WAT/GD Topics of IIM

WAT/GD Topics of IIM and other top B-Schools over the years

What is IIM?

The full form of IIM is the Indian Institute of Management. IIMs are the most prestigious and top business schools in India providing high-quality education in the field of management. These institutes provide admission to its diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctorate programs.  

The MBA (Master in Business Administration) programs offered by all the IIMs are the flagship programs of these institutes. MBA is a full-time postgraduate program in business management, with a course duration of two years. 

There are a total of 21 IIMs in India. These are:

1. IIM Ahmedabad
2. IIM Calcutta
3. IIM Bangalore
4. IIM Lucknow
5. IIM Ranchi
6. IIM Raipur
7. IIM Indore
8. IIM Shillong
9. IIM Rohtak
10. IIM Kashipur
11. IIM Kozhikode
12. IIM Mumbai
13. IIM Trichy
14. IIM Udaipur
15. IIM Nagpur
16. IIM Amritsar
17. IIM Jammu
18. IIM Bodh Gaya
19. IIM Sambalpur
20. IIM Sirmaur
21. IIM Vishakhapatnam

What is WAT?

WAT stands for Written Ability Test. The written ability test is an important test for the second round of the shortlisting process. However, it wasn’t conducted for two consecutive years by many IIMs due to the pandemic.

• It is an essay writing test in which a topic will be assigned on which the candidates will write an essay. This test will assess the writing and thinking skills of the individual.
• The test duration ranges between 15 minutes and 30 minutes.
• The marks obtained in WAT contribute to 10%-30% of the total score.
• The WAT assesses certain abilities of the candidate. These are clarity of thoughts, simplicity of expression, comprehensiveness of perspective, and robustness of reasoning.

WAT Topics of IIM and Other Top B-School

Some of the important topics that candidates must prepare for, to ace the written ability test round are: 

• GST: Aim to take economy on faster growth path.
• Demonetization in India: Decision is more appreciated than criticized.
• Global Economic Slowdown.
• Union Budget of India.
• Make in India.
• Digital India.
• Women’s Reservation Bill.
• COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Farm Bill 2020: Protests and more.
• Privatization of Indian Economy.
• Should Petroleum Subsidy go away?
• Ethics and morals cannot be taught in classrooms only.

What is GD?

GD stands for Group Discussion. It is one of the rounds in the selection process for admission into IIMs. As the name suggests, the Group Discussion round involves a group of candidates sitting together and discussing a topic that has been assigned to them, within a given time frame.

• The topics for the group discussion are assigned by a moderator, who observes the ongoing discussion going on between the candidates over the topic and evaluates each candidate based on their performance in the discussion.
• After the moderator assigns the topic, the candidates are provided a few minutes of preparation time. Usually, the time given is 5 to 8 minutes. But, it may vary depending on the topic.
• Once the preparation time is over, the candidates need to start with the group discussion. This round may go on for 15-30 minutes. The judgment panel consists of 3-4 panelists who judge their performance and allot marks accordingly.

Types of Group Discussion

There are three types of group discussions depending on the topics asked.

• Topical GD- In this type of group discussion, a particular topic related to current affairs, socio-political issues, economy, environment, technology, etc. is assigned to the candidates. Some examples are women's rights, economic slowdown, climate change, etc. The topical GD judges if the candidate is updated on the current and important issues around the world.
• Abstract GD- In this type of GD, an abstract topic is assigned to the candidates. For example, a picture of a horse or a blue-colored object can be given to them and will be asked to discuss it. The abstract GD will judge the out-of-the-box thinking capability and perspective of the candidate.
• Case Study- In this type of GD, a business case study is assigned to the candidates. They need to assess the scenario, discuss their views and opinions, and come up with a solution. This type of case study will judge the problem-solving and managerial skills of the candidate in case they are offered a position of higher authority in an organization. 

GD Topics of IIM and Other Top B-School

The group discussion round consists of an array of topics from diverse domains. These these are:

• Climate change
• The space program of India
• Globalization
• Cryptocurrency
• Artificial intelligence
• Electric cars
• Article 370 abrogation
• Goods and services tax (GST)
• Economic slowdown
• Indian start-up space
• Walmart-Flipkart deal
• 5 trillion-dollar economy
• Unemployment
• Farmer suicides
• Air pollution
• Women safety
• Poverty
• Corruption