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I’m a class XII (science) student keen on qualifying as a software engineer. Should I sign up for a B.Sc in computer science? Nikhil swamy, Chennai The best option is to enroll in a B.Sc (computer science/IT) degree programme of a recognised college/university. It’s also advisable to supplement your education with short-term certificate courses in hardware management and software development offered by CISCO, Microsoft etc.  I’m a first year B.Com student. Please suggest courses I can pursue alongside my undergrad degree. Can I study for a CFP (certified financial planner) qualification?  Nalini Rao, Bangalore Together with your B.Com degree programme, you can study for CA (chartered accountancy), ICWA (Institute of Cost and Works Accountants), and several other short-term programmes offered by financial institutions. If you have a few years work experience, you become eligible to sign up for the CFP course. This is useful certification because financial planners have many job options. They can establish their own financial planning practice, work for banks, financial institutions, life insurance companies, accounting or law firms, as stocks and securities brokers, fund managers, and in credit counseling organisations. After completing my BE (IT) degree in 2017, I want to apply for admission into the M.Tech programme of an IIT. Do I need to write the GATE exam?  Siddharth Patil, Pune GATE scores are mandatory for admission into postgraduate programmes offered by India’s 16 IITs. The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) notification is usually advertised in the month of September and the exam is held in February. I’m a second year B.Com student specialising in banking and insurance. Should I study for an MBA degree after my graduation or get some work experience first? Daisy Irani, Mumbai Indian B-schools and colleges don’t demand work experience while evaluating admission applications into MBA programmes. So it’s not mandatory for you to acquire work experience for admission into Indian B-schools. However, foreign universities prefer MBA applicants with two-six years of work experience. In your final year B.Com, you need to assess whether it’s practical for you to start preparing for B-school entrance tests while coterminously studying for your final B.Com exam.  After graduating in B.Com this year, apart from company secretary or ICWA, what other study options can I explore? Asha Kohli, New Delhi You can explore a number of career options such as social work, law, commerce, humanities, management, journalism, advertising, designing (fashion/interior design) and travel and tourism. I want to apply for admission into INSEAD, Singapore after completing my B.Com in 2017. What are the admission criteria? Dilip Chatterjee, Kolkata INSEAD is one of the most selective B-schools in the world. To qualify for admission, you need at least four-five years of full-time work experience after graduation with high GMAT (above 700/800) and IELTS scores. Work experience is essential for admission into top-ranked B-schools in Singapore such as National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University. If you wish to apply for an MBA programme which doesn’t mandate work experience, you will…