BJMC IPU is the program of Bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC), offered by Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, popularly known as Indraprastha University or IPU. Admissions to this program are done through the entrance test known as CET BJMC IPU. The exam is conducted every year and only the most prepared of the candidates get in through the exam. This article will give you an idea of the books and strategies to follow while preparing for the exam.
Understanding the BJMC IPU Entrance Exam Syllabus and Pattern
The first step of preparing for an exam is understanding the question paper pattern and the syllabus of the exam. The BJMC IPU is generally 2 hours long with 100 multi-choice computer-based questions. Every right answer is awarded 4 marks and 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer. The question paper has 4 sections and 25 questions are asked from each. The sections are:
- English Language and Comprehension
- General Awareness
- Reasoning Ability
- Media Aptitude
The topics covered in each of the sections are as follows:
| Section | Syllabus |
| English Language and Comprehension | Para-jumbles, One-word Substitutions, Correct usage of verbs, Idioms and Phrases, Antonyms and Synonyms, Proverbs and Prepositions, Parts of Speech, Analogy. |
| General Awareness | Current Affairs, Books and Authors, Awards and Winners, Politics, Geography, History, Sports, Science and Technology, Eminent Personalities. |
| Reasoning Ability | Series, Venn diagrams, Arrangement, and Ranking, Blood relations, Statement and Inference, Syllogism, Visual Reasoning, Clock, Analogy, Coding, and Decoding. |
| Media Aptitude | Print media, Basics of mass communication, Basics of Media, Different types of mass media, Digitization of media, History of media, Advertising, Public Relations, Media companies, and Personalities. |
Having a clear understanding of the exam pattern and the syllabus of the exam you are preparing for is very important. It helps you in using your time efficiently during the preparation period, helping you not to waste time reading up on less useful materials. It also makes the practice sections easy, since you now know what to expect from each of the sections. If you wish to graduate from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Mass Communication and are interested in the BJMC course, follow the following steps to get effective results.
Choosing the Best Study Materials
There are a lot of books you can refer to when it comes to preparing for the IPU CET BJMC. Selecting the best study material is very important. You need to wisely choose the texts that are prepared on the updated syllabus of BJMC IPU. The following are the best source materials for preparing for each of the sections:
1. English Language and Comprehension
This is the section in BJMC IPU in which you can score the maximum marks. The questions are asked from the grammar concepts you have learned in school. Reading literature can also help when it comes to comprehension-type questions. This helps you in getting to know how the language is used. The books you can refer to are:
- Wren and Martin’s High School English Grammar & Composition
- S.P. Bakshi’s Objective General English
- Pearson’s English
- Hari Mohan Prashad’s Arihant General English for all Competitive Examinations
- Neetu Singh’s English – From Plinth to Paramount
2. General Awareness
Awareness of recent national and international events is the most important requirement for preparing for the section. Reading newspapers and reading up on basic history and geography is a method of preparation for this section of the BJMC IPU CET. Some mobile apps and websites will help you stay updated on general knowledge and current affairs. You can also use the following books:
- Manorama Yearbook
- Pratiyogita Darpan
- Lucent’s GK
- Pearson India Yearbook
- Arihant General Knowledge
- Manohar Panda’s General Awareness
3. Reasoning Ability
This section of the IPU CET BJMC can be a little difficult since the questions need some time to figure the answers out. The questions in this section are based on basic mathematics that you have learned in your school. So while preparing for this section, you can just refer to your NCERT textbooks. There are also some books that you can refer to. They are:
- 10 and 11 NCERT Math textbooks
- RS Agarwal’s Verbal Reasoning Book
- 501 Challenging Logical reasoning Practice Book
- B.S. Sijwali and Indu Sijwali’s A New Approach to Reasoning Verbal and Non-Verbal
4. Media Aptitude
This section of the BJMC IPU entrance exam consists of questions from basic concepts about media and journalism generally taught in the media stream in higher secondary education. The journalism textbooks of classes 11th and 12th would be very useful in preparing for the exam. The following books can also help you:
- Mass Communication in India by Keyal J Kumar
- Mass Communication: Principles and Concepts by Seema Hasan
Preparation Methods
After understanding the syllabus and choosing the best study materials you can use the following steps to effectively use your time in preparing for the BJMC IPU entrance exam:
Make a study plan
After doing a self-analysis of your knowledge in each of the sections of the exam, you can create a study plan allocating time to each of the sections based on their difficulty levels. Be sure to allot more time to the topics you find difficult. Be sure to give attention to the following:
- Set a goal each day and work hard to achieve it.
- Allocate time to revise what you have learned that day.
- Take small breaks every hour, to keep you motivated and fresh.
- Make notes while studying, so that you can go through it when necessary.
- Make sure that you sleep at least 6 hours a day.
Revise and practice
After finishing studying every section and topic, be sure to revise everything at least once a week, so that the knowledge stays refreshed in your mind. Revision is as important as studying. You can also take mock tests using the previous year’s question papers after you are done with the studies and revision.
Given above were a few methods and tips for preparing for the BJMC IPU CET. Cracking the exam would mean you getting admissions to one of the best media schools in the country, the BJMC IPU. Hope this article helped you understand the resources and methods to use while preparing for the exam. Click here to read the analysis of previous years’ exam question papers.
