It is that time of the year when many MBA aspirants wait anxiously to receive a call letter from their dream college/s. As soon as CAT results are declared, aspirants commence prepping for the second and the most crucial stage. The admission process of all management institutes consists of two stages: the national-level entrance exam and the WAT/GD-PI stage.

Since the final selection depends upon the performance of the 2nd stage, candidates keep looking for the best tips to prepare for GD and PI. The day of GD-PI stage nearing upon candidates and here is a compilation of tips from students who made into two very prestigious business schools of India- FMS Delhi and XLRI Jamshedpur. These tips will help you refine your methods and also prove to be a value addition for your GD-PI rounds.

Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) Delhi

The Faculty of Management Studies in New Delhi is one of the oldest and most exceptional management institutes in India. FMS Delhi is known for providing the best ROI of all MBA colleges in the country. It is also not very easy to get into FMS as the cut-off for the shortlist usually remains high at CAT Percentile of 98.

Nearly 2,000 candidates receive a call letter from FMS Delhi to attend the GD-PI and Extempore round but only a few hundred students manage to get into the prestigious B-school. Let us read some tips on how to ace the GD-PI round of FMS or any other MBA college.

Group Discussion (GD) Tips

• All students encouraged the aspirants to be thorough with the events of recent national and international importance.
• Another common tip for candidates is that they should structure basic arguments and then put a point forth in the discussion.
• Listening is very important in any Group Discussion.
• Kumar Ravi- Candidates should try to guide the discussion. The group should reach a common agreement point.
• Rezvin Basheer- Do not rush to start the GD to get brownie points. Be a good listener, maintain a good posture. Do not put much jargon.
• Rahul Philip- It is good to quote facts. The knowledge of Current Affairs can help the candidates to state figures.

Extempore Tips

Leena Kiro, an FMS student, advised candidates to be thorough with their backgrounds as the extempore topic is generally based on an applicant’s profile. Adding to that, she recommends all candidates to express their points as clearly as possible.

Thanmay Krishna remarks that the Extempore round is a good opportunity for an applicant to shine. Talking about the process, Thanmay points that a candidate is usually given a topic of national importance/business/current affairs on which he/she gets 60-90 seconds to speak. His advice to candidates for acing extempore: Be thorough with current affairs and present crisp points.

Rezvin Basheer remarks that the extempore topics could also be abstract. He advises everybody to be thorough with your CV. His advice is to be as genuine as possible and avoid bluffing completely.

Kumar Ravi recommends the applicants to have a clear mind and present articulate thoughts.

Personal Interview Tips

All FMS students pointed out the following:

• Be confident while answering questions.
• Present composed thoughts and arguments instead of rushing an answer.
• Be honest with your answers.
• Be thorough with your technical (academic), business, and general knowledge.
• Practice a lot for interviews. It will help you to gain confidence.
• Keep up with Current Affairs.
• Understand your life choices. Know why you want to pursue an MBA.

XLRI – Xavier School of Management (formerly Xavier Labor Relations Institute) Jamshedpur

The XLRI-XMS is another premier management institute of the country. CAT scores are not accepted for admission in XLRI. The B-school conducts another popular management entrance test- XAT or Xavier Aptitude Test.

The XAT is regarded by many MBA aspirants and experts to be the toughest MBA exam in India. The cut-offs for XLRI programmes are usually very high and only a handful of students are shortlisted for the GD-PI round of XLRI. Let’s look at the XLRI topper tips compilation for the GD-PI stage.

GD Tips

• Take your time to present your points.
• Always present well-thought points instead of rushing into the discussion.
• Never cut anybody’s points in the middle of their argument. Always wait for the other person to finish.
• Always maintain eye contact with every candidate of your group.
• Be a good listener.

PI Tips

• Maintaining a good body language is important for PI.
• Practice for PI by rehearsing in front of the mirror.
• Give your perspective and reasons while answering the ‘Why MBA’ question. Be genuine in your reply to what drove you to pursue an MBA.
• Re-read your subjects and topics of undergraduate studies.
• Be your natural self. Do not makeup stories on the spot.
• Site the experiences where you have portrayed managerial skills or leadership skills.
• Give a proper and genuine justification for a gap year.
• Ask for clarification if you are having doubts regarding a question.
• Body Language: Make sure your shoulders are laid back. Sit straight and maintain eye contact with all the panellists.
• Smiling is important in a PI. Your replies should be polite and accompanied with a smile.
• Be well dressed: Girls should wear either formal or ethnic attire. Boys should always wear formal suits.

Source for topper tips transcript

FMS: Jagran Josh, Youtube

XLRI: XLRI official Youtube Channel