IIM undergraduate programme likely to have single entrance test

The five-year IPM program, which is a hybrid of undergraduate and graduate studies in management, is now available at five IIMs: IIM Indore, IIM Jammu, IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Ranchi, and IIM Rohtak.

IIM Undergraduate Programme : Saksham Tiwari, an 18-year-old student in Class 12 from Lucknow, has aspirations of pursuing an MBA. However, his teacher suggested that instead of enrolling in a two-year post-graduation program, he should consider preparing for the five-year integrated MBA program offered by a few of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

To keep his options open for admission, Mr. Tiwari mentioned that he would need to take individual entrance exams conducted by each IIM in order to meet the requirements. He suggests that, similar to the Common Admission Test (CAT) conducted for the two-year post-graduate MBA program, there could be a centralized entrance exam for the five-year Integrated Program for Management (IPM) as well. This would alleviate the inconvenience of applying separately to different institutes, considering that one student can only take a limited number of exams.

Single Test Proposal

According to the response to a Right to Information (RTI) query from IIM Jammu, there is a consideration to centralize the entrance exam for the five-year integrated course in order to alleviate the pressure on aspiring students. The response stated that discussions have been initiated by the institute regarding a single admission test for the Integrated Program in Management (IPM) across all IIMs.

B.S. Sahay, the founder director of IIM Jammu, also confirmed this development to The Hindu. He mentioned that IIM Jammu supports the proposal in the students’ interest, but no final decision has been made thus far.

Currently, the five-year IPM program, which offers both a bachelor’s degree in management and an MBA, is offered at IIM Indore among the older institutes, as well as at the newer IIM campuses in Jammu, Bodhgaya, Ranchi, and Rohtak.

Multiple Aptitude Tests

Presently, the selection process for the Integrated Program in Management (IPM) at various Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) involves different aptitude tests. IIM Indore uses the IPM Aptitude Test (IPMAT), which is also accepted by IIM Ranchi. On the other hand, IIM Jammu and IIM Bodhgaya require applicants to take the Joint IPM Aptitude Test (JIPMAT), administered by the National Testing Agency. Additionally, Tata Consultancy Services conducts an IPM Aptitude Test for admission to the IPM program at IIM Rohtak, as stated in another RTI response.

Recognizing that each IIM has autonomy in determining its student intake process, a high-ranking official at IIM Rohtak stated that the decision to centralize the entrance exam is not within the jurisdiction of any individual IIM. Instead, it necessitates a collaborative discussion involving the Ministry of Higher Education.

Higher Costs, More Travel

Chandrashekhar Gaur, an activist who filed a Right to Information (RTI) request, discovered that his daughter, who aspires to pursue the IPM program, was burdened with the task of taking multiple entrance exams. Gaur expresses concerns about the drawbacks of this situation, stating that students are required to register and make fresh payments for each exam. Additionally, they have to repeatedly travel to nearby cities where the exams are held.

Gaur highlights the financial aspect as well, noting that the application fees for IIM Indore, for instance, amount to ₹4,130, which is twice the amount charged by IIM Jammu at ₹2,000 for General Category students. Furthermore, IIM Rohtak charges a separate fee of ₹4,175. Gaur questions the rationale behind having to pay fees multiple times.

Another challenge faced by aspirants taking multiple undergraduate entrance exams is the potential clash of dates for these exams, which further complicates the situation.

Rising Demand

Despite encountering these challenges, the demand for the five-year Integrated Program in Management (IPM) has been consistently increasing, as revealed by the response to the RTI query from IIM Rohtak. The number of students registering for the IPMAT surged from 6,678 in 2019 to 14,088 in 2022. However, the selection rate remained extremely low, with less than one percent of aspirants being admitted. The intake for the 2022-27 program was just 167, slightly higher than the 149 students admitted in the 2019-2024 batch.

Professor Sahay explains that at IIM Jammu, IPM students are provided with the option to exit the program after each year of study. If they choose to exit in the first year, they receive a certificate in basic management. In the second year, they receive a certificate in advanced management, and upon successfully completing the third year, they are awarded a BBA degree. This approach aligns with the guidelines outlined in the National Education Policy.

Assimilation Advantages

Those who choose to continue beyond the third year and proceed to the MBA section of the program enjoy certain advantages in terms of assimilation compared to those who join the program solely at that stage. Abhisumat Patnaik, a fourth-year student in the integrated program at IIM Indore, explains that fresh post-graduate students who directly appear for the Common Admission Test (CAT) and enter the first-year MBA, as well as in-house students, are all integrated into the MBA batch. Patnaik believes that students like him have an easier time adjusting because they have already spent a longer duration on campus and are familiar with the testing and grading systems that have been in place since the beginning. Regarding the multiple entrance tests for the IPM, he suggests that while IIM Indore may aim to preserve its prestige as one of the older programs, he believes that institutes should move towards centralizing the process to simplify it for applicants.

Although the newer IIMs have not yet reached the stage of placing their IPM students, a spokesperson from IIM Jammu reported that the institute achieved 100 percent placement for their outgoing sixth batch (2021-23) of post-graduate MBA students, comprising 239 students, with an average cost-to-company package of ₹16.43 lakh per annum. The spokesperson expects this trend to continue for the five-year integrated program students as well in the future.