The BMM entrance examination is extremely easy. But the admission is no cake walk, explains Aishwari Chouhan.

It's not the exam which is the main hurdle but the lack of seats - in the good colleges at least. Of all the BMM entrance tests this year, KC College had the toughest paper with 40 questions on general knowledge. But the ones who could answer even 20 right made it through as the second half of the paper gave a lot of scope to score.

The test at St Xavier's was pretty easy but due to various quotas like Christian (minority), SC/ST and defence category... hardly 12 out of 60 seats were available to general category students.

Jai Hind gave out the best question paper with an equal distribution of questions from general knowledge, logic, general awareness, language, and creativity skills. The entrance at National was also one of the easier entrance tests since it had everything other than GK and general awareness.

There were many students who gave the BMM entrance just as a back up. Ankita Nadkarni gave the entrance just for the heck of it, since she wasn't confident of her MHCET score. She got through KC College in the first round but didn’t make it through in the interview. On the other hand, many who attended classes were unable to clear the first level. This included HSC (Arts) merit listers!

After giving several BMM entrance exams I have concluded that coaching for BMM entrance is not at all...

necessary. Read the daily newspaper, follow the ads on TV, and, of course, work on improving basic English skills and you will make it through the writtens with ease..

The personal interview is also a cake walk - if you are confident. The interviewers are very witty and try to trap the student as and when possible. Some are merely asked about their family background and why they wish to do the BMM course. Others are 'ripped apart'. Presence of mind is what matters more than knowing the right answer!

Highlights of some of the BMM papers this year:

KC College:
Objective paper:
Who is the author of Nirmala.
Why is Kavya Vishwanathan's book controversial?
Which Italian Prime Minister suffered a stroke, got into coma and thus ended his tenure?
Which father-son pair has won the Dada Saheb Phalke award?
Why do ripe tomatoes and chillies turn red?
Which is the smallest country?
Which brand would you relate i-pods to?
Which medium is blog related to?
Who is the director of 'Bombay Dreams' with music by A.R. Rehman?
Which garden is called 'Asia's best urban oasis' by Times magazine?

Subjective paper:
Think up brand names for
1. A wrist watch that's actually a cell phone
2. A restaurant that specializes in Latin American Cuisine
3. A new sports magazine
Nerolac paints has its baseline (punchline) as 'Always a Shade Better'. Suggest an alternative.
A premium jewellery brand wishes to advertise. What media (publication/ channels) would you recommend?
Suggest 10 unconventional uses for an earbud. The whackier and more imaginative (even ridiculous) you get, the better.

A passage followed by some multiple choice...

questions based on the passage.

National College:
Totally Subjective:
A man holding a piece of wood in his hand was sketched. The question followed: write what will happen to the piece of wood if the man lets go of it?
'White as snow' or 'red with anger'. Write five examples each on similar lines for demonstrating Emotions and Colour.
Indian Idol or Idle Indian? Comment on the reality of these reality based programs.
Prepare an outline for the product/service with a punchline…. (option to choose any one out of two)
Say true or false and back up your answer with appropriate reasoning.
Some company was mention which makes three holed punch notebooks. Write 5-10 uses on the pieces of punched paper.

St Xaviers College:
Objective questions were multiple choice. Subjective asked as well.
Match the author with the books they have written.
Match the products to the services that provide them.
Match the phrases (in Latin and French) to their nearest meaning.
Data interpretation.
Questions on mathematics (based on simple interest, average of the runs, simple maths).
A picture with a small circle in between and lines of different sizes were drawn. Question: What could this be?
Write ten uses of earbud.
I'm bad, I'm bad is a song by…
Sine-die means….
A passage followed by some questions to be answered.

Jai Hind College:
Objective questions were multiple choice. Subjective asked as well.
A passage followed by some questions.
Write ten uses of any one in one sentence each.
1. a ladder
2. classroom
3 email id (two more options)
Title the given passage.
Arrange the given 12 sentences in two paragraphs-...

one cohesive and the other coherent.
Synonyms of peruse, quandary, indigenous, peevish.
Fish: Aquarium… find the appropriate pair from the following.
Find the next in the series
Magazine: Article: Stories. Find the right option having a similar relation.
Name the author of "How Opal Mehta got kissed…"
If 9/11 happened in America, 26/7 in Mumbai, then 7/7 happened at…
The recent earthquake devastated which country?