Starting GD & PI Preparation

Now that CAT has finally finished amidst a lot of confusion and chaos, it is time to look beyond the examination and look at interviews. While it is only common for students to think about why to start preparation for a stage when the results itself have yet to come, it would be wise to be reasoanably prepared because when the positive news does come in. So, while the intensity of the preparation might vary, some basic preparation can definitely be done. Also, given the nature of CAT this year, it might well happen that the weightage given to the GD/Interview process will go up quite a bit.

The first thing one can do now that CAT is over is to catch up with what’s happening with the world. For this go through the news papers thoroughly and start reading those magazines which you might have kept away as distraction during the last couple of months. Also start watching television channels. While the news may at times be sub standard, watching news anchors will give you an idea of the kind of articulation you need for group discussions. In fact given the kind of ruckus debates that one gets to see on television these days, they are possibly beginning to resemble the kind of group discussion one witnesses as part of the admission process.

Now the stage has come for you to start working on your speech delivery and content. The best way of dealing with group discussion preparation is practice. Nothing beats practice. And since it might not exactly make sense in sitting and preparing with total focus on the group discussions, try and be involved in as many group discussions as possible with people whom you are not familiar with either at work or in college. This will give you a taste of the actual atmosphere. Also, if there is a discussion on any subject you do not know, do not shy away but try be a part of the discussion. It might happen that you might end up in a group discussion where you’ll have limited idea of the topic. So, the above suggestion will help you to learn how to pick up knowledge on any given topic quickly based on what other people say.

Coming to the interviews, be prepared to be grilled on your current work/degree. There is no escaping this. While it could be that you are pursuing an MBA only because you have no interest or passion towards your present education/work it does not in anyway excuse you from being good or knowledgeable in that field. Even if you are working, expect questions based on your academic record. Try and figure out a subject or two where you have very good grades and prepare best in those subjects. This is because if you are found wanting even in the subjects that you have scored well in then it reflects very badly on your academic credentials. So, while it is too early to try and go in depth in terms of learning on those subjects, you might want to get a basic idea of the subjects, especially if you have been working and have been off academics for quite a while.

And the most important interview question is ‘Why MBA?’. This is a question which demands the best possible answer. And if you think you have an answer convincing enough already, try and discuss it with someone close so that you can get an honest feedback. There are a lot of standard answers which might just about pass muster, but when you do give those standard answers, even the interviewers will know that. They have seen enough of these answers. Even if in the end your actual reason might belong to this ‘standard’ category, it boils down to how you put it across and how honest you sound. The honesty bit is possibly the most important, so do not come up with an outlandish answer just to sound different.

As far as the preparation for GDs and interviews are concerned, these are just the starting points and there is a lot more to come. This would do for now. So, while you are keeping your fingers crossed about the results, keep your mind open towards the preparation.