By Sachin Dubey
If you are one among those students who have not decided what to do after class 12th or if you are seeking career options other than Engineering, Medical, CA or any other three/four years conventional bachelor’s degree than there is a fantastic opportunity for you to directly join IPM course run by IIMs.
What is IPM?
IPM (Integrated Program in Management) is a unique five years program offered by five IIMs and various other prestigious Universities. IPM Programs are highly sought after residential program that provide an excellent opportunity for young aspirants, who want to pursue a career in management soon after their 12th. The program helps the students getting a head start in the field of management much earlier than they could have through the more traditional approach of post-graduation or a master’s program. There are two degrees awarded in this program. The Bachelors’ Degree namely BA/BBA/BMS on successful completion of first three years and Master’s Degree namely MBA after successful completion of last two years.
To take admission into these IIMs and Universities there are different entrance exams conducted by the IIMs or NTA like IPMAT Indore, IPMAT Rohtak and JIPMAT. So which exam one has to write depends upon the choice of IIMs and Universities one wishes to join? For example, IPMAT Indore entrance score is accepted by IIM –Indore, IIM-Ranchi, DoMS – NALSAR, IIFT- Kakinada & NIRMA University. Similarly, JIPMAT is accepted by IIM-Jammu and IIM-Bodhgaya. After clearing the entrance a candidate has to appear for GD/PI/WAT before they get final offer to join the institute.
Entrance exam structure
All of the above mentioned entrances are basically aptitude test in which questions appears from the areas like Quantitative Ability (QA), Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretations (LRDI) and Verbal Ability (VA). All of these entrances are online computer based test with sectional time limit and questions appear in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) format. In all these entrances besides having positive scores of each correct answer there a provision of negative marking also for each wrong answer. To qualify in the entrance a candidate has to clear the sectional cut offs (that is- minimum marks in a particular section) to become eligible for the second stage (GD/PI/WAT). Some of the institutes give weightage to class XII score also in preparing their final merit list.
Career and Job prospects
During their course of studies students are offered summer internship opportunities across various sectors and are paid handsome stipend. After successful completion of the course IIM students are offered multitude of roles in various domains by prestigious by Indian and global recruiters in various sectors like Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), Consulting Consumer Products and Retail (CPR) and Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT). In comparison to other programs offered at undergraduate level, IPM has a very promising placement graph. Fresh engineering graduates may expect packages that average at Rs 8 lakh, while an IPM graduate from IIM Indore bags packages worth Rs 24 lakh on an average. Apart from monetary benefits, management students also have an upper hand in terms of the job designations.
So what are you waiting for? Just go for it!!
The author is product head (UG Courses), T.I.M.E.
