5 Reasons Why Most Students Fail IPMAT & BBA Entrances

Every year, thousands of students live the same story. They put in long hours, sacrifice sleep, skip plans with friends and fill notebooks with practice, thinking that this is what will get them into their dream management institute. But, despite doing everything right, when the entrance exam results come out, they fail.

They fail not because they lack potential, or they aren’t intelligent enough. They do so, because their efforts are not applied in the right direction. 

So, to prevent you from falling into the same trap, here are 5 reasons why most students fail IPMAT & BBA entrance exams.

1. Ignoring the Basics

Be honest- how many of you jump to advanced questions and skip the basics? 

The moment preparation starts, most students rush towards tough questions because they feel that they already know the basics, and the challenging questions are exciting. Solving them makes you feel like you are preparing better, or more seriously. But in this process, the fundamentals get brushed to the side and ignored.

However, the truth is, that IPMAT and other entrance exams are not designed to test how complex of a question you can solve. They test how strong your fundamentals are, and how well you can apply the concepts you have learnt. Because, the truth is, if your basics are weak, you’ll lose marks in the easiest of questions. 

So, before you jump to the challenging questions, ask yourself:

• Are my Class 9th and 10th maths concepts clear?
• Are my English grammar rules in place?
• Are my reasoning fundamentals strong?

If not, spend time understanding the basics. Otherwise you’ll lose marks in the exam without realising it.

2. Neglecting VA and LR Sections

Another big mistake aspirants make is putting most of their energy into just Quants, assuming it’s the most serious section. But, here’s the reality. Quants, Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning together make up the entire paper.

Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning can be powerful score boosters.Quants questions may take 2–3 minutes each to solve, but many Verbal Ability questions can be solved in 30–60 seconds. That means, 

• More questions attempted per minute
• More marks scored in less time
• More efficient time management 

Therefore, even if you are average at Quants, performing well in VA and LR can help cover up the gap and balance your performance. Having a balanced performance overall also helps reduce the pressure of performing extraordinarily well in just one section. Thus, you can choose the questions you are confident about in Quants, instead of attempting everything blindly.

3. Giving Mocks but Ignoring Analysis

Giving IPMAT mock tests is non-negotiable. However it’s not failing to give mocks that hurts a students progress, as much as failing to analyse them properly. 

Most aspirants take mocks, feel happy or disappointed about their progress, and then close the test. But, real progress happens when you analyse them. Mocks demonstrate how your brain performs under pressure. The secret lies in tracking every mistake, and asking why it happened. Was it a silly mistake? A concept issue? Poor time management? 

Adopt this simple rule: If you attempt a 1-hour mock, spend at least 2 hours analyzing it.

Focus less on what went wrong and more on why it went wrong. This one habit alone can significantly improve your scores.

If you want to know how to analyse IPMAT mocks the way toppers do, read the linked article.

4. Rushing Through the Syllabus Without Revision

Many students fall into the trap of “finishing the IPMAT syllabus fast.” You might be ticking things off your checklist and feeling confident- but two weeks later you realise that the same topic looks unfamiliar.

This happens because our memory naturally forgets a large portion of information that we’ve within a week. 

That’s why toppers always prioritise revision. Whether it’s revising topics after a few days or doing weekly revisions on weekends. Consistency in revision helps you avoid last minute cramming and keeps confidence high. 

5. Inconsistency in Efforts

This is the mistake that will cost you the heaviest.

One day you study for 8 hours. Then there’s a 3-day gap. Then you’ll feel guilty and panic.

Instead of extreme bursts of motivation, daily consistency matters most. Even 2-3 hours of focused study everyday is better than long sessions that are irregular. A fixed timetable puts your brain and body into a rhythm. This rhythm builds confidence, and stabilizes performance on exam day.

Conclusion

Don’t get discouraged if you commit any of these blunders. If you treat failures as feedback and make corrections, improvement is bound to happen. The first step to fixing any issue is being aware of it. 

So, ask yourself, which of these mistakes are you committing right now?