Country edition: India
Student Journey Blueprint

How to become a Hotel Manager / Hospitality Executive — your road, class by class

Class 8 to working life ·Last checked 25 Oct 2026

The one-line route: Class 12 in any stream with English → NCHM JEE (or your state's route) → 3-year B.Sc Hospitality & Hotel Administration at an IHM, or a state BHMCT / B.H.T.M. → management trainee in hotels, airlines, cruise lines and catering. [1] [2]

Pick your class and the road below starts where you stand.

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01 Your road, stage by stage

What to do from your class onward

  1. You are here Class 8 · Class 9 · Class 10

    English, numbers and service

    • NCHM JEE has 45 English questions out of 120, plus numerical ability, reasoning, general knowledge and aptitude for the service sector. [1]
    • Speak and write English every day, help at home in the kitchen and at family events, and notice how good hotels and restaurants treat guests.
  2. You are here Class 11 · Class 12

    Any stream — just keep English

    • NCHM JEE needs Class 12 with English as a subject; no stream is required and there is no age limit. You may sit while still in Class 12. [1]
    • After admission you must give a physical-fitness certificate, because the course has kitchen, bakery, restaurant service and housekeeping practicals. [1]
  3. You are here In college · Graduated

    The degree and the first job

    • The B.Sc (HHA) is a 3-year, 6-semester JNU degree with an optional fourth year for Honours. It covers food production, food & beverage service, front office and housekeeping, with marketing, finance and HR. [2]
    • Graduates start as management trainees in hotels, flight kitchens and airline services, or in guest relations, railway catering, tourism corporations, cruise lines and retail chains. [2]

Your school board

NCHM JEE accepts every recognised board, NIOS and state open schools (five subjects including English). [1]

CBSE, CISCE and state-board certificates count the same for every national exam on this page. Notes for particular state boards are under State rules below.

02 Exam anatomy

The exam, stage by stage

NCHM JEE 2026 (B.Sc Hospitality & Hotel Administration) · NTA for NCHMCT (Ministry of Tourism)

Paper
120 MCQs · 2 hours · English or Hindi [1]
Marking
+4 correct · −1 wrong [1]
Fee
₹1,000 · ₹700 EWS · ₹450 SC / ST / PwD [1]
Age limit
None [1]
NCHM JEE 2026 (B.Sc Hospitality & Hotel Administration) stages
SectionQuestionsMarkingNote
Numerical Ability and Analytical Aptitude15+4 / −1School maths
Reasoning and Logical Deduction15+4 / −1—
General Knowledge & Current Affairs15+4 / −1—
English Language45+4 / −1The biggest section
Aptitude for Service Sector30+4 / −1—

Stage table source [1]

  • Seats are then allotted by NCHMCT's centralised online counselling on merit-cum-choice, at 21 Central IHMs and the State, PSU, PPP and private IHMs affiliated to it. [1] [2]
  • NCHMCT's fixed charges for the B.Sc (HHA): ₹1,600 admission, ₹3,600 enrolment, ₹10,215 JNU fee, ₹3,000 exam fee a semester, ₹8,000 refundable caution money. Tuition is extra and varies by institute (NCHMCT says ₹3–5 lakh in total). [2]
  • These are the 2026 rules; the NCHM JEE 2027 bulletin was not out when this was written. Check exams.nta.nic.in/nchm-jee.
Open the full exam guide
03 State rules

Rules for all of India — and your state

  • At Central IHMs the quotas are SC 15%, ST 7.5%, OBC-NCL (Central list) 27%, Gen-EWS 10% and 5% PwD within each. Institutes run or aided by state governments follow their state's policy. [1]

State notes we have checked (4 states / UTs)

Gujarat3 notes
  • ACPC ran B.H.T.M. admission offline for 2026-27: forms by post or in person by 30 June 2026 with a ₹350 non-refundable registration fee. The NCHM list also includes a Central IHM at Gandhinagar. [3] [1]
  • GSEB — Gujarat State Board: Gujarat's B.H.T.M. through ACPC takes Std 12 in any stream with 45% total marks (40% reserved) — Arts and Commerce students too. [3]
  • CBSE — studying in Gujarat: ACPC's B.H.T.M. accepts Std 12 from any recognised board, any stream, with 45% (40% reserved). [3]
Gujarat exam & career cockpit
Maharashtra2 notes
  • Maharashtra's BHMCT is a 4-year course. All-India candidates may apply on NCHM JEE or MAH-B.HMCT-CET, and NCHM JEE scorers get preference (2025-26 brochure). The NCHM list includes a Central IHM at Mumbai. [5] [1]
  • MSBSHSE — Maharashtra State Board: For Maharashtra-candidature BHMCT seats you need HSC with 45% (40% reserved) and a non-zero score in MAH-B.HMCT-CET (2025-26 brochure). [5]
Maharashtra exam & career cockpit
Uttar Pradesh2 notes
  • UPTAC fills 100% of BHMCT seats in government and aided institutes and 85% in private ones; up to 5% extra tuition-fee-waiver seats exist for BHMCT (see Money help). The NCHM list includes a Central IHM at Lucknow. [4] [1]
  • UPMSP — Uttar Pradesh Board: UPTAC fills BHMCT seats on your CUET (UG) score; Intermediate with 45% (40% SC / ST) is the rule in its 2026-27 brochure. [4]
Uttar Pradesh exam & career cockpit
West Bengal2 notes
  • The NCHM list includes a Central IHM at Kolkata; State-run IHMs follow the state's own reservation policy. [1]
  • WBBSE / WBCHSE — West Bengal boards: NCHM JEE is offered in English and Hindi; the medium you choose cannot be changed later. [1]
West Bengal exam & career cockpit

Not in this list? The national route above applies — we found nothing in this career's official rules that changes in your state.

04 Career multiverse

Where this path can take you next

Hotel management (BHM)

The full career guide.

Explore →

Diploma in hotel management

A shorter, skills-first route into kitchens and front office.

Explore →

Travel & tourism

Tour operations, airlines and travel companies.

Explore →

Hotel management coaching

NCHM JEE coaching near you.

Explore →
05 Money help

Scholarships, stipends and fee help

Government schemes, professional-body scholarships and paid training on this path. Pick your class above and schemes you have already passed are hidden.

Scholarship Open to you now From Class 8

National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMSS)

Ministry of Education, through your state

₹1,000 a month, Class 9 to 12 [6]

Who
Class 8 students of government schools who passed Class 7 with 55% (50% SC/ST, as in Nagaland's notice) and clear the state's NMMSS test. Family income limit: see the scheme rules on the National Scholarship Portal.
How
Your state's SCERT announces the test in Class 8; renewals are on scholarships.gov.in.
Fee help Open to you now From Class 11

Lower NCHM JEE fee

National Testing Agency for NCHMCT

₹700 (Gen-EWS) or ₹450 (SC / ST / PwD / third gender) instead of ₹1,000 [1]

Who
Gen-EWS, SC, ST, PwD and third-gender candidates. There is no gender difference in the fee.
How
Choose your category in the NCHM JEE form on exams.nta.nic.in/nchm-jee.
Fee help Open to you now From Class 11Uttar Pradesh only

Tuition Fee Waiver seats (UPTAC)

AKTU / UPTAC counselling, Uttar Pradesh

No tuition fee, on up to 5% extra seats over the approved intake [4]

Who
Economically weaker meritorious students in B.Tech, MCA, MBA, B.Pharm, BHMCT, BFAD, BFA and B.Des (not B.Arch), with an income certificate. It is separate from the EWS category, which gets no fee concession.
How
Claim it in your UPTAC registration and upload the income certificate.
Scholarship Open to you now From Class 11

Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships (PM-USP CSSS)

Ministry of Education

₹12,000 a year for the first 3 years of a degree; ₹20,000 a year in years 4–5 of a 5-year integrated course (and in PG) [7]

Who
Above the 80th percentile of your board's Class 12 pass-outs in your stream, in a regular degree course (not diploma or distance), family income up to ₹4.5 lakh, and not taking any other scholarship — including state schemes.
How
On the National Scholarship Portal after Class 12; renewal needs 50% marks and 75% attendance each year.
Scholarship Open to you now From Class 11

Post-Matric Scholarship for SC students

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, through your state

Compulsory non-refundable fees (tuition included) plus a yearly academic allowance — the college cannot ask you to pay the fee first [8]

Who
SC students after Class 10 (ITI, diploma, degree and CA/CMA/CS courses count), family income up to ₹2.5 lakh. Separate post-matric schemes exist for ST, OBC and minority students on the same portal.
How
Your state scholarship portal or scholarships.gov.in. The printed guidelines cover 2020-21 to 2025-26; check the 2026-27 rules on the portal.
State scheme Open to you now From Class 10West Bengal only

West Bengal Student Credit Card (WBSCC)

Government of West Bengal

Loan up to ₹10 lakh at 4% simple interest a year; 1% interest concession if the interest is fully serviced during the study period [9] [10]

Who
Students from West Bengal aged 40 or under when applying — school (Class X onward), UG, PG, professional degree courses in India or abroad, and coaching for competitive exams such as Engineering, Medical, Law, IAS, IPS and WBCS. The state's scheme page asks for 10 years' residence in West Bengal and a co-borrower (usually a parent).
How
On wbscc.wb.gov.in. Repayment runs up to 15 years, including the moratorium (course duration + 1 year); no margin money up to ₹4 lakh.
State scheme Open to you now From Class 10Gujarat only

Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana (MYSY)

Government of Gujarat

Who
Gujarat students joining a diploma or degree course on merit: it pays part of the tuition fee and, in some cases, a hostel grant for students who must study away from home. [11]
How
mysy.guj.nic.in. We could not open the official portal on 24 Oct 2026, so we print no amounts or cut-offs — read them in the current year's resolution on the portal.
06 Official sources & verification

Where these facts come from

Every number on this page comes from the official files below. Lines with no number are Margdarshan guidance. Rules change every year — open the current notice before you apply.

  1. NTA — NCHM JEE 2026 Information Bulletin (opens in a new tab) sections, marking, fees, English requirement, no age limit, fitness certificate, equivalents, languages, Central IHM list and quotas, state IHM rule · Last checked 15 Oct 2026
  2. NCHMCT — B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration (course page) (opens in a new tab) JNU degree, optional fourth year, curriculum, fee heads, tuition range, career options, centralised counselling · Last checked 15 Oct 2026
  3. ACPC Gujarat — Advertisement: Degree Hotel & Tourism Management (B.H.T.M.) offline admission 2026-27 (Gujarati, 4 Jun 2026) (opens in a new tab) Std 12 any stream with 45% (40% reserved), any recognised board, forms 4–30 June 2026, ₹350 non-refundable registration fee · Last checked 25 Oct 2026
  4. AKTU — UPTAC Information Brochure 2026-27 (opens in a new tab) JEE Main merit for B.Tech, 100% / 85% seat shares, domicile, B.Tech and MCA eligibility, tuition fee waiver seats (none for B.Arch), B.Arch exam priority NATA then JEE (Main), B.Arch / BHMCT eligibility, BHMCT on CUET (UG) · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  5. State CET Cell Maharashtra — CAP Information Brochure for UG & PG Technical Courses 2025-26 (opens in a new tab) vertical reservation shares, EWS and women's seats, B.Arch and B.HMCT eligibility and merit basis, MAH-B.HMCT-CET, NCHM JEE preference for All-India BHMCT candidates · Last checked 14 Oct 2026
  6. SCERT Nagaland — NMMSS Examination 2027 advertisement (27 Jul 2026) (opens in a new tab) Class 8 eligibility, 55% / 50% Class 7 marks, ₹1,000 a month from Class 9 to 12 (one state's notice of the central scheme) · Last checked 24 Oct 2026
  7. Ministry of Education — PM-USP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships guidelines (2022-23 onwards), copy hosted by NIT Kurukshetra (opens in a new tab) 80th percentile, ₹4.5 lakh income, regular degree only, no other scholarship, ₹12,000 / ₹20,000 rates, renewal rules · Last checked 24 Oct 2026
  8. Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment — Post Matric Scholarship for SC students, guidelines 2020-21 to 2025-26 (copy hosted by Goa Social Welfare) (opens in a new tab) ₹2.5 lakh income limit, fees + academic allowance, no pre-payment of fees, CA/ICWA/CS students covered · Last checked 24 Oct 2026
  9. Government of West Bengal — West Bengal Student Credit Card portal (About) (opens in a new tab) ₹10 lakh at 4% simple interest, 1% concession, age 40, courses and competitive-exam coaching covered, 15-year repayment · Last checked 25 Oct 2026
  10. Government of West Bengal — Information Centre: West Bengal Student Credit Card Scheme (opens in a new tab) 10 years' residence, co-borrower, moratorium course + 1 year, no margin money up to ₹4 lakh · Last checked 25 Oct 2026
  11. Government of Gujarat — MYSY scholarship portal (opens in a new tab) scheme portal; could not be opened on 24 Oct 2026, so no amounts are printed here

Spotted something out of date? Email margdarshan07support10@gmail.com with the official link and we will update it.