The actual IPMAT 2026 is two exams with a minor difference in the name, as one is in IIM Indore and the other in IIM Rohtak. Both are aptitude tests which are aimed at Class 12 students or fresh pass-outs seeking admission to the five-year Integrated Programme in Management right after their schooling. Knowing the structure of every paper is a big difference to your study style, what mocks you will take and how you will go about your test day strategy.

IPMAT Exam Pattern 2026: IIM Indore

In total, there are 90 questions and 120 minutes with a strict time limit for each section. The sections are:

• Quantitative Ability (MCQ) - Objective questions having options

• Quantitative Ability (Short Answer) - questions in which you type the answer

• Verbal Ability (MCQ) - objective questions in English

The marking scheme generally follows the idea of a positive score for every correct answer and negative marking for wrong answers in the MCQ sections, and in the short answer questions in Quant; however, negative marking is not generally applied. This creates an interesting balance of having to be careful with guesses in MCQs, but being able to be a bit more willing to have a go at borderline questions in the short answer part if you can come up with a reasonable answer.

Indore's Quant sections are known to go beyond normal school maths. Topics include higher level arithmetic, algebra, progressions, inequalities, functions, coordinate geometry, permutations and combinations and basic higher maths concepts.

IPMAT Exam Pattern 2026 for IIM Rohtak

IPMAT Rohtak has a different flavour, even though the total time is again 120 minutes. Here, too, there are three sections, but all the questions are multiple choice, and logical reasoning has its own separate section. The sections are:

• Quantitative Aptitude

• Logical Reasoning

• Verbal Ability

Each section consists of about 40 questions, which is a total of 120 questions. The total duration is 120 minutes, and according to updated information, the format now is that each section is dedicated to approximately 40 minutes, although the whole exam still seems more fluid than Indore because all questions are MCQs.

The marking pattern is usually 4 marks for every correct answer and one mark deducted for every wrong answer. There is no short answer section here, so you are always working with options, which affects the way you go about guessing and eliminating, compared to Indore.

Rohtak quantitative aptitude is a little closer to the high school level, but still requires good speed and accuracy. Logical Reasoning: puzzles, arrangement, series, analogies, direction sense, coding, decoding and so on. Verbal Ability again tests reading comprehension, vocabulary and grammar, but the pattern and weightage are not the same as the exam of Indore.

IPMAT Exam Difficulty Level: The Experiences of Students

The natural follow-up question after learning the pattern is: How tough is IPMAT really? The short answer is that it is not impossible but demanding than a normal board-level test, especially on the maths side.

Exam analysis from the last few years indicates that IPMAT Indore is in the average to difficult range overall, and Quantitative Ability tends to pull the needle up. For example detailed review of year 2025 papers mentions Quant MCQ section is difficult, the Quant short answer is moderate, and Verbal Ability is moderate but sometimes lengthy. The general impression has been that the test rewards conceptual understanding in maths and quick and accurate reading in English.

The difficulty in Indore is from multiple angles: higher concepts in maths, time pressure (due to sectional timing and due to a mix of question types (MCQ + short answer)). You can not just stick to your shortcuts, but you must have some fundamentals and exposure to unsolved routine problems.

IPMAT Rohtak, by comparison, is typically rated at around moderate. The maths level is more aligned to the Class 11 standard, and the Logical Reasoning has brought about a skills mix. Nonetheless, the number of questions (around 120 questions within two hours) implies that speed does matter. One more aspect is competition. Because of the fact that these exams open the door to IIMs immediately after school, they have a huge number of serious aspirants. This makes effective difficulty higher, as even a small change in marks can make a noticeable change in your rank.

How IPMAT Mock Tests Fit In This Pattern

IPMAT Mock Test practice is the link between the knowledge of the pattern and the ability to actually perform it. A good mock test replicates the actual IPMAT Indore or Rohtak paper in terms of the number of questions, time limits, marking scheme and range of difficulty.

When you take multiple mocks, two things happen. One, that you get comfortable with the structure. The concept of 90 questions with sectional timing (Indore) or 120 questions with 3 skills (Rohtak) does not sound abstract any more and starts sounding familiar. Two, you begin to see how your preparation is under pressure. Some topics that appear fine in untimed practice suddenly feel shaky in a timed mock, and that is very useful information.

Mock tests are also helpful to you in very practical ways:

• They train your time management in and between sections.

• They tell you what sections drag your score down and what section(s) carry you.

• They teach you how many questions you can safely try to get right while having good accuracy.

• They provide you with repeated exposure towards IPMAT-level questions, specifically in quantitative topics.

• They help in reducing exam anxiety by setting up exam-like conditions at home.

The key is not just taking mocks but analysing them. This analysis tells you what to revise before the next mock and gradually improve both your speed and accuracy

Using Patterns and Mocks Together

If you put all of this together, you can see a simple structure for IPMAT preparation. The IPMAT Exam Pattern 2026 informs you what you are up against - number of questions, sections, timing and marking (Indore and Rohtak). The IPMAT Exam Difficulty Level, based on recent analyses, will provide a warning of where the real difficulty is, which is usually in the higher level maths, time pressure and heavy question load. IPMAT Mock Tests allow you to practice in such conditions as many times as you want until they cease to seem unfamiliar.

When you combine all three of them, you are much more targeted in your preparation. You are no longer just "studying maths and English", you are getting ready for 90 or 120 specific questions in a known pattern, with a sense of where you are likely to lose marks and how you can correct that. That is eventually what helps you to move closer to the scores that you need for a serious shot at the IPM seats in IIM Indore, IIM Rohtak and other participating institutes.