13 must do things to crack GD-PI-WAT round of Top MBA Colleges
Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )
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4 Nov '26 - 29 Nov '26
MBA admission is typically a two-tier test. The written exams like CAT/MAT/XAT are a test of candidate’s knowledge of English, Maths and Reasoning; Personal Interview (PI) is the test of candidate’s personality and interpersonal skills. Personality assessment test for MBA admission typically includes interview, Group Discussion (GD) and Writing Ability Test (WAT). While WAT is the test of your written communication skill, PI is the test of your verbal communication. GD is a test of candidate’s leadership skills.
IIMs and top B-Schools conduct PI and WAT. A lot of other MBA colleges still conduct GD. Whether you are targeting a Tier 1 college, a Tier 2 college or a Tier 3 college, you need to be well prepared for the WT-GD-PI round. Shiksha brings to you 13 must-do things to crack GD-PI-WAT rounds of top MBA colleges in India.
- 13 Must-Do Things to Crack GD-PI-WAT
- MBA Group Discussion
- Written Ability Test
13 Must-Do Things to Crack GD-PI-WAT
MBA Personal Interview (PI)
1. Be Honest - It is okay to say ‘I don't know' in an MBA interview. If you don't know the answer to a question don't beat around the bush or try to invent an answer out of nothing. Be humble and state that you don't have much knowledge of the topic.
2. The interview is about you - Here’s the classic opening question in a PI,– ‘Tell me something about yourself’. Answer to this question usually leads to the next question. So, be careful about what information you share about yourself. Typically, one should talk very briefly about family, education, career goals, hobbies, and interests. Do not mention any interest or hobby that you're not actively pursuing or don't have complete/latest knowledge of. Briefly refer to education, life journey, and future plans.
3. Why MBA - Another common question is, ‘Why do you want to do an MBA?’ Answer such questions keeping in mind the holistic development that an MBA programme provides, such as skills for life long success in personal and domestic space. Remember, post an MBA, one lands a job in corporate organisation where there are opportunities of rapid career growth along with high monetary returns. But at the same time, management as a career, is also a challenging profession.
4. Future goals - One more common interview question is – ‘Where do you see yourself five years from now?’ While answering this, focus on skills development, increased responsibility while highlighting your goals as achievements. You can also mention overall growth as in today's era overall growth is being valued as much as professional growth. But do not say I want to become VP or General Manager or something similar.
Also Read: Top 32 questions asked in Personal Interview (PI)
MBA Group Discussion
5. Stay Updated - For preparation of GD rounds, read extensively on current affairs. Gather information on political, economic, development, social and Science & Tech issues of the recent times. Read current affairs and business magazines. Watch documentaries on important events and occurrences in India and abroad.
6. Choose the right time - Enter the group discussion at the right point i.e. when others are taking a small pause or have completed their point which you can counter or elaborate upon. Be loud and assertive but be polite in explaining your points.
7. Do not force your opinion on others- It is not necessary to arrive at a consensus during a GD. Candidates can have different opinions but what is important is concluding the discussion with convincing points put forth in a civil manner.
8. Don't dismiss others POV - Do not try to prove others wrong in a GD. Just remember it is not a debate but a group discussion and everyone has the right to their opinion.
9. 5 keys for GD - While participating in a GD, focus on the following:
- Content
- Team approach
- Leadership skills
- Communication skills
- Analytical & logical reasoning
10. Be a good competitor - Ensure participation by showing maturity and putting up relevant points. Build your arguments with facts, figures and situations. Keep a logical approach throughout the GD. It becomes easy to build on other's arguments and conclude.
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
Yes CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have enough time. There are three subjects in CAT- VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Most of candidates find RC passages tough to crack. In Quants, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry pose significant challenge during preparation. In DILR, Reasoning questions often turnout to be tricky and confusion.
The best way to prepare for DILR section is through practice. Before starting the preparation, aspirants should check previous years’ question papers. Since there is not much conceptual understanding required in this section, practice is important.
Some of the most popular books on DILR section that you can refer are How to Prepare for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit Sinha, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT by Pearson, to name a few.
CAT is a speed-based test of analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, data interpretation and English comprehension. Now, it may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to learn these subjects at advanced level. If you are an average student but have studied Science or Commerce in Class-12 and graduation, you will find a lot of familiar topics in Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. All you will need is brush up the basics and practice the concepts on advanced-level problems.
However, since the competition is so high in CAT and less than 95 percentile can break your dream of joining a top college like IIM, the preparation for CAT requires a lot of focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the CAT exam.
Hope it was helpful!!!
CAT Quantitative Aptitude has the potential of 100 percentile if you prepare well. The Quantitative Aptitude topics of CAT are advance level Mathematic topics from Class 9 and 10. So, for any candidate, the foundation is already there, they only need to work on it further.
The important topics of CAT Quantitative Aptitude include Geometry, Ratios and Proportion, Inequalities, Trigonometry, In-equations, Quadratic and Linear Equations, Work and Time, Algebra, Surds and Indices, Percentages, Mensuration, Time-Speed-Distance, Logarithms, Partnership (Accounts), Number System, Square Root and Cube Root, Profit & Loss, Geometric Progression, Probability, Mean-Mode-Median, Binomial theorem, Simple interest and compound interest.
Maximum questions are asked from Arithmetic and Geometry so keep the main focus on these two topic. Understand and memorise the formulas and theorems well, and practice enough questions to be thorough with their application.
Written Ability Test
11. Be Prepared for Surprises - WAT topics can be as abstract as ‘describe the colour blue and pink’ or more substantiative like 'hard work or smart work' to something more focused on current trends. So keep reading news, latest social trends and articles on India’s growth stories. Read philosophical books and articles. Do not forget to read editorial sections of newspapers daily. More importantly, think and make a opinion about whatever you read.
Also Read:
12. Practice Essay Writing - This essay writing round tests the candidate’s written ability, knowledge of the topic, understanding of the topic and clarity of thoughts. So, practice writing short essays with a proper - beginning, middle and end. Practice how to put your thoughts in a words in logical and lucid manner.
13. Refer to recommended study material - While preparing for the WAT or the essay round, refer to available textbooks and guides. But the daily practice is the key here.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 days ago
No, according to the estimated data, you would need a CAT cutoff of atleast 94 percentile to be qualified for final admission offer. Note that this percentile is not official and is only an estimate, since the institute does not release the cutoff publicly.
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
Yes, you can join IIM Kashipur without CAT, depending on the desired programme. You can get admission to any of the offered courses except MBA. Check the list below to know which exam is accepted for which programme.
- Executive MBA (EMBA): GMAT, IIM Kashipur EMAT (Executive Management Aptitude Test).
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
Candidates must maintain a dedicated formula sheet for properties of polygons, circle theorems, and mensuration formulas. Instead of memorising blindly, candidates must solve 15-20 problems for each sub-topic to understand how and when to apply each formula.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
It is technically possible to get 99 percentile in CAT Quants if a candidates obtains a perfect score in Arithmetic and Algebra. However, it can be highly risky as CAT exam often has Geometry questions aligned with Algebra or Coordinate systems. Sometimes candidates must know two different concepts
D
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
Triangles (properties, similarity, congruence, and theorems) is the most heavily tested sub-topic in CAT exam. Other high-yield areas include Circles (tangents, chords, and cyclic quadrilaterals), Mensuration (area and volume of 2D/3D shapes), and Coordinate Geometry.
R
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
Geometry is a an important topic in the Quantitative Aptitude (QA) section. Candidates can typically expect 3 to 5 questions out of the 22 total QA questions, making up roughly 15% to 20% of the section.
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
Candidates should first understand basic concepts, including divisibility rules, prime factorisation, HCF and LCM, and remainders. They should then solve topic-wise practice questions and previous years' CAT questions to improve accuracy and problem-solving speed.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
There is no fixed number of questions from the Number System in CAT. The number of questions varies across exam slots and years. Candidates should prepare the topic along with other important areas of Quantitative Aptitude.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, the Number System is an important topic for CAT Quantitative Aptitude. Questions may test concepts such as divisibility, remainders, factors, and properties of integers. Candidates should also practise applying these concepts to different question types.
J
Contributor-Level 7
Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
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