The College of Hotel and Restaurant Management was set up in Manipal by Dr T.M.A. Pai Foundation. After the foundation tied up with ITC Ltd in August, 1987, it was renamed the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration after the Welcomgroup chain of hotels that ITC runs in collaboration with Sheraton Inc. (US).

The bachelor of hotel management (BHM) course is recognised by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). It was awarded Grade A by the National Board of Accreditation in 2001. Manipal University, a deemed university, has been conducting the courses since 2003-2004. The institute also offers an integrated BHM-MBA programme, and a postgraduate diploma in dietetics.

Graduates of the institute have found employment with hotel chains (Welcomgroup, Taj, Leela, Holiday Inn, Le Meridien), airlines (KLM, British Airways, Gulf Air, Singapore Airlines), travel agencies (Sita Travels, Thomas Cook) and organisations such as Citibank and Blue Dart Express.

The forms can be obtained from the admissions office by writing to Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Valley View, Manipal-576104, Karnataka and sending a demand draft for Rs 400, drawn in favour of MAHE and payable at Manipal, Udupi or Bangalore. Students can also apply online (www.manipal.edu). In that case, they have the option of paying the application and entrance test fee by a credit card, net banking or demand draft. Forms are also available at Manipal Universal Learning Offices as well as at select branches of State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank.

Eligibility

Applicants should have cleared Plus Two, A levels, IB, American 12th grade or equivalent with a minimum of 50 per cent marks.

Entrance exam

Admissions are on the basis of scores in the all-India bachelors admission test (BAT) conducted by Manipal University, which is held in 19 cities across the country. The online version is held on three specific days in April. Shortlisted candidates are called for a group discussion and interview.

Pattern of exam

The two and a half hour long objective-type exam is designed to test your level of general awareness and language comprehension. It also assesses your reasoning ability, proficiency in handling figures, ability to solve everyday scientific problems and logical deduction. There are five sections in the 100-mark test — numeracy (20 marks), concepts (25 marks), English (20 marks), general awareness (20 marks) and case study.

How to prepare

To crack the questions on numeracy, you require an understanding of concepts along with the ability to calculate quickly and accurately. You could prepare from Quantitative Aptitude by Abhijit Guha, Objective Question Bank (Mathematics) by R.K. Gupta and J.P. Arya, and Test of Reasoning by R.S. Agarwal. Regular reading will help you tackle the reading comprehension section in the exam. Practise from Barron’s GMAT or Princeton’s guide and develop techniques of speed reading. Revise your grammar from A.S. Hornby’s Guide to Patterns and Usage in English. Brush up your GK from the CSR or Manorama yearbook.

The aim of an interview is to assess your 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.

sample test paper

Concepts

The six three-digit numbers given below comprise numerals and letters. The letter indicates its serial order in the English alphabet. What will be the middle digit of the fourth number when the numbers are arranged in the descending order after interchanging the numerals in each number without altering the place of the letter in the number? 19F, 2H9, 98B, D76, 7A6, 61E

(a) 8

(b) 9

(c) 6

(d) 7

(e) None of these

English

Choose the word that does not belong.

(a) drab

(b) humdrum

(c) prosaic

(d) skittish

Numerical ability

A is the smallest natural number that when multiplied by seven gives a number made of sixes only. Sum of the digits of A is B. The last digit of B 50 is:

(a) a (b) 10 (c) 11 (d) 12

General knowledge

Internet was developed upon which of the following operating systems?

a) LINUX

b) UNIX

c) Windows 98

d) Sun Solaris