CAT preparation: 100 percentiler Akshay Mehndiratta breaks down IIM Ahmedabad AWT-PI for you
Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Admit Card - 5 Nov '25 - 30 Nov '25
There are a set of rules which you need to keep in mind for AWT-PI, says IIM Ahmedabad convert Akshay Mehndiratta. Read more.
Akshay Mehendiratta
When Akshay Mehndiratta scored a perfect 100 in CAT 2016, he was sure that he will be able to make it to his dream college, IIM Ahmedabad. An IIT Delhi graduate (B Tech in Chemical Engineering) with 8.828/10 score had all the academic credentials to be a part of India’s top B-school. After the CAT exam, next step was AWT-PI, which fortunately for him turned out to be a relaxed and undaunting session.
But for some candidates, AWT-PI round can be unnerving. The only things that help a candidate are composure and presence of mind. Akshay, explained the entire AWT and PI process of IIM Ahmedabad and also shared a few tips with us. Read on.
Explore colleges based on CAT
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
Academic Writing Test (AWT)
The AWT experience at IIM Ahmedabad is slightly different from the WAT tests being conducted for admissions to other IIMs. As opposed to a small topic along with a 2-3 line brief provided in IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta WATs, the question in IIM Ahmedabad’s AWT is a 3 paragraph newspaper like article. The focus of AWT is to not test your knowledge but to test how critically you can analyse the arguments, lay out the underlying assumptions that are not explicitly mentioned in the article, and hence to counter what the author means to say through it. There are a set of rules which you need to keep in mind before any IIM Ahmedabad AWT, the important ones are as follow:
- Analyse the line of reasoning and the use of evidence
- Discuss what evidence would strengthen or refute the argument. What changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
- Always challenge the assumptions
- Always consider the argument to be weak
So my AWT topic revolved around regionalism. Although most of the article was focused on defining regionalism, there were 2 statements made by the author which were flawed:
- Regionalism is different from racism and hence should not be treated with same perspective.
- Regionalism is good for the society and the minorities should convert to the majorities caste and system to build a coherent system.
Hence, my replies were as follows:
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
1 Aug '25 - 10 Oct '25
1 Aug '25 - 12 Oct '25
4 Nov '25
1 Aug '25 - 20 Nov '25
30 Sep '25 - 20 Nov '25
10 Jul '25 - 5 Dec '25
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25
21 Dec '25
6 Oct '25 - 8 Oct '25
17 Dec '25
- Forcing people to adapt to other people’s thinking and eliminating those who don't was one of the basis on which racism was based. So the present philosophy is no different from it. It opposes the basic freedom of following one’s caste and lifestyle.
- There is no proof that it will make a coherent system. In fact, a coherent system of society can be achieved even without it. I gave the example of India, where different castes live together in peace and harmony.
AWTs are very common in GMAT and there are innumerable examples available on the internet for you to practice. Practice about 10-20 topics and you would be good to go.
IIM Ahmedabad: Personal Interview (PI)
The personal interview for IIM Ahmedabad is well thought-out 15-20 minutes of interview on average.
The first 2-3 minutes are usually an ice breaker. The next 5-6 minutes generally revolve around your core skills- Engineering/ Commerce etc. The depth of discussion can vary from just asking about your projects to delving deep into some of the core subjects and their applications in real life. Hence, you need to be prepared thoroughly with at least 2-3 topics of strength from your graduation. This is true even for people who have work experience of 2+ years in an entirely different industry.
The next 5-6 minutes are usually on current affairs. The panel picks a topic and want you to carry out a discussion. I personally feel this is the make or break part of the interview.
The last 2 minutes are again some basic behavioural questions.
As for my experience, I was fortunate enough to have had a very relaxed panel, focusing just on my projects. My discussion was around the elections held in UP and Mumbai around that time.
In the end they offer you a toffee. :P
Akshay Mehndiratta converted interview calls from IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow and IIM Kozhikode. He joined IIM Ahmedabad’s PGDM programme on June 20, 2017.
This article was firs published on June 6, 2017.
Also read:
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
10 Jul '25 - 5 Dec '25 | XAT 2026 Exam registration |
20 Dec '25 | XAT 2026 admit card download s... |
1 Aug '25 - 20 Nov '25 | SNAP 2025 Registration Process |
28 Nov '25 - 6 Dec '25 | SNAP 2025 admit card session 1... |
1 Aug '25 - 10 Oct '25 | NMAT 2025 Registration Window |
1 Aug '25 - 14 Oct '25 | NMAT 2025 Scheduling Window |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
28 Sep '25 | MAT CBT Exam 2025 (Sept ) |
25 Sep '25 - 28 Sep '25 | MAT CBT Admit Card 2025 (Sept ... |
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Registration |
27 Dec '25 - 28 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Exam Date |
13 Feb '25 | CMAT 2025 Result |
31 Jan '25 - 2 Feb '25 | CMAT 2025 Answer Key Release a... |
Dec '25 | MAH MBA CET 2026 registration ... |
2 Sep '25 - 4 Sep '25 | MAH MBA CAP 2025: Reporting to... |
Jan '26 | Publication of TANCET notifica... |
Jan '26 | TANCET registration window |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
With a 300 SC category rank in CAT, your chances for NIT Trichy MBA are relatively high. Based on 2025 data, NIT Trichy generally shortlists SC candidates with CAT percentiles around 60-65. To achieve a 300 rank under SC category, you would need about a 65-70 percentile, or a score of roughly 60-65
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
PGCET and CAT serve distinct purposes. The PGCET is primarily conducted for MBA admissions in colleges in the state of Karnataka, specifically for government colleges and private universities with lower fees. CAT is a national level exam for top-ranking B-schools and colleges such as the IIMs that h
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
That's a wonderful goal to push your son toward right at the start. To obtain previous CAT model papers, you can check many available popular exam preparation books in any bookstore or online store. Coaching interest such as TIME, IMS, Career Launcher, etc., usually have mock tests and sample papers
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, you can get admission to Jaypee Business School (JBS), Noida for MBA even if you don't have CAT. JBS accepts scores from several other exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT, ATMA, and also CUET-PG. Just make sure you have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks, then apply with any of those va
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 weeks ago
I
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 weeks ago
For candidates pursuing MBA, the eligibility criteria includes merit and entrance based selection. Whereas, for BBA, candidates must qualify Class 12 with a minimum aggregate. JIIT CDOE MBA on the other hand, is offered based on the minimum aggregate of graduation. However, for the final admission,
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, students can get MBA admission into Galgotia University without CAT. The university accepts other national entrance exams for MBA programme. The university accepts entrance exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, SAT, and other. It is mandatory to qualify one of the entrance exams.
K
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes, students can get admission in Greater Noida Institute of Technology without CAT. CAT is one of the accepted entrance exams at Greater Noida Institute of Technology. The other accepted entrance exams are MAT, NMAT, XAT, CMAT, and others. If a student's CAT score is not good, worry not other acce
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 weeks ago
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi offers various programmes and specilisations across various streams. For obtaining IIFT Delhi admission, candidates are required to appear for the prescribed entrance tests. Students can visit the official website of the IIFT Delhi to learn more regarding the
U
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 weeks ago
No, candidates can not get into Management Development Institute, Gurgaon without CAT as the college offers admissions to students on the basis of their entrance exam scores. The college accepts various national level exams such as CAT, MAT, XAT, GMAT, etc. for admission to its PGDM programmes, foll
A
Contributor-Level 8