IIM Admission Criteria 2014: No GD round, Focus on WAT & PI

Group Discussion, Personal Interview and Written Ability Test or Essay Writing are the three main tools through which the B schools and especially the IIMs conduct their selection process.

But now the scene has changed. As many as 11 IIMs out of total 13 have done away with Group Discussion GD from their selection process. The focus of IIMs is now on Personal Interview- PI and Written Ability Test WAT to select the best minds for Admission 2014-16.

MBAUniverse.com gives you an in-depth analysis of IIMs selection process for the Batch 2014-16 that will also help you to successfully cope with the changes.

CAT 2013 test takers, who are aiming to get admission in one of the Indias premiere Management Institutes- IIMs, would be surprised to know that there would be no GD rounds in IIMs for Admission 2014-16. Except IIM Lucknow and IIM Kozhikode no other IIM has included GD as part of its selection process for 2014-16 batch.

Personal Interview is part of all the IIMs selection process while Written Ability Test (WAT) has increased its dominance and will also be present in the selection process of all the IIMs except IIM Shillong.
In order to give you a clear idea on the selection methods of the top B schools to be followed for academic year 2014-16, we present to you the selection criteria of the 13 IIMs.

Apart from GD PI WAT, IIMs will also provide adequate weightages to other parameters like past academic records, Work experience and Diversity- both Gender and academic diversity.

Click here to know the admission criteria of all the 13 IIMs:

IIM Ahmedabad Admission criteria 2014-16
IIM Bangalore Admission criteria 2014-16
IIM Calcutta Admission Criteria 2014-16
IIM Lucknow Admission Criteria 2014-16
IIM Kozhikode Admission Criteria 2014-16
IIM Admission Criteria 2014: GD substituted by WAT

Accomplished and well worded writing skills always make good managers who reach the top corporate positions. This fact is being realized by IIMs. IIMs earlier focused on Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI), now almost all of them have substituted the Group discussion with Essay Writing and have added this feature for admission to their various Management programmes. Out of 13 IIMs, only IIM Lucknow and IIM Kozhikode have GD along with WAT while IIM Shillong will only conduct Personal Interview.

Why is such a change of focus so ardently needed in the second or final admission round to the most coveted B school? The need is obvious. GD although gives an opportunity to discuss pros and cons of a topic, it, during the course becomes a free for all fish market where it is difficult to understand anything in the din. This leaves a bad impression and the moderator has to intervene sometimes. Even if you have the ability to express your ideas in an effective manner, some bully in the group may deprive you of the opportunity. This is one of the major reasons of substituting GD by WAT which brings out your inherent qualities of thought expression.

Click here to score high marks in GD PI WAT at Top B school for Admission 2014:
http://www.mbauniverse.com/gd_pi_preparation/gd_preparation.php

IIM Admission Criteria 2014: Why WAT is Important
The purpose of Management programme is to develop such managerial qualities as would be required to manage the affairs. This in turn requires good writing skills. The essay writing by the aspirant is a manifestation of this skill and aptitude. It checks the aptitude, thought process, communication skills of the aspirant. Besides it conveys whether the aspirant is free from biases and is able to understand the things without prejudice.
Those with positive attitude always pour down better thoughts. Whether it is a caselet; situation analysis, current affairs, national/ international, controversial, abstract or some grim topic with negative appeal Writing Ability Test aims to take the best out of you. With positive writing one can turn the tables in his favour and can interlink the personal experiences which become the best part of writing ability test.

IIM Admission Criteria 2014: WAT the source of PI
Number of B-schools form their GD topics based on Writing Ability Test (Like IIM-L) while others prefer Personal interviews based on what has been written by the aspirant. Either way the aspirant has to be well versed about the ideas he poured in the Writing Ability Test. Any superfluous writing would mean inviting trouble in the final rounds. Questions in PI round are supposed to be based on your performance in WAT, so you must be able to face the Board on whatever you have written. Writing anything biased or beating about the bush may put you in trouble

Click here to score high marks in GD PI WAT at Top B school for Admission 2014:
http://www.mbauniverse.com/gd_pi_preparation/gd_preparation.php

IIM Selection Criteria 2014: The Evaluation of WAT
It is expected that the candidates should be able to express their ideas in a clear, logical and coherent manner. CAT aspirants have been reading and practicing a lot for the examination. Now is the time to prove the writing skill which is going to be put to test in WAT.

In fact, most of the candidates have been practicing and working on electronic devices like desktops and laptops, leaving, the writing skills behind in the process. The mind, as we read more and more becomes a Jungle of wandering thoughts, difficult to be interlinked. A person who knows very less can cook up good stories with an empty brain but a learned mind, full of rich thoughts needs to be the store house of organised expressions.
The essay that has balanced and systematic approach gets better rating than the one with unorganised or repetitive thoughts. Writing beside the point, in an ambiguous manner or criss-crossing the ideas, even if with lot of reflected knowledge will not bring the desired result. The examiner/panellists do not want any English Professor but a person who can communicate effectively and put forth his view point in an impressive manner.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more analytical features on Top B schools and their admission process