CAT 2015: More IIMs opt for WAT in PI round; throw the confusion away

IIM aspirants who took CAT 2015 on November 29, 2015 are now waiting and contemplating on their probable scores in the exam. But they are oblivious of the fact that even a little lower percentile in CAT 2015 may not bleak your chances of admission to IIMs or other top B-schools if you have good writing and communication skill.

Once you are shortlisted by IIMs on the basis of your CAT 2015 percentile, academic profile, you will have to go through the Written Ability Test (WAT) to be conducted by almost all the IIMs in the second round of admission process. Out of 19 IIMs, 17 will put you to the Written Ability Test (WAT) and others will also make you show your writing skills, although in some other form.

With the thought that accomplished and well worded writing skill always make good managers who reach the top corporate positions, not only IIMs but also other top Management B-schools like XLRI, IIFT have started the WAT process in PI round to select the suitable candidates to their flagship management programmes.

IIMs earlier focused on Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI), now most of them have substituted the Group discussion with Essay Writing and some of them have added WAT along with GD for admission to their various Management programmes. Out of 19 IIMs, only IIM Shillong has GD instead of WAT. IIM Ahmedabad has named it as Academic Writing Test (AWT) instead of WAT.

How important is WAT Number of B-schools having both GD and WAT as components of PI round in their admission process form their GD topics based on Writing Ability Test. Many others prefer raising queries in Personal interview based on what has been written by the aspirant. Either way the aspirant has to be well versed about the ideas he poured in the Writing Ability Test. Any superfluous writing would mean inviting trouble in the final rounds.

Questions in PI round are supposed to be based on your performance in WAT, so you must be able to face the Board on whatever you have written. Writing anything biased or beating about the bush may put you in trouble

What topics you should prepare for WAT Whether it is a caselet; situation analysis, current affairs, national/ international, controversial, abstract or some grim topic with negative appeal Writing Ability Test aims to take the best out of you. With positive writing one can turn the tables in his favour and can interlink the personal experiences which become the best part of writing ability test.

There can be any topic under the Sun on which you may be asked by the IIMs to show your writing skills in 15 to 25 minutes. Nonetheless, the broad theme topics on which writing skills can be tested could be covered among the following-

Indian Polity; Political scenario; Indian and world Economy; Foreign Policy-current scenario; Management Sector- problems & solutions; Business & Commerce; Current national & international affairs; Technology.

A very important emerging theme topic during the past few WAT sessions has been the focus on Social concern. Besides, there could also be abstract topics on which you may be asked to write an essay in PI round.

IIMs: Going for WAT before PI Following IIMs and other top B-schools will conduct WAT before PI round on the same day in the second and final phase of admission process

B School
GD
PI
WAT
Other

IIM Ahmedabad
No
Yes
Yes (Named AWT)
No

IIM Bangalore
No
Yes
Yes
No

IIM Calcutta
No
Yes
Yes
No

IIM Lucknow
No
Yes
Yes
No

IIM Indore
No
Yes
Yes
No

IIM Kozhikode
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

IIM Shillong
No
Yes
Yes (Named WSAT)
No

IIM-Kashipur; Raipur; Ranchi; Rohtak; Tiruchirappalli and Udaipur
No
Yes (Common Admission Process by IIM Kashipur)
Yes (Through CAP to be co-ordinated by IIM Kashipur)
No

IIM BodhGaya
No
Yes
Yes
No

IIM Sirmaur
No
No
No
No (Final merit to be generated based on CAT 2015 score; Academic diversity & profile; gender diversity and work experience)

FMS Delhi
No
Yes
No
Extempore

MDI Gurgaon
Yes
Yes
No
No

SPJIMR
No
Yes (Group Interview)
Yes
Psychometric Test

IIFT Delhi
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

NITIE Mumbai
Yes
Yes
No
No

IMT Ghaziabad
Yes Caselet Study
Yes
No
No

IMI Delhi
Yes
Yes
Yes
Psychometric Test

XIMB
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

BIMTECH Greater Noida
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

TAPMI Manipal
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

Going by the trend, it is obvious that almost all the IIMs have done away with Group Discussion Process along with other top B schools. Very few B-schools are conducting GD which used to be the foremost part of final admission round at IIMs.

Why GD replaced by WAT? GD although gives an opportunity to discuss pros and cons of a topic, it, during the course becomes a free for all fish market where it is difficult to understand anything in the din. This leaves a bad impression and the moderator has to intervene sometimes. Even if you have the ability to express your ideas in an effective manner, some bully in the group may deprive you of the opportunity. This is one of the major reasons of substituting GD by WAT which brings out your inherent qualities of thought expression.

According to Prof S K Agarwal, expert on Verbal Ability and mentor on CAT 2015, the candidates should start preparing for GD-PI-WAT since it takes time to hone your writing skills and develop the thought process.

Related Article IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta and IIM Bangalore; among world top 30 B-schools; shares FT Global Management Rankings IIM Calcutta: Admission process with big changes; increases weight to academics at the cost of CAT 2015 scores IIM Calcutta announces admission to EPSM Programme; Collaborates with Hughes Global Education IMC Awards 2015: Jury Chair & For. Director IIM Calcutta Dr Shekhar Chaudhuri calls for nominations IIM Bodh Gaya Admission Policy announced for PGP batch 2015-17; will conduct PI round at IIM Calcutta

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2015