The Group Discussion round is a crucial stage that you must qualify in order to get into the B-school of your choice. This round tests a candidate's ability to offer a unique opinion on a relevant issue from areas like politics, business, current affairs, or economic issues.
The topic will only be revealed 15 minutes before the discussion starts. So, you have exactly that long to work on the points that you want to discuss and prepare your argument.
Regularly reading newspapers and magazines will help you dissect a particular issue and make a significant impact on the person moderating or evaluating the discussion.
The moderator at the discussion will evaluate candidates based on their ability to analyse the topic at hand in-depth and support their points with accurate research, facts, data that are relevant to the recent past.
Remember that the way you conduct yourself during the discussion, along with the content of your discussion, will be critical to your success in this round.
Make sure you aren't too argumentative and avoid direct one-on-one arguments with another candidate, as it's a discussion and not a debate that you will be part of. One of the best ways to score additional points is by stepping into the discussion when you feel it is veering off course, by offering information or insights relevant to the topic.
Moreover, it is extremely important to listen what the other candidates are saying, and even more so to set forth your opinions in a polite, non-confrontational manner. Remember — the point isn't simply to speak, but to make sense with whatever you speak.
Be self-assured to ace the personal interview round.
You will need to prepare extensively before moving to personal interview round. Make sure you have answers prepared to some of the common questions that the interviewer may ask you, such as why you want to pursue an MBA and why this particular school.
Candidates with prior work experience are generally asked questions pertaining to the company they worked for, its competitors, policies, business model, targets, clients, challenges faced during the job, etc. On the other hand, freshers might be asked questions about their academics, with interviewers trying to gauge their knowledge of core subjects they have studied.
Answer questions about your past academic projects or internships confidently. Questions about your general, extra-curricular interests should be answered sincerely as interviewers assess the candidate's personality through these questions and try to understand their goals, aspirations, strengths, and decision-making abilities.
While facing a panel, make sure your talking points are strong and avoid any ambiguity when answering questions.
Furthermore, in a personal interview, it is not just your words, but also your body language that creates an impression about you in the minds of interviewers. So, make sure you look confident, yet approachable, and maintain eye contact with the panellists at all times.
— The writer is Professor DK Batra, Professor, IMI New Delhi