Dear Readers,
Over
the last few years, essay writing (also known as Written Ability Test) has gained prominence and become a part of the selection procedure
of some IIMs and a number of other MBA institutes. This makes it vital to
understand how to approach and attempt this task.
Written Ability Test (WAT) typically
consists of a generic topic or a brief paragraph on which the candidate is
required to write 300-400 words. There is no set pattern or genre for the
question – it could be a situation analysis question or a multi-level task. It
is, therefore, important that the candidate be prepared for anything and knows
how to use a specific method to tackle the question, regardless of the
question.
Why
is WAT important?
·
WAT is a crucial step for the
selection procedure because it provides an equitable platform to MBA aspirants
and an appropriate medium to show their communication skills. Older methods,
like Group Discussion (GD), have proven to be less fruitful in analysing a
candidate’s abilities.
·
This changed had to be
introduced as the selectors were unable to give much attention to candidates
because despite assigning a specific duration to each candidate.
·
A Personal Interview (PI) is
still mandatory. so the combination of WAT and PI has become the most efficient
test for the interviewers.
·
WAT is especially important in
examining a candidate’s abilities because one has to express the in a cogent
manner in a certain time limit.
·
It lets the selectors test the
candidate extensively on three criteria:
(i) Knowledge – The topics
of WAT can vary from current affairs to socio-political-economic issues to
historical incidents to abstract issues.
(ii) Approach – This is
essentially how you structure the arguments and what devices you use to
substantiate them.
(iii) Ability of expression
– This is a big challenge because one has to express as much as possible while
adhering to a word and time limit. It tests how one examines various
perspectives from a neutral point of view and then reaches a logical
conclusion.
Possible
Topics and Categories
· Current Affairs: This may include topics
pertaining to burning national or international events. This also covers those
subjects which have been in the news for quite a while. Therefore, it becomes
important that you keep track of various issues and be aware of things that are
happening around you.
· Generic Issues: This category is a
little different from the first one as it is more about social, political, or
economic matters. Since the range of this category is vast, these topics may
often induce an opinion and demand you to adopt a stand on an issue. For example,
topics such as “Are nuclear families better or not?” need you to clarify your
stands. In such cases, one must offer different perspectives of the topic with
ample anecdotes and then present a well-drawn conclusion.
· Case Study: More suited for GDs, this
type of topics usually requires the whole group to present a synopsis of the
issue or the problem given. When converted into WAT, it may require the
candidate to analyse the topic from various viewpoints and then come up with a logical
solution.
· Abstract Statements: These are open-ended
topics. A simplistic statement is given as the topic. It tests the candidate’s
ability to weigh an elementary idea in as many lights as possible, thus examining
creativity. This type of topics have immense scope as different people can view
the same phrase in different dimensions.
Topics
from Previous Years
These are some of the topics from the WATs
of last few years.
·
“Many Bollywood movies grossed
over 100 crores in 2014. It was a golden year for Bollywood.” Analyse the
statements.
·
Ancient Indian scientists
haven’t received due recognition. According to ancient scriptures, Indian
scientists had developed aviation technology long ago. But the Wright Brothers
are unduly credited with the invention of the airplane. Analyse.
·
Case Study: Entrepreneurship in
India.
·
Case Study based GD: Village
has all amenities, crop failure, loan on cash, minister help. What as farmers
could be done?
·
How would you control farmer
suicides?
·
Sensationalism in media should
be censored.
·
FDIs in Educational Institutes.
·
The educational system is
quelling creativity in Indian children.
·
Reasons for disproportionately
lo number of women in top managerial positions, and how this issue can be
solved.
·
Privacy Intrusion versus
Surveillance.
·
Give your views on book
launches, social hype around books and bestselling novels.
·
Case studies suggest that
enrolment is increasing in Indian schools and that India ranks 2nd
from bottom in reading and mathematical abilities. How would you explain the
contribution of B-schools?
·
Is privatization the only way
to bring down the real prices in the power and electricity industry?
·
“The true essence of democracy
can be judged by a ten-minute conversation with a voter.” – Winston Churchill.
How
to approach WAT?
Different institutes give anywhere between
10 and 30 minutes for WAT. In some institutes, like IIM Lucknow, only 15
minutes are given to write 200-plus words. IIM-Bangalore, on the other hand,
asks the examinees to write close to 400 words in 30 minutes. You should keep
the following in mind while approaching essay writing:
·
Ideally, there should be a
logical analysis of the topic and a meaningful conclusion should follow. Both
of these should fit well together and not look like disjoint entities.
·
Your content will vary as per
the topic but following a set structure helps as you then only need to worry
about the content and not the form.
·
Before starting the answer, you
should make a rough outline of all the points. This will help in creating the
flow for your essay. While jotting down the broad pointers, if you leave one
line between two consecutive points, it will be easier for you to add or
eliminate points as you go ahead.
·
Since you cannot predict the
genre of the topic, it is important to have a particular structure prepared.
Structure
for an Essay
An ideal essay consists of three parts –
introduction, main body and conclusion.
· Introduction: The first paragraph should
be devoted to the introduction. You should try to open it with an eye-catching
element – a relevant fact, statistical figure(s), quotation, anecdote or
definition. After the first two or three lines, the premise or the basic idea
should be touched upon. This will provide flow to the whole essay and a link to
the main body.
· Main Body: Once your introduction is
done properly, you will get a strong basis to write the whole essay upon. This
part involves building upon the premise and supporting it with relevant ideas,
concepts and, if needed, contrary perspectives. You should expand on the core
points and a thorough, however brief, explanation of each should follow. Since
you have limited time and words, incomplete or irrelevant points should be
avoided. It is important to provide a logical flow to connect consecutive
paragraphs, and only then you can do justice to both the word limit and the
topic. Depending upon the genre and the vastness of the topic, the structure of
the main body should be altered.
· Conclusion: This is the final test for
your essay. It should be ensured that all the broad points are used and cited
here. A conclusion is essentially the summary of your essay but to make your
answer stand out, you can weigh the different viewpoints and present the ones
which are stronger. It should touch upon all the core points and bind the whole
text together by logic because otherwise, it will look unhinged.
·
Reserve the last few minutes to
recheck for any grammatical, semantic or syntactic errors. Make the necessary
modifications and then submit your final draft.
Final
Tips for WAT
· Cultivate a habit of writing: In today’s
gadget-centric era, most people have lost the habit of traditional pen-paper
writing. Thus, instead of practising on your tablet or PC, it is ideal to make
a separate notebook and practise the essay questions in it.
· Make a rough outline before writing: You
should refrain from directly attempting the question in fair form. It is better
to make a rough outline and structure of your essay and then expanding on each
of the elementary point.
· Structure should be strong: As mentioned
above, divide your essay into the three broad parts – introduction, main body
and conclusion. Following a structure as basic as this actually comes in handy
when you are attempting the WAT.
· Use Simple Language: Focus on making
your language simple yet unconventional. Refrain from using highly technical
vocabulary and stick to the basics. Long and complex sentences should also be
avoided as they make the essay monotonous.
· Proof-read in the end: Make sure to keep
the last few minutes reserved for revising and proof-reading. It is better to
improve upon your essay than to devote those last minutes in making it longer. Plus,
this way you can make important modifications and check for any errors.
These are the primary points to be
remembered while attempting the Written Ability Test for MBA exams. If you can
understand these well, you can easily ace it.
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