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Strategy Guide For

IPM PREPARATION
Table of Contents

Sr. Topic Page


No. No.
1. 1.1 Introduction
1.2 Start IPM Preparation- Major
Advantages
1.3 Placement Figures
1.4 Key features of IPM 2 - 13
1.5 Selection Process
1.6 IPM Course Structure
1.7 IPM Course Curriculum
1.8 Online Prep Products
2. 2.1 Exam pattern
2.2 IPM Preparation Journey
2.3 Underlying Strategy
14 - 28
2.4 Preparation Strategy and Exam Day
Tips
2.5 Important points
3. 3.1 IPM Sample Paper
29 - 42
Answer Key and Explanation
Greetings from Big Bull
Hi,
I am Big Bull from the online prep portal of Hitbullseye,
your companion in the journey to IPM (Five Year
Integrated Course in Management), offered by IIM Indore
and IIM Rohtak. I hope that over the next few months we
would get to know each other better. For a brief
introduction, envision me as your friend, mentor, guide,
coach et al! I will stand as a pillar of support in your
times of need, joy, sorrow, anxiety & in every other
possible situation that you may be in during this arduous
journey to glory.
With an experience of more than 20 years in the test-prep
industry and having mentored more than 2,00,000
students in classrooms and online, I and my team of
accomplished faculty members and counsellors have
overseen the establishment of the fastest-growing test-
prep portal in India.

The Dreams that you dare to


Dream, really do come true.
A year that will decide your
destiny …………

1
1.1 Introduction
The preparation journey of any competitive exam is laden
with a number of challenges that students have to
overcome. IPM is one such entrance exam which many
students having humanities background aspire to crack
to secure their admission in the prestigious IIM Indore or
IIM Rohtak.
Students who have appeared for class 12th board exams
and intend to do make a career in management then this
ebook will answer all their queries:-
 The journey to a successful career in the corporate
world starts with getting oneself management
education and IPM (Five Year Integrated Course in
Management) offered by IIM Indore and IIM Rohtak
is the doorway to that coveted job. It may be noted
here that the competition for IPM is getting
tougher every year with the increase in the number
of students and the rising difficulty level of the
exam.
 As the clock has started ticking for the IPM exam,
it is time for you to carve out a strategy and begin
your preparation earnestly to stay ahead of the
curve.

2
 However, in order to achieve the right results, you
need to possess the right strategy. In this strategy
guide we will provide a detailed plan to crack the
IPM entrance, SET entrance, DU-JAT & NPAT exam.
1.2 Why one should start preparing early for IPM?
These are unprecedented times when the whole world is
fighting the Corona battle. The pandemic has impacted
each one of us in a certain manner. No doubt that the
road to recovery from the effects of COVID -19 will be full
of trials and tribulations but our collective efforts will
bring a positive result.
This is the time when we should not let anything deter us
from achieving our goals. Students, in particular, might
feel demotivated to embark on a journey that leads to
their desired aim. Although this year due to the pandemic
major entrance exams such as NEET, CLAT, JEE, DU JAT,
NCHM- JEE, SLAT, SET-BBA, NPAT etc. have got
postponed but that will not be the case next year.
Therefore, students currently in their 12th standard
should plan to study for the IPM entrance. Students
intending to join the corporate sector should be aware
that securing a seat in IPM Indore or IPM Rohtak will
pave the way for a successful career in top multi-national

3
companies. There is stiff competition for a handful of
seats in the IPM (Indore & Rohtak) institutes.
Advantages of starting early preparation:-
 Students presently in their 12th class have an
additional burden of Board exams thereby it
becomes all the more important that they have to
plan their studies in a systematic manner.
 The online entrance for the IPM (Five Year
Integrated Course in Management) offered by IIM
Indore and IIM Rohtak consists of 60 Questions of
Quantitative Ability which one has to complete in
75 minutes and 40 questions of Verbal Ability to be
attempted in 45 minutes.
 The class 12th board exams require detailed
answers which would require students to adopt a
different study plan.
 Planning a study schedule that takes into account
the IPM exam pattern as well as the boards will
require a strategy. At this juncture, you should
definitely make use of academic resources
available at the online test portal of Hitbullseye.
 The IPM entrance assesses the student’s aptitude
on various parameters like Logical Reasoning,

4
English, and Mathematics. Therefore, students
have to study each subject component in detail.
 To master each element of the IPM exam will
require time and practice. Students who start
during this time will get a head-start.
 One should aim to grasp the fundamentals of each
topic and practice question sets with a focus to
improve accuracy.
 Students can improvise their study schedule
according to their course/syllabus that is to be
covered. More importantly, they will be in a
position to decide how much time to be allocated
to different subjects for preparation.
 Students will have an opportunity to understand
the benefits of online academic resources such as
recorded concept lectures, IPM mock tests for IPM
preparation.

5
1.3 Placement Figures:
Placements Figures after IPM( Five Year Integrated
Course in Management) and IIM(Indore PGP
students):-
Highest International Package - Rs. 89.25 LPA
Highest Domestic Package - Rs. 20.79 LPA
Average Salary Offered For Top 50 - Rs.30.04 LPA
Average Salary Offered For Top 100- RS 28.47 LPA

Domain Major Recruiters


CONSULTING  Avalon Consulting
 The Boston Consulting Group
 Bain Capability Centre
 Cognizant Business
 Deloitte
 Mckinsey
FINANCE  Bank of America
 Deutsche Bank
 Axis Bank
 HDFC Bank
 JP Morgan Chase
 Kotak Mahindra Bank
General  Airtel
Management/HR/O  Aditya Birla Retail
perations  Asian Paints
 Britannia

6
 Cipla
 Hindustan Lever
 Reliance Industries
 L&T
 Jindal Steel & Power
Sales & Marketing  Aditya Birla Fashion Retail
Limited
 Asian Paints, Britannia
 Cipla
 Crompton Greaves
 Dabur
 Dolcera
 GroupM
 GSK Pharma
 Hindustan Unilever
 ITC
 Jubilant Foodworks
 Maruti Suzuki
 L’Oreal
 Panasonic
 Piramal Group
 PUMA
IT/ Analytics  Google
 Hindustan Unilever
 Capgemini
 FIS Global
 HCL Technologies
 HP Inc

7
 Hexaware
 IBM
 Infosys
 L&T Infotech
 Tata Consultancy Services
 General Electric
 Latent View Analytics

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach


your full potential, these are the keys that will unlock the
door to personal excellence.” A Quote by Confucius
should motivate the students to achieve their goals.
1.4 IPM- Five Year Integrated Program in Management
(Indore & Rohtak)
Key Features:-
 In the year 2011, the Indian Institute of
Management (Indore) took a unique initiative by
introducing a Five Year Integrated Program in
Management. This program was specially
designed keeping in mind the requirements of the
corporate world. The program inducts students
after they have passed class 12th or higher
secondary education from India.

8
 The Five Year Integrated Program in Management
aims to provide a holistic education that will enable
the students to develop their managerial skills and
in the process would them in leadership roles.
 In the year 2019, IIM Rohtak has introduced a Five
Year Integrated Program in Management (IPM).
This programme is aimed at students who have
given their 12th board exams with a humanities
background and intend to pursue a career in the
field of management.
1.5 IPM Selection Process for Indore and Rohtak:-
The IPM selection process comprises three steps:-
 Firstly, students have to fill an application form
giving the relevant details of their academic
background, co-curricular activities, etc.
 Secondly, students have to clear the entrance
exam which assesses the student’s aptitude on
various parameters like logical reasoning, English,
and Mathematics.
 The entrance exam has Quantitative Ability-MCQ(
40 questions), Quantitative Ability-Short Answers(
20 questions and Verbal Ability( 40 questions).

9
 The exam is conducted online and the duration is
two hours. There are 100 questions and each
question carries 4 marks. 1 mark gets deducted for
each wrong answer. The total marks for the exam
are 400.
 There is a sectional time of 40 minutes given to
attempt each section of the exam.
 Third and the final stage is that the shortlisted
candidates have to appear for the personal
interview.
 The candidate is evaluated based on specific
parameters like general awareness,
communication skills, persuasion skills, and
knowledge.

The latest sectional scoring scheme given by IIM


Indore is as follows:
Score in QA= 65 * (𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒′𝑠𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒−𝑀𝑖𝑛.𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒)/
(𝑀𝑎𝑥. 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒−Bachelor of Management Studies [BMS
𝑀𝑖𝑛.𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒)
Score in VA= 35 * (𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒′𝑠𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒−𝑀𝑖𝑛.𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒)/
(𝑀𝑎𝑥. 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒−𝑀𝑖𝑛.𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒)
Final Score= Score in (QA+VA)

10
1.6 IPM Course Structure:-
The Five Year Integrated Program is split into two
programs with three years of an undergraduate program
and two years of postgraduate program.
 The first three years of the program aim to build a
strong foundation and the next two years focuses
on providing quality management education.
 The students have to study a comprehensive
course with a total of 15 terms, and each year there
are three terms with a duration of 3 months.
1.7 IPM Course Curriculum:-
 The undergraduate program is designed in such a
way that it encompasses various subjects such as
Economics, Mathematics, and Statistics so that
students develop an analytical bent of mind. On
the other hand subjects like Political Science,
Sociology, and Psychology are taught to enhance
one’s understanding in the field of management.
The students are made to study a wide array of
subjects so that it broadens their horizon and gives
them a wider perspective.
 It is mandatory that the IPM students undergo a
social internship program after the completion of 3

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years and another internship program after the end
of the 4th year. This interface with the industry
builds their personality in innumerable ways and
most importantly helps in developing a problem-
solving mindset.
A Unique Feature of the IPM course:
A point to be noted here is that the IPM students in the
last two years of their course go through the same
curriculum that is designed for the Post Graduate
program. Therefore, it is a win-win situation for IPM
students as the learning goals are the same for them as
well as the Post Graduate Program students.
1.8 Hitbullseye Online Prep Products
At Hitbullseye we believe that digital learning is the
future. Digital learning has removed the barriers and
made it possible for students across the world to enjoy
world-class facilities at their doorstep. This has ensured
a massive reduction in cost while maintaining the high
standards of education i.e. “quality education at
affordable cost”.
Hitbullseye is at the forefront of this enormous shift as
our IPM test prep programs transcend borders and bring
education to the doorstep of users.

12
Our programs run effectively on PC or Mobile making
learning possible anywhere anytime through the use of
Live Lectures, e-books, assignments, videos & online
tests. This is an important aspect of the programs as it
ensures limitless opportunities for all students across
the country. Our backend system is designed to
accommodate internet speed as low as 256 kbps to run
smoothly.
With over 100+ Seasoned Faculty members having
combined 1500+ years of successful academic
experience; we have made the best teachers accessible
to all students across geography and demographics. Our
faculty’s passion for education and innovative delivery
style contribute massively to the success of the
program.
Features of Online Programs
 Most Advanced Interactive Live Sessions
 Decisive Mocks as good as Actual Tests
 Incredible AI Test Analytics: Attempt & Accuracy,
Time Spent, Question Selection, etc.
 250+ Strategy Videos, eBooks & Assignments

13
 10,000+ Practice Questions, Sectional & Topic-wise
Tests
 FREE Webinars & eBook launches round the year
 Discussion Group on Telegram
 Instant Doubt redressal mechanism
 Convenient Weekday & Weekend Batches

Click on the link below to know about our basket of


online course products

https://grad.hitbullseye.com/courses.php

2.1 Detailed Analysis of the Exam Pattern


A) Quantitative Aptitude:-
In the IPM aptitude test, one of the most important
sections is the mathematics section. It is also called as
the quantitative ability section and it has 60 questions
that the student has to attempt in 40 minutes. This
section is generally a mix of all the topics of quant and
students can expect a few questions from topics of
logical reasoning also.

14
List of topics that you need to prepare for the quant
sections:-
 Number system
 Algebra
 Arithmetic
 Permutation & Combination
 Probability
 Geometry and Mensuration
 Trigonometry
 Set Theory
 Ratio & Proportion
 Percentage
 Time and work
 Logarithms
 Binomial Theorem
 Progression
 Profit, loss, and discounts
 Simple and Compound Interest
 Functions

15
NOTE:
The level of difficulty of questions in this section is usually
high.
Attention IPM aspirants, there were 8 – 10 questions from
logical reasoning in the previous year, so it is advisable that
you need to prepare this area as well.

The level of difficulty of questions in this section is usual


Skill Set:
The next important step which you need to understand is
that after a thorough understanding of the topics you
need to enhance your skill in various ways:-
 A thorough understanding of key concepts.
 Formulas should be at your tips.
 Good calculation speed.
 Make an intelligent choice from the given set of
questions.
 Make use of options to solve questions.
 Improve accuracy rate.

16
B) Verbal Ability
The second most important section in the IPM entrance
is the verbal section.
The IPM Verbal Ability section consists of 40 questions,
each carrying 4 marks. 40 minutes of sectional time is
given for attempting the whole section. Some of the
popular and frequently asked topics in this section are:
 Vocabulary (including Synonyms & Antonyms)
 Reading Comprehension
 Grammar
 Sentence Rearrangement
 Sentence Correction
 Sentence Completion or fill in the blanks
 Correct Usage of words and phrases
 Verbal Analogies
Skill Set:
The next important step which you need to understand is
that after a thorough understanding of the topics you
need to enhance your skill in various ways:-
 Diversity in Reading

17
 Quick comprehension
 Vocabulary and contextual usage
 Application of grammar concepts
 Speed and accuracy

Click on the link below to improve your verbal section:-

https://www.hitbullseye.com/Verbal

2.2 IPM Preparation Journey


First Month:-
Firstly and most importantly mark the registration dates
in your calendar. Having done this, you won’t have to
worry about forgetting to register for the exam in the
midst of preparation.
The second most important thing is to familiarize
yourself with the IPM (IIM Indore or IIM Rohtak) exam
pattern.
It is advisable that you take a Mock IPM to get a broad
idea of the different sections and question types.

18
Click on the link below to know more about IPM
exam:-

https://grad.hitbullseye.com/IPM

Since you have time for preparation, we would


recommend you create a paid account and get
unrestricted access to live lectures, articles, mock tests,
etc. before pre-board
 You will get a score on your mock test
performance, but don’t fret over it. Save your result
for later.
 Next day, study the explanations of the mock test,
analyzing your strong and weak areas. Understand
areas where you scored the lowest and the
highest. Compile a list of areas that need the most
improvement, as well as the ones that require the
least improvement. This will help you ascertain
your study priorities, both immediate and long
term.
 Once your strengths and weaknesses are in place,
focus on building a conceptual understanding of

19
your weak areas through video lectures and
articles. After completing each lesson of each of
your weaker areas, drill yourself with practice
questions and tests present on your
hitbullseye.com dashboard.
 Also at this stage, begin to read extensively on a
daily basis. Pick up a newspaper like The Hindu,
The Economic Times, and read the editorial section
every day. Also start keeping notes either on One
Notes on your mobile, or on Flashcards to
remember difficult words, as well as important
Quant formulas.

20
Next few months:-
Continue working on concepts and supplement them
with practice questions and tests. By the first month, you
should ideally know your strongest and weakest sections
among Quant, Verbal, and Reasoning. You should devote
approximately 50% of your time on your weakest section,
and 25% each on the other two sections.
Later, if you are able to score evenly in all three sections
– you can divide your time evenly as well. At that stage,
begin to focus on your weakest topics within each
section.
Also in these months, start building your mental
calculation skills. Try to mentally calculate problems in
your head while you are commuting, during evening
walks, or whenever you get free time.
Study Plan for January:-
In this month, start timing your practice tests. If you are
falling short of time in a certain section, then this is the
time to fix this. Cutting down even 15 seconds from
every question will help you reduce substantial time in
each section. If you already save a lot of time, focus on
improving your reviewing and double-checking skills.

21
And keep altering your study topics as per your current
ability levels.
 A thing to be kept in mind is that many students
will be preparing for the Pre-board exams therefore
students won’t be getting much time for the IPM
entrance preparation.
Study Plan for February & March:-
 Here your main focus should be to prepare well for
the board exams and aim to achieve a good
percentage.
 Remain calm and focused.
 One very crucial fact that you need to bear in mind
is that Board exams are subjective, whereas the
IPM entrance is objective. Therefore, we suggest
that the practice format will differ.
After Boards
This is the revision month. Go back to your strengths and
weaknesses list and make sure there aren’t any major
topics in your weaker areas list. If there are some topics
where you feel that you don’t have enough time to take
them up from scratch then you can leave them.

22
Also in this month, revise all topics by re-solve practice
questions and tests but try to take lesser time this time
around.
2.3 Underlying Strategy
We have prepared a three-phase topic-wise plan for you
for IPM. This plan will show what you need to do in these
three phases:
1. Phase-1: Build up your core Muscles
Phase Duration: Three to Four Months
The first phase is all about building your core concepts
and working on your basics. In this phase, you focus on
the following:
a. Basic Concepts for all topics
b. Essential testing (wherein you take limited mocks
a month) in order to fine-tune your preparation.
2. Phase-2: Build your stamina
Phase Duration: Two months
This phase is all about making sure you build your
problem-solving skills and fine-tune the concepts that
you have worked upon in the first phase. In this phase,
you work on:

23
a. Area and Section Tests
b. Basic Topic revision
c. Intensive Mock Testing
3. Phase-3: Go the next level
Phase Duration: Two months
This is the phase where you wrap up your preparation by
taking the intensity to the next level. Now it is time for
you to revise some important concepts and work on
improving your speed and accuracy factor:-
a. Section Tests
b. Revision of difficult concepts
c. Aggressive Mock Testing
Essentially, these three phases focus on concepts,
testing, and revision one by one. Once you balance these
three aspects of preparation, there is nothing that stands
between you and success.
How to modify this plan according to your needs?
You can always adjust and modify this plan according to
your needs. In fact, there might be areas where you
might feel you are doing well and you do not need to
spend much time. You can adjust your preparation

24
accordingly. Make sure you adopt the broad framework
of this preparation plan that highlights what you need to
do over the next few months.
Moreover, some students will be appearing for class 12th
board exams, therefore you need to plan a schedule
keeping in mind the board exam schedule.
Keep your wits about yourself
IPM preparation in the last phase is all about keeping
your wits. You need to make sure you are calm and
composed at this stage and do not let negative thoughts
cloud your judgment.
Remember, at the end of the day, IPM is simply an exam
and not the be-all and end-all of your life. The key things
you need to keep in mind are:
 All students are going through the same amount of
stress and pressure that you are. The person who
best copes with it is the one who performs the
best.
 Focus on the process and not the results.
 The only thing you should care about is to put in
consistent effort and continuously improve the
topics and take one step at a time.
 Remain positive and focused.

25
2.4 Preparation Strategy and Exam Day Tips
Make a study schedule:
It is very important to set clear goals with deadline and
then working hard to achieve them. This way one never
loses sight of the target and stays motivated. When
goals are defined with timelines, it is also easier to
assess how far one has come and in what time revisions
can be done. However, when doing so it is important to
set realistic goals that you can achieve. Further, your
schedule should always accommodate short breaks in
between.
Focus on Concepts over Rote Learning:
Focus on understanding the concepts throughout your
preparation. Do not adopt rote learning technique.
Understanding helps you to remember the concepts for a
very long period of time. You can also create your
memory tips or interesting acronyms to remember
formulae or equations or difficult terminologies.
Self-Evaluation is Critical:
Studying alone doesn't make your preparation complete.
You must evaluate yourself from time-to-time for
effective preparation. You must write mocks to keep
analyzing your preparation. Also, while attempting

26
papers, give in an exam type environment. Sample
papers help gain confidence along with helping in
devising your own strategy of attempting the questions.
Stay Positive and Confident:
'Belief' is a very powerful tool. You must believe in
yourself and your preparation. Ensure that you study the
same way throughout the year, to avoid last-minute rush
and stress. Spend 10-15 minutes before going off to
sleep to quickly recap all that you learnt throughout the
day.

27
2.5 A RECAP OF IMPORTANT POINTS:-

Key Points to be kept in mind:-


 Know the specifics regarding the IPM (IIM Indore & IIM
Rohtak) exam patterns
 It is advisable that you must know the specific dates on
which the exam is held, the syllabus, exam pattern etc.
 Time management is the key to your success. If you
are able to understand the correlation between the
number of hours of self-study and the output, then it
will become easier for you to crack the IPM entrance.
 Understand your strengths and weaknesses.
 Focus and systematic approach to IPM preparation is
of utmost importance.

28
3.1 Sample IPM Paper:
DIRECTIONS for questions 1 to 4: Choose the best option
from the given choices to make a complete sentence.
1. Archaeology is a poor profession; only ____ sums
are available for excavating sites and even more
____ amounts for preserving the excavations.
1. paltry, meager
2. minuscule, substantial
3. average augmented
4. judicious, penurious
2. The flood of brilliant ideas has not only ___ us but
has also encouraged us to ___ the last date for
submission of entries.
1. overwhelmed, extend
2. enjoyed, stretch
3. dismayed, decide
4. scared, scrap

29
3. The high cutoff marks this year have ___ college
admission seekers to either _________for lesser-
known colleges or change their subject
preferences.
1. cajoled, ask 2. pressured, sit
3. forced, settle 4. strained, compromise
4. His characteristically ____ views on examination
methods at the university level have aroused ____
in those who want to introduce innovative and
flexible patterns of assessment.
1. hidebound – antagonism
2. moderate - anger
3. reactionary – admiration
4. rigid – support
DIRECTIONS for questions 5 to 7: Mark the answer option
that is closest in meaning to the following words.
5. OSTENTATION
1. Calmness 2. Equanimity
3. Contentment 4. Pageantry

30
6. PENITENT
1. Eccentric 2. Profound
3. Remorseful 4. Blameless
7. MUSE
1. Ponder 2. Infect
3. Appease 4. Taint
DIRECTIONS for questions 8-10: Mark the answer option
that is opposite in meaning to the following words.
8. MOTLEY
1. Homogeneous 2. Deadly
3. Gloomy 4. Concise
9. BELITTLE
1. Allure 2. Disturb
3. Entangle 4. Magnify
10. PREMEDITATION
1. Compression 2. Impromptu
3. Audacity 4. Succession

31
DIRECTIONS for questions 11 & 12:- In each of the
following sentences, a part of the sentence is underlined.
Beneath each sentence four different ways of phrasing the
underlined part are indicated. Choose the best alternative
from among the four.
11. Since the advent of cable television, at the
beginning of this decade, the entertainment
industry took a giant stride forward in our country.
1. this decade, the entertainment had taken
2. This decade, the entertainment industry has
taken
3. This decade saw the entertainment industry
taking
4. This decade the entertainment industry took
12. We are forced to fall back on fatalism as an
explanation of irrational events.
1. fall back on fatalism as an explanation
2. falling back on the fatalism as an explanation
3. fall back on fatalism as explanations
4. fall back to fatalism as an explanation

32
DIRECTIONS for questions 13 & 14:- Choose the most
logical order of sentences from amongst the four choices
given to construct a coherent paragraph.
13 A. There has been for some time growing criticism
of the projection of women in these three media.
B. Things are even worse in films.
C. The report that the Union Cabinet considered the
draft of a bill to prohibit the denigration of women
photographs, advertisements, and films, is
welcome.
D. Advertisements in print media, as well as in
films and television, frequently rely on feminine sex
appeal to attract attention to products or to
suggest that these products make Casanovas of
ordinary mortals.
1. CADB 2. DABC 3.ADBC 4.CDAB
14. P. An ill-disciplined mind gradually loses all sense
of grace and enjoyment and renders all
relationships sterile.
Q. In contrast, a child enjoys the world around him.
R. As we grow older, we need to cultivate
enjoyment with discrimination and discipline.

33
S. He is naturally graceful, and every new activity is
a source of delight for him.
1. PQSR 2. QSRP 3.QSPR 4.PRQS
DIRECTIONS for questions 15 to 17:- For each of the
following questions, read the passage below and answer the
questions that follow.
It has been a long journey for us. It began in 1976 with
the lending of $27 to 42 poor people in a village next to
the university campus where I was teaching economics. I
had no intention of making a wave. Nor was I planning to
create a bank for the poor. I had a very modest goal. I
was trying to free 42 people from the clutches of
moneylenders by giving them money they owed to
moneylenders, in order to repay them and become free
from exploitation.
I was teaching at Chittagong University while famine
raged in Bangladesh in 1974. It was uncomfortable to
teach elegant theories of economics when people were
dying of hunger. I felt totally irrelevant. I tried to make
myself in some way relevant by going out to the poor
people living in the village next to the university campus.
Initially I looked for any little thing that I could do to
make the life of a poor individual slightly tolerable. One
thing led to another. I kept seeing how people suffered

34
because they could not find tiny amounts of money to
carry on with their livelihood activities. To solve this
problem, they went to moneylenders. Moneylenders
turned them into slave-labour with unbelievable loan
conditions. I wanted to see how many people there were
in the village in this situation. I made a list. The list
contained 42 names, the total amount they needed was
$27.
Imagine the shock to an economics professor who
teaches his students about the national five-year plan
and the rationale for investing billions of dollars to
overcome poverty. The professor did not know that
people go through misery because they do not have
access to pennies, let alone a whole dollar. Even if you
invest those billions of dollars in big projects, this need
of the poor will still not be addressed. I tried to address
this problem by way of an emotional response, I gave the
money from my pocket. I did not know that it would
create an emotional counter response from the people
who got the money. They thought it was nothing less
than a miracle. I thought if you could make so many
people so happy with such a small amount of money,
why not do more of the same. I decided to link the poor
people in the village with the bank located on the
campus, but the bank refused to get involved. They

35
argued that the poor are not creditworthy. I pleaded with
them to give me a chance to try. They refused.
Ultimately, when I offered to become the guarantor for
these loans, they reluctantly agreed. I started giving
loans to poor people in Jobra and was pleasantly
surprised to see that it was working perfectly. I
continued to expand the programme. Several stages
later we converted the project into a formal bank, named,
Grameen Bank, in 1983.
15. A suitable title for this passage is
1. The Autobiography of an Armchair Economist
2. My Experiments with Economic Truths
3. 27 Dollars That Changed The World
4. The Genesis of Grameen Bank
16. It can be inferred from the passage that
1. Large projects costing billions of dollars may
not address the survival need of the poor
2. The success of Grameen Bank is nothing short
of a miracle.
3. Major economic movements need triggers like
famines.

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4. Making people happy with small amounts of
money is more important than spending billions
on large projects.
17. Which word is the opposite of the word
creditworthy?
1. Trustworthy 2. Untrustworthy
3. Dependable 4. Reliable
DIRECTIONS for questions 18 to 20:- Each question has a
pair of CAPITALIZED words followed by four pairs of words.
Choose the pair of words that best express the relationship
similar to that expressed in the capitalized pair.
18. ZEALOUS: ENTHUSIASTIC:: ?
1. pedantic: educated
2. flamboyant: stylish
3. cautious : prudent
4. idolatrous : devoted
19. SPEAK: RETICENT ::?
1. spend: parsimonious
2. excel : audacious
3. commend : irate
4. work : servile

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20. GENERAL : ARMY :: ?
1. captain : navy
2. pilot : squadron
3. principal : school
4. leader : union

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Answer Key & Explanation
Q. No Key Explanation
1. A Context – Archaeology as a poor profession.
Two parts related- Second part is similar in
idea. Clues- “ Even more” transition word
given in the second part of the sentence
Key words-poor profession: Anticipate the
blanks- In this variation; the word even more
introduces a similarity in the two ideas. What
comes after the comma should be similar to
what comes before. Since the first part tells
us that there is no money in archaeology, then
there will only be small (paltry) amounts for
excavating. Look at the options- we have
‘paltry’ in the options.
Thus, meager also means small, miniscule =
tiny; augmented = increased; judicious = wise,
just; penurious = poor)
2. A The correct answer choice is “overwhelmed,
extend”
3. C The correct answer choice is “forced, settle”.
4. A The context – His views on exam.
Two parts related- Second part is a response
others have on his view.
Key words- views……aroused…….flexible.
Anticipate the blanks- Follow the logic. If his
views are flexible the people who want flexible

39
methods will approve. But, if his views are
rigid the same people will oppose them. Look
in the options- Hence, the best fit comes with
hidebound (rigid) and antagonism (hostility),
(reactionary = ultraconservative;
accommodating = flexible).The correct
answer is option A .
5. D Ostentation means a show of wealth. The
meaning of the word Pageantry is impressive
and colourful ceremonies.
6. C Penitent means that you are feeling sorry for
something you might have done wrong. The
word remorseful means feeling sad and guilty.
7. A Muse means to think about something
carefully and for a long time.
8. A Motley means consisting of many
different types that do not appear to go
together.
9. A Belittle means to make a person or
an action seem as if he, she or it is
not important.
10. B Premeditation means the fact of thinking
about or carefully planning to do something
Impromptu- done or said without earlier
planning or preparation:
11. B Verb tense – has taken should be used
12. A The correct idiomatic expression is “…fall back
on …..”. “….on the fatalism” is wrong in that

40
fatalism has been used in a very general way
and not in any special sense.
13. 1 Opening- Sentence C is likely to be the
opening sentence as it introduces the idea, is
independent and use of subject in the noun
form is given. Pairs- CA. Subject – Pronoun
Pair- “These” in a sentence A refers to the
subject to the media forms in Sentence C.
Sentence B uses the word “ Even” so we know
it should follow some other sentence. So if we
look at the order of media used in sentence C-
films are used last.
Anticipate the order- CADB.
14. 4 R talks of older people, Q contrasts this with
children so RQ is a logical pair. S follows Q
since it talks of the attitude of the child.
15. 4 In the passage, the author is discussing the
events that led to the development of the
Grameen Bank.
16. 1 The author is trying to convey a message here
that although the government is investing a
lot of money in the developmental projects
but it does not address the real problem of the
poor people.
17. 2 Creditworthy is used to describe a person,
business, or government to which financial
organizations are willing to lendmoney.
18. 4 The best answer to this more difficult analogy

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is 4. Zealous is to be ardent; idolatrous is to
be a devoted admirer or worshipper of idols.
19. 1 The correct answer is 1. Reticent is not to
speak and remain silent; parsimonious is not
to spend be stingy, miserly.
20. 3 The correct answer is 3. It is clear that the
general leads the army. Option 1 can be
rejected outright as captains don’t lead the
navy, an Admiral does. Option 2 can be
rejected outright as pilots don’t lead the
squadron, a Squadron Commander does. Now
both Options 3 and 4 are possible choices.
A Principal leads the school and all unions
have a leader. Now both Options 3 and 4 are
possible choices. The army has no choice in
selecting the General. The School has no
choice in selecting the Principal, however a
Unionmay elect its leader. Therefore we
choose Option 3 while rejecting Option 4.

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A Story to Ponder

A frog decided to reach the top of a tree.


All frogs shouted, “It’s impossible, it’s
impossible…”
Still the frog reached the top………..
HOW?
Because he was DEAF………
And he thought everyone was encouraging him
to reach the top………..
“Be deaf to negative thoughts. If your aim is to
reach your goal”

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