How to Prepare for PI/ WAT Rounds for MBA Admissions at Top B-Schools

Many top B-Schools of India include the Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds in their selection process. Although some universities and institutions still choose Group Discussion (GD) rounds for selection, WAT and PI are among the most preferred methods. To get into the MBA course and PGDM programmes of these top B-School, candidates need to have an accepted MBA entrance exam score and then clear the PI and WAT rounds as well.

The admission process of many MBA colleges in India is conducted during March and April. Therefore, it is high time that you start your PI and WAT preparations alongside now. To be selected in the top B-Schools, you cannot settle to be mediocre. You will have to ace it. This is possible only with practice and dedication. In this article, we have provided some of the tips and tricks that will help you prepare for your PI WAT Rounds.

What is a Personal Interview (PI)?

Before granting you admission to a programme or a job, a personal interview (PI) is conducted. The Personal Interview (PI) round is an assessment of your verbal communication ability, mental vigilance, and how well you can express your ideas and information to the interviewing experts. The last stage of the selection process for MBA admissions to IIMs and other business schools includes a personal interview (PI), which is crucial. Between 30 and 50 percent of the final selection process' weightage is given to it. All MBA institutions have a personal interview round for MBA admission following the first shortlisting based on written exam scores. 

How to Prepare for Personal Interview (PI) for MBA Admissions

PI is one of the most essential rounds in the admission process of various colleges. In this round, the interviewing panel tries to know certain details about the candidate such as their interests, motivation, aspirations, and overall personality. A strong hold on communication speaks a lot about personality. That is what an interviewer is looking forward to knowing about. Most B-Schools allot about 40% of the weightage in the selection process to the PI round. Therefore, these rounds are not so easy to crack. It requires the presence of mind and calmness to tackle and come up with a satisfying response to tricky and confusing questions. Go through the tips provided below to prepare effectively for Personal Interviews:

• Be Careful When Writing Your Statement of Purpose: The panellists in the PI round can ask questions based on your statement of purpose. Therefore, you should concentrate on your SoP and have your answers ready to the points you have filled out there.
• Update Your Knowledge: Read newspapers frequently, watch news on TV, and take notes on anything you consider significant. You are expected to be fully informed about everything. 
• Revise Your Academics: Go through all of your coursework, paying particular attention to the areas that fall within your area of specialization.
• Read About your Native Place: You need to be knowledgeable about your city's history, geography, and all of the significant individuals, places, and specialties.
• Look Into Your Work Experience: If you have job experience, you must be fully aware of your position within the team and the overall system to which you contribute.
• Understanding Oneself: Evaluate your strengths and shortcomings. In order to do this, you must be able to properly showcase your strengths, and you must be well-prepared. 
• Being Aware of Your Interests & Hobbies: You'll be questioned about your interests and hobbies, so be sure you're fully aware of them. 
• Raise your GK game: Events from the past and present must be well-known to you. Reading is not enough; you also need to have an opinion. You must be well-prepared for the interview not just with current GK but also with business and social knowledge related to local issues. 
• Be optimistic: Even if you are entirely against a certain course of action or component of policy, offer your opinions in a balanced way while maintaining a hopeful outlook for the future. Don't criticize the policies of the government, business schools, corporate entities, etc. too harshly. 

What Questions Are Commonly Asked During the PI Rounds?

Interviewers try to know more about you, your aim, hobbies, interests, and future endeavours. Therefore, the questions mainly revolve around these topics. You may also have to answer why do you want to pursue MBA, and how will that impact your career plans, and what other options do you have in mind. However, here are some of the questions that you should be ready with an answer to:

• Tell me about yourself?
• What does your name mean? Does it define your personality?
• What are your goals after completion of an MBA?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Do you have any working experience? (Follow-up questions to the answer)
• Why do you wish to be admitted to the particular B-School?
• What are your hobbies and interests? (Follow-up questions)
• Which specialization would you want to opt for?
• Current Affair Events & your opinion on them

Important Topics to Cover for PI

Apart from personal information, the interviewers also tend to evaluate your knowledge on a range of aspects.

• Current Affairs
• Political Viewpoint
• Social Background and Awareness
• Interest in Sports
• Business knowledge
• Command over Literature
• Awards and Recognition
• Entertainment world
• Demographics
• Performance in the past rounds, GD or WAT

Smoothly Handle Uncomfortable Questions

If you prepare well, you can easily answer the questions that are directly related to facts. However, it is not always that the PI round turns out to be the way you plan it to be. Sometimes, it’s just a word that you say during the interview that the interviewers are fixated on. Either way, as a candidate you will have to keep calm and tackle every situation righteously.

Therefore, it is best to be well-prepared for all aspects without any exceptions. Always carry a confident face and humbly respond to the question. If you do not know the answer to any question, make sure to politely mention that you are not aware of the topic. Always be honest with the interviewer. It will help build confidence in you and always portray you as a good and honest human being. Gradually, try to direct the conversation to a topic in which you hold the most knowledge and experience so that you may impress your interviewing panel.

WAT for Top B-Schools in India

Earlier the ideal method for selection comprised four stages: Application, Entrance Exam, Group Discussion Rounds, and Personal Interview. But now with the relevancy and high level of competition, most of the top institutions prefer WAT. They opined that it helps to understand the stand of the candidate and their command over the communication skills and writing skills.

After you are shortlisted for the final admission phase, IIMs and other top B-schools will administer the WAT, a paper-pen based writing test, which continues for 15 to 30 minutes. The exam is given right before your in-person interview. WAT has largely taken the position of Group Discussion (GD) in the final selection process at IIMs. In the WAT round, a candidate can openly express his opinions and ideas in a clear manner on paper without being concerned about being interrupted.

The WAT subjects can range from something vague like "describe the colour blue and pink" to something more substantiative like "hard work or smart work" to something more concentrated on current trends. Continue reading articles about India's growth stories, the news, and the most recent social trends. Go through some philosophical literature. Don't forget to read the editorial pages of the newspapers every day. This essay-writing round evaluates a candidate's writing skills, subject-matter expertise, conceptual understanding, and mental clarity. Write brief essays with an appropriate beginning, middle, and end. Learn to communicate your ideas clearly and logically through practising. Consult the various textbooks and guidelines while you get ready for the WAT or the essay round. However, regular practice is the key.

Specifications of WAT for MBA Admissions

Here is the major specification for the format of WAT:

Highlights	Details
Topic	Abstract/ Current Affairs/ Recent Events (or amalgamation of two or all of them)
Time Provided	15 - 30 minutes
Word Limit	200 - 400 words
Structure	Introduction, Body, Conclusion

How Should You Approach the WAT Round?

Usually, candidates rush into writing everything they know about the subject but that can be messy and send the wrong message about your personality. Hence, always remain composed and think through first. There is an affirmative way on how to approach the topic and excel in it. It is known as the CODER Method.

C = Collect ideas. Instead of directly jumping into the topic. Take time to first evaluate all the available options, pros, and cons of the topic. If possible jot it down to avoid any confusion.

O = Organize the writing format according to the collected points. Do not jumble them up and always maintain a flow of writing.

D = Develop the idea that you have initiated. Make sure to stick to the opinion that you have started writing with.

E = Express elaborately on each of the points you have collected initially. Divide your focus equally among all the pointers.

R = Review your work. Before submission, it is necessary that you read through once. Ensure it is error-free of any language or grammatical mistake. Go through it to know if it makes sense to you or is justified.

Once you are sure of the essay that you have written, you may submit it. Practice is the only way that will help you get the best outcomes. Try to write fast and with a good vocabulary and viewpoint. Your take on the topic is the main point. So, have a positive and broad approach to be on the safe side.

Key Factors to Remember During WAT

Time Management: The key factor during the WAT is time management. You can neither spend too much time planning nor reviewing. If you have 20 minutes, divide your time accordingly that you finish a decent essay with meaningful thoughts. Do not waste your time and immediately start with the CODER method.

Unified Approach: Never get shuffled between your thoughts. Try to keep a positive opinion and stick to it. It is not said best to jump between two thoughts. The reader views it as a confused personality. Therefore, always make sure to write relevant points and stick to one decision.

Read Articles, Blogs, News, Current Affairs, and Magazines: It helps in building a critical approach to the topic. Many leading magazines, newspapers, articles etc. include numerous subjects. The topic could be from any of them. Reading thoroughly will help you make the correct approach to the topic.

Sentence Framing and Grammar: An essay that is free from any grammatical errors or sentence framing is always regarded as the best. Having a strong hold over the language may still create confusion in pressure. However, make it a point to always stay calm and not make any errors.

Abstract Topics: B-Schools of India want their candidates to be witty and yet precise. This is why there are possibilities for abstract topics. Without getting nervous, try to understand the need for the topic and approach it accordingly. Do not hesitate in making a statement. It will only help you make a bold yet confident approach.

Important WAT Topics Asked in the Past Years

Here are some of the abstract topics asked in the WAT round over the past years by most IIMs and Top B-Schools of India:

Abstract/ Topic	B-School or Institutes
All decisions in a democracy should be taken through referendums	IIM Lucknow
Is immigration a boon or a bane	IIT Bombay, SJMSoM
Demonetisation	IIM Bangalore
Farmer suicides are on a rise. What measures do you suggest to improve this situation?	IIM Calcutta
Is it right to allot investor money and profits to CSR activities?	IIM Kozhikode
Centralization of Indian Public Sector Oil companies will be a boon	IIM Lucknow
Ads don't just sell products but also notions of success. To what extent do you agree? Give Reasons	IIM Indore
Cultural diversity impedes democratic governance	IIM Lucknow
Suggest ways to reduce the problem of teacher absenteeism in primary and middle forts	IIM Bangalore
The Government of India has announced monetary benefits for improving sanitation in rural areas. Will this be useful and what other measures do you suggest for the same.	IIM Bangalore

By using these tips, you can prepare well for PI/ WAT and perform with 100% effort to secure admissions in the top B-Schools of India.

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