To prepare for the IPMAT requires not only hard work but high-quality strategy, consistency and the right source of guidance. Accordingly, nine months is such a fantastic time frame to learn concepts, hone your problem-solving skills, and learn time management skills.

ACEIPM has put together this detailed 9 month IPMAT study plan for aspiring students to be able to go from foundation years to mastery stage successfully and with confidence. The plan integrates structured goals every week, the best available prep resources, famous books recommended by leading IPMAT experts, and a realistic mock test schedule. If you are in the beginning stages of preparation or refining your prep, this plan will guide your pacing on this journey. This plan is a monthly plan – focusing on one milestone a month. 

1. What IPMAT tests & how to use this plan

The IPMAT (with the variants of IIM Indore and IIM Rohtak) tests primarily Quantitative Ability (QA) and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC). Some variants also have a Logical Reasoning / Data Interpretation section. The exam pattern is slightly different by institute (MCQ + short-answer sections and constrained timed), but otherwise consistent.

2. Recommended books & resources

Below is a curated list of high-ROI books and resources commonly recommended for IPMAT prep. These are the books I used to design the week-by-week schedule.

Section	Book / Resource	Why it helps
Quantitative Ability	NCERT Maths (Class 9–10, 11 basics)	Understanding finer points in math at the school level for arithmetic and geometry. (Begin here if you’re weak in the fundamentals)
Quantitative Ability (practice + advanced)	How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT — Arun Sharma	Gradually, problems are increased in difficulty: this is a fantastic source for algebra, number theory, and sequences.
Quantitative Ability (drills)	Quantitative Aptitude — R.S. Aggarwal	There are numerous drills to improve your basic skills and improve your speed.
Data Interpretation / DI	Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency — Arun Sharma / Adda / dedicated DI books	DI set examples and rules and strategies for constructing sets are included.
Verbal Ability (vocab)	Word Power Made Easy — Norman Lewis	Structured vocabulary-building strategies for your general level of college readiness.
Verbal Ability (grammar)	High School English Grammar & Composition — Wren & Martin	An ability to properly address grammar and understand grammar rules through sentence completion.
Verbal Ability (RC & verbal reasoning)	VARC / RC collections — Arun Sharma (VARC) or CAT-level RC practice	Opportunities to practice dense academic passages and for an introduction to critical reasoning.

3. 9-Month milestone table

Month	Main focus	Target outcomes
Month 1	Fundamentals — NCERT + basic algebra & arithmetic	Complete NCERT material; all basic problems; vocabulary & grammar baseline
Month 2	Core concept expansion — algebra, geometry, arithmetic advance	Complete the basics of R.S. Aggarwal; solve speed reading comprehensions (3/week)
Month 3	Topic consolidation + timed practice	Complete core chapters in Arun Sharma; begin section tests weekly
Month 4	Strengthening weaker areas; DI & LR focus	Complete chapters in DI book; create 10 DI sets; increase speed and reading comprehensions
Month 5	Mixed practice & strategy	Complete 1 full mock exam each week, with a full analysis
Month 6	Advance problem sets & speed work	Move up to 2 full mock exams a week, and include timed QA drill problems
Month 7	Peak mock phase I	3 mock exams a week, and topic-based revision based on questions missed
Month 8	Peak mock phase II + selective polishing	3-4 mock tests/comp exams each week; for the third and final attempt on eric, round of tricky problem sets
Month 9	Final revision & exam readiness	1-2 mock tests/comp exams first part of week; then the rest of period for targeted practice, sleep, and strategy

4. Detailed week-wise plan (36 weeks) — month by month

Below are monthly and weekly activities. Each week estimates ~12–16 hours week’s study/time for dedicated aspirants. 

Month 1 — Weeks 1–4: Foundation (NCERT + basics)

Objective: Close an understanding gap, build a habit of regular study. 

Week 1 

• Quantitative Aptitude : NCERT Class 9–10 : Number System, LCM / GCD, Fractions, Percentages (60–90 min every day). 
• Verbal Ability : 3 editorials throughout the week (The Hindu/The Guardian/Indian Express) and Word Power Made Easy (15–20 min every day). 
• Practice: 20 various QA questions from RS Aggarwal (Basics). 

Week 2 

• QA: Average, Ratio and proportion, Profit and Loss, Simple and Compound Interest (NCERT -> RS Aggarwal). 
• VA: Wren and Martin: revise tense + subject – verb agreement; 2 short RCs this week.
• Weekly test : 30 min QA deal for a set of questions on time. 

Week 3 

• QA : Beginning with Algebra – linear/equation quadratic (NCERT/Intro chapters in Arun Sharma). 
• VA: Vocabulary – Norman Lewis: learn 7–10 new words every day, and RC – 2 passages.
• Practice: mixed QA 30 questions (timed). 

Week 4 

• QA : Beginning with Geometry: basic lines, triangles, circles (NCERT + practice). 
• VA : Sentence and correction exercises (Wren and Martin); 3 RCs. 
• Weekly test: Sectional QA test + VARC mini-test weekly – check errors and identify trends.

Month 2 — Weeks 5–8: Build depth (intermediate)

Objective: Address core syllabi in Arun Sharma and R.S. Aggarwal; initiate DI fundamentals.  

Week 5  

• QA: Time, Speed & Distance; Time & Work (problems from Arun Sharma + RS Aggarwal).  
• DI: Basic charts — read DI chapter, solve sets of 5.  
• VA: RC x3; Review vocabulary.  

Week 6  

• QA: Higher Number Theory (modular thinking, ways of thinking about modular arithmetic, remainders).  
• VA: RC  goal — longer passages, practice inference questions.  
• Mock: 1 sectional QA mock + analysis error log.  

Week 7  

• QA: Higher Algebra — inequalities, functions, sequences (Arun Sharma).  
• DI: this week practice 8-10 DI sets (tables, pie charts).  
• VA: Para jumbles and para completion.  

Week 8  

• QA: Geometry & Mensuration — problems with diagrams (timed situations).   
• VA: RCS — every day (4 times this week).  
• Test: 1 full-body mock; analyze actively for your work (time lost on each question type).

Month 3 — Weeks 9–12: Strength & speed

Objective: transform knowledge into speed; sectional assessment week-by-week; address issues with common/recurring errors.

• From week to week: three QA speed practice (30-40 minute duration for each session), four RC practice, two DI practice.
• By the end of the month: two full mocks with at least 70% of the mock time doing analysis (the questions will typically revolve around: why, what was wrong, or how to eliminate errors moving forward).

Month 4 — Weeks 13–16: DI & LR intensive

Objective: achieve mastery of DI types and logical reasoning (if applicable to your particular variant of the IPMAT).

• DI practice will also consist of 10-15 practice sets each week or every two weeks, using a range in the difficulty.  The recommended DI book(s) are Arun Sharma’s DI book and a dedicated DI booklet.
• In regards to logical reasoning skills: puzzles, arrangements, and syllogisms (you can get puzzle sets from RS Aggarwal’s book and from puzzle collections).
• For mocks: we will take 2 full mocks, each week.

Month 5 — Weeks 17–20: Mixed sets & strategy

Objective: Combine sections; practice exam strategy (which section first, skip strategy).

• Weekly: 2 full mocks, 3 sectional tests, targeted revision days on weak topics.
• Create a “do-not-repeat” error log, and keep a two-page mini-notes sheet for last-month quick revision.

Month 6 — Weeks 21–24: Advanced problem week

Objective: Answer toughest question types, speed-up calculation methods.

• Use Arun Sharma’s advanced chapters; practice timed “hard” sets from coaching platforms. 
• Focus on Short-Answer (SA) practice for IIM Indore style (no options).
• Mocks : 3/week, if stamina permits.
  

Month 7 — Weeks 25–28: Peak mock phase I

Objective: make mock-test practice the backbone of preparation.

• 3 full mocks/week; analyze mistakes candidly, and practice similar questions for a spot-on answer.
• Keep 2 “Revision only” days for formulas & vocab.

Month 8 — Weeks 29–32: Peak mock phase II & selective polishing

Objective: improve upon repeated errors; prioritize time management.

• Once a week; simulate exam day conditions with the same starting time, distractions avoided, and strict rules.
• Revisit the most difficult PYQs from IIM Indore and IIM Rohtak (taking care of time yourself).

Month 9 — Weeks 33–36: Final polishing

Objective: reinforcement, relaxation & belief.

• Early month: 1-2 mocks every week; last 2 weeks: 3-4 short revision sessions of 2-3 hours per day without heavy practice.
• Exam day: The day before: no heavy practice — just review formula sheet, anchoring vocabulary and relax.

5. How to study from each recommended book

• NCERT (9-10): Read the theory, attempt to solve the end chapter problems, and highlight your areas of weakness.  
• R.S. Aggarwal: Mostly for practice for volume, target chapters (e.g., percentages, algebra), and time yourself on 20 – 30 problems at a time.   
• Arun Sharma, Quant & DI: Read through the conceptual sections slowly, and then describe the “practice sets” at the end; do only 1 – 2 “advanced” practice sets each week and increase viscosity later.  
• Word Power Made Easy: do one “session” daily (which is about 15 – 20 words) and review them after one week.  
• Wren & Martin: start to do the grammar exercises for sentence correction, and make a list of grammar traps that you keep repeating.  
• Past papers: treat them like gold. Take them under timed conditions and dedicate your time to reviewing them afterward. Try to finish all past papers at least 2 times prior to your final month of prep!

6. Mock strategy & analysis framework

For each mock:

• Before: Decide on the section order and intended attempt per section.
• During: Watch the time strictly. Mark questions to come back to.
• After (analysis) – must do:

• The total time spent per question type.
• Error type – careless / concept / time-pressure.
• Action item – practice 2–3 drills to fix the error 

7. Common pitfalls & how to avoid them

• Blindly attempting hundreds of questions without analyzing anything. → Fix: After every 50 questions, use double that time analyzing mistakes.
• Ignoring past papers. → Fix: Have a ‘PYQ Day’ every two weeks.
• Last-minute topic cramming. → Fix: The last month is for revision and mocks only, no new topics.

Closing thoughts: 9 Month IPMAT Study Plan

Within a 9-month timetable, you can build deep conceptual strength and then gradually transition to broad speed and exam temperament. The way to do this is simple to describe, but is far harder to execute with discipline:

• Months 1–3: build foundations & breadth of conceptual knowledge
• Months 4–6: practice volume, depth of topic knowledge, sectional mocks
• Months 7–8: heavy mock stage; work on time and accuracy 
• Month 9: polish; focus on revision, again focusing on exam condition