Yes, the IPM IIM Indore entrance exam can be prepared in 10 months. Some of my friends who joined IIM Indore and opted for IPM prepared for the exam in only 9-10 months.

Although, your level of participation could not be measured in months, but can be determined by the number of hours you put in each day. Many students used to enroll in the course for the year and then choose to drop out. But on the other hand students who are from crash courses are seen to reach their goal.

All in all, concentrate on your studies. Make a proper strategy by selecting the topics which are your strengths and weaknesses and solve them accordingly. Learn time management as this will be very beneficial. Finally, you can also look for a mentor to guide you through the process.

According to my friends studying at IIM Indore, they use a process that consists of two stages to grant admission to suitable applicants to its Five-Year Integrated IPM Program.

The IPM course has a total enrollment of 121 students every year. 57 of them are from the general category, 33 from the OBC category, 18 from the SC category, 9 from the ST category and 4 from the PWD category.

The two-stage process includes:

• Screening of applications and calculation of composite scores based on stream, Secondary and Higher secondary scores, and SAT-1 scores. 
• The applicants are then shortlisted for Aptitude Test and personal interview rounds as per the prepared merit list.
• The aptitude test and personal interview round are conducted of the shortlisted candidates. 
• The aptitude test would consist of written and verbal ability questions, along with a few questions relating to the general awareness, and analytical skills of the candidates. 
• The level is the same as that of the secondary level (10+2) education system of India.

The final compost score is calculated as: Final Composite Score (FCS) = Aptitude Test (40%)+Personal Interview (60%).

After all the rounds are completed, a merit list is prepared to offer admission to eligible candidates based on the final composite score. 

Well, right now it is suggested that you should focus completely on your 12th board. After this, you first research a bit about IPM and how much time it will take to prepare. With such data, you can start preparing for IPM and by the time your exam comes, you will be ready.

As much as I know about IPM, it consists of 60% of quantitative aptitude and 55% of which includes higher mathematics, which is basically your complete 11th and 12th mathematics.

• So if you prepare your maths in the 12th nicely, you don't need to struggle after your boards, especially in the quant section.
• As for the verbal section, I would advise you to start reading English newspapers. It will help you in the reading section.
• Verbal section includes questions of antonyms, synonyms; fill in the blanks, idioms & phrases, and analogies which you can prepare from any CAT book.

IPM Aptitude Test Pattern:

• The exam pattern states that IPM Aptitude Test is a multiple choice objective type paper with 100 questions divided among 2 sections.
• The duration of the exam is 2 hours.
• Each question carries 4 marks and there is a negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer.
• Quantitative Ability-60, Verbal Ability- 40

As in the interview, the questions which are asked basically depend upon the subjects you studied in 10+2 and your career aspirations. Be well aware of the current events and trends. If you follow these points, your exam would become a lot easier.

One of my friends graduated from IIM Indore and according to her, there is no sports quota for admission in Integrated Programme in Management (IPM or Integrated MBA).

Eligible candidates are shortlisted for the program based on aptitude and interview scores along with conventional reservation criteria into the general and the non-general categories.

So, except for the reservation quota which includes the OBC, SC, or ST categories and a few seats for the PWD category, there is no other quota for getting admission in IPM at IIM Indore.

Although it depends on your interest, SSCBS has an edge over IIM Indore’s IPM in several ways. Few of my classmates were in the same dilemma of selecting between these two colleges. Most of them chose SSCBS over IPM. 

Here are some reasons why:

• SSCBS provides you with a plethora of opportunities apart from classroom knowledge. 
• BMS at SSCBS is much better than regular courses like B.Com (H). 
• Unlike most regular courses, you need to clear an entrance test by DU to get selected. 
• BMS course at SSCBS includes a much practical approach to make you industry-ready.
• The campus is filled all year round with a platter of societies that provide personal development through live projects, internships, annual event,s or corporate exposure.
• The college has also won various laurels for itself and for the country. 
• SSCBS has been ranked 1st regarding Career Progression, Placements, Intake Quality, and Value for Money.
• The placement record of SSCBS makes it stand far ahead of Hindu/Hansraj/SRCC. 
• Over 80+ companies visited the campus for recruitment. 
• SIIF society of SSCBS has been supporting budding entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas.

Overall, SSCBS beats the IPM of IIM Indore any day. The robust curriculum, great infrastructure, ambient location, and great placement record are something that makes it one of the top-notch B-schools for India. In addition, you can prepare for CAT and pursue MBA from top IIMs after completing your graduation.

The integrated IIM course offers a vast number of opportunities for the students. IPM students can be categorized into 2 branches, which are as follows. 

Students opting for PGP program: The majority of the students choose this option. The IPM students then sit for the placement process and take posts in Finance, HR, Marketing, Operations, etc, the same as the PGP students who get admission through CAT. However, there are some job profiles in Consulting which do not take IPM students due to their lack of experience.

Students who choose to exit after 3 years:  Some of these students apply to different B schools in India or abroad. The course taught in the undergraduate years of the degree is mainly liberal arts. It has subjects such as Economics, Statistics, Psychology, Political Science, Sociology, Communication, etc. So, you can therefore pursue master’s in these courses. Some of the students start preparing for civil services.

If you continue to PGP you will get the same job opportunities and exposure as the PGP students. You also have the option to exit the course after 3 years of the UG program. 

The marks of your 10(+2) exams do not matter in your IPM entrance exams. IIM only lays stress on Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). 

Even if you drop a year it will not cause any problems but your interviewer will ask you the reason for taking the drop and how you utilized that time. Prepare your answer carefully so that you can convince them. It will only affect your chances if you let it. A big number of students take some time off to get admission to IIM.

Try to talk about your other achievements like extra-curricular activities, co-curricular activities. Explain to them the reason why you have chosen to go for IPM. Answer their questions with confidence and try to make a good impression.

Both IIM Indore Mumbai Campus and MDI Gurgaon are very good institutes for Management Studies. Because I know some people studying in both these institutes, I can give you a brief overview of the college.

• Both institutes are on a par with each other on an academic level however there is a slight difference when it comes to job opportunities and such.
• In IIM Indore, Mumbai Campus every student gets the opportunity to get an MBA without being forced to select between any specializations with the MBA degree. 
• They are free to select any specialization or not. 
• This helps all the students to learn more about their interests. 
• This also allows students to explore different fields and find out what they particularly excel at enabling maximum career satisfaction. 
• Another factor is the alumni network, IIM has definitely a better alumni network than MDI.
• It becomes easier for better job opportunities through the alumni network which are otherwise harder to get.

MDI Gurgaon is good, especially in HR Management. But students in MDI are somewhat forced to pursue their flagship course, HR. So therefore it is suggested that you go for IIM Indore to receive better opportunities and can select from several options.

This is a tough question but let me provide you with some suggestions which you may find useful. Having to know a lot of people from IIM Indore, I can share the information I acquired from them.

• Prepare thoroughly for your CBSE boards. You need to do well in these exams. 
• Both IIT-JEE and IPM-IIM Indore can be given another time also if required.
• You need to decide what you want to do.
• If you choose JEE, you are then going ahead with a technical career.
• If you opt for IPM, it will be completely different as it will focus on management.
• The IPM course is a 5 year integrated course. It used to be a diploma degree but has now transitioned to a degree course.

So, the first thing you need to do is decide which path you want to go. If your mind is scattered all over the place, you might make a mistake.

A lot of people choose Engineering+MBA. It is very much popular among students. But if you intend to do an MBA, then do not go for IPM. You can complete your 4 years of B.Tech or BE graduation. This will save 1 year. Then you can prepare for the CAT and opt for a normal MBA.