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BA (hons) in hotel management, IHM, Aurangabad
If you believe in the ancient Indian custom of hospitality, this is the course for you. Institute of Career Studies has all the details

The Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) was set up in Aurangabad by two institutions, the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces and the Maulana Azad Educational Trust, with the aim of creating a world-class centre in hospitality education. The trust is approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and runs over 15 colleges and institutes affiliated to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University. A decade after its inception, IHM is today the most sought after institute of hotel management in India. The curriculum is internationally recognised, critically scrutinised and frequently amended, ensuring that it reflects the latest trends in the industry.

The institute is equipped with technology reflecting the latest trends in hotel management. There are basic and advanced training kitchens, a housekeeping laboratory which is the replica of a Taj hotel room, a front office laboratory, computer laboratory and Internet centre, a state-of-the-art auditorium and conference centre and a world-class library that ensure practical training in a professional hotel environment, in addition to the training students undergo at the Taj Residency.

After graduating, students are placed with renowned hotel chains such as Taj, Oberoi, Marriot, Ista, Hyatt and Four Seasons.

IHM offers a four-year BA / BA (hons) in hotel management and a four-year BA (hons) in culinary arts. Both the degrees are conferred by University of Huddersfield, UK.

The notification is published in April. Application forms may be downloaded from the website (www.ihma .ac.ina). A crossed demand draft of Rs 1,000, favouring the Institute of Hotel Management and payable at Aurangabad, Maharashtra, should be sent along with the filled-in application form to the Institute of Hotel Management, Taj Residency, Rauza Bagh, Aurangabad- 431001, Maharashtra. Application forms have to be submitted by mid-May.

Eligibility

Students who have passed Plus Two or equivalent examination in any stream with English as the medium of instruction can apply. Students appearing for their board exams are also eligible subject to successfully qualifying the exam. Applicants should not be more than 22 years of age.

Entrance exam

An entrance exam is conducted by the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad (IHM-A) on an all India basis. It is held at the end of May at centres in Aurangabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai.

Pattern of exam

The 90-minute written test carries 100 marks. The objective-type exam has questions in abstract reasoning, verbal reasoning, reading comprehension, numerical reasoning and general knowledge.

Candidates will have to score at least 45 per cent to qualify the written test. Those shortlisted will then have to appear for a group discussion (50 marks) and a personal interview (100marks). Applicants are assessed at the personal interview on the following five criteria: communication skills, alertness and analytical skills, general awareness, warmth and service orientation, and personality.

How to prepare

To prepare for the section on abstract reasoning, some of the books you can consult are Analytical Reasoning by Pandey, Verbal and Nonverbal Reasoning by R.S. Agarwal, Test of Reasoning by Edgar Thorpe and books on the subject by CSR Publications or Bookhives.

Brush up your verbal reasoning from books such as English is Easy by Magic Publications, Objective English by Tata McGraw Hill publishers, 30 days to Word Power by Norman Lewis and All about Words by Nurenberg. For reading comprehension, practise the exercises given in the GMAT guides of Barron and Princeton.

The area of numerical reasoning requires an understanding of concepts along with the ability to calculate quickly and accurately. You could prepare from books like Quantitative Aptitude by Abhijit Guha, Objective Question Bank (Mathematics) by R.K. Gupta and J.P. Arya and Mathematics by Edgar Thorpe. Practise makes perfect in this case.

Brush up your GK from the CSR Yearbook or the Pearson’s guide, as well as from magazines like Competition Master. Read the newspaper daily.

The aim of the interview is to assess your knowledge and depth of understanding, presence of mind, analytical skills, communication skills, confidence and composure. Successful conversation demands clear thinking, expressed in concise and grammatically correct language, which must convey facts in an easily understandable and interesting manner. Keep a cool head and you should be able to ace it.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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