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Get set for the CAT aftermath

Sumit Bhattacharjee

Those who have scored well in CAT may now be tempted to lower their defences. Don't let that happen, for there's a lot of hard work ahead

THE POWER OF MANY: More diverse the group better the preparation for the IIM group discussion and interview. — Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

A couple of years ago a young graduate who was called for an interview by one of the IIMs after getting a high score in CAT, stumbled upon a few obstacles (intentionally laid by the interviewers) in the interview hall and fell flat scattering all his papers. A deep-throated panelist shouted, "What is it?" Gathering his things, the candidate answered in a composed voice, "It is a pronoun, sir." He not only sent the stiff-collared panelists into peals of laughter but his interview was also a cakewalk, as he had smartly exhibited his presence of mind.

Narrating this story, J.V. Murty, director of TIME (Visakhapatnam Centre) says, "Presence of mind and common sense play a vital role at interviews by IIMs and other top management institutes in the country." Right now students who wrote CAT might feel a bit relaxed but Mr. Murty cautions, "Interview is as crucial and critical as CAT and if one intends to get into the top institutes, then start preparing from day one."

Overview

Let's have look at what's in store at the IIMs. In total there are about 1,500 to 1,600 seats available combining all the IIMs. This year over 1,90,000 students have appeared for the written examination. So that reduces the chance to a little less than one per cent. One should be able to score almost 99 per cent to stand a chance for the interview call. And coming to the interview, the ratio shifts to 1:3 for a little over 3,000 students (including reservation quotas) who are called for the final Interview and GD.

"Apart from CAT score, different institutes within the IIM set-up itself have different criteria to finalise the call list. While some give preference to students strong in mathematics, others might consider verbal score or academic record. Institutes like IIM Bangalore or S.P Jain give a lot of emphasis to work experience also," he says.

Four things form the basis of selection in IIMs or for that matter any of the top institutes: Written score, interview, group discussion or group task, academic record and work experience. "Waste no time. Take up preparation immediately. Many people tend to wait for the interview call to start preparation and ultimately have hardly any time to prepare," says Mr. Murty.

He says students can prepare on their own or join a good institute for training. "It is always advisable to join a good institute, as group discussions and group tasks cannot be practiced alone. "You need to be in a good group to achieve the best results. The more diverse the group, better the preparation."

Group discussion

While some institutes follow the module of GD and personal interview, a few follow group task with personal interview.

The topics for GD may vary from standard topics or current topics or controversial topics like the Kashmir issue. At times even abstract topics are floated.

"To hone GD skills one should read newspapers, listen to good news channels and talk shows, update oneself on current affairs and make every talk a discussion be it with friends or professors. The basic idea of GD is to assess one's verbal and non-verbal skills."

Giving a few tips on GD he says, "Under verbal skills one's command over language, subject and communication skills are tested. On the non-verbal front the focus is on behaviour.

You are watched right from the start of the session. Do not behave too aggressively or too mildly. Team dynamics and leadership skills are essential to score. You have to show that you understand others and have the ability to listen and respond to others. Do not flatly disagree with your team members. The same dynamics also apply for group task also."

Interview

At the interview level a lot depends on the resume.

"So the foremost thing would be to write a good resume and know your resume well. Update yourself on the place you stay in and brush up your knowledge of current affairs. The basic idea of an interview is to test your ability to handle pressure and understand your character. You should be good in your subject area and not tell lies. A confident "I don't know" to a question is better than saying "Can I guess" or a lie to confuse the panel.

"Keep your mind free. Once again the two vital ingredients of interview are presence of mind and common sense. And do not lose your temper though the interviewers try their best to corner you," advises Mr. Murty.

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