Written Ability Test (WAT) for IIMs and Other Top MBA Colleges

Written Ability Test (WAT) for IIMs

New Delhi: The Written Ability Test, often known as WAT, is a pen-and-paper test used to assess a candidate's writing abilities during the MBA admissions process in India, particularly during the IIM selection process.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) candidate's writing skills are evaluated during the WAT phase, which lasts about 10-15 minutes and is part of the IIM Selection Process.

The WAT is an important step in the admission process for MBA programmes at Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) and colleges like the Xavier School of Management and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT).

Even while not all MBA programmes in the country provide it, the majority of India's top business schools offer MBA Admission. The WAT has largely replaced the Group Discussion in the selection process at the IIMs and many other B-Schools.

While several top MBA schools in India have adopted a similar strategy, others have included the WAT and GD as part of their admissions procedure.

Since the WAT topic is disclosed to candidates only before their test is conducted, their round may appear to be a little challenging, but WAT is simple to pass if you have a solid understanding of current events. The WAT paper may contain objective statements that ask the candidates to appropriately describe and present their viewpoints.

Hence, the article illustrates some of the most typical WAT topics in IIMs and other MBA programmes, as well as some of the top tips for acing WAT.

MBA Admission 2023: Important Dates

Tabulated below are the important dates regarding MBA admissions in India.

WAT 2023: How to Answer Questions?

The descriptive type of answers for WAT can be written in an opinionated manner, much like a column or an article, rather than having to be written as a piece of news. However, it includes the fundamental components of journalistic report writing, also referred to as the 5Ws and 1H, as well as the "Mode of Persuasion," which is discussed below.

WAT 2023 Tips - 5Ws & 1H To Keep in Mind

The 5Ws and 1H rule is praised as one of the key components of non-fiction writing, which can be divided into articles and columns, for creative writing. Who, When, Where, What, Why, and How are referred to as the 5W and 1H.

When developing a write-up on anything, these are the first "W-H" terms that occur to mind. If the student is assigned an article topic, he or she must go in-depth with the introduction, description, and consequences of the incident in the write-up. Asking these six questions, which include initials for 5Ws and 1H, greatly helps in making an article completely proof.

WAT 2023 Tips: Ways to Persuade

For 2023 MBA admissions in the top universities, the WAT's Mode of Persuasion section is a crucial component of success. Three components in the "Modes of Persuasion" are recognised for improving the effectiveness and allure of communication. The editorials and articles that appear in newspapers also include the 3 elements of the Modes of Persuasion.

The three elements are Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. In the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle's Rhetoric, where he discussed the various modes of communication that are still used in written and vocal communication, these three elements were originally mentioned as helpful for efficient communication. The following list of components is described:

Ethos

Ethos is referred to as the ability to convey to the audience a communicator's or writer's expert knowledge of a subject. The use of terms and outside references is possible. As the reader is aware that what he is reading is coming from a man of words, it fosters trust between the writer and the reader and raises the writing's overall trustworthiness.

Example: To appeal to the populace, a politician can offer instances from his personal experience as a social worker, soldier, teacher, or businessman in his speech. His experiences therefore give his speech credibility.

The Indian Medical Association claims that dust particles on your hands might cause diseases, so use our X handwash, according to commercial marketing for healthcare products. As a result, they increase audience trust by providing a reference.

Pathos

Assessing the reader's emotions is the subject of the "Pathos" aspect. In order to emotionally appeal to the audience, pathos incorporates emotional components. When a communicator or writer can appeal to the reader's emotions, curiosity is piqued and the text becomes very engaging.

Example: "Mahatma Gandhi himself was a soldier in war; he saw the suffering of humanity as a result of violence, which drove him to the road of non-violence to provide us a peaceful and safe future," for instance. The author uses Gandhi's nonviolent methods to illustrate the importance of his philosophies in the statement. As a result, the reader is psychologically impacted by Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolent methods for "Peace," "Security," etc. The writer uses the word ‘us’ to create a sense of emotional bonding between the reader and writer.

Logos

Like Ethos, Logos is used to boost credibility, however unlike Ethos, Logos bases its arguments on statistical evidence. To substantiate a claim, it provides numerical and statistical data from credible sources.

For instance, "Staying with India, between 15 and 29 million Indians perished from starvation in famines caused by the British. The Great Bengal Famine during World War II, in which 4 million people perished in Bengal as a result of Winston Churchill's purposeful diversion of food meant for Bengali civilians to hardy tummies and Europeans as reserve stores, is of course the most well-known example. This section was extracted from a speech given by MP Shashi Tharoor in Oxford, when he utilised statistics to illustrate the atrocities of the British Raj.

The use of numbers easily conveys the scale of the incident which the audience can easily connect with. This speech is a fantastic example of the usage of Logos.

WAT 2023: Preparation Tips

Preparation for the WAT is crucial for success, just like it is for every other step in the selection process. Candidates should allow adequate time to familiarise themselves with the WAT themes of IIMs because it is a crucial round for admission to top MBA programmes. Below are some of the top WAT preparation suggestions.

Create a habit of reading and everyday writing practise.
Read the news to keep informed about current events.
Set a time limit as you write, and then edit your work.
Keep in mind your audience when choosing a tone, too.
Use succinct sentences and straightforward terminology.
It is advantageous to generally keep a positive outlook when writing.
Write in paragraphs and try to keep each paragraph to one idea.
Try to make your flow more fluid. Your writing will automatically become ten times better as a result.

Topics for Current Events in WAT 2023

The subject of WAT 2023 at various institutions for MBA admissions 2023 will originate from recent current events. Students must maintain track of the most significant domestic and international events. But the majority of queries concern the nation's current events. We go over a few of the significant subjects that are likely to come up in the exam below:

Expected WAT Subjects for 2023 MBA Admissions

The WAT subjects that are expected to emerge in the MBA admissions process in 2023 are listed below. To perform well on this test, candidates must make sure they are current with news in a variety of areas, including business, the economics, politics, etc.

Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)
Impact of coronavirus on the economy
Coronavirus in India
India's fight with Coronavirus
Impact of coronavirus on the tourism industry
Is social distancing the new world order?
COVID-19 vaccine development
US Elections
Companies Amendment Bill
New farm laws
Data privacy of individuals
Atmanirbhar Bharat
Public health
Modicare
Indo-China relations
Cryptocurrency
Electric vehicles
Globalisation vs Nationalism
Indian vs Chinese goods
Climate change

WAT 2023 Topic: Why Dollar is Getting Expensive Compared to Rupees

Include the following pointers for a good write-up on the topic mentioned above:

Current account deficit
Global economic slowdown
Movement of capital
Acceptance of rupees outside India
Effect of new Indian economic policy
Government’s steps to tackle the issue

WAT 2023 Topic: Issues Over Article 370

Include the following points for a good write-up on the Issues of Article 370

Demographic importance of Kashmir
History of Article 370
Provisions of Article 370
Current amendments in Article 370
Aftermath - Communication shutdown in Kashmir
Aftermath - Curbing the voice of local leaders and local media
Indian Media vs Foreign Media - Contradictions over the Article 370 Amendment

WAT 2023 Topic: Effect of Industry 4.0

Include the following points for a good write-up on the Effect of Industry 4.0 on the MBA Education

What is Industry 4.0
Using the latest technology to shape industry 4.0 (AI, Big Data, Blockchain)
Using new trends for business stimulation
Differences between industry 4.0, 3.0, 2.0 and 1.0
MBA institutes adopting Industry 4.0 in the curriculum - steps taken
Focus on Sustainable Development
Government Policies
Criticism of the industry 4.0

WAT 2023 Topic: Cashless Economy - A Boon or Bane

Include the points given below for a good write-up on the Cashless Economy

What is Cashless Economy
What are the Cashless transaction methods
Government policies to promote cashless economy
Pros of cashless economy
Challenges of cashless economy in the Indian perspective
The success rate of the cashless economy in various countries
The benefit of the economy of India by cashless means

WAT 2023 Topic: Critical Analysis of India’s Current Union Budget

Include these points for writing about India's current union budget

Overview of the current Union Budget
The focus of the current Union Budget - Whom will it benefit?
The difference from the previous Union Budget
Criticism of the current Union Budget
Government’s take on the Union Budget
Opposition’s take on the Union Budget

WAT 2023 Topic: Privatisation of Government Sectors - A Critical Analysis

Include the following points for a good write-up on the Privatisation of Government Sectors

Reason behind privatizing
Sectors in India being privatized
What are the benefits of privatizing
What are the setbacks of privatizing
Criticism of privatizing public sectors - impact on the normal people
Criticism of the extreme liberal economy
Indian public companies in loss - the reason for the mismanagement behind

WAT 2023 Topic: Amazon Forest Fire - Who is to be Blamed?

Include the points given below for a good write-up on the Amazon Forest Fire

Forest fire in Amazon - reasons
The adverse impact of forest fires in the Amazon
Tribals accusing the government of letting oil companies inside the protected area
Legal fight of the tribals against the government
Steps taken to prevent amazon forest fire
Amazon rainforest's contribution in maintaining environmental balance

WAT 2023 Topic: Banking Sector Slowdown in India

Refer to the following points for a good write-up on the Banking Sector Slowdown

What does banking slowdown mean for the economy
Reasons behind banking slowdowns
Government policies to curb slowdown - Merging banks and privatisation
Only 1 Bank (Bandhan Bank) Reported High Profits - Case Study
Impact of Banking Slowdown on Economy

WAT 2023 Topic: Telecom Sector Distress in India

The following points have to be adhered to for a good write-up on the Telecom Centre Distress

A comparison of telecom service consumption over the years
Unequal market competition for telecom companies
Vodafone’s take on the Government of India for telecom distress
BSNL Dying - Natural or Poisoned?
Rise of Jio in the Telecom Market
Rapid changes in the TRAI Policies
Fines imposed on Telecom companies by the Supreme Court
Government steps to manage telecom industry distress
Possible solutions

WAT 2023 Topic: Cut in Corporate Taxes - Good or Bad?

Include the following points for a good write-up on Cutting Corporate Taxes:

The reason behind cutting corporate tax
Short-term impact on the economy - good or bad
Long-term Impact on the economy - good or bad
Government reasons behind the decision
Opposition’s take on Government for the decision
Analysis of the Corporate Tax policies of India

These are some of the subjects that are being discussed. The majority of the topics are directly related to India's commercial sector and economy. To be able to effectively write in the WAT for the MBA admissions 2023, students must prepare a great deal more material, mostly on issues related to the Indian and worldwide economies.

The candidates are advised to read editorial pieces written by leaders in their respective industries as well as publications and periodicals like Financial Times, Outlook, Business Standard, etc.

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