What-is-the-secret-to-crack-GD-PI-at-top-Indian-B-schools

Avinash Maurya, conducts GD/PI courses
66 upvotes by Rachit Sharma, Chaitanya Raskar, Gourav Upadhyaya, (more)
Let us clear out some misnomers. If you have reached the group
discussion and interview level of testing, it is hardly ever one bad
quality in you that will result in an interviewer rejecting you. There
might have been many others who could have been at your place. But
they are not. You are selected because you are better than thousands
of people who appeared for the exam. So, it can never be only your
academics or only lack of confidence due to stammering or any other
reason.

There are many aspects (apparent or subtle) of your overall
personality that are tested in GD-PI. The secrets to crack GD-PI are
1. Knowing what are those aspects of your personality that are tested, and
2. Honing those aspects.

What are the aspects of the your personality that are tested?
Not many people know an clear answer to this question and hence lose
their direction to any kind of practice they do. Following is the
list of essential points on which every candidate is tested during
GD-PI rounds.


This is the kind of evaluation sheet an interviewer holds in his/her
hand when they are judging you neither amongst a group of people or
solo. This is of course not to say that your history as a student
doesn't matter. But when you are in a GD-PI round in a top B-School,
you are competing with equals. Every one will have grades to show-off
and certificates in extra curricular would be dime a dozen. It will
eventually come down to these above mentioned aspects in you that will
separate you from others.

How do you get better at these aspects?
There are no shortcuts. Only through relentless practice can one get
better at all these aspects. The good news is that no one is born with
all these aspects. Everyone has to acquire these traits. Now, the only
difference is some will take it seriously and some not. Few take is
seriously and those few are ultimately selected.

Read more:
My answer to MBA Preparation: How should you make your points in a
group discussion?
Download free ebook on GD from All About Group Discussion(GD) - Online
Preparation for MBA exams
Download my last minute GD Tips Android Apps on Google Play

Updated 8 Jul, 2014.
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Srini Kasturi, Why so curious.
7 upvotes by P.Ravi Shankar, Swarnaprakash Anandan, Saloni Agarwal, (more)
1. Honesty. If you're being honest, you won't be nervous, and you'll
be showcasing the real you.
2. Manners. Don't be abrasive, don't interrupt others. Don't raise
your voice. If you're interrupted, nicely request to be allowed to
finish.
3. Focus. In your excitement to get a word in, don't go off topic.
Bring the group back if they are going off topic.
4. Emotional intelligence. Don't get in a pissing contest with anyone.
If there's one going on already, try to resolve it amicably so the
whole team can move on.

Be yourself. Don't pretend to be something you're not, and don't let
anyone drag you down to their level.

Oh, and reading through some of the other answers - Don't be ruthless
over anything. It demonstrates a severe lack of emotional
intelligence, and it just tells the prof you'll be a guaranteed prick
in class. And recruiters aren't looking to hire pricks either.

The first thing I was told in my IIMB welcome session was that all
this was, was an opportunity. It was not success. Far from it. Make of
it what you will. It is in your hands. I took that to heart, and look
at everything in life like that.

The first thing I was told when I joined banking after the PGDM was:
We like focused and ambitious people, but if that involves leaving a
pile of dead bodies behind you, you'd better go somewhere else. It is
something I remember, and have found to be true in every organisation
I have worked for. People, not mercenaries, build organisations.

Written 20 May, 2013. Asked to answer by Anonymous.
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Vishnu Kumawat, Editor in chief at www.campusc... (more)
1 upvote by Swetha Gade.
You should go through this article What are your chances to get into
top 6 IIMs, FMS, NITIE

Written 6 Jan, 2014.
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Alok Mangal, Co-founder and CEO, getyourmba.in
I think you'll find this blog post helpful - IIM Admission Interviews
- some myths, some truths and some advice - Part I by Alok Mangal on
getyourMBA Admissions Blog

Written 26 Apr, 2014.
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Aman Verma, CAT '15 Aspirant
3 upvotes by Nikhil Krishnan, Swarnaprakash Anandan, and Saloni Agarwal.
As far as I understand there is no secret to crack GD-PI(read as
improve communication skills ).As students, when we went school we
often disregarded one subject "english"and shy away from any public
speaking opportunities.Cram our ways through this subject just a day
before Page on Exam this process we unknowingly make a dire mistake.

Now,you cannot just sleep at night wishing for secret to crack GD-PI
at top Indian B-schools and wake up with great public speaking skills
next morning.
In all of life there are sequential of growth and development.A child
learns to turn over,to sit up, to crawl and then to walk and run.
No step should be missed.
On 10-point scale, if i am at level two in any field and wish to be at
level five, I must first take step to level three.

1 STEP: Start reading. Read as much as you can. If reading is new to
you start with Chetan Bhagat and then jump on to best
sellers.Newspaper is must, I find it boring so I start with HT City.

STEP 2: Start conversing in english. Don't be scared that you would
be laughed upon. Now how I do it, I with my friends started a small
group in our college hostel where we would talk just in english and no
one laughs.Next as I spent lot of my time talking to my girlfriend I
try talk to her in English. She loves to correct me I love to be
corrected.

Follow this up by watching English SITCOMS everyday(Use Subtitles),
this help you better your conversation.

STEP 3: Start writing, as most colleges prefer WAT over GD now days it
will be of twice the benefit. Best place to QUORA. Start with one
liners and then move on.

STEP 4: Start with Public Speaking. The best platform for this would
be TOASTMASTER. Now, what actually is toastmasters ...?

For that go through the following links..
What is Toastmasters like?
What do people learn from Toastmasters?
Overall how has your experience been as a member of ToastMasters?
Toastmasters International: Is joining Toast Masters worth it?

official website
Toastmasters International - Home
wiki
Toastmasters International
youtube
Toastmasters

Written 8 Oct, 2013.
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Anonymous
1 upvote by Nehanjali Srinivasan.
I would elaborate on my preparations for the IIM A interview preparation:

Profile: Female, work ex 24 months in development consulting, engineer
from non-IIT college, CAT percentile: 99.89.

I was in a full-time job when I got a call for IIM A interview
(GD/PI/WAT). Owing to this, I had very little time to devote for a
dedicated preparation. However, I sorted my priorities. To begin with,
I partied tirelessly with my friends in Delhi for a week after CAT
results were announced. I had worked hard for the test and I so needed
to unwind. Post gaining ground, I started asking myself questions that
made me take my professional decisions: why engineering, why MBA, why
development consulting and not a core engineering job etc...I also
researched throroughly about latest developments in my sector. In
fact, I had set Google Alerts to keep me on the same page as industry
experts. As a female candidate, I also had the onus to look
presentable, hence I made it a point to workout daily. A good looking
person does attract your first glance irrespective of what follows. A
good start never hurts.

Also, I read a lot of content online related to my hobby: pet animals
and aromatherapy. Discussions on Pagalguy also came handy in being
composed when the death knell is struck.

Best of luck!

Written 21 Dec.
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Anonymous
There are no secrets. Just plain logic.

Read stories of how others cracked it and absorb anything you can that
is relevant to you. I've read some interesting stories at MBAs
andManagementParadise.com - Management Study Guide

Written 20 Jan.
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Rajan Singh Sisoudia, Reconciliation specialist,MBA-... (more)
1.Develop habit of reading as much as you can.

2.Enhance your word power

3.Read news paper

4. Listen to Debate on Different channels.

Written 22 Jan, 2014.
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Gautam Sibal, Wanderer
GD- Make sense of nonsense in the most ruthless disciplined manner.

PI- don't act over smart and acknowledge the lack of knowledge.

Written 15 May, 2013.


Source -- Quora