WAT, the Writing Ability Test in final selection round is an important component of PI round in IIMs and other top MBA colleges in India. During the MBA admission 2021 and 2022 WAT component was dropped by many IIMs due to Covid-19 pandemic, however, for admission 2023, WAT has become an important component in all IIMs’ selection process.
If you are your preparing for MBA Admissions 2023, it is important to prepare for WAT as all the Exams CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT have objective type questions and do not provide opportunity to prove your writing skills on paper. As such WAT is the mode by which IIMs and other top B-schools assess your written and communication skills. How you write in WAT on international, national, social and business events reflects your writing skill.
Well worded writing skills always make good managers who reach the top corporate positions, with this thought, 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.
Once shortlisted by IIMs on the basis of your CAT 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 20 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.
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 30 minutes. The broad theme topics on which writing skills can be tested could be the following ones –
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 final selection round.
WAT 2023 is not going to be unlimited length essay writing. You are supposed to give your best within the given time frame. So in 20-25 minutes, a coherent, thoughtfully written piece could be around 200 to 300 words but it should not lose track on the WAT topic in any paragraph or any line. So, your WAT preparation strategy should begin as below:
10 key mistakes that candidates usually make while preparing and appearing in WAT as given below, should be avoided. Following mistakes, according to the expert, if avoided can sure improve your writing skill and make you score high in WAT
Prepare well
So, Practice more. WAT round in IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, Rohtak, Shillong is independent process. However, the WAT process for admission to 9 new IIMs namely, IIM Kashipur, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Trichy, IIM Udaipur and for 4 newest IIMs – IIM BodhGaya, IIM Jammu, IIM Sirmaur and IIM Sambalpur is a Common Admission Process (CAP).