IPMAT vs CUET UG: Know the Differences and Similarities

Integrated Program in Management Aptitude Test 2025 ( IPMAT )

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Exam On: 12 May '25

Saumya
Saumya Jain
Assistant Manager- Content
Updated on Dec 17, 2024 17:47 IST

Is IPMAT tougher than CUET UG? Read the article below to know the differences and similarities between CUET and IPMAT.

IPMAT vs CUET

IPMAT vs CUET UG

IPMAT and CUET are two popular undergraduate entrance exams for BBA admissions. Besides being the gateway to the top management colleges in India, IPM Aptitude Test (IPMAT) and Common University Entrance Test (CUET) have several similarities. Every year lakhs of students appear for BBA entrance exams to get admission to the leading BBA colleges in India. There are about seven colleges which accept IPMAT scores for admission. These include IIM Indore, IIM Ranchi, Nirma University, IIFT, etc. On the other hand, there are over 15 central universities and a total of 249 universities in India which accept CUET UG scores. Comparing the difficulty level of the IPMAT and CUET UG exams can be subjective and depends on various factors such as individual strengths, preparation, and familiarity with the exam pattern, etc.

The IPMAT and CUET exams are similar in terms of syllabus but very different in terms of the exam pattern, marking scheme, difficulty level, programme, etc. In this article, Shiksha.com has presented a comparative study of the IPMAT and CUET exams to understand if the IPMAT is tougher than CUET UG exam.

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IPMAT vs CUET: Highlights

Refer to the table below to know the comparison between IPMAT and CUET:

IPMAT vs CUET

IPMAT

CUET

Exam conducting body

Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIM Indore)

National Test Agency (NTA)

Exam Level

Undergraduate

Undergraduate

Duration of the course

5 years

3 years

Mode of the examination

Computer-based test mode

Hybrid Mode

Difficulty Level

Moderate

Moderate to Tough

Frequency

Annually

Annually

Courses offered

Integrated MBA (BBA+MBA)

Various undergraduate courses

Type of questions

MCQs and Short-answer type

MCQs

Medium of the exam

English

English, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu

Official website

https://www.iimidr.ac.in/

https://nta.ac.in/

Also Read: CUET 2025 FAQs

IPMAT vs CUET: Eligibility Criteria

Q:   Is IPMAT IIM Indore better than IIM Rohtak's IPMAT?

A:

IPMAT and IPM Aptitude Test (IIM Rohtak) have similar syllabus but the difficulty level is different. Both exams have Quantitative Aptitude and Verbal Ability sections. However, IIM Rohtak's IPMAT exam has an additional section- Logical Reasoning. While IPM Aptitude Test is an easy exam, IIM Indore's IPMAT is moderately tough but to say which is better totally depends upon the college a candidate is targeting for the five-year integrated programme. The participating colleges for both exams are different. If a candidate's dream college accepts IPMAT score, then they should appear for IPMAT exam. The IPMAT exam conducted by IIM Indore is accepted by other institutes such as IIFT, IIM Ranchi, Nirma University,  Alliance University,  NICMAR University,  Department of Management Studies and NALSAR University of Law. The benefit of IPMAT by IIM Indore is that the exam is accepted by multiple top management insitutes in country, whereas the one conducted by IIM Rohtak is only accepted by IIM Rohtak. 

Q:   Which subjects have been removed in CUET UG?

A:

UGC has announced the deletion of 26 subjects from CUET UG 2025 onwards. CUET UG 20 foreign langauges and six domain subjects have been removed. Check the list below to know the name of the subjects:

  • Foreign Languages (French, Spanish, German, Nepali, Persian, Italian, Arabic, Sindhi, Kashmiri, Konkani, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Santhali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Japanese, Russian, Chinese)
  • Domain Subjetcs (Entrepreneurship, Teaching Aptitude, Fashion Studies, Tourism, Legal Studies, Engineering Graphics)

IPMAT eligibility criteria: The students appearing for the IPMAT exam must have cleared Class 12 from a recognized board. The students must have secured a minimum of 60% aggregate in Class 10 and Class 12. They must have also passed the qualifying exam in 2022, 2023 or 2025. Those completing Class 12 by July 30, 2025, are also eligible.

The student must be a maximum of 20 years of age as of July 30, 2025.

Also Read: Detailed IPMAT eligibility criteria

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CUET eligibility criteria: Students appearing for the CUET UG exam should have also passed Class 12 from a recognized board in the relevant stream. Students appearing for Class 12 boards are also eligible to apply for the CUET exam. Unlike IPMAT, there is no age limit to appear for the CUET exam, however, the students will have to fulfil the age criteria (if any) of the University/Institution/Organization in which they are willing to take admission. 

The student appearing for CUET must abide by the following citizenship rules laid:

  • The candidate must be an Indian citizen.
  • A constituent subject of Nepal, Bhutan
  • A Tibetan refugee who landed in India before 1 January 1962 to make India their permanent home and reside there permanently.
  • Pakistanis, Burmese, Sri Lankans, Kenyans, Ugandans, Tanzanians, Zambians, Malawians, Zaireans, Ethiopians, and people from Vietnam who permanently moved to India.

Also Read: Detailed CUET eligibility criteria

IPMAT vs CUET: Application Fee

IPMAT Application Fee: The registration fee is INR 4,130 for General and NC-OBC candidates. For SC/ST/PWD (DA) categories, the fee is INR 2,065. The application fee for the IPMAT exam can only be paid online using a credit card, debit card, internet banking or UPI.

CUET Application Fee: Like the IPMAT exam fee, the CUET application fee can also be paid online only. The CUET UG application fee is as follows:

Category

Up to 3 subjects

For each additional subject

General UR

INR 1000

INR 400 each

OBC-NCL/EWS

INR 900

INR 375 each

SC/ST/PwD/Third Gender

INR 800

INR 350 Each

Centres outside India

INR 4500

INR 1800 each

IPMAT vs CUET: Exam Pattern

To understand if the IPMAT exam is tougher than the CUET exam, one needs to understand the exam pattern of both exams. Take a look at the table below:

Details

IPMAT

CUET

Mode of examination

Computer-based test mode

Hybrid mode (offline using OMR sheet and CBT mode)

Number of questions

100

  • 50 questions across subjects

Exam duration

2 hours

- 60 minutes for

  • Mathematics
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Accountancy
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Economics
  • Computer Science
  • Informatics Practices
  • General Test

- 45 minutes for all other test papers

Marking Scheme

+4 marks for a correct answer -1 mark for an incorrect answer

+5 marks for each correct response

-1 mark for each incorrect response

Type of Questions

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and Short-Answer Type Questions (SA)

Multiple-choice questions

Sectional time limit

Yes

40 minutes per section

No

Medium of the exam

English

English, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu

Also Read:

IPMAT vs CUET: Syllabus

The IPMAT syllabus has three sections, i.e. Quantitative Aptitude (MCQs), Quantitative Aptitude (SAs) and Verbal Ability.

Whereas in the CUET exam, students can choose the subjects according to their preference, i.e., if they wish to pursue a BBA they can appear for Mathematics/Applied Mathematics, Business Studies, Accountancy, etc.  

Also Read: CUET syllabus

IPMAT vs CUET: Programme

IPMAT: The IPMAT exam is conducted for admission to the five-year Integrated Program in Management (IPM). IPMAT is a combination of a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree (under the dual-degree programme) offered by the IPMAT score-accepting institutes. Students will be provided with a BA (Foundations of Management) and an MBA by IIM Indore at the end of the programme. Students choosing IIFT as their college will be awarded a BBA (Business Analytics) and MBA (International Business) after the programme.

CUET: CUET also known as CUET UG is conducted by NTA for admission to various UG courses. CUET UG offers candidates a common platform for seeking admission to UG programs in top colleges/universities throughout India.

Also Read:

Colleges Accepting IPMAT Scores

Given below is the list of colleges in India accepting IPMAT scores.

Colleges in India Accepting IPMAT Scores

Indian Institute of Management, Indore (IIM Indore)

Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi (IIM Ranchi)

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Kakinada

Nirma University

TA Pai Management Institute

Department of Management Studies, NALSAR University

Top BBA Colleges Accepting CUET Scores

Check out the table below to know a few top BBA colleges/universities accepting CUET scores:

Universities in India Accepting CUET scores

Delhi University

Banaras Hindu University

Amity University 

Jawaharlal Nehru University

Jamia Millia Islamia

Aligarh Muslim University

GGS IP University

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University

 

Mahatma Gandhi Central University

Rajiv Gandhi University

Tata Institute Of Social Sciences 

SVKM’s Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics

Also Read: Detailed account on top universities accepting CUET scores

IPMAT Preparation

The table below mentions links to study material, tips and tricks, and a holistic preparation plan to crack IPMAT exam.

Best Books for IPMAT preparation

Complete guide on IPMAT preparation

IPMAT exam day guidelines

Last week preparation tips for IPMAT

CUET Preparation

The table below mentions links to study material, tips and tricks, and a holistic preparation plan to crack the CUET exam.

CUET Business Studies Syllabus PDF

CUET Business Studies Question Paper

CUET General Test Syllabus PDF

CUET General Test Question Paper

CUET Question Papers

Best Books for CUET

How to Prepare for IPMAT and CUET Simultaneously?

Preparing for IPMAT and CUET simultaneously requires a strategic approach. The syllabus of both the exams has many common topics. Hence, preparing for both exams can save time.

To prepare for the IPMAT and CUET exams simultaneously, students should start by understanding the exam pattern and preparing a study routine. For the Quantitative Ability or Mathematics section, focus on knowing the concepts rather than learning the formulae.

Read More:

About the Author
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Saumya Jain
Assistant Manager- Content

With over 7 years of editorial experience, Saumya has been a writer at Shiksha for over four years. With a bachelor's degree in English literature from Delhi University, she loves to write. A true Delhiite and her l... Read Full Bio

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