Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication (SIMC), Pune, is committed to providing the communication industry with suitably trained professionals adept in all forms of media, from print to television to cinema to graphics to outdoor advertising. SIMC has state-of-the-art animation and audio-visual studios, a mini projection theatre, a photography lab, a sophisticated computer lab and an excellent library. The institute’s alumni have found jobs with reputed national and international organisations.

SIMC offers two full-time postgraduate diploma programmes, a postgraduate diploma in communication management and a postgraduate diploma in mass communication.

Students of the two-year diploma in communication management can major in either advertising (client servicing / account planning, media and creative — art and copy) or public relations (PR, corporate communication and event management).

The mass communication students can specialise in journalism (print, broadcast and cyber media), audio-visual production (radio and television production, ad and documentary film-making or film studies).

The notification for the programmes is published in October. You need to register online (at www.snaptest.org). You have to pay Rs 800 for the bulletin, either in cash or by demand draft / credit card. Take a printout of the online admit card and paste your photo on it. Take the printout to the test centre, along with a photo identity card. Your passport, driving license, college identity card and credit card with photograph are all acceptable as photo identity.

Eligibility

Applicants should be a graduate in any discipline with a minimum of 50 per cent marks. Those expecting their final year results may also apply. Their admission will be provisional and subject to furnishing proof of graduation by the beginning of the second semester.

Entrance exam

The first round of the entrance exam is the Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP), which is conducted by Symbiosis for admission to postgraduate programmes in management, information technology, mass communication and geoinformatics. It is held in December in about 29 cities across India. The SNAP score is used to select candidates for the second round (for details, visit www.snaptest.org), which consists of a written test, a group discussion, and a personal interview. These three together get 50 per cent weightage in the selection of candidates while the rest is decided by the final interview in Pune.

Pattern of exam

SNAP is an objective-type test that has 150 questions divided into four sections — English (reading comprehension and verbal ability); quantitative ability, data interpretation and data sufficiency; general awareness; and analytical and logical reasoning.

How to prepare

Brush up your English grammar from the books by Wren and Martin and Mason. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis is also useful. Revise fundamentals of maths from books by Hall and Knight, S.L. Lony and R.S. Agarwal. For reasoning, you could consult Test of Reasoning by R.S. Agarwal and guides by Tata McGraw Hill publishers. For GK, prepare from the Manorama Yearbook, Pearson’s GK guide and G.K. Guide by Tata McGraw Hill.

sample test paper

English

Select the word nearest in meaning to atavistic.
(a) primitive
(b) envious
(c) shrewd
(d) unselfish

Analytical reasoning

IRRITANT : ANNOYANCE :: _________ : __________
(a) Stimulus : incitement (b) Soporific : sanctification
(c) Caustic : invigorate (d) Repercussion : inhibition

Maths

A clerk saves 20 per cent of his monthly salary. If on account of the dearness of things he is to increase his monthly expenses by 20 per cent, he is able to save only Rs 60 per month. What is his monthly salary?
(a) Rs 500
(b) Rs 1,000
(c) Rs 1,500
(d) Rs 2,800

General knowledge

A closed economy is one which:
(a) Does not trade with other countries
(b) Does not possess any means of international transport
(c) Does not share a coastal line
(d) Is not a member of the UNO