Advice regarding IPMAT prep
I’ve been preparing consistently for IPMAT Indore for the past few months, but my score has been stuck in the 150–170 range. I’ve identified QA as my weakest area and plan to work on it through focused sectional practice.
Currently, my preboards and practicals are going on, so I haven’t been able to give time to IPMAT for a few days. Once these end (by 16th Jan), I plan to shift my full focus back to IPMAT. My board prep is on track, so I’m not too worried on that front.
I’d really appreciate any tips or strategies to improve QA effectively in this phase.
The main problems that I face regarding my prep are-
- I panic during QA sections in Mocks, especially in the MCQ section. I'm very weak at modern maths, which is evident by my SWOT.
- I'm also not able to approach questions based on Number system and algebra ( I am able to understand the solutions but unable to build pathways to get to that solution).
- My VA is decent with an avg of around 120. However, I'm unable to maintain my calm till the VA section in the actual mock starts, because of which, my VA score dips in mocks.
My current strategy is to give a QA sectional a day from 16th onwards and cover my weak areas through Afterboards videos. Also, I become very indolent when it comes to analysing mocks (have only analysed mock-05 as of now) but plan on changing that from here onwards. Please tell me any other things that I must do to cross 200+.
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You are doing well in sectionals but not in mocks. Happens during the initial stage before you get a hang of it.
Don't give a QA sectional per day if you don't plan to analyze it, that's a waste of time. For VA it still makes sense as it makes you actively comprehend and use your english for 40 intense minutes. QA, if done badly, is just skipping 20 questions and attempting 10 known, and not combining that with re-solving the other 20 makes it a total waste of time. Please start analysing the mocks, atleast the solve the missed easy-mid qs with the comfort of unbounded time.
Cover the whole of Number Systems from 1) AfterBoards Capsules + Integrated practice sets, 2) Arun Sharma Number Systems (CAT Number System is goated) 3) AfterBoards Topic Tests. This topic alone represents a single line in your weakness section but this forms one of the largest sources of easy QA questions.
For Binomial Theorem, I would have suggested Takshzilla Chandra Sir's lecs but if you don't have it already, leave it, if I tell you to purchase it you may waste 5 working days making your decision asking in various forums which won't be the best use of your time. Hence directly finish the AB Capsules + Sets on it and head over to YouTube to search up Sameer Chincholikar's or Arvind Kalia's Binomial Theorem Playlists/Oneshots - if your weakness is too strong go for Class 11 playlist, if you can understand those stuff watch the JEE Oneshots directly.
Be careful attempting the topics in your threats section -> you are making silly mistakes or just overattempting without accuracy. For Time and Work, don't waste time watching too much lectures, there's no knowledge required for that just practice, at max watch the AB capsules and get started on Arun Sharma LOD1, and then LOD2. Same for Integral Solutions, its just about keeping on subtracting/adding the coefficient of the other term till the bounds are reached, just practice 20-30 questions properly you'll get the hang of it. HCF & LCM are 8th grade stuff I trust you to fix it easily. Attempt more of Set Theory, Probability, Remainder (its just keeping on multiplying a remainder with the number in a loop to find the cyclicity), and Trigo. With 70% + accuracy you should start attempting more than a mere 40% of these questions.
If you aren't able to understand a solution, take a SS of teh question put it on GPT5/Gemini3 and prompt "Explain this simply step by step intuitively, then generate a similar problem for me to solve", persist till you can do three newly generated sums correctly.
Continue with currect frequency of mocks/sectionals till you plug every mentioned problem of yours by the strategy written above. After that begin one QA sectional per day (either SA or MCQ sectional), and one VA sectional per day WITH ANALYSIS from mid-Feb. From March beginning begin taking one full mock every alternate day again WITH ANALYSIS.
I have already completed Arun Sharma LOD 1 and 2 for the above said topics. My Time and Work is actually decent as I was able to clear all 4 levels of Afteboards topic test with ease. It's just that I make a lot of silly mistakes in that area (I'll make sure to keep that in check). Also, I'll make sure to analyse every mock and sectional I give from now onwards. Lastly, any tips for mock strategy?
I don't remember having any mock strategy as such, just be flexible about what is working for you.