August 3, 2026
The IPMAT Indore 2026 question paper was conducted by IIM Indore on 4th May 2026 for admission to its 5-Year Integrated Programme in Management.
The overall difficulty was Moderate and notably easier than 2025, with the exam pattern staying 100% unchanged:
This page breaks down the actual memory-based questions, section-wise topic weightage, and expected cut-offs so you know exactly where you stand and what to prepare next.

Download IPMAT Indore 2026 Question Paper PDF along with other past papers
| IPMAT Indore 2026 Question Paper | |
| IPMAT Indore 2025 Question paper | |
| IPMAT Indore 2024 Question paper | |
| IPMAT Indore 2023 Question paper | |
| IPMAT Indore 2022 Question paper | |
| IPMAT Indore 2021 Question paper | |
| IPMAT Indore 2020 Question paper | |
| IPMAT Indore 2019 Question paper |
The IPMAT Indore 2026 paper carried three sections across a total of 90 questions and 360 marks.
The structure below is what candidates actually faced on exam day, identical to 2025.
| Section | Question Type | No. of Questions | Max Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Quantitative Ability (Short Answer) |
Short Answer (TITA) |
15 |
60 |
40 min |
|
Quantitative Ability (MCQ) |
Objective (MCQ) |
30 |
120 |
40 min |
|
Verbal Ability (MCQ) |
MCQ + TITA |
45 |
180 |
40 min |
|
Total |
— |
90 |
360 |
120 min |
Marking scheme: Every correct MCQ earns +4 marks and every wrong MCQ costs –1 mark.
The Quantitative Ability (Short Answer) section has no negative marking, which is why it remains the safest place to build a lead.
.
The consensus verdict was Moderate overall, but easier than 2025.
Students walked out relieved and mostly confident, even though a few MCQ pockets felt trickier than expected.
The paper is widely regarded as one of the most approachable in recent years.
| Section | 2026 Difficulty | Compared to 2025 |
|---|---|---|
|
QA (Short Answer) |
Easy |
Easier |
|
QA (MCQ) |
Moderate |
Similar |
|
Verbal Ability |
Easy |
Easier |
|
Overall |
Moderate |
Easier |
No. There were no new sections, no format tweaks, and no surprises.
Two consecutive years of an identical blueprint mean the strategies that worked for 2025 and 2026 stay reliable- a genuine advantage for anyone preparing for the next cycle.
With 15 questions and no negative marking, QA-SA was the paper's real comfort zone and easier than last year.
Arithmetic dominated, so candidates strong in fundamentals converted this into a rank booster.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
|
Arithmetic (SI/CI, Percentages, Speed & Distance, Ratio & Proportion, Profit & Loss) |
5 |
|
Data Arrangement Set |
3 |
|
Inequalities |
3 |
|
Matrices |
1 |
|
Geometry |
1 |
|
Number System |
1 |
|
Linear Equation |
1 |
Expert takeaway: Arithmetic alone carried a third of this section. If your basics in percentages, ratios and time-speed-distance are solid, QA-SA becomes free marks and, crucially, risk-free marks.
This was the toughest section, longer and trickier than QA-SA, though still manageable with disciplined time management.
Accuracy mattered far more than raw attempts because of the –1 penalty.
| Topic | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
|
Topic |
No. of Questions |
|
Coordinate Geometry |
5 |
|
DI Set on Ratio (3 Nutrients: Calcium, Protein, Iron) |
5 |
|
Arithmetic (Time & Work, Speed-Distance-Time, SI/CI) |
3–4 |
|
Permutation & Combination |
3 |
|
Probability |
3 |
|
Progression |
2–3 |
|
Number System |
2–3 |
|
Geometry |
2 |
|
Set Theory |
1 |
Expert takeaway: Coordinate Geometry, the DI set, and Modern Maths (P&C, Probability) carried the heaviest weight.
Students who picked questions selectively and avoided the two or three "trap" sums scored better than those who attempted everything.
Verbal Ability was easy for strong readers but punished weak vocabulary.
Reading Comprehension was conceptual and inference-based rather than fact-based, and the language felt fresh and unfamiliar.
| Area | Details |
|---|---|
|
Reading Comprehension |
3 passages conceptual, inference-based |
|
Vocabulary |
Heavy load; tested word usage & contextual meaning |
|
Fillers (Double & Triple) |
6 questions needed strong vocab + contextual judgment |
|
Phrasal Verbs |
3 questions |
|
Idioms |
3 questions (e.g. "cost an arm and a leg", "let the cat out of the bag", "keep one's head") |
|
Grammar |
Tenses, Conditionals, Parallelism |
Verdict: A reader who builds vocabulary consistently would have found VA comfortable; a strong quant student with weak reading habits could have lost easy marks here.
Based on student feedback and the paper's difficulty, here are the expected sectional cut-offs.
Treat these as informed estimates; official IIM Indore cut-offs may differ.
| Category | QA (SA) | QA (MCQ) | VA (MCQ) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
General |
28 |
35 |
118 |
|
EWS |
20 |
25 |
95 |
|
NC-OBC |
16 |
21 |
81 |
|
SC |
12 |
15 |
69 |
|
ST / PwD |
8 |
11 |
49 |
Disclaimer: Cut-offs are estimates based on initial student reactions and paper difficulty. Official cut-offs may vary.
Seeing the paper in context helps you calibrate expectations.
IPMAT has swung between Moderate and Difficult over the last few cycles, with 2026 landing on the easier end.
| Year | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|
|
IPMAT 2026 |
Moderate (easier) |
|
IPMAT 2025 |
Moderate |
|
IPMAT 2024 |
Moderate |
|
IPMAT 2023 |
Difficult |
|
IPMAT 2022 |
Moderate |
|
IPMAT 2021 |
Easy to Moderate |
|
IPMAT 2020 |
Difficult |
|
IPMAT 2019 |
Difficult |
| Alternative BBA entrance exams | ||
| IPMAT Books |
Analysing student debriefs, the same avoidable errors kept surfacing. Learning from them is the fastest way to add marks without adding to the syllabus.
1. Over-attempting QA-MCQ. With –1 marking, chasing all 30 questions dragged accuracy down. Selective attempting scored higher.
2. Neglecting vocabulary. Quant-strong students underestimated the vocab load in Fillers and RC, and bled easy VA marks.
3. Ignoring QA-SA first. Some students opened with MCQs and ran short on time for the risk-free Short Answer section.
4. Panicking on unfamiliar RC. Fresh themes like "Rage Bait" rattled candidates who had only practised fact-based passages.
5. Poor time distribution. The sectional 40-minute limit punished anyone who lingered on a single Coordinate Geometry or DI trap.
| Elementary Algebra Booklet | |
| Book on Concepts for Geometry | |
| Number System Concepts Booklet | |
| Inequalities Concepts Booklet | |
| Booklet on Syllogisms | |
| Booklet on Vocabulary Building Techniques | |
| Data Arrangement & Puzzles Booklet | |
| Booklet on Idioms & Phrases |
Two straight years of an identical pattern make the 2026 paper a dependable blueprint. Here's how to turn this analysis into a study plan.
Expect IPMAT 2027 to mirror the 2025/2026 template. Practise on those exact mocks rather than chasing speculative "new pattern" material.
VA is easy on paper but vocab-heavy in practice. Start daily reading and structured word lists early; this single habit protects 40+ VA marks.
Short Answer was easier than last year and carries no negative marking. Strong Arithmetic here separates high scorers from the pack.
QA-MCQ was lengthier. Practise full 30-question sets in 40 minutes so exam-day pacing feels automatic.
Frequently Asked Questions
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