper is divided into three sections, namely, Verbal Ability, Quantitative Aptitude. The QA section is further divided into two, that is, one which has MCQs and the other which has Short Answer Type questions. Time management is the key to scoring well in the exam.
The Verbal Ability section of the IPMAT question paper is based on English usage and Grammar. The Verbal Ability section aims to assess the candidate’s hold on language comprehension, grammar and vocabulary. The section examines the candidates on how well they comprehend the given data, analyse the question, vocabulary, grammar, etc. Speed and accuracy are the two key players in having a good preparation for IPMAT. To improve the reading speed in IPMAT preparation consider the following:
- Students can dedicate a part of their study routine to focused reading practice.
- They can challenge themselves by setting a time limit for reading tasks, and then gradually reducing the time limit to progressively increasing the reading speed.
- Students should try to expand their vocabulary to facilitate comprehension skills and quicker reading skills.
- They should have a composed and focused mindset during their reading practice throughout.
Keep a few practices like the above in mind, and make sure you give enough time to your mind to stay calm and prevent mental fatigue. Consistency is the only key which can fetch good marks in the IPMAT exam.
IPMAT is one of the most popular BBA entrance exams. An entrance exam like IPMAT may create anxiety among the aspirants. The first tip to ace the IPMAT exam is to stay calm. Here are a few last minute preparation tips for IPMAT exam:
- Confirm the exact location of the IPMAT test centre at least one day before the IPMAT exam day to ensure that transportation is available on time. If you are new to the city or the location of the centre, it is adivsable to visit the centre once.
- Arrive early to the exam centre. Applicants must ensure that they arrive at least an hour before the exam begins.
- Use the restroom before to the start of the test. Because you will not have time and may not be able to exit the exam hall throughout the examination period, use the restroom before entering the examination hall.
- Do not bring cell phones or other electronic devices, such as Smartwatches, to the exam centre because the machines are not always available. Personal property will not be safeguarded outside of the exam centre, and IIM Indore or exam centre authorities will not be held liable for any loss of personal property. There are no stationary objects allowed, such as a pen, stylus, or paper. Rough pads and pens will be given to the applicants. Candidates should write their name and application number on their rough pads/sheets.
- Stay calm and have a healthy breakfast in the morning before the exam.
Understanding the IPMAT and Boards Syllabus Overlap
The IPMAT’s Quantitative Aptitude syllabus is largely based on Class 11 and Class 12 mathematics. Some common topics in Board exams and IPMAT include Algebra, Probability, Permutations and Combinations, Functions, Progressions, Matrices and Determinants, Geometry, etc.
Hence, preparing well for mathematics for boards will automatically help the students prepare a large chunk of the QA section of the IPMAT exam.
The Verbal Ability (VA) section of the IPMAT question paper also covers English basics to a large extent, but the students still need to give extra time and put in more effort to prepare for the VA section. The VA section of the IPMAT syllabus includes topics such as Grammar, Para Jumbles, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Subject-Verb Agreement, Etymology and Roots, etc.
The English subject of the board exam is divided into three parts, i.e.
- Section A – Reading Skills
- Section B – Creative Writing Skills
- Section C – Literature Text Book and Supplementary Reading Text
To score well in English, students should focus on reading daily. This way, they will develop a habit of reading the comprehension passages in boards and IPMAT thoroughly, which helps prepare the students for both exams.
Balanced and Realistic Study Plan
It is important to divide the time in hand between the boards and IPMAT preparation. Check out the table below to know how can one divide their preparation time:
| Time Left |
Focus |
|---|---|
| 6 months (Before Pre-Boards) |
70% focus on boards and 30% on IPMAT preparation |
| 3 months (Pre-Boards to Boards) |
50% on boards and 50% on IPMAT |
| 1 month (Pre-Boards to Boards) |
80% on boards and 20% on IPMAT |
| After Boards |
100% on IPMAT preparation and revision |
Aspirants should start preparing for the IPMAT exam at least six months before the test date. IPMAT preparation requires planning thus one must start early. They can also join coaching institutes for focused preparation. Starting early will also help you assess that whether you need to join a coaching institute or not. Divide your preparation into three phases -
- Covering the syllabus
- Practicing mock tests, sample questions
- Revision.
The IPMAT syllabus includes the following topics: Verbal Skills: Parajumbles, Sentence Completion, Grammar, Comprehension Passages, Synonyms and Antonyms, etc., Analytical Reasoning: Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts, Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Strong and Weak Arguments, and Syllogism.
Quantitative Skills: Geometry, Algebra Number System Arithmetic, Mensuration etc.
You can read the following IPMAT books for exam preparation:
1. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
2. How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
3. High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin
4. How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma
5. Class 9 and Class 10 NCERT Mathematics books
6. Quantitative Aptitude by R. S Aggarwal.
Yes, one can appear for the IPMAT exam even if they didn't have mathematics in Class 12. There are no specific requirements of the IPMAT exam for having studied mathematics.
However, cracking IPMAT without having studied Mathematics in Class 11 and 12 can be a bit tricky and challenging. This is because higher level Mathematics dominate the exam. More than 60% of all the numerical are from Class 11 and Class 12 syllabus. One can also consider taking coaching for the sections they find difficult. The two sections based on Quantitative Aptitude are different in nature. One section has MCQs while the other has Short Answer Type questions. The 'Short answer type' section includes questions which will have no options with them, hence this section can be more difficult. Students who have not studied maths in HSC may be required to put in a bit more effort for the IPMAT preparation.
Aptitude Test score or the ATS score in IPMAT is the deciding factor for the students if they will get a call for the Personal Interview or not after the exam is conducted. The higher the ATS, the higher the chances for IIM Indore PI call:
The ATS is calculated using the below mentioned formula:
ATS Score = (Candidate's score / Maximum score) X 100
Raw scores are converted to ATS scores and then the composite score is calculated after the PI round.
With six months in hand for the IPMAT exam, students can dedicate a major part of their preparation time to boards. 30% of the time can be given to gaining conceptual and fundamental clarity on the IPMAT syllabus 2026 for both sections.
They should focus on board preparation and IPMAT exam preparation when only three months are left for the IPMAT exam, i.e. around January. Here, they can study the common topics in both exams.
One month before the board exams, students should dedicate the majority of their time to board preparation and primarily focus on revision, sample papers, and work on their weaknesses. In the meantime, they can take IPMAT mock tests.
After the board exams, students should completely focus on IPMAT preparation. They should take an ample number of mock tests, revise the topics, revisit the difficult ones and capitalize on their strengths.
Also Read:
Smart Study Techniques
To prepare for the board exams, students should only refer to the NCERT books and other textbooks recommended by the board. Start the board exam preparation by understanding the key concepts, fundamentals and formulas. Students can make concise and short notes of these to come back to it during revision. Students should solve previous years’ question papers to understand the board exam pattern and improve their writing speed for the theoretical subjects.
To prepare for the IPMAT exam, candidates should read editorials and columns from sources like The Hindu, Economic Times, Indian Express, etc. This will help them improve their reading speed. They must also practice their quantitative aptitude every day to tackle time-consuming topics such as Permutations and Combinations, Probability, Number Systems, etc.
Taking IPMAT mock tests every weekend will help the candidates familiarize themselves well with the IPMAT exam pattern 2026 and build the exam temperament. During the preparation, they should try to learn shortcuts and tricks to solve questions for faster calculations.
Time Management
Time management is crucial to ace the IPMAT exam and the board exams. As mentioned before, boards require conceptual clarity and IPMAT requires aptitude-based preparation; hence, it is important to balance the preparation well.
Different subjects require different energies. Divide your study time based on when you are most focused. Since the IPMAT exam requires aptitude-based preparation, one can dedicate the morning to IPMAT preparation. Since the brain is fresh in the morning, it is the best time to prepare for logical reasoning and problem-solving topics.
The evening can be given to board preparation as it requires memorizing and not problem-solving skills. Students can focus on theoretical subjects such as History, Biology, Business Studies, etc. They can also take mock tests and revise what they have already covered.
Study in focused intervals. Students can adopt the Pomodoro technique, wherein, for every 50 minutes of studying, students can take a 10-minute break. And after four study sessions, take a 30-minute break. This would also help the students avoid burnout.
Using Recommended Study Material
Students appearing for the boards and the IPMAT exams must refer to the recommended study material and not blindly collect all the study material available in the market.
Best Books for the Class 12 Board Preparation
- NCERT books (for CBSE boards)
- Reference books such as RD Sharma, HC Verma, etc. (for Science students)
- Sample papers and previous years’ question papers
- Books recommended by a specific board
Best Books for IPMAT Preparation
The students can prepare for the IPMAT exam using the following recommended books for IPMAT 2026:
| Name of the book |
Author/Publication |
|---|---|
| Word Power Made Easy |
Norman Lewis |
| High School English Grammar and Composition |
Wren and Martin |
| Pearson Guide To IIM Indore- IPM Entrance Examination |
Pearson |
| Quantitative Aptitude for CAT |
Arun Sharma |
| Complete Manual for IIM Indore (IPMAT) |
Pearson Publications |
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Stay Consistent
Boards and IPMAT are the two major exams to prepare for, and the stress is natural for the students in Class 12. To avoid fatigue and ace the two exams, students should consistently practice and, at the same time, take regular breaks. They must try to stay positive throughout the preparation journey and avoid unnecessary stress. After the board exams are over, shifting the focus completely shift on IPMAT preparation can benefit the students. To prepare well, they should take IPMAT mock tests, practice and revise.
Preparing for IPMAT and board exams together can be challenging but with proper plan and routine, students can achieve a good score in both, i.e. IPMAT 2026 exam as well as boards.
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Shiksha Poll Insights
Shiksha conducted a poll to get insights into the IPMAT preparation strategy to students. Here are the results:
Check: Key insights on balancing IPMAT preparation and boards: Shiksha Poll
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Anything you would want to ask experts?
Candidates appearing for the IPMAT exam for admission to the five-year integrated programme in management, must have a good percentile to clear the cutoff of IIM Indore. The validity of IPMAT score is one year and students will be offered admission to colleges accepting IPMAT scores through their IPMAT result. To gain admission, candidates need to match the cutoff criteria of their preferred institute. The IPMAT exam has 100 questions and the total marks are 400. But, the raw scores are then scaled and the composite scores are calculated. Knowing what is a good score in IPMAT exam is subjective, however, the current trends suggest that the following will be considered a good score with 90-100% accuracy:
Based on the scores obtained in the IPMAT exam, the candidates will be called for the PI round of the selection procedure conducted by IIM Indore.