Janki and Pallavi are two friends who have been preparing to get into an esteemed business school. While Pallavi has been focusing more on preparing only for CAT, Janki is wiser and has been preparing for group discussion, WATs, and the personal interviews as well. The following is a conversation between Pallavi and Janki while they still have a month’s time before they appear for CAT.
Janki: Pallavi, I hope you have been preparing for the group discussions and written ability tests and not just for the MBA entrance examinations.
Pallavi: Of course, not! There is still time for all of these. First, we must concentrate on preparing for the entrance examinations.
Janki: I don’t think that is the best way to go about it. We can agree that the entrance examinations are the most difficult to crack. But I don’t think you should underestimate the importance of written ability tests. More than a thousand people will be competing to get into the business school of your choice, and most of them would achieve a graceful score in the entrance exams as well. So, what is to differentiate you from the others? What will give you the edge over the other aspirants?
Pallavi: I think you are right. I shouldn’t underestimate written ability tests and personal interviews. Now that you’ve said it, I realise that these are as important as the entrance examinations, if not more.
Janki: Yes, you are right. So, start preparing for the current topics as well as abstract topics which they may cover in the group discussions and written ability tests.
Are Group Discussions and WATs as important as entrance examinations?
If you think that group discussions are less important as compared to the entrance examinations, think again. While everyone will focus on cracking the entrance examinations, not everyone will be preparing for the written ability tests simultaneously. Hence, GDs and WATs are the rounds where you can easily stand out and prove your supremacy over other candidates who have scored well in the entrance examinations. Furthermore, these test phases are what finally determine whether or not a candidate is worthy of being admitted into a prestigious business school. Hence, preparing well for GDs, WATs, and Personal Interviews gives you an unparalleled edge over all other candidates.
What are the topics for group discussions which can help me prepare well?
There are a wide range of topics which have been inculcated into group discussions and written ability tests. Most business schools, however, like to offer topics related to current affairs. Some of the prestigious business schools have been known to give pretty abstract topics during group discussions. The reason behind producing abstract topics is to catch the students off guard. Most students are well prepared for topics pertaining to current affairs, and hence, seem stumbled when they come across abstract topics. However, the key to cracking these tests is not how well you know the topic, rather how well you present the topic. Over and above a structured presentation of ideas, the perspective of the student on the topic is much more important. If the students present their own perspective of the topic and justify it well, then they can score good.
How to study current affairs for group discussion and WAT
Students are often confused when they have to prepare for current affairs for written ability tests. Many entrance examinations include a section about current affairs, and all topics studied can prove enough for GDs and WATs as well. Students may refer to competitive books on current affairs such as the Manorama yearbook. Candidates can also keep themselves updated with the current affairs by devoting time to reading the newspapers every day.
Newspapers like The Hindu, The Indian Express, and The Economic Times can offer an insight into the current affairs which are limited to India. International dailies like The Daily Mail, The Washington Post, The New York Times, etc. can offer an interesting insight into the happenings around the world. Include weekly topics of interest within India and across the world which have sparked major debates. Find more information about the event, and formulate your opinions about the topic and create a few points in support of your opinion and a few point against it. Note down the topics in a notebook as you keep on covering newer topics of interest every week.
Never accept news for its face value
Another important point that the students should bear in mind is that not all news that the media reports will be true. The media is very biased in the modern times, and one cannot take the news for its face value. Whenever you read about topics which you think may be of significance, you should make it a point to find in-depth information about it. In-depth research may reveal facets of the story which the mainstream media does not cover. These facets may help you in understanding the events and thus, forming proper arguments for or against the event.
Further, you can harness the energy of web news portals like Google News. You can customise them to read the news articles from major news dailies in one place. If you have enough understanding of most major events across the world and in India, and if you have clearly formulated opinions and arguments about the topics, you have covered enough ground for the current GD topics.
You cannot amass the knowledge about current topics within a short period of time. Preparing for current topics requires perseverance and consistence to follow important national and international current every week. Perseverance, consistency, and practise is the key to cracking the written ability tests.
Praqtise Fact File:
The Written Ability Tests conducted by most prestigious business schools offer only a limited time ranging from as less as 10 minutes to as much as 30 minutes. It is important to complete the essay within the stipulated time. It is also important to present concrete ideas and arguments at the same time.
Written ability test and group discussion tips
Most of the students think that the top business schools grade the group discussions based on their use of language. They think that they should use more refined language, and include more complex sentence and elucidate words. Then and only hthey can score better in the group discussions and written ability tests.
However, that is not the case. Most students seem to forget that they are applying MBA and not language schools or schools of journalism. The top business schools are concerned less about how well you use the language and more about how you present your ideas. Whether it is a group discussion or a personal interview, the better your ability to structure your ideas and opinions, the better are your chances to score well.
The most important part of a group discussion or a written ability test are your opinions and your ideas. Experts argue against forming complex sentences and using fancy words. Instead, utilise that time to form clear opinions and ideas. Structure them well into the paragraphs and maintain a flow of ideas throughout the essay or the discussion. This ensures that you score the best possible grade in written ability tests.
Do you want to find out more about how to prepare for written ability tests and group discussion? Does the vast variety of group discussion topics confuse you? Do you want to find out how to crack personal interviews for top business schools? Visit our website and commit yourself to preparing for group discussions, written ability tests, and personal interviews.
A Praqtical Look:
Don’t have the confidence to prepare for the Written Ability Tests and group discussions? Don’t know how to plan the preparation without disturbing the schedule for the entrance examinations? Seek the help of training experts at Praqtise. Just like for the entrance examinations, practice is the key to cracking the Written Ability acheter cialis en ligne Tests.
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