CAT PI in IIMs: Weightage of PI in IIMs and Preparation Tips

Q: Ques: On what basis do candidates are shortlisted for WAT/GD in IIMs?

Ans: Depending upon the candidates performance in CAT exam, IIMs shortlists the candidates for WAT and GD

CAT PI in IIMs: Weightage of PI in IIMs and Preparation Tips

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CAT PI round i.e. Personal Interview round will be conducted by all the IIMs as a part of the selection process. The weightage of PI rounds varies from institute to institute. In IIM Kozhikode, the weightage of PI is 44 and in IIM Calcutta it is 48. Read More IIM Shortlist and Admission

IIMs have already scrapped GD i.e. Gripu Discussion round and replaced it with WAT i.e. Written Ability Test. But due to COVID-19 most of IIMs have scrapped WAT also. Read More WAT in IIMs
After appearing for WAT, candidates will have to appear for PI to make it to the final list of admission.
PI round is conducted to judge the personality characteristics. CAT Personal Interview involves the candidate being asked a few questions by a panel of eminent judges.

Table of Contents

How to Prepare for CAT GD-PI
CAT Group Discussion
2.1 CAT Group Discussion Preparation
2.2 CAT Group Discussion Topics
2.3 CAT GD Important Topics for 2021>
CAT Personal Interview Preparation
IIM Bangalore GD WAT PI Experience
4.1 IIM Bangalore Personal Interview Questions
CAT GD-PI Preparation Books
CAT GD PI Preparation FAQ’s

Must Read:

CAT PI in IIMs: Weightage of PI in Selection Process

Institute	Weightage
IIM Bangalore	30
IIM Calcutta	48
IIM Lucknow	40
IIM Ahmedabad	Formula will be used
IIM Trichy	25
IIM Indore	Formula will be used
IIM Sirmaur	30
IIM Jammu	30
IIM Rohtak	20
IIM Ranchi	30
IIM Amritsar	25
IIM Visakhapatnam	25
IIM Raipur	35
IIM Udaipur	15
IIM Kashipur	25
IIM Kozhikode	44
IIM Bodh Gaya	20 (If WAT is not conducted then 30)

Quick Links:

CAT 2022 Cut off	CAT Score vs Percentile	CAT 2022 Answer Key	CAT Question Paper	CAT 2022 Cut off for IITs

CAT PI Preparation

CAT Personal Interview Preparation

CAT Personal Interview will consist of a panel of judges asking questions to the candidate based on their profile and cross questioning them based on their answers.
Improve confidence and improve your presentation skills. Candidates have to make sure that they appear confident in their answers.
One way to improve confidence is to know what you are talking about. Candidates will mostly be asked questions about themselves, such as why did they choose their major and so on. So it is a question of how they will present their answers.
Most of the candidates are asked to say something about yourself. This is one of the most basic questions and candidates must have an effective answer beforehand.
The questions asked in the personal interview stage are largely unpredictable as the panel of judges will be different in every CAT Participating IIM, and they will vary year by year as well.
Therefore, it is prudent for the candidate to be well read and aware of a large number of latest occurrences in current affairs, politics, business, economy and so on.
Candidates can also potentially be asked questions about politics. Therefore, if you feel you have a very polarising or controversial answer, present it in a palatable way.
If candidates have work experience they will be asked about their experience with the previous employer. It is important to not speak of them negatively.
Do not be flustered if asked a strange or abstract question. Be mentally prepared to answer strange questions such as “Sing a Song” or “Recruitment for ISIS” and so on.

Particulars	Details
Right Approach in Interview	Do not panic. Answer the questions only if your know the answers. Do not speak lie this will you will lose track of the question.
Judgment	Panel is there to judge you based on your answers and personality. Stay calm and be optimistic as the interviewers are observing you.

IIM BLR GD WAT PI Exp

IIM Bangalore Personal Interview Questions

The panel asked the candidate the following questions:

Tell us about the production facilities of Maruti
What was the issue in the Gujarat plant?
What is a wiring harness?
What do you design?
Which is safer, a heavy car Or lighter car?
Which is a more stable, short height or low height man?
Volkswagen diesel scandal - Candidate went too much into detail.
Opinion on Sharapova drug abuse case
Discussion about had Serena Williams had done the same thing
Discussion on Tiger Woods and Shane Warne Affairs

Must Read:

CAT GD-PI Prep Books

CAT GD-PI Preparation Books

Subject	Name of Book
A Complete Kit for Group Discussion	S. Hundiwala
Group Discussion on Current Topics	P. N. Joshi
Master the Group Discussion & Personal Interview: Complete Discussion on the topics asked by reputed B-schools & IIMs	Sheetal Desarda
Mastering Interviews And Group Discussions 4ed (Pb 2018)	Mathur D
Group Discussions And Interviews	Anand Ganguly & RPH Editorial Board
Group Discussion: More Than 100 Topics Covered	Universal
Complete Start-to-Finish MBA Admissions Guide	Jeremy Shinewald
How to Interview Like a Top MBA: Job-Winning Strategies From Headhunters, Fortune 100 Recruiters, and Career Counselors	Shel Leanne
How to Develop Self-Confidence & Influence People By Public Speaking	Dale Carnegie
Marketing Chronicles: A Compendium of Global and Local Marketing Insights From the Pre-Smartphone and Post-Smartphone Eras	Nimish V. Dwivedi
Universal Interview And Group Discussion Book	Manoj kumar sharma

CAT Group Discussion

What is Gropu Discussion? In CAT Group Discussion, candidates will be split into groups of 8-10, and this group is given a topic based on which they have to have a sustained discussion for 12 to 15 minutes. Candidates will be judged based on their leadership skills, mediation, vision, decision-making skills, and so on.

CAT Group Discussion Preparation

Leadership Skills: Candidates have to make sure that they work on their leadership skills properly. If the candidate is not used to taking charge of the situation, it reflects poorly on the candidate. Work on effectively leading the conversation (not dominating the conversation). Pay attention to the discussion and add your points when necessary.
Personal Grooming: Candidates have to make sure they dress professionally. How you look reflects greatly on how you are perceived, and candidates that dress well are generally well received. Work the inherent biases in your favor. Do not wear anything too gaudy or too simple. A well ironed shirt with a pair of pants is good enough. Make sure the fitting is correct, that is not too loose or too tight.
Work on your Body Language: Express open Body Language, as it makes people more receptive towards you. Do not fold your arms or put your arms back as it makes you appear closed off or reserved. Maintain eye contact with other individuals but do not stare. Do not appear too relaxed either, maintain professional decorum at all times.
Listening Skills: This is one of the most crucial areas which most candidates ignore while preparing for the group discussion stage. Candidates have to be excellent listeners to be effective leaders. Acknowledging some good points that the other candidates have made adds credence to your argument/point, and also improves cohesiveness in the group. To improve in this aspect, candidates have to practise, be non judgemental, leave their opinions aside, exercise empathy and, most importantly, pay attention.

Particulars	Details
How to Approach in GD?	GD is not about how much you know about an issue but it is about how you put forward your views. Perspective on an issue will be judged. Represent your views with a firm opinion.
Analyse your Topic	Analyse the topic first. Make bullet points in your mind so that it becomes easy for your to express them. Flow of your ideas and opinions should not be negative.

CAT Group Discussion Topics

Here are some commonly asked topics in CAT GD along with potential topics:

Previously Asked Topics
Topic	IIM Branch
Case Study on Maggi Controversy	IIM Ahmedabad
Comment on the decision of TRAI to ban Free Basics	IIM Bangalore
Terrorism being a subject of monetary aspects and not of religion.	IIM Kozhikode

CAT GD Important Topics for 2022

Farmers Protest - Reforms in Farm Laws	COVID-19 Pandemic and effect on Businesses
Reddit vs Wall Street	Effect of Banning Cryptocurrency on Indian Economy
Union Budget 2022	Rising Petrol Prices
National Education Policy 2021	Indian Bank Scams
Privatization of Public Institutions	Social Media in 2022
Reforms in Digital Media, Social Media - Regulation of OTT Platforms	Data Privacy and its importance

Must Read News

Frequently Asked Questions

CAT PI in IIMs FAQ’s

Ques. What are the different types of questions asked in CAT PI round?

Ans. Different types of questions that might be asked in the PI round are:

Which is safer, a heavy car Or lighter car?
Which is a more stable, short height or low height man?
Volkswagen diesel scandal - Candidate went too much into detail.
Opinion on Sharapova drug abuse case

Ques: How should I prepare for the GK section for MBA entrance exams?

Ans: Do not invest a lot of time in GK, because it will give you very little output. Study the most important topics like sports - Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Sports awards, National sports awards, International Sports Awards, Banking terms and their changes and banking news, Noble, Oscar, National Awards, and Gallantry Awards, etc. business news, mergers and acquisitions, and new products, civics.

Ques. How to conclude a GD?

Ans. Concluding a GD should be with summarisation of all the points discussed in a Group Discussion, in a nutshell.

While concluding a GD, avoid raising new points.
Do not emphasise on your individual viewpoint while summarising a GD.
Keep the conclusion of a GD concise.

Ques: Which IIM offers a maximum number of sears?

Ans: Though the number of seats offered by the IIMs may vary but depend upon the analysis, IIMs offering maximum seats into its management program are listed below:

IIM Ahmedabad
IIM Bangalore
IIM Calcutta
IIM Lucknow
IIM Indore

Ques: On what basis do candidates are shortlisted for WAT/GD in IIMs?

Ans: Depending upon the candidate’s performance in CAT exam, IIMs shortlists the candidates for WAT and GD

CAT 2024 : 314 Answered QuestionsView All

• Top Answer By Ankit Sinha on 17-Nov-2022

Ans. Before taking any decision, you must go through all three options that you have in great detail. There are a few reasons why you should not go for IIM-Kozhikode. First, the fees are extremely high, estimated to be around Rs 19.00 lakh. Second, the average package offered at IIMK is around 16-17L, and you will earn more than that after two years. But, once again, if you are desperate for an MBA, you can enroll in IIMK, which comes with the 'IIM' label, which will be very useful in the long run. Give CAT once more. You only need to get a high CAT score and then leave the rest up to their selection process. Second, CAT is extremely unpredictable. With proper preparation, you can achieve excellent results. So, if you're willing to work another year and are confident enough to take the CAT, this is the perfect way to take it. You should look into PGPX from ISB or elsewhere. This option is appealing, but it requires hard work and careful consideration. If you enjoy working in IT and want to advance quickly, this is the path to take. Read more

2 Answers

• Top Answer By Orchid Chowdhury on 07-Dec-2021

Ans. Every IIMS and other management colleges make a shortlist based on the percentile after CAT result is declared. With percentile, IIMs also consider other factors like academics, category, gender factor, diversity, etc. The list is made for the second round i.e. GD/PI or WAT/PI. GD/WAT will have a generic topic. There can be a topic from current affairs. PI is taken by some of the faculty and alumni of the institute. In institutes like FMS, there is an extempore after PI. After these rounds, a final shortlist is made with weightage given to GD/PI or WAT/PI performance and CAT percentile. Individual IIMs also have some additional factors. The offer letters are then sent out to top candidates in each category up to the maximum number of seats. The rest candidates are waitlisted. As students choose admissions, the waitlist continues to change. Read more

1 Answer

• Top Answer By Aditya Mahatha on 06-Jan-2023

Ans. I know this decision is a bit difficult to make. What you need to keep in mind is that these two colleges should not be compared to other great IIMs or even ISBs. Those B Schools are at another level and cannot be on par with Kashipur or Raipur. To facilitate a better decision, I will mention the circumstances of these B Schools then you can choose after considering all options. IIM Indore and IIM Kashipur: Both these colleges are not worth a year drop as they will help you earn only an extra 1.5-2 LPA. Moreover, in the coming years, Kashipur and Raipur will have almost the same brand value as that Indore and Kozhikode. IIM Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Lucknow and Bangalore: All these top IIMs are definitely worth a year's drop provided that you are confident enough to cope with the cutoff. All these IIMs consider your academics while selecting so if that is your reason for the year drop I don’t think it will help. There is no surety of admission even after a percentile of 100. ISB: This one is at a whole different level and is in the category of elite B Schools like UCB, NYU, HBS, etc. The top-notch faculty offers amazing pedagogy at relatively low fees. CAT is sufficient for IIMs. But if you want to go for ISB, a work experience of 4+ years and a GMAT are a must. Read more

1 Answer

• Top Answer By Surbhi Mishra on 08-Jul-2022

Ans. IIMs shortlists students for admission based on their CAT score. The second step of selection is GD-PI. For final selection, students are usually shortlisted based on their past academic performance, entrance examination score, and performance in GD-PI. IIMs also consider other factors such as work experience, gender diversity, academic diversity, etc. while shortlisting students. Weights given to these factors are different for different IIMs. Having relevant work experience can certainly help you get a shortlist. Read more

2 Answers

• Top Answer By Ahana Mishra on 29-Nov-2022

Ans. Everyone knows that IIM A values diversity over grades. There have been students who were not even waitlisted at IIM K but were at IIM A due to their extremely unique profiles. If you want to build a profile for IIM A, strive for originality. Do something that no one else is doing, such as starting a blog, having a strong digital presence on Instagram, writing on Quora, and so on. Consider what students with a 99 percentile typically do, such as being brilliant in academics and receiving a call from IIM Ahmedabad. Choose a domain in which these students are unlikely to excel and excel in that domain. Furthermore, activities such as writing a blog or hosting a YouTube channel will undoubtedly help you, in the long run, to secure summer and final placements during your MBA. As a result, you will gain valuable insights and hands-on experience with various social media tools such as SEO, SEM, Analytics, and so on. Read more

2 Answers

• Top Answer By Abhiraj Mahera on 21-Apr-2022

Ans. If you are aiming for old IIMs such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, you will need to score above 99 percentile in CAT. For IIMs and other top-tier B-Schools in India, the CAT cutoff stays above 90 percentile. If you have a good profile, and 99+ CAT score, you can expect to get calls from old IIMs, XLRI, JBIMS, IIFT, FMS, etc. Read more

2 Answers

• Top Answer By Trisha Dasgupta on 21-Apr-2022

Ans. Here are some of the things that you will realize after appearing for the CAT examination. Spend the first few minutes going over the papers before diving in. Browse through the problems and start with the ones that you know you can solve in one go. CAT prioritizes solving not sequence. If you aren’t sure about an answer, leave it. Concentrate on other problems. You shouldn’t spend more than 2-3 minutes on a single problem. Don’t use the elimination method, if you can solve the problem in less than 1 minute. Do rough work thoroughly. Don’t answer any questions, just by guessing. There will be a few lengthy questions. Try to ignore these. Even CAT toppers don’t score the full marks. CAT doesn’t test your knowledge. The only thing matters are how much you score. So, try to attempt as many questions as you can correctly. Read more

2 Answers

• Top Answer By Arushi Sinha on 04-Sep-2022

Ans. You need to practice a lot in order to be able to solve Quantitative Aptitude in the CAT examination. Quants involve using mathematical ability as well as imagination. You need to memorize some concepts as well as formulas. CAT syllabus for Quants includes a lot of topics that we have studied in 9th and 10th and only the application is different for topics such as PNC & Algebra, Numbers, etc. Most important topics in terms of weightage are as follows. Arithmetic Algebra Geometry Numbers P&C, Series, Log Several chapters are easy and can be completed in a short period of time. You should start your preparation with numbers, it is the base for the quants topics. Once you are a clear knowledge of the topics, start giving time-based mocks. Analyze the mocks and work on the common mistakes that you made. Read more

2 Answers

• Top Answer By Rajashree Mukharjee on 27-Apr-2022

Ans. Yes, average students can crack CAT. Students who get through CAT at one go, have the right aptitude for CAT, which was built over time. They have been practicing Maths right from their school days and have been avid readers. If you are average at your studies, you need to spend a lot of time practicing, in order to score good percentile in CAT. Most students usually have gaps in Maths or DILR or English. You need to put in the extra hours to bridge the gap. Find out the subjects in which you are weak, clear the basics, and practice as much as you can. Read more

2 Answers

• Top Answer By Sohini Gupta on 27-Apr-2022

Ans. Take a look at the below table to know what CAT score will fetch what CAT percentile, for 2022. Percentile Score VA-RC Score DI-LR Score QA Overall Score 90% 29 1 26 72 95% 32 20 29 81 In 2021, for 90 percentile the required score was 59 and for 95 percentile the required score was 72. Read more

2 Answers

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College

Table of Contents

CAT PI in IIMs: Weightage of PI in Selection Process

CAT Personal Interview Preparation

IIM Bangalore Personal Interview Questions

CAT GD-PI Preparation Books