If you have a non-finance background, it is recommended that you begin your preparation for the JBIMS MSc finance interview at least 4-5 months prior to your interview for the MSc Finance course. You must be sure about your interest in finance, as M.Sc Finance is a very core course. If you have a finance background, you are expected to have a deeper understanding of the points mentioned below. Along with knowing the "whats", you must also know the "whys". In terms of preparation, it is important for you to:

• Be well-informed about the current market scenario and keep track of SENSEX, NIFTY, gold pricing, INR/USD, and oil pricing.
• Have a good understanding of the current Indian economy, including its GDP, inflation, and the factors that impact it.
• Stay updated with the RBI rates, including Repo, Reverse Repo, CRR, and SLR, and know their meanings.
• Be aware of the current global scenario, such as Demonetisation, BREXIT, and Trump.
• Consider the question "Why MSc Finance?" as the first and foremost point of focus in your preparation, even if you have a good academic background. You may still be asked why you chose MSc in Finance over an MBA or PGDM.
• If you have work experience, you must be familiar with your work and its impact on business.

By being thorough with all of these above-mentioned points, you will be well-prepared for the MSc Finance interview.

For FTII, Pune, you must first be a film enthusiast in some way. It is an excellent place to visit if you have a strong passion for and interest in cinema. You should always be honest and clear about what you know and don't know. A general understanding of regional or national cinema is required. Filmmaking should be full of energy and enthusiasm. You should watch a lot of good movies and TV shows. Read various books on literature, fiction, and so on. Learn about current events and general knowledge. View and study the works of at least ten great filmmakers from around the world, as well as at least ten or more good filmmakers from India (at least 3 - 4 regional filmmakers). This would make you understand the concept in a broader way. View their entire body of work.

At FTII, direction is the most coveted seat after acting. Competition for this stream is comparably higher. If you want to become a director, you will need to know about music, sound design, editing, cinematography, acting, art direction, screenplay, storytelling. Here are some of the things that can help you get a head start on examination and interview. 

• Read 5Cs of Cinematography. It covers all aspects of filmmaking. 
• Watch movies of reputed directors like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Ingmar Bergman, Martin Scorcese, Akira Kurosawa. 
• Read up about filmmaking and film analysis.

For multiple-choice type questions, you can read GK books and newspapers.

Preparing for the CD PI round is a crucial part because your chances of admission depend on them largely. My answer entails the tips one must adhere to before and during the Case Discussion round.

Before Case Discussion 

Be well versed in current affairs, general knowledge and industry trends.

Prepare arguments on some specific topics including both sides of the argument

Prepare concise but concrete points 

Mock discussions are the most precise way to prepare for CD

Analyze your own performance relentlessly and keep improving 

During Case Discussions 

• During the initial 15 minutes, deliver 2-3 strong points
• Present the problem in a crisp manner
• Support your points with real-life examples or that from current affairs. Supporting your own or even others' points through reasoning and examples will get you free points
• Summarize all the good points given by the others on a sheet of paper to give a nice ending note
• Give chance to the silent speakers this might impress the panelists
• Add recommendations and support it with relevant information 

Personal Interview 

• Know about yourself like your abilities, strengths, and weaknesses and present it in a good manner
• Practice the interview with someone and receive feedbacks
• You should prepare on personal information, education background, work experiences, hobbies, interests, future plans, and current affairs.

Mock CD and PI are extremely important as the advice and feedback received will increase your performance and confidence tremendously.

Coming to the second part of your question, Both colleges have different merit lists. If you don't do well in NM Mumbai rounds, you still stand a chance to convert your NM Bangalore/Hyderabad call, provided you’ve applied for a PGDM course as well.

The written test for MS Mechanical has 3 major topics to choose from: Design; Thermal; and Manufacturing.

The section you chose has to be necessarily the same for both written and interview. There are a total of 12 questions in the written test - 10 questions from chosen section and 2 questions from Maths.

Every question carries equal marks (2 marks). Usually, 8 questions are numerical based while the rest 4 are theoretical. Numerical questions were based on engineering topics like SOM, Tom, and Mechanics while theoretical questions were highly conceptual. One has to answer around 8-9 questions to get shortlisted for the interview 

Once the shortlisted candidates' list is released, you are required to go for document verification. You will be informed of your interview date as well. You might be asked to bring a copy of your first-year project along with you and will be asked questions related to it. 

Once summoned, you will be asked to select 3 different projects out of 3 different specializations. (Thermal/design/manufacturing) for the MS course. You will be asked basic questions from the topic you have prepared beforehand and sometimes additional mathematics questions are also asked. 

Overall, the interview is not as difficult as it seems and enough preparation will get you through.

Once you have read everything and are ready to write down your answers follow these tips to get exceptionally good marks:

1. Always write your answers in the Intro, body, and conclusion format.

2. Attempt all questions and allot enough time to each and every question.

3. Drawing diagrams wherever required will get you extra points. Flow charts also help score good marks

4. Highlight the main points and words in your answer by underlining the important phrase. Make sure your copy is neat and clean.

5. Proper sequencing is a must. The style of writing is vital. For example, writing an answer in points is better than in a paragraph.

These tips will guide you in your examinations.