IIMs follow a streamlined evaluation procedure during CAT score normalisation, and then shortlist deserving students for the GD-WAT-PI round. In clear terms, the primary motive of conducting these rounds is to assess a candidate’s verbal and written capabilities apart from checking their educational qualifications. Each round carries significant weightage, and every student must clear these rounds to gain admission into a prestigious IIM institute or other B-school that accepts the CAT score. Now, although it’s a fundamental part of the selection criteria, a certain population of CAT aspirants feels that only the CAT exam score, which holds approximately 30% weightage, should be taken into consideration for the final analysis vital for releasing the admission letter. 

As per their opinion, these rounds should be removed as they lead to extreme stress and double preparation. However, if you ask us, it won’t be a good decision to remove these personality assessment tests, and you must now be wondering why? Well, let us tell you in a detailed manner. But before moving further, we will provide you with the prominent details associated with these three rounds, which hold about 30%-50% weightage from the overall score. Hold On! In addition to this, you will also share the best preparation tips to crack these rounds in one go without facing any hassle. 

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Short Overview On GD-WAT-PI 

Getting admission into a reputed MBA institute is indeed a rollercoaster ride. Firstly, a candidate must score a satisfactory percentile above 90% or more. Upon clearing the online aptitude test, which is divided into three different sections,i.e., QA (Quantitative Ability), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), you will be eligible to make it to the next stage. It’s essential to clear every round so that you receive the final admission offer. If we talk about the difficulty level, then it’s more complex than the CAT exam. 

Every candidate is assessed on communication, leadership, time management, critical thinking, problem-solving ability, etc. These skills are qualifying factors because IIMs provide admission into an MBA program for securing a managerial-level job with a competitive salary package. Above all, by conducting these rounds, IIMs finalise whether a candidate is fit for a suitable MBA program and holds the capability to succeed as a manager or not. With this, we will now move forward to share a little snippet on each of them. Pro Tip for you: Get an in-depth knowledge of the overall weightage, crucial topics, best tips to ace these rounds and showcase your best personality to the interview panel. 

Group Discussion 

Undoubtedly, GD (Group Discussion) serves as the major component for checking the candidate’s knowledge on a particular topic. In total, 5-15 candidates are made to sit together in a group discussion. A topic is allocated to every group on which every candidate has to state their opinion with a proper introduction, examples and required counterpoints. The minimum preparation timeline given to every candidate revolves around 3-5 minutes. Discussions are strictly prohibited during the preparation period. To succeed in the GD round, a candidate must interpret the topic first and then craft their opinion. One should speak with a positive approach to ace GD in comparison to other candidates. 

Written Ability Test 

The WAT (Written Ability Test) round takes place to check the thought process and written ability of a candidate. Focus on writing in a simple language within 250-300 words only. Opt for a deliberate method to write an impressive essay on a specific topic. Start with a compelling introduction, mention authentic data and examples, and influential counterarguments within the body section. In conclusion, compile the striking points on that relevant topic and end it with a logical statement. Remember that you must adhere to the main topic and avoid rambling off. Furthermore, writing well-researched content with correct grammar and vocabulary while maintaining the overall flow is the masterstroke technique that you can follow to write an informative essay and catch the attention of the evaluator.

Personal Interview 

Known as the final round, which takes place between an individual candidate and a panel of interviewers. Specifically, PI holds at least 10-15% weightage during the overall shortlisting procedure. The timeline ranges around 25-30 minutes. At times, it can be conducted along with GD or WAT to expedite the selection procedure. This round allows the interview panel to test the intellectual level of the candidate and introduces them to their future career aspirations. Simultaneously, it also helps the interviewers to get familiar with the reason due to which the candidate chose the particular B-school for further education.

Top Reasons To Consider GD-WAT-PI 

Not one, but there are infinite reasons to demonstrate that GD-WAT-PI rounds are an integral part of the selection process. It’s the perfect roadmap to secure admission into a recognised B-school for a progressive career. So far, the results have been highly promising and commendable. Learn more about the reasons that indicate the seriousness of the GD-WAT-PI round to provide an authentic judgment about the candidate. 

• Helps in opting for a holistic evaluation to analyse the overall personality of a candidate, which is a mix of managerial qualities and academic knowledge.
• Participating in GD helps the students stay updated with the latest issues, boosts critical thinking, cross-collaboration and excellent communication.
• Acts as a second opportunity for the CAT aspirants to outshine by putting forward clear and concise points and disagreements. 
• Candidates develop resilience, understand corporate work culture and acquire the ability to tackle work pressure. 
• Eliminates unsuitable candidates who lack discipline, a positive attitude and don’t exhibit a vision aligned to their selected MBA programme. 

Will Removing GD-WAT-PI Benefit Students Or Serve As Major Loss? 

Typically, IIMs follow a systematic approach to select meritorious candidates who wish to pursue an MBA program for career uplift. Every candidate has to appear for the CAT exam and hit the cut-off score in every section and overall percentile. Next comes appearing for the GD-WAT-PI rounds and clearing them for securing admission into a B-school to establish a promising career in the management domain. By conducting these rounds, IIMs strive to test the creativity, mental presence, writing ability, thought process and inventiveness of the candidate and pick the best talent. If any day, IIMs take the decision to eliminate this round, then it could result in multiple disadvantages. Check out the associated benefits and limitations below.

Pros 

• Implementation of these rounds gives a higher edge to the candidates, enhancing their communication skills. 
• A candidate develops rapid speed in essay writing, group discussion, which accelerates their writing abilities, teamwork and leadership capabilities. 
• Allows the interview panel to analyse if a candidate can handle work pressure and implement the best strategies to achieve profitable revenue. 
• Gives a clear idea about the candidate’s long-term career vision, personality, and whether their vision is identical to the preferred MBA programme and B-school chosen by them. 

Cons 

• Eliminating GD-WAT-PI will lead to pressure inflation. Candidates will have to give their best effort in the aptitude exam. 
• IIMs will have to teach the students about time management tricks, work co-operation and the ability to express ideas clearly. 

Why Do CAT Aspirants Favour Removing GD-WAT-PI Rounds?

There’s a big difference between the CAT entrance exam and the GD-WAT-PI rounds evaluation criteria. The main purpose of conducting the CAT exam is to assess the candidate’s analytical skills and decision-making abilities. Alternatively, through GD-WAT-PI rounds, it gives an extensive idea about a candidate’s professional vision and core skills required for bringing an impactful change and success. Only those candidates who are extremely confident, indicate a positive body language, and have a top-notch clarity over their thought process can qualify for all these rounds at every level. But unfortunately, few candidates get pacified with this round a lot, as it’s all about showcasing their individual personality and real self. According to the latest discussion, as per the candidates, here are the reasons that point towards the elimination of the GD-WAT-PI round from the selection process. To know more, take a quick look at the key pointers mentioned below. 

• Serves as a disadvantage for those candidates who lack command of the English language pronunciation.
• It requires 2x preparation, dedication and commitment, which eventually results in unnecessary panic and results in bad performance.
• Top coaching institutes demand a huge fee to prepare candidates for GD-PI-WAT rounds, which leads to a financial burden.
• The admission procedure is lengthy and time-consuming due to these rounds, as it takes place around February-April. 

Secret Preparation Tips To Crack GD-WAT-PI 

Candidates who achieve a fantastic percentile in the CAT exam later qualify for the second stage. Similar to the previous exam, these rounds also require vigorous preparation to put your best foot forward. It’s a one-on-one interaction that involves judging a candidate on proper communication, strategic approach, work experience, logical observations, clear grammar and vocabulary. If you’re 100 % sure that you will ace the CAT exam, then it’s the best decision to start GD-WAT-PI round preparation in advance. Go through these 10 valuable preparation tips, which you can follow to increase your chances of receiving the final admission letter for enrollment into a notable B-school. 

• Start reading newspapers, journals, books, and magazines to obtain a plethora of knowledge on global topics and current affairs.
• Take the initiative to start the group discussion or summarise it with factual evidence to catch the attention of the selection panel.
• Ensure to practice essay writing on diversified topics to gain clarity on writing style, topic and develop a simplified writing structure.
• Enrol for mock tests to prepare for GD-WAT-PI rounds and hone your knowledge, communication, speed and writing pattern. 
• Ask for feedback from top experts and focus more on articulation and areas that signify improvement. 
• Refrain from using jargon terms while presenting your ideas during the GD or attempting an essay for the WAT round. 
• Curate a bunch of questions to ask the interviewer during the PI (Personal Interview) to grasp more information about the B-school, course curriculum and future career prospects. 
• Use polite and respectful language during group discussion to showcase your disagreement. 
• Present your opinion with a powerful introduction, supportive arguments and data-oriented insights for beneficial results. 
• Avoid speaking or writing for more than the specified duration. For GD, don’t take more than 5 minutes to prepare your opinion. 

Final Words 

Several disagreements are often trending in relevance to the CAT (Common Aptitude Exam) amongst the CAT aspirants. Lately, candidates appearing for this fiercely competitive exam have also expressed their opinion against the reservation policy, which benefits the candidates from SC/ST/OBC and PwD categories. Moreover, there has also been a constant debate on the age limit, number of attempts and removal of GD-WAT-PI rounds, which is the highlight of the selection process for making the final merit list before rolling out the offer letter to the deserving candidates. 

Needless to say, GD-WAT-PI will severely impact the central benchmarks set for shortlisting the top candidates from the huge pool of aspirants. Top IIMs and other distinguished B-schools will have no information about the interpersonal skills of the candidate, extremely vital for a reputed job profile. Subsequently, it will be unfair to simply release the list of selected candidates based only on the score achieved in an aptitude exam. Henceforth, implementation of GD-WAT-PI rounds should still be considerable, as it will give a fair idea about the soft skills exhibited by the candidate. 

Lastly, it’ll be easier for the IIMs to finalise candidates who demonstrate a remarkable academic background, professional graph and imperative employability skills to succeed as a manager and bring a significant transformation within their workplace.

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