How To Ace Group Discussions

By Author: Education Advisor
Total Articles: 686
Comment this article

The Group Discussion/Written Assessment/Personal Interview (GWPI) stages have now become a standard feature of most business schools' selection processes. Students who want to pursue a managerial career with the help of best online teachers for CAT preparation and get into a good business school must prepare not only for the written exam, but also for the GWPI.

Why do B-schools test candidates through GWPI?
People management and communication abilities are regarded as critical assets for a future manager/business leader (not to mention in practically every professional field). While written tests such as the CAT, XAT, and MAT assess the candidate's quantitative, reasoning, verbal ability, and general awareness (what we call 'hard' skills), the GWPI assesses the candidate's ability to handle himself in a group and communicate effectively (what we call 'soft' skills). Both 'hard' and 'soft' skills are thus evaluated because they are critical for the candidate, both to successfully complete the MBA course at any good business school and later in her/his professional career.

The term "soft" should not be interpreted ...
... as "easy"; developing these skills is difficult, even for students who have a natural talent for them. Soft here simply means intangible and subjective. The GWPI requires the same amount of systematic preparation as the written test.
To reiterate, the GWPI is a standard selection process for business school admissions, campus recruitments, and admissions to other professional courses.

Relevance in B-Schools
The pedagogy at most top-tier business schools is heavily focused on group activities. In addition, detailed analytical reports on case studies (simulated business problems) and other management-related topics must be submitted. The GWPI assesses a candidate's ability to withstand the rigors of a top business school curriculum.

Relevance in career
Most managers/leaders in modern progressive organizations work with a diverse team of people. Today, strong people management and communication skills are regarded as the pillars of a successful growth-oriented organization. The manager/leader must be able to analyse the given data and provide a detailed analysis that is expressed clearly. In short, the GWPI assesses a candidate's ability to handle the rigors of a future managerial/leadership role.

When should I start preparing for GWPI?
Much is determined by the candidate's background. Each candidate will be at a different level of initial preparedness, requiring a different amount of time to develop the necessary skills and knowledge. It is generally recommended that GWPI preparation begin concurrently with written test preparation (that, for most serious candidates, begins around six months–1.5 years before the written exam).
Group Discussion (GD)

A group of candidates, usually between eight and fifteen, is grouped together for a GD round. They are given a topic to talk about amongst themselves. The moderator assesses each candidate's verbal and nonverbal communication. Most business schools award each candidate a certain number of points in the GD based on her or his performance. These marks are then used to compute each candidate's weighted-average composite score.

A GD typically lasts 10-30 minutes, or until the moderator asks the candidates to end the discussion. During this time, each candidate should make as many relevant and distinct points about her/his analysis of the topic as possible. In addition, he or she must listen carefully to the ideas of the other candidates and attempt to bring the group together in a coherent discussion.

In this sense, the participant has various roles to play: initiator (who provides new points and perspectives), teachers for MBA Exam (who tries to control the flow of the discussion in a smooth, non-chaotic manner), analyser (who tries to draw certain conclusions from the points), interrogator (who questions the strength of the candidates' ideas), fact-provider (who provides concrete facts/figures about the topic), leader (who does a bit of everything, including facilitating the discussion).

Types of GDs
(a) Topic-based
(a) A general knowledge topic (economics/social/politics/culture/technology). For instance, higher education should be completely privatized.
(b) A topic related to abstract issues may be presented. White cannot exist if there is no black.

(b) Case study-based
A case sheet containing a brief story/problem situation may be provided. Example: Consider the dilemma of a loyal clerk who discovers that his boss, to whom he owes a lot, is corrupt.

(c) Article-based
A newspaper/magazine excerpt may be provided. For instance, consider an editorial on the vegetarianism versus non-vegetarianism debate.
The moderator may occasionally ask each candidate to introduce herself/himself to the group. At the end of the discussion, the moderator may also ask one or more candidates to conclude or summarize the discussion. It is also common for the moderator to ask each candidate to prepare a short essay on the assigned topic.

Evaluation Parameters (in order of importance)
(a) Content
The first and most important thing tested is the content of the candidate's speech. You should try to provide facts, figures (but not too many), and relevant examples.

(b) Analytical skills
The GD round requires candidates to do more than just recite facts; they must also analyze the topic from various perspectives and attempt to lead the discussion to a logical conclusion. The participant must demonstrate his or her ability to analyze the topic from various perspectives, logically extending the points of others, and posing logical questions in the group. These abilities are especially important in a case-study-based GD.

(c) Communication (Verbal)
There is no point in having a lot of content if you can't communicate it effectively. As a result, the candidate's ability to convey her/his message in a clear and succinct manner, fluency of communication, and choice of words and expressions are all tested.

(d) Communication (Non Verbal)
True, other candidates in the GD will pick up on nonverbal cues from your communication. During the discussion, you should be enthusiastic and use positive body language.

Preparation Tips
(a) Build up knowledge base by extensive reading.
On a regular basis, read at least one good English newspaper. The front page, international news, and business section will assist you in developing current affairs knowledge, while the editorials will assist you in developing analytical and communication skills.
Read good weekly/monthly current affairs magazines.
iii. Yearbooks are a good way to summarize the most important news from the previous year.

MBA Education & Careers, the magazine in your hands, should be read on a regular basis.

Some books on modern Indian/international history, as well as general studies books for civil service exams, will be helpful in developing perspectives.

View good news debates on television or the internet. vii. Every day, choose one topic from the daily newspaper. Try to analyze the topic and write down at least 10-15 points about it.
viii. Keep a notebook/word file in which you record important social/economic/political/science/culture-related ideas and statistics from newspapers. These notes should be updated and revised on a regular basis.

It is important to note that even for abstract topics, familiarity with a broad range of GK and current events will aid in the generation of appropriate examples and logical analyses.

(b) Develop communication skills
Every day, read aloud one newspaper article. Practice with a mirror or a friend.

Take advantage of every opportunity to converse in English, even if it's just a casual conversation.

iii. Don't be concerned if your English fluency or vocabulary isn't perfect. The GD does not require you to be verbose or to use unusual words. All that is required is simple, clear language.
As much as possible, practice mock GDs with friends who are also preparing for an MBA.

Most importantly, maintain your confidence. Do not become hesitant simply because others can speak louder/interrupt you in the discussion, or because you are an introvert, or because someone else has already stated your points. There will be numerous opportunities to demonstrate your abilities during a 15-minute discussion. But don't give up on yourself!

(c) Develop logical ability
Make as many logical points about the topic as you can. These are some tools that can be used for this:

(a) KWA stands for Key Word Approach. Make an effort to generate points for each of the topic's key words.

(b) VAP - Affected Parties' Point of View. Consider the topic from the perspectives of the people/groups affected by the issue.
For example, the odd-even vehicular policy in Delhi should be implemented across the country. You could debate the perspectives of car manufacturers, public transportation and taxi drivers, non-commuters, special interest groups, police, government, and environmentalists.

(c) SPELT - Social, Political, Economic, Legal, and Technological perspectives on the topic at hand. Each of these aspects of the topic can be examined as needed.

The Group Exercise is a variation of the GD (GE). GE is generally preferred by business schools such as SCMHRD and MICA. Instead of being assigned a topic to discuss, the group is assigned a task to complete together. The moderator observes and evaluates each candidate's role in completing the task. The preparation tips (b) and (c) mentioned above will be useful for Group Exercises.