IIMs started scheduling for WAT & PI Round; know how to get ready & win the race

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
February 10, 2016
WAT & PI process has begun in IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode and IIM Lucknow
Final selection will also depend upon varying weightage awarded by these IIMs to different components while generating the final merit list

Call getters from IIMs for WAT-PI round now need to convert the call and gear up for the same to cross the last hurdle and ace the race of getting into the desired IIM.

After completing the shortlisting process, IIMs have begun scheduling the PI-WAT process at the designated venues. The WAT & PI process has begun in IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode and IIM Lucknow. More than 50000 candidates who appeared and scored high percentile in CAT 2015 have been shortlisted for WAT & PI round by these IIMs. Each of the 7 old IIMs would conduct its own final admission round and will select candidates independent of other IIM for admission to PGP 2016-18 batch.

However, comparatively new IIMs are conducting common admission process for 9 IIMs out of 12. The components of common admission process are WAT and PI and there will not be any GD round. Out of the 3 remaining IIMs, while IIM Sirmaur will not go for PI round, the other 2 namely IIM Nagpur and IIM Visakhapatnam will either conduct their own PI round or will send the scores to IIM Kashipur who is coordinating CAP 2016 for new IIMs.

Since candidates have been shortlisted by IIMs on varying parameters, the final selection will also depend upon varying weightage awarded by these IIMs to different components while generating the final merit list. It is not at all necessary that a 99 percentiler must have got a call from IIM A,B,C ,L if he or she doesn’t qualify on prescribed standards of academic excellence, work experience, gender diversity, non engineering back ground among others.

One has to know and move in accordance with the advisory shared by different IIMs on their sites. MBAUniverse.com brings about important pieces of advice and tips at one place to equip the aspirants to face the final admission round and come out with flying colours.

Organize the Required Documents
Hard copy of score card
You should keep the printed copy of your score card in your documents’ file ready for second admission round.

Mark sheets and Degree Certificate  
You are required to present all the original mark sheets and submit attested copies to prove your eligibility at the time of interview. Please remember when you are selected for a programme, original degree certificate and mark sheets of all semesters/years along with the attested copies will be required to be submitted for verification at the time of joining the programme.

Reservation Category documents
Please keep the original caste/class and/or disability certificate ready. When short-listed for interview SC, ST, NC-OBC and DA candidates must show them

Final Year of Graduation
If you are a candidate appearing for the final bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification examination, you must obtain a certificate from the Principal/Registrar/Director of the university/institution certifying that you have obtained 50% marks or equivalent (45% in case of the candidates belonging to SC, ST, and DA category) based on latest available grades/marks. You will be required to show the original and submit an attested copy of the certificate at the time of interview.

Apart from the above all the IIMs have their own requirement of documents. Since you have been shortlisted and now would be going to attent the PI-WAT round, check the respective IIM site for any other required document.

Regularly check other IIMs site apart from the ones where you have been shortlisted as every day some development is going on. You may be shortlisted by numerous IIMs out of 19

Next step to WAT & PI round
When you are shortlisted and are aware that more crucial is your second and final admission round, your next step is to systematically begin the preparation for GD/PI/WAT and be sure to convert the call. Number of call getters with 99+ percentile couldn’t convert their call to the dream B school by not taking this round very seriously. IIMs pay weightage to the Personal Interview & Wat round in the range of 30 to 70.  It therefore becomes even more important at this stage than your CAT percentile. Important points in this regard must be meticulously followed.

You preferred new IIM
This is more applicable for the new IIMs who are participating in CAP 2016. You may be required to fill in some form in regard to your preferences. So better to decide which IIM you would go for. Following 9 IIMs would be participating in Common Admission Process 2016 to be coordinated by IIM Kashipur- IIM Kashipur; IIM Raipur; IIM Ranchi; IIM Rohtak; IIM Trichy, IIM Udaipur; IIM Amritsar; IIM BodhGaya and IIM Sambalpur. IIM Nagpur, IIM Sirmaur and IIM Visakhapatnam would not be participating in CAP 2016.

Check for the venue and components
Check for the place and dates of PI-WAT round whether your preferred place has been allotted.

Find out whether there are only PI and WAT or GD-PI and WAT.  A few IIMs are still adhering to conducting all the three while most of them have done away with Group Discussion.

Are your preparing well?

WAT
Begin your WAT preparation immediately as writing skill will take time to be groomed and improved. You will not be writing an essay on the topic which might have been known beforehand but would need the skill of extempore writing. Your essay will become the ground for interview questions also. You will be required to write in 20-25 minutes a well worded essay of 300-400 words that is supposed to be rich in contents, consistent in thought, coherent in flow and doesn’t go wayward.

GD
If you are shortlisted and wish to appear before such IIM which conducts group Discussion along with PI and WAT,  know well important do’s and don’ts for GD round. How to begin, what to say, when to present your thoughts, how to utilize the knowledge, how many times to speak, how to avoid the fish market scenes and then how to be a winner in this round.+

PI
Personal Interview is the most important of final admission round after WAT. No IIM exempts any candidate from it. You need to know frequently asked questions and their probable answers, How to respond to certain specific questions, what to wear, what to prepare, how to present yourself, how to enter and how to exit the interview room.

Don’t forget other options
Give a thought to this simple piece of advice-in case you are not able to convert your call with your desired IIM and other IIMs you do not prefer. Have you thought of other good options? There are very good B schools who perform better and are ranked even higher than a few IIMs. These institutes might require you to send in your prescribed application before a certain date.  So check on this as well and apply before the last date.

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Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more tips and advice on WAT & PI in IIMs