13 Must do Things to Crack GD/PI/WAT

Group Discussion(GD)

Group discussion means having a group and discussing a common topic, or objective. It is a commutative scenario that allows candidates to participate in the discussion and get selected for MBA or PGDM top colleges. In a group discussion, students exchange their opinions, views, and information for some common objective. This discussion helps to improve and maintain personality. In this round, candidates are judged on how they express or forward their views and opinions.

Factors for Group Discussion

Here are some factors which a candidate should not lack:

Knowledge: Candidates should have proper knowledge of a topic that can be discussed in front of many other competitors. You should have proper information regarding all the topics of current affairs and general science. You fall short when you do not have proper information on a current affair topic. It is because you don’t focus on daily life issues or news happening across the country or world. You should know everything regarding sports news, current political issues, the economy, the banking sector, etc.

Note: If you are still confused then you will have to know why MBA

Learning sources: Now, learning sources is an important part of where to learn or get knowledge. You can get information from newspapers, television, Google, Twitter, etc. you can refer to some newspapers like The ECONOMICS TIMES, THE HINDU, THE TIMES OF INDIA, etc. You can buy the latest current affair book from the market.

Right time: People made a mistake by not expressing their opinions at the correct time. You should be aware of the correct timings as to when to speak the correct point. Always agree with other points and express some different points related to the topics. The Points which you will express should be understandable, meaningful and powerful.

Correct opinion: If you have full knowledge of a topic, you will never have a wrong opinion. Every candidate has a different opinion. You should develop different opinions and different skills to express your different and unique personality.

Skills and focus: Students must have some important skills to crack the group discussion. They should have personality, communication skills, problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, creativity in content, logical reasoning, leadership skills to manage teams, teamwork, etc. Communication skills play a vital role as it expresses your style of communicating which also expresses your personality than how you express yourself or carry yourself.

Listening power: Everyone expresses himself or herself in the group discussion round. You should have the listening capability and patience to listen to others with full focus. You can give your points unique by listening to them. It will allow you to express your views and opinions on that issue.

Checkout the top MBA GD Topics

Personal Interview(PI)

A personal interview(PI) is also a part of the MBA admission process. A personal interview is a conversation between the interviewee and the interviewer. The personal interview questions can be anything from a brief introduction to background questions, hobbies, skills work experience and many more. Sometimes the personal interview questions for MBA admissions can move to some off beats territories. So the candidates must keep in mind the following factors.

Factors for Personal Interview

Attitude: candidate should have a proper attitude towards his goals. Attitude defines personality as you should have a combination of good behavior, motivations, values, beliefs, etc. It helps in developing good thoughts about people and other things as it expresses the positivity and negative thinking of a person regarding anything. 

Know about yourself: The basic knowledge is to know about yourself. Candidates hesitate to answer this question as they never think about it. Basically, you need to answer about your name, residence, schooling, currently pursuing goals, hobbies, family background, etc. also, discuss your skills and experience if you have any.

Know More About: MBA Placement Preparation 

Things to Check Before an Interview

• You should be prepared with proper clothes, shoes, personal grooming and hygiene. The interviewer judges you on these parameters also.
• Your gadgets like mobile phones, tablets, etc. should be in silent mode during the interview. 
• Reach on time and check the location a day before. Traveling modes should be set before a day according to the weather. 
• Maintain a proper folder with proper documents and keep photocopies of documents for an emergency.

Probable Questions for Personal Interview

Here are some basic questions that can be asked in the interview and you should know about them.

Brief me about yourself? 

Basically, you need to answer about your name, residence, schooling, currently pursuing goals, hobbies, family background, etc.

Why do you want to pursue an MBA than other degrees? 

You will get knowledge of planning, business management, and handling of finance. You can become your own boss; you have better opportunities, flexibility, high salary packages, enhance knowledge, strong communication skills, personal development etc.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years or 10 years from now? 

You need to research properly and show the interviewer that you have prepared for the future position and company. Keep your conversation brief, general and should cover important unique points. Tell him that you are developing yourself for a professional position.

Find More: About Job Scope After MBA

Writing Ability Test (Wat)

The writing ability test is also known as WAT. It is an exam done in pen-paper mode. The duration of the WAT is 15 to 20 minutes. It is conducted by top B-schools and IIMS. This is also a part of the admission process. It is taken to check the writing ability of students when you are shortlisted for the final round.

Factors for Writing Ability Test 

Here are some points which can help you to prepare for the writing ability test.

Understanding the topics: You should understand the topics clearly. The topics can be from current trends. You should be aware of new trends coming. You can read some newspapers like The ECONOMICS TIMES, THE HINDU, THE TIMES OF INDIA, etc.

Candidates should keep some categories in mind while preparing for WAT:

• Case-based
• Opinion
• Factual
• Static topics
• Current or trend topics

Some topics which are expected to come this year for admission are:

• Coronavirus and the importance of good health
• Impact of COVID-19 on the economy
• Chandrayaan-2 mission
• Global warming
• What is the citizenship amendment Act and why?
• Banking scams
• The cashless economy of India
• ISIS
• Impact of technology on jobs, etc.

Organizing or framing the points: understand the topic, jot down the points on rough sheets. Start the topic with an introduction to the topic. Cover all the good points or information with facts, and quotes in your writing. It looks presentable and you will get a good score. Do not frame the contradictory points. Avoid using points that you cannot think or frame and it should be understandable. Write simple and understandable points as there is a deadline for you. You can use the figure language if you are 100% sure about it.

Alert: Check About MBA from IITs

Proofreading: Save 2-3 minutes for proofreading. Mainly, they will check your grammar, use of subject-verb agreement, verbs, spellings, vocabulary, etc. You should also focus on vocabulary as it plays an important role in writing skills. Also, it is important to check on punctuation as it changes the meaning of sentences without punctuation. You should write the conclusion and be aware that all the points should be concluded in the last paragraph.

13 Must Do Things To Crack GD/ PI/ WAT

1. Speak the truth, try not to lie because if you lie then you might have lied once more. Eventually covering lies is a tough job, so do not hesitate to say, “I don’t know.”
2. Be prepared to face the question, “Tell us something about yourself.” Answers to this question can either make your impression or break your impression. You can also expect another question like, “why do you want to pursue this career?” 
3. Keep a good body posture which is very important when you talk to anyone. Sit straight, and keep eye contact while talking. This will show your self-confidence and will help you to get through the interview. 
4. Make sure that your thoughts are clear about what you are going to do in the future because you will be asked questions about it. 
5. Keep yourself updated, and read newspapers every day so that you have the entire knowledge about current affairs.
6. Try to start the discussion, with an icebreaker. If you think that everyone is losing words then you can take up the conversation. Bring out new points about it and keep the discussion going. 
7. Different candidates might have different views, you can either agree or disagree or you can also show your point of view and try to bring out something new.
8. Keep your attitude sober, do not be too loud and do not cut everyone’s conversation. Be a good listener and then place your ideas politely.
9. Do not try to demean anyone in the GD, just try to bring forward that there could be other perspectives too. 
10. Things to keep in mind in GD, stick to the topic, approach towards the topic, leadership skills, Logical reasoning and communication skills. 
11. The topics of WAT can be very abstract. In case of unknown topics, the candidates use logic and try to relate the given topic with analogous topics that are closely related to the topic, and try to build up their essay from that.
12. Practice writing about different topics while preparing for WAT. Your knowledge and written skills will be judged in WAT so try to gather the previous year's WAT topics from the top B school websites and practice them.
13. Practice writing WAT topics within a stipulated period of time. It would increase your speed and logical reasoning abilities and help you deliver a good essay within the timeframe. Follow the correct guidelines to do well in your WAT exam.