How to Maintain Your

IPMAT Prep Notebooks

Example pages showing exactly how to write & organize each copy

This guide shows a sample page from each of your 5 core notebooks, with real example content, so you can
copy the exact format from day one instead of figuring it out as you go.

Notebook What goes on each page

1. Formula & Concept Notebook One topic per page — formulas, key rules, solved example

2. Error Log One row per mistake — question, error, correct method, root
cause

3. Verbal Ability Notebook New words, grammar rules, usage examples

4. Mock Test Analysis Copy Score breakdown, time per section, action points

5. Rough Work Copy Daily problem-solving — no fixed format, just solve

IPMAT Notebook Maintenance Guide Page 1

 1. Formula & Concept Notebook
Use one page (or double page) per topic. Leave the last 2–3 lines of each page blank so you can add new
formulas you discover later without breaking the structure.

QUANT — TOPIC: PERCENTAGES

Topic: Percentages | Date started: 3 July

Core Formulas

• Percentage change = (New – Old) / Old × 100

• If A is x% more than B → B is [x / (100+x)] × 100 % less than A

• Successive % change a% and b% → Net change = a + b + (ab/100)

Key Shortcut

For 12.5% → think 1/8 For 16.67% → think 1/6 For 33.33% → think 1/3 (convert to fractions, faster
mental math)

Solved Example

Q: A's salary is 25% more than B's. By what % is B's salary less than A's?

A: Using shortcut → x=25 → [25/125]×100 = 20% (Answer: 20%)

Common Mistake to Avoid

Don't assume reverse % is the same number — 25% more ≠ 25% less. Always use the formula above.

How to use it
●
Start a fresh page for every new topic — don't mix topics on one page
●
Write the formula first, then one shortcut, then one solved example, then common mistakes
●
Revise 1–2 pages daily in the last 10 minutes before sleeping — takes 5 minutes, keeps formulas fresh
●
In the last month before the exam, this notebook becomes your only revision material — no need to
reopen thick reference books

IPMAT Notebook Maintenance Guide Page 2

 2. Error Log
The single most valuable notebook. Every time you get a question wrong — in practice, homework, or a mock
— log it here the same day. Use a table format so it's easy to scan.

Date Section Question / Topic My Mistake Correct Approach Root Cause

4 Jul Quant Time & Work: 3 men, 2 Added rates wrong LCM method — total Careless / rushed
women... work units

4 Jul Verbal Para jumble (4 Missed the Look for Didn't read all
sentences) connector word pronouns/linking words options first
first

6 Jul Quant Probability – dice Forgot 'at least one' Use complement rule Concept gap
problem = 1 – P(none) directly

How to use it
●
Log the mistake the same day — don't batch it for later, you'll forget the exact confusion
●
The 'Root Cause' column matters most — be honest: was it a concept gap, silly mistake, or time pressure?
●
Every Sunday, skim the whole week's entries — look for repeated root causes (e.g. 'careless' appearing
often means you need to slow down, not learn more topics)
●
Before every mock test, flip through this log — it's a faster refresher than re-reading textbooks

IPMAT Notebook Maintenance Guide Page 3

 3. Verbal Ability Notebook
Split this notebook into two sections — Vocabulary and Grammar. Use the first half of the notebook for vocab
(front to back) and flip it over to use the back half for grammar rules, so both grow independently.

VOCABULARY SECTION

VOCABULARY — Week of 1 July

Word: Ephemeral (adj)

Meaning: Lasting for a very short time

Synonym: Transient, fleeting Antonym: Permanent, everlasting

My sentence: Fame on social media is often ephemeral.

Word: Austere (adj)

Meaning: Simple, without luxury; strict in manner

Synonym: Stern, plain Antonym: Lavish, indulgent

My sentence: The monk lived an austere life in the mountains.

GRAMMAR SECTION (flip side of notebook)

GRAMMAR — Subject-Verb Agreement

Rule: 'Each', 'Every', 'Either', 'Neither' + singular verb

Example: Each of the students has submitted the form. (not 'have')

Rule: Collective nouns (team, family, jury) take singular verb when acting as one unit

Example: The team is playing well this season.

Mistake I made in practice test:

Wrote 'The number of students are increasing' — wrong. 'The number of' takes singular verb. ('A number
of' takes plural — different rule, don't confuse the two.)

How to use it
●
Add 5–10 new words daily from your reading — always include meaning, synonym/antonym, and your own
sentence (writing your own sentence is what makes it stick)
●
For grammar, log one rule per entry along with an example of a mistake you personally made — personal
mistakes are remembered far better than generic rules
●
Revise last week's words every Sunday before adding new ones

IPMAT Notebook Maintenance Guide Page 4

 4. Mock Test Analysis Copy
Fill one page immediately after every mock test — while it's fresh. This turns each mock from just a score into
an actual improvement plan.

MOCK ANALYSIS

MOCK TEST #4 — iQuanta Sectional | Date: 6 July

Overall Score: 62 / 100 Time Taken: 118 / 120 min

Section-wise breakdown:

Section Attempted Correct Time Used

Quant MCQ 26/30 18 38 min

Quant SA 12/15 7 35 min

Verbal 40/45 31 45 min

Biggest weak spot this mock: Quant SA — too slow, ran out of time on last 3 Qs
Action point for next week: Practice 10 SA questions daily under strict 1.5 min/question timer, no
calculator

How to use it
●
Fill this out within an hour of finishing a mock — the reasoning behind mistakes fades fast
●
Always end each entry with one specific, measurable action point (not "study harder" — something like "do
10 timed SA questions daily")
●
Every 4th mock, flip back and compare your section-wise trend — you should see attempted/correct
numbers improving

IPMAT Notebook Maintenance Guide Page 5

 5. Rough Work / Daily Practice Copy
This one doesn't need a fancy format — it's for solving problems, not for revision later. Just a few habits make
it far more useful:
●
Write the date at the top of each day's work — helps you track how many problems you solved that week
●
Circle or box your final answers so they're easy to spot when checking against solutions
●
Don't erase mistakes — cross them out with a single line. Seeing your own wrong turns helps more than a
blank page
●
At the end of each session, put a star (★) next to any question that felt hard — transfer those into the Error
Log the same night

This copy will fill up fast — that's expected and a good sign. Keep 2–3 spares ready so you never pause practice
because you've run out of pages.

Tip: label the cover of each notebook clearly (subject + start date) so nothing gets mixed up over the year. Compiled July
2026.

IPMAT Notebook Maintenance Guide Page 6