IPMAT is one of the most popular exams among class 12 students and allows students to get admission into an integrated 5-year management program. If you are someone who is going to appear for the IPMAT 2026 and is yet to start with the preparation, then this is the place for you. This blog will help you understand a month-by-month plan to kickstart your preparation journey for the IPMAT exam. If you start from the very beginning, you have higher chances of scoring exceptionally well and getting admission into reputed institutions. So, without any further delays, let's get started and see how you can start your preparation for the upcoming IPMAT exam.
IPMAT 2026 Exam Pattern
Before getting started with the month-by-month preparation plan for IPMAT, it is very important to understand the exam pattern for a holistic preparation journey. The IPMAT exam will be conducted for IIM Indore and IIM Rohtak. Both of these exams will be conducted in an online format and will last for 2 hours. The exam will assess the candidates on their skills and knowledge in Quantitative and Verbal ability. For every correct answer, you will be awarded +4 marks, whereas for every incorrect answer, -1 mark will be deducted.
While IPMAT Indore and IPMAT Rohtak are mostly similar, a few difference persists between them. IPMAT Indore has a quantitative ability section in short answers as well as an MCQ format, and a verbal ability section. On the other hand, IPMAT Rohtak has a dedicated logical reasoning section, which IPMAT Indore does not explicitly distinguish. IPMAT Rohtak has quantitative ability, logical reasoning, and verbal ability sections.
The negative marking is only applicable to the MCQs in IPMAT Indore, but it applies to all the questions in IPMAT Rohtak. The scores of IPMAT Indore are accepted by multiple institutions, but the scores of IPMAT Rohtak are only admissible in IIM Rohtak.
Month-by-Month IPMAT Preparation
To kickstart your preparation in the right direction, you must divide your syllabus into phases of months and start with the preparation. Let's get started and have a look!
We will divide the entire 12-month journey into three phases, and you need to accomplish your goals in each phase to achieve your ultimate goal.
Read More: IPMAT vs Other Management Entrance Exams: What Makes It Unique?
Phase 1: Work on your foundation building (August 2025- December 2025)
In the earlier stage of the preparation, you need to focus on building the concepts. Start by getting acquainted with the syllabus and exam pattern to have a smooth preparation journey. You can grab the best book for the IPMAT exam to kickstart your exam preparation. The market is flooded with a humongous number of IPMAT books, but choosing the one that suits your needs is a big challenge.
Make sure to build a strong foundation in core subjects, most importantly in quantitative aptitude and verbal ability. To have a strong grasp of the quantitative section, you should focus on topics like arithmetic, algebra, mensuration, and the number system. You can leverage the NCERT books of classes 9 and 10 to have a grasp of the foundational concepts of these topics.
For the verbal ability section, you should focus on enhancing your language expertise. You can focus on reading comprehension, which will help you two-fold in boosting your vocabulary and grammar. The more you read, the better you become at the language part. Make a habit of reading English newspapers and magazines daily.
If you are preparing for IPMAT Rohtak, you need to prepare for the logical reasoning section explicitly. For logical reasoning front, you can focus on puzzles, arrangements, series, syllogisms, and pattern questions.
This is the golden time when you should take notes and start your practice with easy questions to gain a level of confidence. Once you prepare the notes, make it a habit to revisit them at the end of the day.
Phase 2: Boost speed and accuracy (January 2026-March 2026)
Once you get hold of the basics of the topics, then this is the prime time when you should level up the type of questions that you were practising earlier. You should shift your focus to application-based questions that have a high probability of coming in the examination. Apart from that, this is the best time to refer to IPMAT PYQs as they will help you understand the trends being followed in the examination.
The IPMAT solved paper 2026 will help you understand your preparedness levels for the examination. No doubt, even if you are not holistically prepared for the examination, you can still go ahead and take sectional mock tests. This will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses so you can prepare accordingly in the remaining time.
When you commit mistakes during this phase, make it a habit to analyse your mistakes. Always try to understand your mistakes so that you don't commit similar types of mistakes on the day of the examination. In addition to that, you should also give attention to time management to understand the time that you take to solve a particular question. You can put a timer while solving a question to better understand how you perform under pressure.
At this stage, you can start with one full-length mock test weekly. Once you get comfortable with it, you can increase the frequency of the same. This will help you come across a variety of questions from different perspectives so that you are holistically prepared for the exam.
Phase 3: Revision and practice sessions (April 2026-May 2026)
Now, this is the time when you need to show your endgame. The more you practice, the better your chances of shining in the final exam. You can focus on targeted revision at this time for all the concepts that you have prepared throughout the preparation journey. At this time, you should focus on revising formulas, shortcuts, and grammar rules that will act as a great asset on the day of the examination.
You should take as many mock tests as possible at this time. This will not only boost your preparation but will also enhance your confidence levels for the examination. At this time, you should also focus on refining your exam-taking strategies. Moreover, this is the best time to focus and refine your command over weak areas. This will help you excel in the exam holistically.
Besides that, have faith in your preparation and don't over-pressurise yourself. Maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle so that you can focus on your preparation. Most importantly, in the last few days before the examination, focus on extensive revision sessions. This will make your preparation foolproof for the day of the examination.
Final Thoughts
The IPMAT exam has great potential for students. If you start your preparation from the very beginning, you have high chances of getting a phenomenal rank in the exam. Practice as much as you can and make your mark with your impeccable preparation strategies. If you are someone who was not sure about how to start your preparation journey then this blog might have given you a fair idea of where to start and how to proceed throughout the preparation process. Have faith in what you do and make an indelible mark.
All the Best!
