BCA Lateral Entry Admission 2024: Last Date, Fees, Eligibilty, Top Colleges & Careers

Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA): Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) is a 3-year undergraduate program in India. The BCA course deals with the basics of software development and computer applications. The syllabus includes computer programming to networking. BCA is normally pursued by students who want to become an expert in different aspects of computer applications and to make a successful career in the IT industry.

To take admission in the BCA course, the minimum eligibility criteria is at least 50% in Class 12 with English as a mandatory subject. BCA Admission is done through entrance exams like IPU CET, but in many colleges like IITM New Delhi admission is done based on merit. The BCA course is mainly pursued in a full-time model, but candidates can also take admission through distance education from a recognized university like IGNOU, NSOU, and more. Candidates can be admitted to IGNOU on a merit basis and they can complete this BCA course at around INR 40,200.

Enquiry for Admission 2024

Several top colleges in India offer BCA courses. One of the reputed universities is IP University with an average course fee of around INR 80,000 - 200000. The BCA course fee is comparatively less in government colleges as compared to private colleges.

What is BCA?

• BCA stands for Bachelor of Computer Application. It helps candidates to get both practical and theoretical hands-on training in computer applications and software engineering.
• This BCA course is for candidates who are interested in the computer science field and want some knowledge about computer applications like networking, software engineering, hardware engineering, website designing, etc.
• BCA offers and demonstrates in-depth knowledge in technical areas of industrial computing systems, which leads to meeting the challenges of the IT world.
• Some common BCA subjects include Discrete Mathematics, Database Management systems, Digital Computer programming, Computer Networks, Cloud Computing, etc.
• BCA course requires candidates to learn different important and latest software languages like JAVA, Oracle, C++, Python, and alike, which are huge in demand in the tech industry.

BCA Course Key Highlights

Course Level	Undergraduate Degree
Full form	Bachelor of Computer Applications
Duration	3 years
Eligibility	Minimum 50% marks in 10+2 in any relevant stream with English as a mandatory subject
Admission Process	Either by Entrance Exams or by Merit
Course Fee	Up to 2 to 3 Lakhs
Average Salary	Up to 4 Lakhs per annum
Recruiting Companies	Infosys, Wipro, NIIT, TCS, HCL, Accenture, Capgemini, and others
Job Positions	Software Developer, System Administrators, Technical Analyst, Programmer, Tech support, and others

About BCA Course Lateral Entry:

BCA Lateral Entry is a degree in computer applications. With the increase in the IT business in India, the demand for computer skilled candidates is increasing day by day. This rising growth in the IT business has created ample opportunities for graduates.

BCA Lateral Entry is one of the demanding courses among the candidates to make their career in the IT (Information Technology) field. The duration of the BCA course is three years and is divided into six semesters. BCA course includes subjects like info, networking, organization, core programming languages like ‘C’ and ‘java’.

The main objective of the BCA course lateral entry is to make a foundation of the computing principles and business practices to work effectively under the information system and enterprise software. By this course, candidates will be able to analyze the need for system development and help students in business software and information systems.

BCA Lateral Entry Course Key Highlights

Name of the Course	Bachelor Of Computer Applications In Lateral Entry
Program Level	Degree
Program Duration	2 Years
Exam Type	Semester
Eligibility Criteria	10+2 After Diploma
Admission Process	Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
Average Program Fee	Up to Rs. 1 Lakhs

Qualification for BCA Lateral Entry Course:

BCA Lateral Entry is for the candidates who have done a diploma and after which they can take admission in BCA as a lateral entry. The minimum marks required for a candidate in class 12th or Diploma to take admission in BCA as lateral entry is 55% in any subjects.

Why BCA?

• It has a wide range of job opportunities in various fields, mostly in the IT sector.
• BCA is almost the same as the B.Tech course. The major advantage of selecting BCA is that it is a 3-year program whereas B.Tech is a 4-year course.
• Several colleges offer BCA specialization as well as in the field of Data Science, Data Analytics, and Computer Science.
• After completing the BCA course, candidates have the opportunity to go for higher studies like MCA. This will add an extra edge and update the skills & experience, which will be very helpful for career development.
• Candidates will become an expert in well-used programming languages such as JAVA, C++, Python, CSS, Linux, etc., and enhance all the technical skills as well.
• A student with a BCA degree will be in huge demand since manpower is continuing to get replaced by the systems and therefore the need for skillful experts and professionals is there to operate and function.
• In terms of salary, BCA graduates can earn from INR 2.4 - 5 LPA as a fresher, and after getting industry experience and becoming proficient in advanced technical skills, the salary hike can be around 30 - 40% and after that, candidates can earn around INR 3.5 - 8 LPA after 2 - 4 years of experience.

BCA Specializations:

BCA Data Science: BCA Data Science is an undergraduate degree program in the area of data science and technology. In addition to the common BCA subjects, the BCA course also includes specialized subjects such as Big Data Analytics, Python Programming, Machine Learning, Data Modelling and Visualization, Data Mining, etc.

Average Total Fees	INR 3 Lakhs
Average Salary	INR 4-8 LPA

BCA Data Analytics: BCA Data Analytics is an advanced undergraduate course, which candidates can pursue after 10+2. The common BCA Data Analytics subjects are Big Data Analytics, Data Manipulation, Machine Learning, Data Science, etc.

Average Total Fees	INR 3-5 Lakhs
Average Salary	INR 4-12 LPA

Documents Required For BCA Lateral Entry Admission

• Mark sheet and pass certificate of your Class X or XII examination or Diploma
• School leaving certificate
• Proof of date of birth
• Transfer certificate
• Domicile certificate/ residential proof or certificate
• Character certificate
• Provisional certificate
• Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe/Other Backward Caste certificates
• Proof of disability (if any)
• Migration Certificate

BCA Lateral Entry Admission Process:

BCA lateral entry admission is done either on the basis of the entrance exam or on the merit list released by the institutes. Some of the entrance exams for BCA lateral entry admission are IPU-CET, SET, and many more.

Entrance Examination based Admission:

Candidates have to appear for the entrance exam, and after qualifying for this exam, they will be called for the counseling process or Personal Interview Round.

Merit-based Admission:

Colleges upload merit lists for the candidates to take admission in BCA courses for lateral entry. Candidates can apply to the colleges that are offering admission in BCA Lateral entry course, through both online and offline mode.

How to Apply for BCA Lateral Entry?

Given below are the steps that candidates have to follow at the time of applying for the BCA lateral entry course.

• Go to the official website of the Institute or the Admission office of the Institute to fill the application form for admission in the BCA lateral entry course.
• Apply and fill the application form as directed and after that, upload the required documents in prescribed dimensions.
• After processing the applications, the final selection is done after rounds of GD and PI (if any).

How to Prepare for BCA Lateral Entry Entrance Exam?

To appear for the BCA lateral entry entrance exam, candidates have to cover these 5 important topics -

• Quantitative Ability
• General Awareness
• Computer Knowledge
• General English
• General intelligence and reasoning

Important Points Regarding BCA Lateral Entry Entrance Exam:

1. Go through the BCA lateral entry entrance exam syllabus thoroughly and do follow the timetable to complete the syllabus on time.
2. Candidates should have some knowledge about Computer Science and Applications in order to qualify for the entrance exam.
3. Practice previous year's question papers in order to know the entrance exam pattern.
4. Notice your weak points and give more importance to that area by practicing and regular revision.
5. Try to make revision notes. It will help you to revise the important topics before the examination day.
6. Maths and Computer Science questions mostly come from the concepts taught at 10+2 level, so it is important to study NCERT books.
7. For the General Awareness part, keep yourself updated with all the latest news and current affairs.

How to get admission to a good BCA College for Lateral Entry?

• BCA lateral entry Admission takes place through the entrance exams like IPU CET, and others.
• Therefore, to get admission to a good BCA college, then the preparation for your BCA lateral entry entrance exams should be strong.
• Some institutes also take admission on the basis of merit released by the institutes personally. Therefore, your marks in Class 12th or intermediate should meet the cut-off criteria set by the institute.
• Keep in mind to apply for your selected BCA College before the deadline.
• Make yourself prepared for the Group Discussion and Personal Interview Rounds. Be confident whatever you speak.

BCA Distance Education:

BCA distance education in India is also very popular apart from the regular course. BCA distance education requires a minimum of 3 to 6 years to complete. To go for BCA distance education, candidates need to have a qualifying 10+2 level degree. Admission to the BCA course from distance is generally offered on a merit basis. BCA Distance Education Fee ranges from INR 6,000 to 20,000 annually.

Some of the top institutes that offer BCA distance education are IGNOU, TNOU Chennai, Suresh Gyan Vihar University- Distance Education (SGVUDE), School of Distance Education, Bharathiar University, etc.

BCA Syllabus

Given below is the syllabus for BCA. BCA lateral entry students have to study from the Third semester. The admission is taken for the lateral entry in the second year (Third Semester).

Semester I	Semester II
Hardware Lab	Case Tools Lab
Creative English	Communicative English
Foundational Mathematics	Basic Discrete Mathematics
Statistics I For BCA	Operating Systems
Digital Computer Fundamentals	Data Structures
Introduction To Programming Using C	Data Structures Lab
C Programming Lab	Visual Programming Lab
PC Software Lab	-
Semester III	Semester IV
Interpersonal Communication	Professional English
Introductory Algebra	Financial Management
Financial Accounting	Computer Networks
Software Engineering	Programming In Java
Database Management Systems	Java Programming Lab
Object-Oriented Programming Using C++	DBMS Project Lab
C++ Lab	Web Technology Lab
Oracle Lab	Language Lab
Domain Lab	-
Semester V	Semester VI
Unix Programming	Design And Analysis Of Algorithms
OOAD Using UML	Client-Server Computing
User Interface Design	Client-Server Computing
Graphics And Animation	Cloud Computing
Python Programming	Multimedia Applications
Business Intelligence	Introduction To Soft Computing
Unix Lab	Advanced Database Management System
Web Designing Project	-
Graphics And Animation Lab	-
Python Programming Lab	-
Business Intelligence Lab	-

Top Colleges for BCA Lateral Entry Course

India Today Ranking	Name of the College	Admission Procedure	Average Fees	Average Placement Offer
1	Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research, Pune	Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET) followed by GD and PI	Up to INR 6 Lakhs	INR 6.5 LPA
2	Christ University, Bengaluru	On the basis of Merit	Up to INR 4 Lakhs	INR 6 LPA
3	Loyola College, Chennai	On the basis of Merit	Up to INR 2 Lakhs	INR 4 LPA
4	Stella Maris College, Chennai	On the basis of Merit	Up to INR 1 Lakhs	INR 4.6 LPA
5	Amity Institute of Information Technology	On the basis of Merit	Up to INR 6 Lakhs	INR 6 LPA
6	Kristu Jayanti College, Bangalore	On the basis of Merit	Up to INR 2.15 Lakhs	INR 4.2 LPA
7	Women’s Christian College, Chennai	On the basis of Merit	Up to INR 0.8 Lakhs	INR 3 LPA
8	St. Joseph’s College, Bengaluru	On the basis of Merit	Up to INR 0.9 Lakhs	INR 2 LPA
9	Madras Christian College, Chennai	On the basis of Merit	Up to INR 0.75 Lakhs	INR 4 LPA
10	Goswami Ganesh Dutta S.D. College, Chandigarh	On the basis of Merit	Up to INR 0.95 Lakhs	INR 3.5 LPA

BCA Lateral Entry Jobs

Job Profile	Job Description	Average Salary
Software Developer	Software Developer’s research, design, implement, and manage the software programs and certify the smooth functioning of the program.	INR 5 LPA
System Analyst	System Analyst is responsible to analyse and design the possible techniques to solve business queries with the help of IT.	INR 6 LPA
Web Designer	A web designer designs and sets the layout of the website.	INR 3 LPA
Technical Associate	Technical Associate’s role is to help the admin staff or the company in daily routine technical problems.	INR 2.15 LPA
Customer Support Technician	The Customer Support Technician’s role is to identify solutions to the computer system issues like troubleshooting and alike.	INR 2.5 LPA
IT Technical Support Developer	Their role is to analyze the hardware problem and help the customers to download apps and programs.	INR 3.15 LPA

Average Salary

Years of Working Experience	Average Annual Salary
0 to 1	INR 2 to 2.8 LPA
2 to 5	INR 4 to 6 LPA
5 to 10	INR 7 to 10 LPA
10 to 15	INR 10 to 20 LPA

Future Scope for BCA Lateral Entry Course:

The job role after completing the BCA course is different. Candidates can find career stability within 2-5 years of employment. The IT research industry is on boom these days at a fast pace. As per the data, the statistics for the need for skilled professionals will get double by the year 2025.

Therefore, BCA is the right choice to build a career and to become an expert in the technical field of programming, networking, architecture, etc. Apart from programming, candidates can also get into the non-programming fields of IT such as testing, quality assurance, technical support, etc. For higher education, candidates can also go for post-graduation courses after successful completion of the BCA course, like MCA and MBA.

Best Courses After BCA Lateral Entry:

• Master of Computer Applications: Master of Computer Applications, MCA is an advanced course of 3 years duration. MCA focuses to get deep knowledge in the field of computer science and its applications.
• MBA in Information Management: This MBA in Information Management course is a course which BCA students can pursue if they are interested to study the fundamentals of information management. The common career options after the completion of MBA Information Management are Account Manager, IT Manager, Business Development, etc.
• Master in Computer Management: Master in Computer Management or MCM is a specialized degree which deals with the various aspects of computer management. It provides detailed knowledge and skills to plan, design, and implement complex application software systems.