Published : Saurav Seth | October 01, 2015 | 3:10 PM IST
As soon as each exam for MBA 2016 starts getting over, the next nut to crack will be GD, WAT & PI if you meet a pre- determined academic cut off. These are conducted so that the candidates can be accessed for their Communication, Interpersonal, leadership, Listening and Presentation Skills. The admission process may vary for different MBA Institutes; the academic cut-offs and the weightage given to parameters. The process of selection may include WAT, GD and PI.
GDs are utilized to survey certain group skills that cannot be accessed in an interview. These comprise of reasoning ability, flexibility, Tolerance, divergent thinking, situation handling ability, creativity and attitude. These are the skills which are very much required to become an effective professional which in turn works as an asset for the institutes at time of campus placements.
Another important reason why MBA Institutes keep GD as elimination round is because of the crowd factor. At the peak time of admissions, an institute has to deal with 1000s of aspiring students. In a GD, they can analyze upto 15 aspirants at a time. In most Institutes Group Discussions is the next step post the written examination. GD is basically a method used by an institution to gauge whether a candidate has certain personality traits and/or skills that it desires in its students. Usually, the group of students is given a topic and couple of minutes to think about same and then have a discussion among them for some time. It could be a subject on current affairs, sports, political issue or anything in general. A Group discussion tests how you work as a part of team.
Tips for Group Discussion
- Group strength is usually 8 to 12 members
- To speak clearly, effectively and efficiently is very important.
- Be a good listener
- Do not use high vocabulary
- Do not use technical language while speaking
- Do not criticize on religion
- Do not get personal with anyone
- Never ever try to bluff
The personal interview is an important step in the admissions process and should be taken seriously; most MBA institutes will not accept a candidate without meeting in person. A personal interview is aimed at knowing a candidate more intimately - assessing the clarity of thinking process, future goals and how well the candidate fits with the B-school. It gives a chance to the b-school to evaluate your interpersonal and soft skills.
The candidate should approach the PI session as a conversation to be enjoyed, not as a question-and-answer ordeal. It may be about your hobbies - your recent trip. This doesn't mean that the interviewers are not serious. It just means that you're being judged as a person and a future professional in all your dimensions.
PI focusses on the candidate’s Communication skills, personality traits, to understand the student better and to check your confidence. Your speaking and listening skills play an important part in a personal interview. Point to remember is that PI is not a quiz, and you can pause for a while and think and ask in case of doubt. Your Body language should be very positive and influential. You should take PI as an advantage and market yourself well in front of the interviewer; making the interviewer sure that “Yes” you are the right candidate to be selected.
Written ability test is now being a process of quite of few IIMs and other B Schools. The points that should be considered are:
- Begin writing with a captivating snapshot, you need to keep the reader’s interest.
- Be direct and to the point with short sentences.
- Good transition of words should be used appropriately.
- Stay focused to support one central point.
