Tips to crack Group discussion for your dream MBA

By Manisha Verma

All MBA aspirants who wish to take admission in one of the top B-schools in India have to go through a tough selection process. The selection procedure many vary from institute to institute. Most of the institutes divide the process into two or three different stages. The first round is entrance test. Popular MBA entrrance exams include CAT, MAT, CMAT, XAT, SNAP, among others. and most of the institute conduct entrance test in the month of January and February followed by group discussion and personal interview. The institute also gives different weightage to different rounds. Maximum institutes conduct group discussion and it plays important role in the selection process of the right candidate for the course.

This has been seen that many students start preparing for their GD round so late that they unable to clear the round. This may happen due to lack of awareness about topics discussed in Group Discussion round or over-confidence or lack of knowledge about the preparation pattern for the GD round. Group Discussion round is not a tough nut to crack, but one must be fully prepared for the round so that they can clear the round with ease. Below we are discussing some strategies which will help you to make mark in the round.

Follow the right strategy for preparation

Read Extensively and be Aware of Current Topics

If one really want to excel in the GD round and want to make a good impression for what you speak in the round then you have to be really be aware and prepared over the topics that to be discussed in the round. To make an impression in the round you have to be very comfortable with the topics that are given for the discussion. If your are not much aware about the topic or have little knowledge of the issue then you have very few things to talk about in the round. Without much knowledge about the topics you will struggle a lot to discuss even a few points. It might be possible that other candidate has prepared the same points or they may say the same before you speak. In that case you loose your chance to say because you lack the points. One should always keep this in their mind that you could be given any topic in the discussion round. If can range from a daily issue to political, national, international, or any local issue, but you should always keep in mind that whatever topic is given to you, your approach towards the topic should be global.

Now the question arise how one should prepare for the round? You should develop a habit of reading and you should read widely and extensively. You reading should not be topic centric or just about an area but it should be wide. You must be aware of daily issues, current topics national and international, and different topics across variety of issues that will broaden your horizon of thoughts and gives a wider perspective to your thoughts. Reading current issues and following the topic with are discussed every where, is very crucial for your preparation.

Read two, three newspapers every day, read different magazines over different topics and try to think over the topics or try to predict the topic that can be asked in the GD. While reading two, three or more newspapers and magazines every day can give you an idea about the topics that are discussed widely everywhere. Try to make notes on the topic and try to add some relevant points to the topics you come across.

Analyze the Issues

Just having knowledge about news and issues is not enough; one should also develop the habit of analyzing the issues and their outcomes. The top management institutes look forward for these kind of abilities in candidates, who can analyze issues. You should think and go beyond the normal opinion; you should imply logics, data and example to justify your point. You should always give example with your point this give weight to your though and help you to be more judgmental over the issue.

One should develop the habit of analyzing the things on different parameters. Whenever you come across a topic or issue or you read something ask certain question to yourself: why did this development take place? What is the basic idea or thought behind this? Whom does is going to effect and how? What will be the future of that development and how it will going to affect the masses?

Always make some handy notes of important dates, statics, data and information which ever you feel important and carry some worth with it.

Develop Good Communication Skills & Teamwork

Good communication skills are required in every field. But for an aspiring MBA is must to have good communication skills and ability to work well with the team. This is really a good skill to build a good image among the people you come across. With effective communication skills you can express your thoughts effectively and make people understand what you want them to do. In GD round the way you express yourself and the way you make people understand your point count a lot.  You should always put your point more effectively, confidently and firmly, but never forget that your tone should not be harsh or aggressive. Do not speak irrelevant things or just for the sake of saying things always evaluate the things and then make your point. It is always suggestive that you should always speak relevant things at the right time the better you speak, the chances of getting your point noticed become high.

Team work is also important for every candidate. The better you understand others point and develop a sense of teamwork with your thoughts it gives value addition to your GD round.

Practice for Group Discussion Round

The final tip for your GD round is that you should practice few mock GDs. This may prove useful for the final and actual round. It will help you to develop the habit to speak right and firm points. The practice will increase the confidence level and hone your skills to communicate well among the group. You should not forget that while group discussion people will interrupt you- but you should learn to tackle all this and present your thoughts in an effective manner.

Also Read:

• Preparing for GD? Use this checklist for topics
• Do's & Dont's of a Group Discussion
• How you dress might affect your GDPI score