Not interested in engineering but feeling like JEE is your only option? That was exactly how Arpan Ekka’s journey began. A PCM student with 90.8% in both Class 10 and Class 12, Arpan discovered IPMAT only during his Class 12 and decided to give it a shot. With just 3-4 months of focused preparation, he not only cracked IPMAT 2026 but also converted IIM Indore, IIM Shillong, and IIM Ranchi.
In this exclusive IPMAT toppers interview, Arpan shares his complete preparation journey, from balancing board exams with IPMAT, mastering mock tests, and overcoming interview anxiety to his PI experiences, daily study routine, and practical tips for future aspirants. If you’re wondering whether it’s possible to crack IPMAT in a few months, this interview is for you.
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IPMAT Topper Interview Q1: Backup Plan If IPMAT Didn’t Work Out
IPMAT Indore was a backup for me. I wanted to see what I could achieve with it. If I couldn’t crack it, my plan was to take all three exams the following year.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q2: Preparation Strategy, Study Hours, and Journey
I came to know about IPMAT quite late, around July last year, when I was in Class 12. Being a PCM student, it was natural for me to prepare for JEE. However, to be honest, I was never interested in pursuing a B.Tech degree. When I heard about IPMAT, I went home and researched its curriculum. I found it very interesting because, apart from management, it also includes coding, languages, and other interdisciplinary subjects. Around February, I decided to take it seriously. I already had the complete curriculum, so I made a preparation plan and studied rigorously for three months, from February to April. I appeared for the exam in May and successfully cracked it.
For a smooth experience, you can also watch the complete interview playlist of an iQuanta student who cracked IPMAT in 3 Months.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q3: Challenges Faced While Transitioning from JEE to IPMAT?
I initially underestimated the Verbal Ability (VA) section, thinking I could manage it easily. However, when I started taking mock tests, I got a reality check. I realized that this wasn’t school-level English and that I needed to dedicate time to improving it. After that, I started attending classes and regularly went through the study resources. Gradually, with consistent practice, the section became much easier for me.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q4: Is Task-Based Preparation Better Than Studying for Long Hours?
As I mentioned earlier, I started my preparation quite late. Students who begin early naturally have more time to cover the syllabus. Since I had less time, I had to invest more effort and stay disciplined. Instead of counting the number of hours I studied, I focused on completing specific tasks each day. Every night, I would analyse the topics I still needed to cover and plan the questions I had to solve the next day. If a topic was difficult, I kept my target number of questions lower so I could focus on understanding the concepts. If it was relatively easy, I increased the number of questions accordingly. This task-based approach helped me stay consistent and make the most of the limited time I had.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q5: Balancing IPMAT Preparation and Board Exams
I had my board exams coming up, so I had to study for them, it was non-negotiable. I used to divide my day into two parts: one for IPMAT and the other for my board exams. I mostly studied at night, or I would wake up early in the morning. From 5 to 7 or 8 a.m., I focused only on IPMAT. Then I took a break for 1–2 hours and started preparing for my board exams. In the evening, I used to revise what I had studied in the morning, and at night, I planned for the next day. Later, when I started taking mock tests, I used to take them in the morning and review them in the evening
IPMAT Topper Interview Q6: Mock Test StrategyÂ
On the iQuanta portal, there were around 40 mock tests for IPMAT Indore. Although I couldn’t attempt all of them, I took around 28–30 mocks. I didn’t sit down to analyse the mocks immediately after taking them. I would first take the mock, check my score, do some other studying, and basically take a break. Then, with a fresh mind, I would sit down to analyse my mistakes. If I noticed that I had made multiple mistakes in a particular topic, I would revisit that topic, revise it thoroughly, and start again with the basic questions. This was one of the key ways I improved my performance.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q7: Doubt-Solving Strategy – Clear Doubts Immediately or Save Them for Later?
In the beginning, we all have the tendency to skip topics that we don’t know. But what if the very topics you ignored are asked in the exam? The best approach is to clear your doubts as soon as they arise. So, I think asking doubts is one of the most important parts of preparation. In the iQuanta group, there were many aspirants, along with mentors, who were always willing to help. There were plenty of people ready to answer your questions. I believe that is a great initiative, and it helped me a lot.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q8: Interview Experience at IIM Indore, Shillong, and Ranchi?
My first interview was at IIM Ranchi. From what I had heard before the interview, it was mostly academic with a few current affairs questions, so I prepared accordingly. However, when I reached the venue, the students standing outside the interview room told me that one commerce student had been asked about semiconductors, while a PCM student had been asked about the demand-supply graph. I was confused.
When I went inside, I gave my introduction, and the interview started with, “Can you name all the Prime Ministers of India in sequence?” I told them that I couldn’t name all of them but could recall a few. I named around 7-8 Prime Ministers. Then they asked me about military honours, which I answered. After that, they asked me about receipts, and I was like, “I don’t know.” Apart from that, the interview went really well, but it was quite different from what I had expected.
On 25th June, my interviews for both IIM Indore and IIM Shillong were scheduled. The Shillong interview was online. For Indore, I reached the venue in the morning. The interview was mainly academic, they asked me questions on percentages and probability. They also asked about my hometown and requested me to describe the place. It felt more like a conversation than an interview.
For the Shillong interview, I appeared from home. It was mostly academic but also focused on my hobbies. I had mentioned filmmaking as one of my hobbies, so they asked me what kinds of films I had made. They also asked whether they were made for competitions, whether I had any projects at the moment, and a few other related questions.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q9: Preparation Tips for Unpredictable Interview Questions?
Reading is a very important part of the preparation. During my PI preparation, iQuanta had a repository of current affairs, and I followed it rigorously, reading it every day. Even if the interviewers ask you something related to current affairs, you shouldn’t go blank, you should know at least something about the topic. Therefore, I believe reading is a very important component of interview preparation.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q10: What Is the Real Game-Changer in IPMAT – Verbal Ability or Quant?
In Quant after practicing you will start recognising patterns, and eventually you will be able to solve it on your own. For VA, everytime you will get something new. You have to read through the whole thing, and you have to make sense of it and after that you attempt the questions. For VA you need more practice and more presence of mind.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q11: Life In-between Study Breaks?
I knew that if I indulged myself in my phone or games, it would have been difficult to come out of it. Since I’m into sports and have many friends to play with, we would usually play for around 1 to 1.5 hours, come back, and then get back to studying. I also have a unique hobby of reading movie reviews in depth. These were the two main things I used to do during my study breaks.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q12: Experience with iQuanta’s IPMAT Course?
If I talk about the classes, they were really well-structured. Once we started a topic, we stayed focused on that topic and didn’t switch between different ones. Everything was taught in a very sequential and organized manner, which really helped with time management. Regarding doubt-solving, the response rate was really good. PI preparation was the best part for me because that was the time I interacted with most of the mentors. They gave me very insightful suggestions.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q13: Overcoming Interview Fear and Cracking Three IIM Interviews
As I said earlier, my first interview didn’t go well. I was pretty blank during it. After that, my mentor gave me several valuable suggestions. One of them was to always keep a smile on my face. Over the course of the next five interviews, I worked on making myself more presentable and maintained a smile throughout. Another suggestion was that while I was academically strong, I needed to improve my presentation skills. It’s not enough to know the concept, you also need to explain it clearly and effectively.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q14: One Piece of Advice for Future IPMAT Aspirants
First of all, time is not the issue. Whether you start early or late doesn’t matter; what matters is that you start. Secondly, consistency is everything. If you are consistent, you will definitely reach somewhere. You may be hardworking, but if you’re not consistent, it becomes difficult. However, if you stay consistent, you will achieve what you set out to accomplish.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q15: What Is the Ideal Daily Study Plan for IPMAT?
Whatever worked for me may not work for everyone. But, in my opinion, IPMAT is a very doable exam. It’s not something that you won’t be able to crack. What I used to do was wake up very early, around 4 – 5 a.m., and study strictly for IPMAT until 8 – 9 a.m. Then I took a break of around an hour and studied only for my board exams. When you’re studying for boards, don’t think about IPMAT, and similarly, when you’re studying for IPMAT, don’t think about your boards. In the evening, I would go out for a while, come back, revise what I had studied for IPMAT in the morning, solve some questions, and then plan my schedule for the next day at night.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q16: Why IPMAT Indore Over IPMAT Rohtak and JIPMAT
No offence to Rohtak or JIPMAT. If, from the beginning, I had thought that cracking IPMAT Indore would be difficult and kept Rohtak or JIPMAT as my primary backup plan, I don’t think I would have cracked IPMAT Indore. Your mindset plays a huge role. If you keep thinking that you won’t be able to crack IPMAT Indore, it becomes much harder to do so. So, I decided to focus only on Indore. I kept taking mock tests and believed that I could crack it. Instead of dividing my attention among all three exams, I gave my complete focus to IPMAT Indore. In case I didn’t make it to Indore, I still had IIM Shillong and IIM Ranchi as backup options.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q17: From JEE to IPMAT – What Inspired the Shift?
JEE and IPMAT are both difficult exams. All respect to JEE, it is a very tough exam. But IPMAT is not a cakewalk either. You need to put in the hours and work hard to crack it. In my case, I think I was more inclined towards a less stressful path, so IPMAT was the better option for me. Anyway, I was planning to pursue an MBA from an IIM after engineering. With IPMAT, I could start my journey through the IPM programme itself, which was even better for me. And for JEE aspirants, if you’re looking for a strong backup option, I believe IPMAT is one of the best choices.
IPMAT Topper Interview Q18: Biggest Tip for IPMAT Aspirants?
Work hard, work hard, work hard and always do what your heart says.
If you are looking for a structured preparation for IPMAT along with 24×7 doubt solving, then you can go for iQuanta’s IPMAT Course
