What is the IPMAT Interview Process? A Detailed Overview

Integrated Program in Management Aptitude Test (IPMAT) is the most important entrance test for the future students who are willing to go through the five year Integrated Program in Management (IPM) of IIM Indore, IIM Rohtak, and other member schools. Success in the written test, however, worth on D day depends on Personal Interview (PI) and Written Ability Test (WAT) (for certain institutes). In this article here, we are going to provide you with a reasonable idea of the IPMAT interview process, what to look for and how to prepare.

Steps in the IPMAT Interview Process

The selection process usually comprises the following steps:
Shortlisting of Candidates – Shortlisted based on IPMAT scores for the next round.
Personal Interview (PI) – Last but the most significant round, wherein the candidates are evaluated based on various parameters.

1. Shortlisting Based on IPMAT Score

After the IPMAT exam is conducted, all the institutes announce a cutoff score on certain parameters such as difficulty level in papers, number of candidates available, and number of seats available. Candidates above the cutoff level are selected for further rounds. Cutoff continues to vary every year, and hence previous trends are to be referred to.

2. Personal Interview (PI) – Final Round

Personal Interview (PI) is the most significant component of this recruitment process. It affirms some parameters of a candidate’s communication, education, and personality.

Areas tested:

Personal Introduction – Normally, normally the candidates are just required to present a personal introduction.
Academic Background – Discussions on high school level subjects, i.e., Mathematics and English.
Current Affairs & General Knowledge – General awareness of national and international affairs.

Career Aspirations & Why IPM? – Why IPM? and What do you want to become in your life?

Situation & Behaviour Questions – Situation questions to assess decision making skills and problem solving.
Co Curricular Activities & Hobbies – Co curricular activity questions.
For work or internship experienced candidates.

Some Sample Interview Questions:

Can you please tell us about yourself?
Why do you wish to join the IPM program?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Tell us a recent past international or national headline news story that attracted your attention.
Describe how you would manage an experience with multiple deadlines to be achieved.
If you were able to invite any business leader to a meeting with you, who would you invite and why?
What are your views on future career prospects for AI?
Tell us some challenging experience you ever had and how you dealt with it.
Why do you think you will be an addition of value to the IPM program?

Preparation for PI Round

Stay Up to Date with Your Knowledge – Read your paper today and form your own opinion on issues of the day.
Practice General Interview Questions – Practice general interview questions.
Be Yourself & Confident – Be yourself in nature and never lie or provide wrong or false answers.
Improve Your Communication Skills – Practice speaking out loud in front of the mirror or friends.
Mock Interviews – Do mock interviews to get instant feedback.
Improve Logical Reasoning – Practice logical reasoning questions and create solutions to tough questions.
Get Familiar with IIM’s Vision & IPM Program – Get familiar with the mission, course, and values of the institute in order to approach solutions accordingly.

Tips to Crack the IPMAT Interview

Dress Well – Dress well in formals to make an impression.
Be Humble but Confident – Answer confidently but in a good never boastfully.
Give Short Answers – Never provide long descriptive answers. Opt for short, crisp answers.
Express Interest – Express or ask interest in the course and stream of study for management.
Listen Well – Listen carefully to the interview question prior to response.
Make Eye Contact – Helps with confidence demonstration.
Practice Non Verbal Cues – Remain upright, reserve nervous tics, and respect.
Anticipate Ambush Questions – Interviewers may use generic or snappy questions to test your spontaneity.
Practice but Don’t Memorize – Practice responses but naturally and not memorization style.
Be Cool Under Fire – Don’t have your cool dampened in case faced with a difficult question or counter question.

Final Thoughts

The IPMAT interview process is intended to test the intellectual capability, reasoning capacity, communication skill, and temperament of the candidate. The preparation should be multidimensional like the current affairs till the recent times, study, and self improvement. The candidates need to prepare themselves in self understanding, reasoning capacity, and situational judgment in a way that they can crack the interview. By constant practice, generation of self confidence, and proper planning, you can crack the IPMAT interview and become a part of the crème de la crème IPM course.

All the Very Best for Your IPMAT Interview!