Become the next Biz_whiz How to get into IIM Indores 5year Integrated Program

The 5 year Integrated Program in Management offered by IIM Indore is one of the best business management programs at an undergraduate level in India today.

Why?

This one is easy! IIM Indore is one of the best B-Schools– there are very few institutions of better pedigree and track record in the country. Besides, the five year integrated program effectively takes away the need for a post-graduate course – and more importantly the tensions and woes associated with taking the hyper-competitive CAT (Common Admission Test for admission into the IIMs) – which means that you can settle down and give your best shot within your chosen field of study only. And the excellent program structure – remember not to think of it as BBA + MBA – makes it quite similar to a liberal arts program. Which other program allows you to study the humanities, commerce and science all at once? Not a single one actually. The Integrated Program in Management is almost guaranteed to produce tomorrow’s leaders: well versed in multiple disciplines and burning with the desire to make a difference!

So what does it take to get admitted into the best business management course in the country?

It is again quite simple actually – clear the Aptitude Test and the Personal Interview that follows. Ah! That’s easier said than done isn’t it? I did fail to mention that there are over 100 aspirants for every single seat at IIM Indore’s Integrated Program in Management, which makes it as tough as the CAT. Then again in comparison to other Business management entrance exams the high difficulty level of the IPM Aptitude Test is a lot higher.

Here are a few pointers for those of you who want to take a serious shot at the IPM:

Start Early: Clearly, a serious aspirant needs to start early - definitely at the start of Class XII, maybe even in Class XI – and cover all the bases. More time translates into more practice, greater expanse of knowledge and better chance of juggling boards and entrance exams at the same time.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses: It doesn’t take an Einstein to understand one’s own areas of strengths and weaknesses – the tough part is in making that as specific as possible. Drill down into particular areas (such Inferential questions from reading comprehensions, Critical reasoning questions from logical reasoning or Time and work problems from quantitative aptitude) that you enjoy and others that you find tough to tackle.

Most of your practice time should be devoted to areas that you are weak in, thus improving your conceptual understanding. This is important, as the typical tendency is for you to work on areas that you like, which will not further your overall goal of cracking the test. Also, learn to be patient – remember it might take 5 attempts at a topic before you start to feel comfortable with it.

Practice, but practice to learn from practicing too: Identify some good sources of preparation such as books by trusted publishers for IIM Indore’s Integrated Program in Management (Eptitude offers concept books and practice workbooks on all the test areas i.e. Verbal Ability, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning). Extensive practice will make you quicker and also improve your accuracy.

More importantly, make sure that you learn both from what you already know and from what you didn’t already know. Confused? Well, consider solving a particularly tough set of questions on algebra. Make sure that you go through the detailed solutions for all questions – whether you already knew them or not. Sometimes, the solution given might spell out an easier or more standardized way of solving a question which merits remembering. Do ensure that all such learning insights are properly documented for a quick revision later. A serious IPM aspirant will devote upwards of 300 hours into Aptitude test preparation, which would all amount to nothing if there is no accumulated learning that is personal in nature!

Take mocks and benchmark performance: It is critical to take as many mock tests as possible on the pattern of the IIM Indore (Integrated Program in Management) aptitude test. These practice mocks will be useful in devising strategy and tactics as well as assist you with exam temperament. In the first few tests, try changing the order in which you attempt various sections, the time allotted for each section and the attempt/leave strategy in order to understand how you perform the best. Also, benchmarking is important – past results will give you a clue on how much one needed to score in order to qualify in past papers. Do not be exceedingly harsh on yourself by expecting to meet the cut-off scores in every test. Identify a target score for each test and also devise a strategy to achieve this target. Performance must be measured on how the strategy was implemented and whether the target score was achieved or not. This will surely lead to your scores gradually improving and crossing the expected cut-offs.

Maintain your calm: IIM Indore will definitely spring a few unexpected surprises – only the calm and composed student will be able to think clearly and adjust his exam strategy to suit the difficulty level of the actual test.

Confide/discuss with a mentor: The best of dealing with a problem is to outsource it! A mentor who understand aptitude tests can really help you with all aspects such as preparation, test analysis and exam temperament. This could be a relative, friend or even a professional – but it could be the critical link that determines success.

All the very best!