After finishing my plus two, I was sure about one thing—I didn’t want to pursue a degree that involved a lot of studying. I wanted something more practical and hands-on. That’s when I came across the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). The idea of studying art in college sounded perfect to me!
Applying for the Exam
In Kerala, the Department of Technical Education conducts the entrance exam for BFA courses in three colleges:
- College of Fine Arts, Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
- Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Mavelikkara
- College of Fine Arts, Thrissur
When the prospectus was released, I immediately tried to apply. But there was a problem—my date of birth wasn’t compatible with the application system. I contacted the helpline, explained my situation, and they assured me they would escalate it to the IT team. However, as the deadline was getting closer, I got a little worried and followed up again. They reassured me, saying everything would be sorted out soon.
A couple of days later, an official announcement was made, fixing the issue and even extending the application deadline. I quickly applied. Another small hurdle came up—I needed to upload my reservation certificates, but I didn’t have them on hand. Thankfully, the application process was smooth, and they allowed me to upload them later before the exam.
I chose Mavelikkara as my first preference since it was the closest to me. Luckily, my exam center was also Mavelikkara.
The Exam Day
On the day of the exam, I reached the Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Mavelikkara at around 8:30 AM. The campus had such a wonderful atmosphere—it felt different, like an actual space meant for creativity and art. The energy in the air was exciting!
While waiting outside my exam hall, an old man in his 60s came up to me and started a conversation. He asked where I was from, and we had a little chat. He told me he was there as a human model for the exam and that he gets paid around ₹750 for it.
“It’s a little help for us in our old age,” he said with a smile.
He also mentioned that he frequently worked as a human model for Fine Arts classes at the college. It provided a small but valuable financial aid in his older years. I noticed that there were several other elderly people who had also come as models, highlighting how the institution supported them in this way.
Part 1: Drawing Test (9:00 AM - 11:00 AM)
This test was only for candidates applying for BFA in Applied Arts, Painting, and Sculpture. It was a 100-mark test with a duration of two hours. We were given a half-imperial size drawing sheet and had to bring our own pencils. The allowed mediums were:
- Graphite pencil (HB, 2B, 6B)
- Glass marking pencil (Black)
- Staedtler pencil
Here is the question paper:
Break Time (11:00 AM - 11:30 AM)
After the drawing test, we had a 30-minute break. I walked around the campus and observed the surroundings. The entire college had a very artsy vibe, and you could see students’ artwork displayed in different areas.
Part 2: General Knowledge & Aptitude Test (11:30 AM - 12:00 PM)
This was a mandatory test for all BFA aspirants. It consisted of:
- 20 one-word answer multiple-choice questions
- One descriptive question (5 marks)
The total marks for this section were 25, and the test lasted 30 minutes.
Here is the question paper:
Part 3: Art History Test (For BFA Art History & Visual Studies)
Since I hadn’t applied for BFA Art History & Visual Studies, I skipped this part and went for lunch instead. 😋
Part 4: Creative Painting Test (01:30 PM - 03:30 PM)
For this part, we had a choice between:
- Design Test (Size: Half Imperial, Material: Buff card sheet)
- Creative Painting Test (Size: Half Imperial, Medium: Oil pastels)
I chose the Creative Painting Test. We were given a topic, and using oil pastels, we had to create an artwork. To be honest, I wasn’t fully prepared for this, so my work didn’t turn out great. 😅
Here is the question paper:
The Results
A week later, the rank list was published. I scored 114 marks and got a rank of 369. I had listed my college preferences as:
- Mavelikkara
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Thrissur
Unfortunately, I wasn’t allotted a seat in any of the colleges. But honestly, it was an amazing experience. I got a glimpse of the Fine Arts world, met some interesting people, and learned a lot about the process.
I’ll definitely try again next time—with better preparation! 🎨✨
Resources
For those interested in applying for Kerala BFA entrance in the future, here’s the official prospectus for 2024 that I used. It contains all the details about eligibility criteria, application procedures, and exam pattern. I’m also attaching the provisional rank list for 2024 for reference.