IPMAT 2026 Topper Harini Bhaskar Shares Her Strategy to Crack The Exam

Harini Bhaskar: IPMAT Rohtak Topper 2026

IPMAT 2026 Topper Highlights	Harini Bhaskar's Profile & Preparation Details
Name	Harini Bhaskar
Achievement	Secured admission to IIM Rohtak through IPMAT 2026
Programme	Integrated Programme in Management (IPM)
Institute Joined	Indian Institute of Management Rohtak (IIM Rohtak)
Academic Background	Commerce stream
Coaching	LPT: Two-Year IPMAT Classroom Program
Preparation Strategy	• Focused on concept building from Class 11 • Attempted sectional and full-length mock tests • Analysed every mock to improve accuracy and strategy
Key Focus Areas	• Balanced board exam and IPMAT preparation • Maintained regular revision throughout the year • Prepared extensively for the personal interview (PI)
Success Mantra	• Start mock tests early • Analyse every mock thoroughly • Stay consistent throughout your preparation

When Did Harini Bhaskar Start Preparing for IPMAT?

LPT Interviewer: Hi everyone, welcome to the IPMAT topper interview by LPT. Today we have another topper with us, along with the LPT IPMAT faculty Manish Sir from Navi Mumbai with us.

Many congratulations to Harini and Sir.

Manish Sir: Thank you.

Harini: Thank you.

LPT Interviewer: Alright. So, Harini, before we begin talking about how you got into IIM Rohtak and your preparation journey, let all the students know, when did you start preparing for your IPMAT journey?

Harini: Sure. Hi, I'm Harini, and I joined LPT in Class 11. I've been a part of their two-year IPMAT program. These two years have been really eye-opening. While the IPMAT Rohtak subjects may look simple initially, the concept building that LPT helped me with was genuinely very useful.

I've been associated with LPT throughout Classes 11 and 12.

Know the Success Stories of IPMAT Toppers

Why Did Harini Bhaskar Choose IPMAT?

LPT Interviewer: And from the beginning, was it always final that you wanted to pursue IPMAT?

Harini: Yes. I joined LPT a few months into Class 11, before my mid-term examinations, specifically for IPM preparation. For the first three months, I was still exploring other career options as well, but eventually I decided that IPM was the right choice for me.

How Did Harini Bhaskar Balance School and IPMAT Preparation?

LPT Interviewer: Alright. Now let's talk about your preparation strategy.

You were attending school while simultaneously preparing for IPMAT. How did you allocate your time? As you mentioned, every subject requires a different approach. So, what was your strategy?

Harini: In Class 11, when I joined the coaching, my primary focus was on concept building.

As I mentioned earlier, I was already familiar with the subjects, but the level and pattern of questions in IPMAT were completely different. So, I needed dedicated practice, and I focused mainly on strengthening my concepts along with topic tests.

During weekdays, I focused on my Commerce subjects, while weekends were reserved for IPMAT preparation.

I divided my preparation equally between Quantitative Ability and Verbal Ability.

Saturdays were dedicated to Quantitative Ability, while Sundays were reserved for Verbal Ability.

In Class 12, my approach remained almost the same during the first half of the year. I continued following the weekday-weekend schedule.

However, I also started attempting sectional mock tests because, by the end of Class 11, we had completed most of the syllabus.

Sectional mocks helped me understand how a 40-minute section actually feels during the exam and gave me practical exposure to the exam pattern.

After my mid-term examinations, I started attempting full-length two-hour mock tests.

Every weekend, I used to take a full IPMAT mock test, analyse it thoroughly, and attend my weekend coaching classes.

I also focused on improving the topics that I found difficult, especially in Verbal Ability.

Later, when my pre-board examinations and board examinations began, I naturally had to devote more time to them.

However, I never stopped preparing for IPMAT.

I tried to continue preparing for both simultaneously.

Even during my pre-board and board examinations, I continued attempting topic tests and sectional tests because I didn't want to lose touch with my IPMAT preparation.

I noticed that many students preparing with me completely stopped their IPMAT preparation during boards, and later they struggled to regain momentum.

I made sure that didn't happen to me.

After my board examinations were over, my entire focus shifted to IPMAT preparation.

At that stage, I started taking two mock tests every day; one in the morning and another in the afternoon.

I always analysed every mock immediately after attempting it so that the mistakes were still fresh in my mind and I could avoid repeating them in the next test.

During the final few days before the examination, I switched back to one mock test a day.

The remaining time was spent revising my previous mock tests.

Even though I had already analysed them once, I didn't remember every mistake.

So, I revisited all the incorrect and unattempted questions as part of my revision, which helped strengthen my core concepts.

Start Practice with IPMAT Rohtak Mock Test

What Challenges Did Harini Bhaskar Face During IPMAT Preparation?

LPT Interviewer: So, Harini, what were the biggest challenges that you faced during your preparation, and how did you overcome them?

Harini: As a Class 12 student, the biggest challenge was managing my board exam preparation along with my IPMAT preparation.

As I mentioned earlier, I made sure that I never completely stopped preparing for either of them. I kept both going simultaneously at every stage.

Of course, during my pre-board and board examinations, I had to reduce my IPMAT preparation a little, but I still continued with sectional tests and mock tests.

Apart from that, most of my challenges were related to specific subjects.

When it came to Verbal Ability, I struggled with vocabulary. Gradually, I realised that I couldn't simply learn one book or one module and expect to perform well in the IPMAT exam.

I had to read as much as I could, build my vocabulary continuously, and improve my command over the language because competitive exams don't really have a fixed syllabus.

For Quantitative Ability, there were certain topics like Probability, Permutation and Combination, and Trigonometry that I found quite difficult and lengthy.

Initially, I tried to improve those topics as much as possible, but over time I realised that I could strategically skip those questions during the exam if required and instead maximise my score in the topics I was stronger in.

I identified Arithmetic and a few other areas as my strengths and focused on strengthening them even further.

That way, I could ensure that I didn't lose marks in the topics I was confident about.

If I encountered a Probability or Trigonometry question during the exam that I couldn't solve quickly, I could simply move on.

By continuously improving my stronger topics, I was able to perform well overall in the final examination.

Practice with IPMAT PYQs:

IPMAT Previous Year Question Paper	IPMAT Rohtak Previous Year Papers
IPMAT Indore Previous Year Papers

How Did Harini Bhaskar Improve Her Weak Areas for IPMAT?

LPT Interviewer: Correct.

Just as identifying your strengths is important, identifying your weaknesses is equally important.

Now that you mentioned vocabulary was one of your weaker areas, how was your experience in the final examination?

Were there any questions that you couldn't answer? What was your strategy when it came to handling your weaknesses?

Harini: Fortunately, I had identified my weaknesses well before the examination.

Knowing your weakness can actually become your biggest strength on the final day.

During my IPMAT exam, there were a few vocabulary questions that I intentionally skipped because I wasn't confident about the meanings of those words.

I didn't want to risk losing marks because of negative marking.

So, I skipped those questions.

However, in the Quantitative Ability section, I don't think I skipped many questions.

Most of the questions belonged to Arithmetic, which was one of my strongest areas.

Luckily for me, I was comfortable solving those questions.

There were a few difficult vocabulary questions that I couldn't attempt, but I was able to compensate for them with my performance in Quantitative Ability.

As a result, my overall attempt rate remained high.

How Was Harini Bhaskar's IIM Rohtak Personal Interview Preparation?

LPT Interviewer: Great. Now comes the most interesting part, your personal interview.

This is the stage that many students eagerly wait for after clearing the written examination.

How was your journey when it came to IPMAT Personal Interview Preparation?

Harini: Of course, once I found out that I had been shortlisted for the personal interview, I was extremely happy.

At the same time, I was also nervous because, at the age of 17, you hardly get the opportunity to experience a formal personal interview.

Throughout school, you've always prepared for written examinations. The approach required for an interview is completely different.

The LPT teachers were extremely supportive.

They connected me with different professors as well as senior IPM students who are currently studying at different IIMs. Those sessions were truly eye-opening.

My subject teachers, including Nandini Ma'am and Manish Sir (LPT faculty), also conducted mock interviews for me, and those sessions proved to be extremely helpful.

Apart from mock interviews, I made sure to stay updated with everything happening around me. Current affairs and recent news were extremely important during my preparation.

I also revised my academics thoroughly.

Many students assume that since they have just completed their board examinations, they automatically remember everything.

That isn't always true.

The interview panel also focuses on your Class 11 subjects.

So, you need to prepare both your Class 11 and Class 12 academics thoroughly.

You never know which subject the interview panel may choose because it often depends on the subjects they themselves teach.

Therefore, you need to be prepared for every subject, especially the ones you are weaker in.

For revising my Class 11 subjects, I watched one-shot revision videos available online, and they helped me revise my concepts.

For Class 12, I remembered most of the syllabus, but I revised the tougher topics once again using my textbooks.

What Unexpected Questions Were Asked During Harini Bhaskar's IIM Rohtak Personal Interview?

LPT Interviewer: Were there any unexpected questions during your interview?

Harini: Actually, my interview focused heavily on my co-curricular activities.

The certificates that I had submitted along with my CV became a major part of the discussion.

The panel asked me to explain every single certificate, how I had earned it, and what I had done to achieve it.

Although I knew they would discuss my co-curricular activities because I had submitted them, I didn't expect the discussion to be this detailed.

They questioned them almost as much as they questioned my academics.

That part was slightly unexpected.

Fortunately, I was able to answer all their questions. This also brings me to an important piece of advice for every student. You should be absolutely sure about everything that you mention in your CV.

Every line and every sentence that you include can become the starting point of a ten-minute discussion.

The panel may ask several follow-up questions.

You need to be completely confident about everything you've written.

Since I was well prepared, I was able to answer all the questions related to my co-curricular activities.

LPT Interviewer: Correct. It's always better to be honest when mentioning anything beyond your academics.

Also Check out the IPMAT Rohtak Interview Questions

Why Were Mock Tests and Mock Analysis So Important in Harini Bhaskar's IPMAT Preparation?

LPT Interviewer: Now, mock tests and analysis are a very important part of any preparation journey.

Now that you have secured admission to IIM Rohtak, what role did mock tests and mock analysis play in your preparation?

Harini: We all know that mock tests give you the practical experience of taking the actual examination.

However, I believe that simply attempting a mock test is only half the process.

The analysis is even more important than taking the mock itself.

If you keep taking mock tests without understanding where you're making mistakes or which strategy actually works best for you, it won't help you on the final day.

That's why I believe mock analysis is extremely important.

My teachers also guided me in the same way.

Every day that I attempted a mock test, my teachers encouraged me to analyse it immediately.

If you postpone the analysis, it can actually become harmful because you'll gradually forget what you were thinking while attempting the paper.

Sometimes, you may solve a question correctly, but your approach may have been unnecessarily lengthy when a shorter method was available.

You can only identify those things through proper analysis.

That's how you get to the root of every mistake and gradually improve your thinking process.

This is something I was very particular about in every mock test that I attempted.

Start your practice now with Best IPMAT Mock Tests:

IPMAT VARC Mock Test	IPMAT Indore Mock Test
IPMAT Quant Mock Test	IPMAT Logical Reasoning Mock Test

How Did LPT Help Harini Bhaskar Crack IPMAT 2026?

LPT Interviewer: Wonderful.

You've already mentioned this briefly, but could you tell us specifically how LPT contributed to your success?

Which resources, classes or features helped you the most throughout your preparation journey?

Harini: Firstly, almost all my mock tests were from LPT.

I'm extremely grateful for that because they gave me the exact approach I needed for the actual examination.

Later, during my personal interview preparation, LPT connected me with students who are currently studying at different IIMs.

Those seniors had gone through the exact same process just one year before me. Because of that, they had fresh and practical insights that proved extremely valuable.

I'm really grateful that I got that opportunity.

The seniors shared things that even teachers and mentors couldn't always provide because they had experienced the interview process very recently.

Teachers can certainly prepare you with excellent questions, but understanding what is actually expected from a student comes best from someone who has recently gone through the same experience.

Another feature that helped me tremendously was the detailed mock analysis available on the LPT website.

It showed section-wise analysis, time distribution, and many other detailed insights.

Sometimes, the smallest aspects make the biggest difference.

It's like the butterfly effect, the smallest improvements can create significant changes in your final performance.

That's one of the things I'm truly grateful to LPT for.

Looking Forward to Meeting Mentors at IIM Rohtak

LPT Interviewer: Absolutely.

How wonderful would it be that the same mentors who guided you and helped you prepare for your personal interview will now be meeting you on the IIM campus itself within a month or two?

Harini: Yes. I'm honestly looking forward to going there and meeting them on campus.

LPT Interviewer: You met virtually before. Now you'll finally meet in person.

Harini: Yes.

Harini Bhaskar's Final Advice for IPMAT 2027 Aspirants

LPT Interviewer: Finally, what advice would you like to give all the students preparing for IPMAT 2027?

Harini: I still can't believe that I'm in a position where I'm giving advice because it doesn't feel very long ago that I was taking advice from my seniors.

The first and most important piece of advice I would give is to start taking mock tests as early as possible.

This is one mistake that I personally regret.

I started taking proper two-hour mock tests only after my mid-term examinations in Class 12.

I would recommend starting full-length mock tests right from Class 12, or even Class 11 if possible.

Don't wait for the perfect time. There is no perfect time.

Just start attempting as many mock tests as you can as early as possible.

Secondly, I've noticed that many students neglect Verbal Ability and focus only on Quantitative Ability.

That can actually become a disadvantage. Every section is equally important because every question carries the same marks.

You cannot ignore Verbal Ability by assuming that it's "just English" and that you'll manage it during the examination.

The level of vocabulary and the standard of questions are quite high.

You need to prepare seriously for that section as well.

For personal interview preparation, I strongly recommend staying updated with current affairs and reading newspapers regularly.

I didn't have the habit of reading newspapers earlier, but I realised its importance much later.

I would encourage every junior aspirant to start reading newspapers from now itself and stay informed about current events.

Finally, there is a lot of information available online regarding previous year cut-offs, competition, the number of applicants, and the difficulty level of the examination. Don't let that information overwhelm you.

Just stay calm and focus on your own preparation strategy. This actually happened to me in the last few days before the examination.

I kept checking how many students appear for the exam and how much competition there was. Eventually, I realised that none of that actually helps.

Focus only on your preparation.

Give your best, and the rest will take care of itself.

That's the advice I'd like to give everyone.

What Did Manish Sir Observe About Harini Bhaskar's Preparation?

LPT Interviewer: Great. This has been a very insightful conversation. Manish Sir, is there anything that you would like to add?

Manish Sir: Yes. One thing I'd like to mention is that I had the opportunity to see Harini closely in the classroom.

She was always a very active participant.

One important lesson that her juniors can learn from her is that she never hesitated to ask questions.

I remember teaching Logical Reasoning to her.

Whenever she didn't understand something or thought there might be a better approach, she would immediately ask.

As far as the personal interview is concerned, I think everyone watching this conversation must have noticed her communication skills.

We were quite confident that once she received an interview call from any IIM, she would perform exceptionally well because she has strong subject knowledge, excellent communication skills, and very good delivery.

She has certainly made all of us proud.

If you allow me, I'd also like to ask Harini one question.

Harini, I don't know whether this was asked during your interview, but what's your plan after reaching IIM Rohtak?

What are the first few things that you'd like to do?

What Are Harini Bhaskar's Plans After Joining IIM Rohtak?

Harini: No, this question wasn't asked during my interview, but I was actually expecting it and had prepared for it.

I completely understand that getting into IIM Rohtak isn't the end of the journey.

Once you enter the institute, your real journey actually begins.

That's when you need to become even more serious about your studies.

During my first semester, I simply want to understand how the college functions, how the academic structure works, and how the subjects are taught.

In the long term, I plan to pursue the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification because my interest lies in finance.

I also want to interact as much as possible with my seniors to understand their preparation strategies and their experience at the college.

And, of course, I also want to enjoy college life because that's an important part of the experience as well.

More important resources for IPMAT Rohtak exam:

IPMAT Rohtak Eligibility	IPMAT Rohtak Cut Off
IPMAT Rohtak exam pattern	IPMAT Rohtak Colleges
IPMAT Rohtak Registration	IPMAT Rohtak Selection Process

Closing Remarks

LPT Interviewer: Wonderful. It was lovely talking to you. We'll definitely be meeting very soon. Thank you, Harini. Thank you, Sir. We wish you all the very best.

Harini: Thank you so much.

Final Words

Harini Bhaskar's IPMAT 2026 journey to IIM Rohtak proves that cracking IPMAT is not just about finishing the IPMAT syllabus, but about starting early, building conceptual clarity, and staying consistent. Her strategy of balancing boards with IPMAT prep, taking mocks regularly, and analysing each test to turn weaknesses into strengths helped her excel in both the aptitude test and the personal interview.

For IPMAT 2027 aspirants, her takeaway is simple - stay connected to your preparation even during boards, give equal weightage to every section, prepare your academics thoroughly for the interview, and stay honest about your profile. Start early, analyse every mock, and stay focused on your own growth

Also Read the Interviews of IPMAT Indore Toppers

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