ICFAI Business School (IBS) has decided to conduct the Group Discussion Round and Personal Interview Round in-person, in campus again. This is a departure from the practice of conducting GD and PI through the virtual mode, that was adopted during the COVID era. Let’s look at what this means for the students and why this is good news.

• COVID pushed every institute to switch on to virtual platforms to conduct their admission process. The application process, test, GD and PI everything shifted to the online mode.
• For students, it turned out to be a convenient option. 
• It saved them the cost of traveling to various institutes for GD PI.

But,

• While it was convenient to take the application process and the test online, the real issue was the effectiveness of GD and PI, two processes that are better executed through in-person interaction.
• Students were at a disadvantage because the chance that they could have gained to show their true personalities and express themselves passionately in a real round could never be replicated through the virtual medium.
• Network problems added to the woes of students and could have risked their chances. 

You may prefer virtual GD and PI rounds for the cost-effectiveness they offer. You don’t have to visit the different institutes you are keen on to appear for these rounds and can appear from a place of convenience. This can save the money you spend on traveling. The sum might be considerable because these institutes can be spread across different cities of the country. Let’s look at the approximate costs involved in the admission process at every stage.

a. Application Cost- The cost of application of applying in different institutes would be amount to INR 15,000 approximately. Depending on the institute, you may spend between INR 1500-2500 on the application form per institute.

b. Traveling Cost-As you will apply in multiple institutes, spread across the country, you will bear considerable expenses in traveling. These costs could come to be around INR 1 lakh.

c. College Fees- The next cost you incur is the fees of the institute. This could come to be around INR 6-16 lakhs.

The decision by IBS to conduct GD and PI in the physical mode is a good move and will benefit all parties involved, including candidates.

• COVID is behind us now. Everything has opened up, so the risk attached to physical GD and PI donot hold any longer.
• Physical GD and PI allow candidates to project their real selves before the panel without any filter.
• The candidate can make a better and lasting impression on the panel and increase his/her chances.
• The panel is in a better position to gauge the strengths of a candidate and arrive at a fair judgment.
• In the physical round, a candidate’s body language and soft skills can be gauged correctly.
• Physical interviews provide good practice for later stages when the candidate gives interviews for jobs.
• There is no lag or disturbance due to network issues in a physical interview.
• Physical interview is a much better parameter to judge a candidate than online interview.

For all these reasons, it is in your favor to appear in physical group discussions and personal interview rounds. It will make you more confident. So, the move by IBS to organize physical GD and PI rounds is a good one.

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