Students’ Speak: What after you have appeared for IIFT, SNAP and XAT exams?

Clearing exam is not the end. We see students put so many months of effort into preparing for CAT. However, most of them do not focus on WAT & GDPI, which are equally important.

Once the exam is over a student needs to start applying for other top B-Schools for which applications are open. Prepare for non-CAT Exams such as XAT, MH-CET, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT, MAT, etc., based on your college preferences.

So two major things after the exam are to apply for the best B-School in India and also to prepare for WAT & GDPI.
The three tests include:
1. Written Ability Test (WAT)
2. Group Discussion (GD)
3. Personal Interview (PI)

For choosing the Best B-schools in India, I would recommend you to go to Shiksha.com and take the list, go through their websites and collect information with regards to placements, faculties, fee structure, infrastructure, alumni network, etc.

Let's have a look at what these tests are.
Written Ability Test (WAT)
WAT examination is conducted to test your knowledge and writing skills. The syllabus of this test is mostly current affairs and some general knowledge.
Newspaper reading works the best for this. Don't just read, but also practice to write fluently. Everything you do in this exam is time-bound, which is why you have to learn time management as well.

Group Discussion (GD)
Seldom do students prepare for group discussions by doing appropriate exercises that help in clearing this round. The topics of discussion may vary from world affairs, political issues, lifestyle or any general topic. Also, the number of people participating in the GD may vary. The more the number of people in the rink, the higher is the competition.
Through this test, your verbal communication and body language are tested. You don't just need to be smart enough to come up with intelligent points, you also have to be clear and crisp in expressing them. Additionally, the tone of speech and body language should be amiable.

Personal Interview (PI)
Personal Interview is one of the important steps to get an admission as it involves your interaction with the interviewers and they judge your confidence and point of view. Being confident doesn't mean you should be overconfident.

There are some common questions which are asked and it is good to be prepared for them. The questions may include - How do you describe yourself? Why did you choose the particular institute? Where do you see yourself in the coming years? What does success/failure mean to you?

Here’s an overview of the weightage of these three phases in all these three exams:

IIFT

SNAP

About the Author:

Abdullah Salman M. is currently pursuing an MBA in General Management from TSM, Madurai. He has 15 months of work experience as a Network Engineer. He hails from Vellore, Tamil Nadu and has previously completed BE (ECE), from Anna University, Chennai.