
IIM Ranchi’s IPM is the latest addition to the list of IIMs offering the Integrated Programme in Management (IPM), with a similar announcement coming in from IIM Bodh Gaya, very recently.
So what does IIM Ranchi’s IPM all about? What is the qualifying examination? What are the eligibility criteria? How does the selection process look like? Let’s jump in and take them on one by one!
The basic eligibility criteria for IIM Ranchi’s IPM
The candidates who wish to apply to the programme must have scored a minimum of 60% of the total marks in their 10th standard as well their 12th standard Board examinations.
The relaxation given for SC, ST and PwD candidates is that they are expected to have scored at least 55% of the total marks in the examinations mentioned above.
Note: There is no clarity on what the minimum eligibility criteria for NC-OBC is. We can only assume in the absence of any specific information, it is safe to say that the 60% threshold applies to them as well.
Now that we have answered the fundamental question, let us move on to the surprise element

Huh? Surprise? What are you talking about? I am going to be expected to prepare for IPMAT, write the IPMAT examination and then be shortlisted based on its results, correct?
NO!
In comes SAT!
What is SAT?
The candidates who wish to apply to IIM Ranchi’s IPM have to take SAT (Scholarship Aptitude Test/Scholarship Assessment Test).
Now since that is new information, it is worth pondering what SAT is all about!
Edit: IIM Ranchi’s Official Notification has edited to add that they will be accepted both JIPMAT & IIM Indore’s IPMAT test scores to admit students to their IPM Program
SAT – the examination structure
The SAT consists of four different sections.
- Reading Test
- Writing and Language Test
- Math Test
- SAT Essay
Let us go on to see what each of these sections entails.
Reading Test
This is similar to the Reading Comprehension (RC) section of IPMAT. There are passages with accompanying questions, and the candidate should read the passage, comprehend it and answer questions based on the passage. These are going to be Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ).

What do the passages look like?
The sample passages given, here, are 40 to 45 lines long, with the level of difficulty slightly above that of the IPMAT passages. There could also be passages which contain text and data (in the form of graphs and charts), OR merely charts, and the candidates should interpret them and answer the questions, However, there will be no calculations involved since it is not about Arithmetic and Mathematics.
What does this section test?
Just like the RC section, the Reading Test tests the candidate on finding inferences from the passages, examining the evidences, being able to get to the crux of the passage, and more. Essentially, reading from diverse sources and genres becomes a vital part of cracking this section. Check out the meticulously curated reading list for all your reading needs, here.
Writing and Language Test
This section has two overarching themes. While the first one takes off from the Reading Test section, the second theme focusses on your language skills.
We have covered the first theme already on our explanation for the Reading Test section. What is the second theme all about?
This part tests the ability of candidate in making editorial decisions on improving the language of a passage. Components like sentence structure, word usage and puncutation, and also things like how an idea can be made more crisp, concise and sharp, are tested here.

What are the similarities between the Reading Test and the Writing and Language Test?
Good question. There arequite a few common aspects between these two sections.
- Both consist of Multiple Choice Questions.
- Both sections contain passages, based on which the candidates will answer a series of questions.
- The ability to comprehend ideas and evidences, and infer the key arguments are tested.
What, then, are the differences between the Reading Test and the Writing and Language Test?
The Reading Test does not look for proficiency in your language-related abilities. The Writing and Language Test requires that the candidate possesses the ability to glean the context of a passage, in addition to which they are also expected to exhibit some level of mastery in English as a language.
Math Test
This is going to be a combination of what we can classify as Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation sections.
There are some important factors that one needs to keep in mind about this section.
The availability of calculator

There are going to be a few questions for which the candidates can make use of the on-screen calculator, while there are some other questions for which the candidates are expected to arrive at the solutions without the help of a calculator.
The types of questions
The Math Test consists of both Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) as well as those for which the candidate will have to find answers by themselves, given no options at all. The questions in the latter category are called grid-ins.
The focus areas of the Math Test
There are four broad topics that will be covered in the Math Test.
- Algebra
- Problem Solving and Data Analysis
- Advanced Math
- Additional topics that comprise Geometry, Trigonometry and other topics.
Advanced Math? What is that all about?
There are around 14 categories of questions that fall under this bucket.
- Create a quadratic or exponential function
- Determine the most suitable form of an expression
- Create equivalent expressions involving rational components
- Create an equivalent form of an algebraic expression
- Solve a quadratic equation
- Add, subtract and multiply polynomial expressions
- Solve an equation in one variable that contains radicals or contains the variable in the denominator of a fraction
- Solve a system of one linear equation and one quadratic equation
- Rewrite simple rational expressions
- Interpret parts of non-linear expressions in terms of their context
- Understand the relationship between zeros and factors of polynomials
- Understand a non-linear relationship between two variables
- Use function notation, and interpret statements using function notation
- Use structure to isolate or identify a quantity of interest

What does this boil down to?
The listed categories of questions again test the candidate’s mastery on Algebra. One has to be good at linear and quadratic equations, polynomials and factors, et al. to be able to master this section.
SAT Essay
As per the information given in the College Board (the official authority conducting the SAT) website, there are some colleges which require submission of SAT essays to be considered for their admission process. There are others for which a SAT Essay is not mandatory.
How is this relevant to IIM Ranchi’s IPM?
It is unclear whether a SAT Essay is required for IIM Ranchi’s IPM. There is a reason to this doubt, because IIM Ranchi’s admission process states that there is a Written Ability Test (WAT) phase seperately.
That takes us to the next important question. What are the factors other than the SAT score that determines the selection of a candidate?
There are four pillars that lead to the final selection of the candidates for a seat at IIM Ranchi’s IPM. They are as follows:
- The SAT score
- Written Ability Test (WAT)
- Personal Interview
- Academic performance in the 10th standard and 12th standard Board examinations
How to apply to IIM Ranchi’s IPM?
The applications for the programme are yet to open. The candidates can apply before or after taking the SAT. However, the applications will be considered incomplete until the cadidates update their SAT score.
What is the application fee?
It is INR 2,000 for General candidates, and INR 1,000 for reserved candidates.
What are the total number of seats?
The top 120 candidates will be selected to the programme based on the four selection paramaters listed above.
When do I take the SAT?
SAT is conducted five times a year. The upcoming examination is on 13 March, 2021. The deadline to apply for the same is 12 February, 2021. Should you choose to take SAT on 12 March, the scores will be available on 26 March, 2021.
Discounts
There are certain discounts offered to the candidates if they register for the SAT on or before 31 January, 2021. This registration fee is separate from that you pay for the IIM Ranchi’s IPM application.
For the candidates whose family income is less than INR 8 lakhs annually, there is a 90% deduction in the SAT registration fee. This deduction is pegged at 50% for those whose family income varies between INR 8 lakhs and INR 15 lakhs.

How do the scores get updated with IIM Ranchi?
There is no additional fee one needs to pay to update the scores to IIM Ranchi. A candidate is required to use the SAT code for IIM Ranchi (which is, 9109) in their official College Board account to enable the SAT scores to be sent to IIM Ranchi.
The venues
While SAT will be conducted at over 70 cities across 73 centers in the country, the Personal Interview will be held across the following six cities.
- Bangalore
- Chennai
- Delhi
- Kolkata
- Mumbai
- Ranchi
The caveat
The interviews might be held online if the pandemic situation prevails. The decision will be taken as and when the situation arises.
Sources:
Stay safe and best wishes.
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Written by Giridharan Raghuraman
SAT Will be online or Offline….
Can we give SAT in August 2021 or it will be too late…
Hello Shanaya,
According to the FAQ section of IIM Ranchi’s website, the only two SAT exam scores that are eligible for this year’s admissions are conducted on March 13 and May 8.
August 2021 will be too late for 2021 admission cycle.
Regards,
2IIM Team.
Pls edit the given I formation because iim Ranchi is accepting ipmat Indore and jipmat scores as well
Hey Nikhit,
We have edited our blog to add that in. Thanks for the heads up 🙂
Best wishes for IPMAT.
Regards,
2IIM Team.