Every year there are thousands of class 12th students who dream of cracking the IPMAT exam which is the golden door to the IIMs right after school. But there is a debate that always sparks up in the minds of the candidates in the middle of preparation- Do Science students have an unfair advantage in IPMAT over commerce and Arts students?
On the other hand, this logic seems very obvious. As per thinking logically, everyone feels that Science students juggle with Mathematics throughout the class 11th and 12th whereas Commerce and Arts students leave advanced mathematics behind. But when going deeper about this question, the story is not that simple. The IPMAT exam is not just about the complex equations but it is a test for your problem-solving skills, accuracy, speed as well as balance across all the sections.
Let’s look at this subject deeper, compare how different streams work in the IPMAT exam, and uncover whether IPMAT really favors Science students or if there is something else than the level it maintains.
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What is the IPMAT Exam?
The IPMAT exam is a national level competitive management entrance exam for the students who want to pursue management studies right after class 12th. It is conducted mainly by IIM Indore and IIM Rohtak as this exam opens the door to the 5 year Integrated Program in Management (IPM).
The IPMAT exam covers three sections to check skills. This includes Verbal Ability, Quantitative Aptitude as well as Logical Reasoning. Quantitative Ability is one of the competitive parts of the IPMAT exam and because of that many assume Science students who are familiar with the higher-level maths get an edge in the exam. But here is the actual twist that plenty of toppers from Arts and Commerce stream background which prove every year that the IPMAT exam rewards not just your stream but your smart preparation skills.
How Different Streams Perform in IPMAT?
The IPMAT exam attracts students from all the three streams that are Science, Commerce as well as Humanities or Arts. The IPMAT syllabus overlaps with some subjects taught in the school as it does not exactly replicate any individual stream. That’s why each group or stream comes in with its own weaknesses and strengths and overall performance depends upon how they will perform across Verbal Ability, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning.
Science Students in IPMAT
Science students, due to familiarity with advanced mathematics, find the Quantitative Ability section a little manageable. Their background in functions, arithmetic, algebra as well as probability gives a natural competition across this section. However, there are many students who find the Verbal Ability section a little competitive to them because it overall covers the language skills and comprehension.
Commerce Students in IPMAT
Commerce students perform well in arithmetic heavy topics like average, profit & loss, percentages as well as data interpretation, which are a part of their daily learning. But when it comes to advanced or higher level mathematics like calculus or matrices, they sometimes face a little difficult learning curve compared to the science students.
Humanities/Arts Students in IPMAT
Arts or Humanities students usually have good hands in Verbal Ability part due to their strong writing, reading and analytical skills. But it is always that they are left behind in the Quantitative Aptitude section because a major part in the QA comes till class 10th maths syllabus and less ratio from the higher mathematics . With consistent practice and proper preparation strategy anyone can clear the IPMAT exam with good scores.
Does IPMAT Really Favor Science Students?
At the first look, it may seem that Science students have an upper hand in the IPMAT exam because of their already exposure to higher level mathematics. The Quantitative Ability (QA) section aligns more with their curriculum than what they have already studied till class 12th, which is making it less difficult compared to Humanities or Commerce students. This overall creates the impression that IPMAT is little biased towards the science background students.
But actually the truth is that the IPMAT exam is designed to be a balanced aptitude test not just a board exam. The VA (Verbal Ability) section holds equal weightage and there are many toppers coming from Commerce and Arts backgrounds or streams because of their strong reasoning as well as language skills. Even there are many students from all backgrounds cracking the IPMAT exam which proves that this exam rewards your consistency, practice, strategy as well as speed far more than just the stream you belong to.
Strategies for Commerce and Arts Students to Compete in IPMAT
 As Science students seem to have a head start in the Quantitative Ability (QA) section does not mean Arts and Commerce students are at a disadvantage. With the right mindset and proper preparation strategy they cannot only compete but also perform well in the exam to get a good score. The key to outperform for the other stream students is to accept the initial gap in the mathematics (as it is not surprisingly tough because the major ratio comes till 10th which everyone covers) as well as Quantitative Ability and Logical reasoning to play with the natural strengths. There are many IPMAT toppers from different streams who have proven that IPMAT success is not just about your stream or background but it is all about strategy, smart exam management as well as practice.
Hence, there are different strategies that maintains the competitive edge of the IPMAT exam:
- It is important to strengthen core math basics and revisit class 9th and 10th NCERT maths to build your confidence across geometry, arithmetic as well as algebra.
- It is important to practice questions consistently to improve problem solving skills as well as speed.
- There are many Arts as well as Commerce students who shine in Verbal Ability to balance and maximize scores in the IPMAT exam.
- It is important for students to focus on probability, arithmetic as well as data interpretation to score better and boost confidence level in the actual exam.
- Use mock tests in the IPMAT exam to regularly review mistakes and identify exam patterns and adjust IPMAT preparation.
Conclusion: Stream Doesn’t Define Success in the IPMAT Exam
When it comes to the IPMAT exam then your background or stream does not decide your future but your preparation strategy does. Science students may find the Quantitative Aptitude section easier at first but they might struggle with the Verbal Ability section. Commerce and Humanities students may have to work harder in Quantitative Aptitude but it completely depends on the students. Some students bring strong problem solving and analytical skills whereas some students prepare smartly, practice consistently and learn to balance their strengths across every section of the IPMAT exam.
So instead of worrying about whether IPMAT favors one stream over another stream, focus on building the right preparation strategy. With this, right resources and a clear plan also affects. So any student whether they are coming from Science, Commerce or Arts/Humanities background can crack the IPMAT exam and secure their admission seat in top B-Schools and IIMs.
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