IPMAT Cutoff 2025 vs 2024 vs 2023: What the Trend Is Telling Nagpur Students About 2026
Every year after IPMAT results, students and parents across India — including in Nagpur — ask the same question:
"The cutoff changed again. What does this mean for next year's preparation?"
It's a smart question. And it's not getting the specific, data-backed answer it deserves on most coaching websites.
So here it is — a year-by-year analysis of IPMAT IIM Indore sectional cutoffs from 2022 to 2025, what the trend means for 2026, and what Nagpur students should do differently based on where the exam is heading.
The Complete IPMAT Cutoff Data — 2022 to 2025
Note: These are General Category sectional cutoffs for IPMAT IIM Indore. Cutoffs for SC/ST/OBC/PwD are lower. IPMAT Rohtak and JIPMAT have different patterns — covered separately below.
IPMAT IIM Indore — Section-Wise Cutoffs
Source: IIM Indore official announcements, coaching institute compilations.
Reading the Data — What Each Year's Cutoff Actually Tells Us
2022 — Moderate Paper, Moderate Cutoffs
The 2022 IPMAT was a reasonably balanced paper. QA MCQ cutoff of 35 (out of 120) suggests the paper was accessible for well-prepared students. VA cutoff of 105 was at the lower end of recent history — suggesting the VA section that year had some challenging passages that tripped up many students.
What happened: Overall cutoff of 175 meant students who cleared all three sections had a competitive score. PI shortlist was manageable.
2023 — The Anomalous Year
2023 stands out dramatically. QA SA cutoff: 18. QA MCQ cutoff: 20. VA cutoff: 73. Overall: 107.
This is the lowest IPMAT cutoff in recent memory. What happened? The 2023 paper was genuinely difficult — significantly harder than expected. When the paper is hard, most students struggle, the cutoffs drop, but the students at the top (who maintained their performance regardless of difficulty) still clear comfortably.
Important lesson from 2023: A hard paper doesn't mean you should prepare less. A hard paper means the students who prepared more — who could maintain accuracy even on difficult questions — cleared it comfortably, while underprepared students found it brutal. The 2023 result didn't help students who prepared poorly. It hurt them more.
2024 — The Difficult Return
2024 marked a significant increase: QA MCQ jumped back to 35, VA to 118 (the highest in our dataset), and overall to 181. This was one of the more competitive IPMAT years in recent times.
Students who had banked on "the paper will be easy again like 2023" were caught off-guard. The VA section especially — with a cutoff of 118/160 — eliminated a large portion of otherwise-prepared students who had been weak in Verbal.
What happened: Higher overall cutoff (181) meant the PI pool was more competitive. Students at IIM Indore's final admission stage were genuinely high scorers.
2025 — High Paper Difficulty, Moderate Cutoffs
QA MCQ cutoff dropped from 35 to 28 — but this doesn't mean 2025 was easier. It means the paper was harder, so fewer students could score above 28, and the cutoff was set where enough students cleared to fill the PI stage.
VA cutoff settled at 112 — lower than 2024's 118 but still demanding 70% accuracy (28 out of 40 questions correct).
The overall cutoff of 164 was lower than 2024 (181) — reflecting the harder paper — but the PI pool of 818 students was still fiercely competitive.
The 4-Year Trend: What It Means for IPMAT 2026
Let me be specific about the patterns:
Pattern 1: VA Cutoff is Structurally High — and Not Going Down
Ignore 2023 as an outlier. In "normal" IPMAT years (2022, 2024, 2025), the VA cutoff requires 65–74% accuracy. In 2026, you should plan for needing 110–120+ in VA to safely clear the cutoff.
This means VA is not optional, not supplementary, and not something you can compensate for with great QA scores. VA has its own sectional cutoff — a 200/400 overall score with only 90 in VA will fail IPMAT regardless of your QA performance.
Preparation implication: VA practice must begin from Day 1 of your IPMAT preparation, not Month 6. Students who start VA training in Class 11 and practice consistently for 14 months hit the 112 cutoff comfortably by exam day. Students who start VA "seriously" in March of Class 12 typically don't.
Pattern 2: QA MCQ Cutoff Fluctuates with Paper Difficulty
The QA MCQ cutoff has alternated between ~35 (easier years) and ~20-28 (harder years). There's no reliable way to predict whether 2026 will be a harder or easier paper. The preparation implication is to train for the harder scenario — target 35-40 correct QA MCQ answers so that even in a hard year (cutoff 28) you clear comfortably.
Preparation implication: Target 35+ correct in QA MCQ. This requires a mix of arithmetic accuracy, speed, and strategic question selection (knowing which questions to skip and which to attempt for maximum marks in 40 minutes).
Pattern 3: QA SA Cutoff is Consistently Low — But Don't Underestimate It
The QA SA cutoff is consistently the lowest of the three sections — typically 22–35% of the max marks. This might suggest it's the "easiest" section to clear. It is not.
QA SA tests Higher Maths (Functions, P&C, Probability, Trigonometry, Sequences). Many students haven't studied these topics at all. Clearing a 30% cutoff sounds easy — until you realize you need to correctly answer 6 out of 20 questions in Class 11/12 level mathematics that you may not have studied.
The strategic opportunity: QA SA has no negative marking. Every attempt is a potential +4. A well-prepared student should target 8–10 correct answers (32–40 marks) in QA SA — comfortably above the typical cutoff of 24. This is where well-prepared students build a significant margin.
Preparation implication: Learn Higher Maths. All of it — Functions, P&C, Probability, Sequences & Series, Coordinate Geometry. Don't skip this section. The students who truly prepare for QA SA build an exam-day buffer that poorly-prepared students simply don't have.
IPMAT Rohtak Cutoffs — 2023 to 2025
For students targeting IIM Rohtak alongside IIM Indore:
IPMAT Rohtak pattern: Cutoff has been rising year-on-year. The 2025 cutoff of 381/480 (79.4%) suggests the paper is relatively accessible — because the cutoff is high, meaning students scored well overall — but the competition has grown as more students now target multiple IPM exams.
Preparation implication for 2026: Target 380+/480 in IPMAT Rohtak. This is achievable with the same preparation as IPMAT Indore — since Rohtak's paper doesn't have a Higher Maths SA section.
JIPMAT Cutoffs — IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Jammu
For students targeting JIPMAT (separate exam for IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Jammu):
JIPMAT opportunity: The cutoffs are significantly more accessible than IPMAT Indore, and the program admits students to IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Jammu — legitimate IIM degrees. Students who prepare thoroughly for IPMAT Indore typically find JIPMAT comfortable.
What These Trends Mean for Your 2026 Target Score
Based on 4 years of data, here's the realistic target score for a Nagpur student aiming for IIM Indore in 2026:
A student targeting 200+ overall, with 35 in QA SA, 50 in QA MCQ, and 120 in VA, will clear sectional cutoffs in virtually every realistic 2026 scenario — hard paper or moderate paper.
The students who don't make it are typically the ones who:
Target exactly the cutoff (say, 112 in VA) — and miss by 5-10 marks on a slightly harder day
Ignore QA SA and get blindsided by the separate sectional cutoff
Over-prepare in one section hoping to compensate for weakness in another (sectional cutoffs make this impossible)
What IMS Nagpur's 2025 Batch Scored
The students from IMS Nagpur's 2025 batch who received IIM calls were not just clearing cutoffs — they were significantly above them.
Average VA performance among IMS Nagpur's successful 2025 students: 118–125 (well above the 112 cutoff) Average QA SA performance: 32–40 (well above the 24 cutoff) Average QA MCQ: 38–50 (well above the 28 cutoff)
This margin is not accidental. Students who are trained with the goal of 200+ — not the goal of "just clear the cutoff" — have the buffer that protects them on exam day. A student targeting 120 in VA who has a slightly bad day will still score 112+. A student who's been barely hitting 112 in mocks will drop below the cutoff under real exam pressure.
This is why IMS Nagpur's preparation strategy focuses on building a margin, not just meeting the minimum.
The One Thing That Matters More Than Cutoff Analysis
Understanding IPMAT cutoffs is useful. It helps you set the right targets. It tells you which sections deserve how much preparation time.
But the most important number for your 2026 preparation is not the 2025 cutoff. It's the answer to this question:
"How many months do I have before May 2026, and am I using each of them correctly?"
If you're in Class 11 right now — you have roughly 12–14 months. That's enough. But only if you start structured coaching now, cover Higher Maths properly, and take mocks seriously from Month 5 onwards.
If you're in Class 12 — you have roughly 8 months. Tight, but workable. Start this week, not next month.
Free Guidance From IMS Nagpur — Before You Decide Anything
IMS Nagpur's counsellors have been tracking IPMAT cutoff trends for years and can tell you — based on your current academic profile — what preparation intensity you need to realistically target 200+ in 2026.
That conversation is free. It takes 45 minutes. And it might be the most useful 45 minutes you spend in your IPMAT journey.
📞 Book Your Free Counselling Session
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Bring your Class 10 or 11 marksheet. The counsellors will assess your current level and tell you exactly what you need to reach a 200+ score in IPMAT 2026.
Saved this article? Share it in your IPMAT prep group. Every student who understands the cutoff trend going into 2026 is a better-prepared student.
Quick FAQs on IPMAT Cutoffs
Q: Can I clear IPMAT 2026 if I'm weak in Verbal Ability?
A: Not easily. VA has the highest marks allocation (160) and a consistently high cutoff (108–120). VA must be trained systematically — not ignored. IMS Nagpur's VA module specifically addresses this.
Q: Does the QA SA cutoff have to be cleared separately from QA MCQ?
A: Yes. IPMAT Indore has three separate sectional cutoffs. You must clear all three independently. A high score in QA MCQ cannot compensate for failing QA SA, and vice versa.
Q: Is 2026 likely to be harder or easier than 2025?
A: Unknown. The trend shows alternation between harder and easier years. Prepare for the harder scenario (target 200+ with margin) so that an easy year is a bonus and a hard year doesn't derail you.
Q: Does IIM Indore IPM have any reservation cutoffs?
A: Yes. SC/ST/PwD categories have lower cutoffs — typically 10–15 marks lower across sections. OBC (NCL) categories have slightly lower cutoffs than General. Verify the exact figures on the IIM Indore official website each year, as they can change.