The Management Guru
What makes the BBA such a popular choice these days?

By The Career Choices Team
The past few years has seen a massive growth in BBA courses. For many students, the BBA is now the course of choice - sometimes even beating traditional mainstays such as the BCom and the BA (Economics). What makes this so special? What’s all the fuss about?

The main reason for the BBA’s popularity is its single-minded focus towards training candidates for a corporate/business career. Other courses take their time in building up from the basics. However, the BBA heads straight to the point and focuses on the skills and talents any business manager or future CEO needs.

Here’s why the BBA stands out as compared to other courses:

• It’s a professional course. Unlike the BCom or BA (Economics), the Bachelor of Business Administration gives you hands-on knowledge of running a business. While the BCom and BA (Economics) are very good courses in their own right, many feel that they can be too theoretical. If you also feel this way, the BBA - with its focus on industry interaction, case studies, guest lectures, and business-focused education - is the right choice for you
• The BBA is mainly offered by the best institutes. Many of these have experience of MBA courses, while others are traditional colleges and universities that rank amongst the best in the nation
• As a BBA student, you’ll study the subjects most relevant to a career in the world of business and will get to work on areas such as Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, Operations, and General Management. The option to specialise in a particular field may also be present
• Relevant syllabi: Several institutes include an internship or study exchange programme. Many also offer courseware and syllabus designed in association with the world’s leading colleges. The syllabus of a BBA course will generally be more contemporary and up-to-date as compared to a regular, three-year-degree course. There’s also a lot more industry involvement in the curriculum design
• Better placements. The job offers you get as a BBA graduate will usually be far more lucrative and prestigious than as a student of a ‘regular’ three-year course.

THE ENTRANCE TEST
The BBA is the right choice for anyone who has his or her heart set on joining corporate life. You should consider this over the alternatives if you’re sure your destination lies in the world of business. The entry to most BBA courses is via entrance exams. These aptitude-based tests will examine you for your potential as a future CEO. However, most colleges also require a minimum 50-60% in the XII Boards.

BBA entrance tests usually test aspiring candidates in these areas:

• Quantitative Aptitude: You’ll be tested on basic mathematical abilities. The standard of the questions will not be more than the XII Board level. Being well prepared for the Boards will give you a good start. You should also look up your Class X and XI textbooks. Of course, joining a professional test prep course is the best way to prepare for the BBA entrance test
• General Awareness and Business Awareness: You’ll be tested on your current affairs knowledge. There could also be a business awareness component. Don’t worry about being asked very obscure trivia. The questions will come from news and major events of the past year. Reading newspapers and watching TV news is the best way to prepare for this section. Don’t forget to read the business pages too!
• Reasoning Ability: You’ll be tested on your logical reasoning and critical thinking skills. For a future manager and CEO, this is one of the most vital skills - you’ll often be called upon to take decisions based on certain facts and data. Boost your skills for this section by practicing sample papers, mock tests, and of course, brain teasers and puzzles
• English Proficiency: This section will look at your language skills and test you on comprehension, grammar basics, and word usage. Don’t worry too much - this section is not as hard as we all fear. The best way of preparing for this section is to read as much as you can!

Do remember that each institute and university sets their own exam papers; some may lay more emphasis on certain skill sets than on others. Some institutes may also call you for Group Discussions and Personal Interviews. The GD and interviews help colleges meet the candidates and evaluate their people skills, confidence levels, and sincerity. This is done at a later stage - after candidates are shortlisted on the basis of their entrance exam results. This will be a new experience for you, but there’s no call for worry.

We wish you the best of luck for your BBA entrance tests! Stay focused and you’ll definitely achieve your
dreams!

Course Watch

• College of Business Studies, Delhi University (Bachelor of Business Studies; Bachelor of Financial Investment & Analysis)
  
• Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi
  
• Christ University, Banagalore
  
• Symbiosis University, Pune
  
• St Xavier’s College, Mumbai
  
• NMIMS, Mumbai
  
• SP Jain School of Global Management
  
• St Francis College for Women, Hyderabad
  
• Sharda University
  
• Amity International Business School, Noida

GD Tips
The Group Discussion is a very popular tool for selecting BBA & MBA students - it lets colleges ascertain a candidate’s awareness and people skills. Of course, aptitude tests and interviews also let colleges check your suitability for a BBA course, but the vital component in a GD is the stress on interpersonal skills - How do you relate to people around you? Are you a good listener? How do you react when your ideas are shot down? Can you encourage the quieter members of the group to speak up? Do you maintain eye contact? Are you confident, under-confident, or aggressive? These are several personality aspects that really come through in a GD. Use these tips to ace the GD stage!

• Speak clearly. Do ensure that you speak calmly and clearly. Check your volume - don't be too soft or too loud - and modulate your voice
  
• Assertive Vs Aggressive: There’s a big difference between the two. Being assertive implies that while you’ll stand up for your beliefs and convey your message accurately, you’ll do so politely and with respect for the others. Being aggressive is one of the worst mistakes a candidate can make; shouting, angry body language, refusal to let others talk, etc. can really mark you out as a poor team player. Also avoid trying to get ‘personally involved’ with a topic
  
• Listen: Successful communicating is as much about listening as it is about speaking. At times, you can pick up on underlying messages about what is being said just by listening carefully
  
• Facts and accuracy matter: Don’t make up statistics, data, or facts just to buttress your argument
  
• Stay on topic: Don’t ramble on for too long; don’t lose sight of the point you are trying to make
  
• Jot down points: Ensure you have a pen and pad with you. Keep writing down any points you wish to take note of and would like to refer to
  
• Prepare relevant topics: You should keep yourself abreast of the latest happenings and be ready to speak on them. Apart from current affairs, other topics that may come up for a GD are those involving moral or philosophical questions. Abstract and controversial topics could also be chosen. These topics will usually be very general so don’t worry about the possibility of a technical or specialised topic.