13 must do things to crack GD-PI-WAT round of Top MBA Colleges
Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )
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MBA admission is a long journey. It is beyond scoring 99 percentile in entrance exam. Group discussion (GD), Personal Interview (PI) and Written Ability Test (WAT) are an integral part of the process. Personality assessment test is critical as it provides the institute to analyse the candidate’s management and leadership skills. The top B-Schools in India conduct WAT and PI as part of admission process. Earlier, Group Discussion was widely conducted by lately, institutes prefer WAT over it.
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-PI round. While WAT is the test of your written communication skill, PI is the test of your verbal communication.
Admission process of IIMs and top MBA colleges have begun for 2026 batch. Most of the B-Schools will conduct WAT-PI between February and April 2026, so aspirants must start preparing now. 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, instead of answering a question without any knowledge about the topic. 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 all you say 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 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.
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)
It is difficult but not impossible. If you give yourself a good enough time to improve English comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, you will be able to do it. Yes, a non- English medium student will require longer time for CAT preparation as they will have to start reading and improving English comprehension. So, may be they need to start English preparation for CAT in the second year of graduation, instead of final year (much earlier than English medium students). They may also need two attempts to crack CAT with high percentile. But that's not true for all. If you work hard and study smartly, you will be able to crack it.
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.
MBA Group Discussion
5. Stay Updated - For preparation of GD rounds, read extensively on current affairs so that you don't fall short of knowledge. 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: 200+ Trending GD Topics for MBA
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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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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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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 22 hours ago
IIM Lucknow MBA cutoff for the general category generally goes upto 90 percentile. Students must aim to score 90 & above to get admission in the institute. For other categories, the cutoff is generally lower and ranges from 60 percentile to 85 percentile. However, this changes every year. Students c
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 22 hours ago
Students can get admission in IIM Lucknow without CAT score. But only for courses, such as EFPM, FPM, EPGP programmes. Those seeking flagship PGP/ MBA course admission must have valid CAT score. The IIM Lucknow courses for which CAT is not needed are as below:
- IPMX
- PGPX
- FPM
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 23 hours ago
Candidates who have not appeared in any entrance test should have a Bachelor's Degree with at least 55% marks. They will have to give a written test: same as I-CET. Students have to qualify in Written Test, Group Discussion and Personal Interview for taking admission in MBA at Vignan's Foundation
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
No, there is no mention of CAT scores being accepted to decide MET Institute of Management MMS admissions. The institute only mentions accepting the scores of the MAH-CET to admit candidates for the MMS course.
Thus, candidates with a valid CAT score must appear for MAH-CET to be eligible to apply.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Major topics under XAT and CAT syllabus are similar. Common sections include Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, and Verbal Ability. While the sections are same the syllabus is not identical. XAT also includes unique sections, namely Decision Making and General Knowledge.
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Contributor-Level 6
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Students of GIBS Business School participate in internships and live projects which are cross-functional opportunities to gain practical experience in key functional areas (marketing, sales, finance, HR, business development, and operations). Students engage in internships to gain practical exposure
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Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 days ago
No, candidates can no longer appear for the CAT to qualify for Prestige Institute of Global Management PGDM admissions. Candidates who wish to apply for Prestige Institute of Global Management admissions must now wait for CAT 2027 or any other entrance exam to qualify for the Prestige Institute of G
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Check CUSAT CAT exam pattern below:
Subject | Total Questions | Marks | Duration (Minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|
Mathematics | 90 | 360 | 75 |
Physics | 75 | 300 | 60 |
Chemistry | 60 | 240 | 45 |
Total | 225 | 900 | 180 |
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 days ago
The CUSAT CAT question paper will have 225 questions from Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics or Biology. Candidates will get three marks for every correct answer, while there is a deduction of one mark for every incorrect response.
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Contributor-Level 7
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NMIMS does not accept scores of the CAT exam for admission in its MBA courses. Even if you have a good percentile in CAT, you have to qualify the eligibility criteria for NMIMS MBA as well as take the NMAT exam. NMAT exam is a national level exam conducted by GMAC as an entrance exam for admission i
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Contributor-Level 9
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.