IPMAT Marking: The Guessing Math That Decides Ranks
IPMAT · 28 Jun 2026: IPMAT rewards disciplined attempting, not blind guessing. At IIM Indore the Quant Short-Answer section has no negative marking, while QA-MCQ and Verbal deduct −1. Knowing the expected value of a guess — and how elimination changes it — is the difference between a safe attempt and a costly one.
No-negative sections: never leave a blank
On IIM Indore's QA Short-Answer (type-in) section there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so a blank is a guaranteed zero while a reasoned attempt only has upside.
Attempt every Short-Answer question with your best approximation — there is no downside.
Negative-marking sections: eliminate, then decide
Where wrong answers cost −1, a blind guess among four options is barely positive in expectation and high-variance. Eliminating even one option tilts the odds clearly in your favour.
So the rule is simple: guess only after eliminating at least one choice; otherwise skip and protect your score.