How to Prepare for Board and IPMAT 2026 Together- A Strategy for Acing the Exams

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 topics and 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?

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 level of difficulty 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. 

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 2026 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 2026 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.

Start Early

Students should give at least six months to prepare for IPMAT exam 2026. The earlier someone starts preparing for the IPM exam, the more they can comprehensively cover the syllabus and at the same time easily balance IPMAT and boards preparation. Students should first prioritize Class 12 board preparation and spend one to two hours for IPMAT 2026 preparation. This will help students clear their basics without hampering the boards prep. After boards, students can being with full fledged preparation for IIM Indore IPMAT and give at least 8 to 9 hours to it along with practicing sample papers, mocks, and revision. 

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:          

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:

• CBSE Class 12 board preparation
• How to prepare for IPMAT 2026 in one month

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 basics clarity and IPMAT requires aptitude-based preparation; hence, it is important to balance the preparation well.

Different subjects require different energies. Divide 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 test 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:

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.

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

Read More: 

• IPMAT Question Papers (Previous Years)
• CUET vs IPMAT: Know the differences and similarities
• CBSE board question papers
• How to balance Class 12 board preparation with NEET, JEE, CUET
• Top BBA entrance exams to take this year