THE hotel management entrance exams conducted by various colleges and institutes across the country hold the key to lucrative and rewarding careers in the service industry. Entrance exams are generally aptitude-based and  followed by a Group Discussion and Personal Interview in some institutes.

The three-hour examination only features Multiple-choice Questions and there is no negative marking. Some colleges or institutes may, however, levy negative marking. Conducted in the OMR format, the exam still follows the hand-written pattern. Coming to the section-wise breakup, it is evident that questions on the English Language comprise a major chunk of the paper.
 
The Numerical Ability section requires students to brush up on elementary Mathematics of Class IX and X.  Though there are no direct questions on hotel management, the section on ‘Aptitude for Service Sector’ tests you on your psychological strengths. 

 

• ALERT: Hospitality JEE application deadline extended to March 10, 2011

Section-wise tips
English Language: Use your knowledge of common idioms and grammar. Read sentences and try to identify if they read right or not, often using your knowledge of everyday spoken English. This should go a long way in helping you tackle the easier questions in this section that you choose. For questions based on comprehension, attempt those questions where the answer seems to be easily available in the passage (more factual type and less inferential type), often related to key sentences. Re-read the relevant portions in the passage carefully and choose the option that tie in best with the relevant portion.

General Awareness and Current Affairs: There is nothing better than reading the newspaper regularly. A majority of the questions in this section are from Sports, National and International events of the last year. Miscellaneous GK questions are also commonly asked. You can test yourself on sample GK quizzes to identify frequently asked questions. Make sure you check the right answer at all times to avoid making mistakes in the actual paper.

Reasoning and Logical Deduction: Spend a lot of time learning squares, cubes and percentage equivalent of fractions etc. You must also try and develop various other techniques available for approximations, which can at times help you eliminate the options and get the correct answer much faster. As for analytical skills, they have to be consciously developed over a period of time through constant practice and by solving different types of questions. To get used to the idea of understanding and interpreting graphs, figures and numbers pick up a business daily or any business magazine where you can find graphs. An effective way of learning Data Interpretation is to frame your own questions. This helps you preempt the kind of questions that may be asked. 

Practice a lot of LR questions, especially of the Data Arrangement variety that tend to consume a lot of time. Develop an approach that will take you to the correct solution in the least possible time.

Aptitude for Service Sector: This one gauges your psychological response to certain situations. While they do not have a right or wrong answer, responses are marked in a graded format.

Numerical Ability and Scientific Aptitude: Focus on fundamentals in Maths from 9 and 10. Topics include Ratio of proportion, time, sped and distance, time and work, and Number system. For Scientific Aptitude, you must understand fundamentals of Physics, Chemistry and Biology from Class 10. Questions like “Why is salt added to pickle?” appear in this section.

General tips
Go through the last few years’ papers and analyse  trends. There are certain questions that appear every year, while certain other topics are relatively not so important.  Questions in the exam are on the easier side, as a rule. The pattern is not expected to change this year.
Take mock tests and analyse your performance.

Calculators are not allowed in the examination so avoid making calculation errors (e.g.: 12+13=35). Spending too much time on one particular question, not scanning the paper/ section before solving it etc. could cost you precious marks and time.

Time Management and strategy
Start thinking about a strategy, but don’t be rigid. Critically analyse your strengths – the particular set of topics which you seldom get wrong in mock tests. Identify the areas you are not so comfortable with. Think of a flowchart on the order of questions you will attempt on the day of the test. However it is always advisable to experiment with your strategies for different tests.

With 200 questions to attempt in three hours, time management is a must. The core value of effective time management is nothing but shift in focus. Remember the ‘80:20 rule’ - usually 80% of unfocussed efforts generate merely 20% of results meaning the rest of the 80% results are attained with 20% efforts only. Focus and effective management can in fact be critical in your final score.

Revise all fundamental concepts and identify and attempt as many types of questions as possible, in the given topic. This helps to build focus and understand the concepts of each section in detail.

Group Discussion & Interview
The objective of a GD is to get noticed by the evaluator, but for the right reasons. Typically, GDs involve Current Affairs so you can safely prepare your arguments around the same. The objective is to observe how you react in a group and your leadership skills.

For the Personal Interview, be prepared to answer questions on Current Affairs, Personal Information and Hotel Management in general.  Your body language and gestures will communicate a lot about you. Since Hotel Management is all about servicing people, it is more about being pleasant, confident and remaining calm and composed.  

The author is a trainer at Career Launcher.  Post your doubts below this article, and author will respond, through the month of March.