Exam On - 30 Nov '25
Group discussion (GD), Personal Interview (PI) and Written Ability Test (WAT) are an integral part of the MBA/PGDM admission process. It is crucial to know what to say and what NOT to say during a GD and PI. The same goes for WAT. MBA aspirants should know what to write and how to write in 250-300 words within 20 minutes.
Over the last few years, the top IIMs have stopped conducting GD whereas WAT has gained prominence. Most of the top B-schools conduct Essay Writing round as well to judge candidate's ability to communicate with a group of people in a lucid manner. However, the new IIMs conduct GD for selection of candidates. Many other top MBA colleges also conduct the GD round so work on your communication skills.
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.Admission process for 2025 batch has started at many MBA colleges. Those who have made it to the PI shortlist of B-Schools must start preparing for WAT/GD and PI without wasting any time. Shiksha brings to you 13 must-do things to crack GD-PI-WAT rounds of top MBA colleges in India.
Aspirants should start preparing for CAT exam at least nine months in before the test date. CAT preparation requires long-term planning thus one must start early. The best time to start CAT preparation is in March. Starting early will also help you assess that whether you need to join a coaching institute or not.
Divide your preparation into two phases -
- Covering the CAT syllabus
- Practicing mock tests, sample questions and revision.
The CAT syllabus includes the following topics:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: Parajumbles, Parasummary, Sentence Completion and Inferences, Questions based on passages, para meaning, order of sentences
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning: Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts, Venn Diagram, Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Caselets and Syllogism
- Quantitative Aptitude: Geometry, Algebra, Number System, Arithmetic, Mensuration.
You can read the following CAT books for exam preparation:
- CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri
- Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
- Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency by Ananta Ashisha
- How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
- 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary Mass Market Paperback by Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis/ Simon and Schuster
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Sharma and Upadhyay
- High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin
- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma
- Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Nishit Sinha
- Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Sharma
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha.
CAT is a speed based test which is designed to assess a candidate's 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 advance 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.
- 13 Must-Do Things to Crack GD-PI-WAT
- MBA Group Discussion
- Written Ability Test
- Important FAQs Related to GD-PI-WAT
13 Must-Do Things to Crack GD-PI-WAT
MBA Personal Interview (PI)
1. It is okay to say ‘I don't know' in an MBA interview, instead of answering a question without any knowledge about the topic (read bluffing). Be humble and state that you don't have much knowledge of the topic.
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2. Here’s the classic opening question in a PI – ‘Tell me something about yourself’. Answer to this question usually leads to the next question. Typically, one should talk very briefly about family, education, career goals, hobbies, and interests. Do not talk a lot about the past. Briefly refer to education, life journey, and future plans.
3. Another common question is, ‘Why do you want to do an MBA?’ Answer such questions keeping in mind the holistic development you’ll get during MBA and acquisition of 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.
Yes, the difficulty level of CAT syllabus is very high as compared to other MBA entrance exams. However, if you prepare well and follow the CAT exam pattern well, you will be able to score well. Besides having an understanding of the CAT syllabus 2025, candidates also need to be well aware of the CAT exam pattern before they start preparing for the exam. The CAT exam pattern was revised in 2021 and the number of questions were reduced from 76 to 66. The structure of CAT 2023 and CAT 2024 was the same. The syllabus is still tougher than other exams.
The most important things to keep in mind are:
- CAT exam mode is online
- Each question carries three marks
- There is negative marking of minus one mark for wrong attempts
The section-wise distribution of questions and difficulty levels as per the latest CAT exam pattern are listed below:
- Quantitative Ability (QA) - 24 questions, difficulty level - moderate to high
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) - 20 questions, difficulty level - moderate
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) - 22 questions, difficulty level - moderate. to high
The best way to prepare for DILR section is through practice. Before starting the preparation, aspirants should be accustomed to the question types by going through previous years’ question papers and solving those. Since there is not much conceptual understanding required in this section, practice is the key to excel in this area.
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.
Ideally, students start their preparation for CAT and other management entrance tests from the 2nd year onwards. -Starting by understanding the syllabus and the concepts of each section. -Once you are thorough will the syllabus, practice with mock tests, and identify your strengths as well as weak areas. -Be consistent with your stronger portions and keep working on your loose ends too. -If a particular topic is out of your understanding, don't waste much time on that. Rather try to improve the sections you are performing on average. -No student ever tries to attempt the whole exam. Strategies & plan on attempting your test. -Practice as many Mocks as you can, no matter how much score you are getting. Mock tests will help you will time management which is yet another important aspect of giving entrances. -Do keep the backup option of the other entrance tests as well as the syllabus is more or less the same. -Keep yourself updated with the Current Affairs and news, especially business and economics. That will help you with your GD&PI. -Last but not the least, don't pressurize yourself. Just take it easy and give your best. Good Luck :). .
4. 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. But do not say I want to become VP or General Manager or something similar.
Also Read: Top questions asked in Personal Interview (PI)
MBA Group Discussion
5. For preparation of GD topics read extensively so that you don't fall short of knowledge on current affairs. You must have complete information on political, economic, social and Science & Tech issues of the recent times. Read current affairs and business magazines. Watch documentaries on important events and occurrences.
6. 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. 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 and with civility.
8. 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. While participating in a GD, focus on the following:
- Content
- Team approach
- Leadership skills
- Communication skills
- Analytical & logical reasoning
10. 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: 80+ Trending GD Topics for MBA
Written Ability Test
11. 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 the 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.
Also Read:
12. 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. While preparing for the WAT or the essay round, refer to available textbooks and guides. But the daily practice is the key here.
Read More:
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Important FAQs Related to GD-PI-WAT
Q: What is WAT?
Q: What kind of questions are asked in the WAT round?
Q: How can I approach the WAT topic?
Q: How can I prepare for a GD?
Q: What kind of questions will be asked in a GD?
Q: How can I perform well in a GD?
Q: Is it important to give an opinion during GD?
Q: What should I carry to a Personal Interview?
Q: How to handle a tough question at a Personal Interview?
Q: Why do I need to have a resume to an MBA interview?
Q: How do I conclude the MBA interview?
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 15 hours ago
BIM Trichy MBA course accepts valid CAT scores that mainly covers three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability (QA) etc. There is no officially fixed syllabus, but these topics shows the pattern based on previous years pape
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
No, CAT is not compulsory to get admission to the MBA course at Welingkar Mumbai. The college accepts several other entrance exams for admission to MBA courses, such as XAT, CMAT, ATMA, GMAT, etc. Moreover, CAT is one of the accepted entrance exams for admission to the MBA course. However, it is not
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Yes at IIM Kozhikode, CAT is a mandatory test to get you into the flagship programme of PGP. Academic eligibility also requires candidates to have 60 percent in class 12th and 50-60 percent in graduation. GMAT or GRE might be accepted in lieu of GMAT in some of the specialised PGPs. Offering is base
a
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, a valid score of CAT or CMAT is a necessary requirement in Jammu University to enroll in International Business programme. The selection process is important to do based on the entrance test score. Candidates do not even qualify without a valid score card. The academic eligibility norms have to
a
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 days ago
CAT is one of the accepting exams for admission at Prin. N.G. Naralkar Institute of Career Development and Research. However, it is not compulsory to have a CAT score for a seat in the institute. Aspirants with a score in MAT, CMAT, XAT, ATMA or MAH MBA CET can also get admission through CAP Counsel
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered 5 days ago
CAT alone is not a mandatory test because IRMA Anand accepts the scores of XAT and CMAT in admitting the postgraduate diploma. Aspirants may use any of these tests to apply. Other national level tests are also accepter at FPM. The decision of the test should fit course requirements.
a
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 5 days ago
Provided that you meet the relevant CAT eligibility criteria and cut-off from the participating colleges in Andhra Pradesh, you should be able to secure a seat with CAT based criteria for MBA. There are IIM's (IIM Visakhapatnam), all kinds of private universities, etc., which are accepting CAT score
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
Yes, it is possible to take admission to Christ University Pune MBA course without a CAT score. This is because apart from CAT, the university accepts various other national-level entrance exams. Check below to know all the accepted exams:
- MAT
- CMAT
- XAT
- ATMA
- GMAT
- GRE
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The CAT 2025 exam is scheduled to be conducted on 30 November 2025. Registration is expected to begin between August and September, and admit cards will likely be available in November 2025. A valid CAT score is accepted by Amity University Jaipur for MBA admissions.
H
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, students looking to get admissions into Preseidency College MBA course can apply for their facorite course-specialization without appearing for the CAT exam. However, in order to be eligible, applicants must have passed graduation degree with 10+2+3/4/5 under any discipline with 50% (5% relaxat
A
Contributor-Level 10
Usually, it is recommended to start CAT preparation about a year or nine months in advance. However, one can prepare for this exam even in six months if they put 8-10 hours daily into it. Candidates who have attempted the CAT before may not face a lot of hurdles in six-month preparation as they have a foundation in CAT preparation from previous year, but candidates who are appearing in the exam for the first time may face obstacles, mostly related to accuracy. The syllabus of CAT is vast and includes a lot of reading.
One also has to spend a lot of time in practice sessions and mock tests to be able to master all types of CAT questions - easy, moderate and tough. If you are a student of engineering/technical or commerce background you will need to pay extra attention on VARC .
However, you'll be able to manage the syllabus of DILR and Quantitative Aptitude with adequate practice of topics. But if you are a student from Arts background, it is advised to start CAT preparation much earlier because you will have to brush up a lot of Mathematics. Reading Comprehension is one subject that cannot be mastered by student belonging to any academic stream, if their English comprehension is not strong. To develop reading habit all CAT aspirants will have to start much earlier.