Getting into an IIM right after 12th is a dream for many. It’s not just about the prestige that comes with the IIM tag but also the headstart it gives you in your career. While your friends pursue their undergrad in traditional degrees in traditional colleges, you get multi-dimensional learning across various subjects that allows you to become a socially conscious leader. And the biggest selling point being – the ability to bypass the brutality and the uncertainty that the CAT exam comes with.
However, the real picture may not be as rosy as it sounds. So, let’s have a realistic analysis of whether IPM is the right career choice for you or not:
Less Competitive, Lesser Seats
On an average, the CAT exam is taken by approx ~3 lakh candidates. IPMAT, on the other hand, would average around merely ~30,000. At the outset, the difference seems substantial. However, what people fail to realize is that the number of seats available is disproportionately lesser in the case of IPM compared to MBA.
IIM Indore has about 150 seats in total, and ~30,000 aspirants competing for the same. If we account for waitlist movement (mostly due to some students preferring SSCBS / SRCC over IIM Indore in UG and IIM ABCLK in MBA), the selection percentage for getting into IIM Indore through IPMAT and CAT should roughly be the same.
While the proposition of skipping CAT sounds appealing, one must not forget that they effectively have to give an entrance of the same rigour as CAT but much sooner. The syllabus of IPMAT is also slightly more vast compared to that of CAT, with topics like higher math and grammar also being asked. However, the level of difficulty is a notch below when compared to CAT.
All in all, one with the escapist mentality of cutting through CAT may not fare well in an exam like IPMAT. It demands great academic rigour and consistency to sail through. An average student may have to put in 300-500 hours of focused study to clear an exam like IPMAT, accompanied by extensive mock solving and analysis. Even this would only take you so far as after clearing the entrance lies the greater challenge – personal interview round!
The Money Talk: Cost vs. ROI
Let’s address the elephant in the room: these programs are crazy expensive. The reason why the number of applicants is still relatively low is not that it’s a bad course. It’s just that the vast majority of students interested in pursuing it are simply unable to afford it. The total fee for all 5 years would easily cross ~40 Lakhs for most of the IIMs. For a middle-class family, that’s a very serious financial commitment. More so because prestigious colleges like DU offer undergrad degrees for as low as 1 Lakh! (plus living costs). You can then pursue just your MBA from an IIM which would set you back by ~18-24 lakhs, still much lesser overall compared to IPM.
If you are someone who’s looking at this course purely from an ROI standpoint, you may have better options available. Many students opt to write CUET and get into the top colleges of DU to complete their undergrad at a much affordable fee. Sure, there’s a risk of not being able to clear CAT but you’ll have to weigh that against the IPM course fee and decide based on your career objective and financial background.
However, the picture isn’t all that gloomy. For those really looking forward to the diverse curriculum and peer group that the IPM has to offer, education loans are very easily available that can finance up to 100% of your total fee without any collateral!
IIMs Through IPMAT vs Regular Colleges: The Trade-Off
It wouldn’t be wise to compare any of the IIMs to a local college in your city. To have a fair comparison, we should compare institutes of the same stature. As mentioned earlier, SSCBS and SRCC are very prestigious options that offer great ROI. For most of the aspirants, these two colleges would be the only real contenders of IPM at IIM Indore. Between them, there isn’t really a better option, only the right option depending on your priorities:
Choose IPM, IIM Indore if: You are looking forward to multi-disciplinary learning, a high-pressure environment and residential learning, and ROI isn’t the main element that you’re looking forward to.
Choose DU or the likes if: You value freedom over a rigorous and structured learning environment. This provides you with a room to explore different interests, do internships or join societies at your own whim, without having a compulsion. While IIMs also have these as a part of the curriculum, colleges like DU leave it completely upon the student to decide what’s best for them. Additionally, cost is also a very big factor of consideration for central universities like DU where the tuition fee is almost negligible compared to IIMs.
The Reality Check
Here is the truth that no one tells you: the IPMAT is not a golden ticket. It is just the entry gate. Once you get inside an IIM, the real work starts. The coursework is intense, the college life is hectic, and the environment is hypercompetitive. Students often find themselves juggling society work, internships, exams, and case comps in order to build a profile that outshines others during the placement process. This is why serious preparation, including regular IPMAT mock tests, is crucial even before getting in. Those who get laid back after getting in often find themselves struggling during the placement season.
Additionally, this will probably not be the last entrance that you appear for. Almost half of the IPM batch ends up writing CAT, despite having a confirmed seat in an IIM already. Students often aspire to do an MBA from an even better IIM, whilst having the insurance of a confirmed MBA seat owing to their IPM degree. If they get a better college, they switch. If they don’t, they have the option to just continue with their IPM.
Conclusion
Is IPMAT worth the hype? Absolutely-but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.
This path is built for students who have clear goals and the patience to play the long game. For everyone else, taking a standard graduation route can be just as effective. Don’t choose IPMAT just because it’s popular; choose it because it actually fits your personality and your goals.
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