The Best Way to Crack the GWPI at India's Top B-Schools

(Please note I have changed the font on this blog from Trebuchet to
Verdana.)

If you have secured or are expecting an interview short-list from a
b-school, you should now focus on your preparation for the highly competitive
and rigorous stages like GD, Essay (variously called Written Ability Test or
Writing Test), and Interview (GWPI).  

To put in a great performance in the GWPI, please focus on the following for effective preparation:

(a) Academics

• Pour over your graduation
  subjects.


• You may have favourite subject(s).
  If you have one, you must be really comfortable with almost everything
  related to this subject.


• Also, throw a glance at
  your project(s) work and paper presentation(s).

(b) Career 

• Think about long term plans
  (even if not concrete);


• Get a hang of things in your
  chosen line of activity; 


• How your mental strengths
  and current skill set match your choice of career, and 


• Also, think about Plan B,
  i.e., what if Plan A (of doing an MBA and later career choices) does not work out. 

(c) Self-related Qs

• Hobbies;


• Evaluate your mental
  strengths and weaknesses;


• Think of instances where
  they came into play;


• How a particular strength
  helped you become better;


• What are you doing to
  overcome/tackle any weakness, and


• Information about home
  town/state – uniqueness, history, cuisine, comparison between home town
  and town of employment (if different from home town).

(d) GK & Current Affairs 

• Global economics:

o   Slow global economic recovery;

o   eurozone crisis;

o   U.S. economy – jobless recovery and growth pangs;

o   Japan and Abenomics;

o   Economic, military & political power rise of China, and

o   BRICS – why Russia and Brazil are in recession.

• Indian economy:

o   Current state of the economy;

o   Reasons behind slow GDP growth;

o   Faltering reforms process;

o   Infrastructure bottlenecks, including in railways;

o   FDI (especially in multi-brand retail, insurance);

o   NITI Aayog;

o   SMART Cities plan;

o   Swachh Bharat, and

o   Make in India and industrial clusters.

• Global politics:

o   China - political & military muscle-flexing; 

o   Syrian crisis – Role of the Islamic State;

o   Rise of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria; 

o   Israel-Palestine imbroglio;

o   Rising authoritarianism in Turkey;

o   Korean peninsula – North Korea versus South Korea; 

o   Iranian nuke plans and P+1 deal;

o   Terrorism in Afghanistan & Pakistan;

o   Russia – Ruble crisis; also Russia-Ukraine crisis;

o   Post-Arab Spring situation in Egypt, Libya, & Tunisia; 

o   Ebola crisis in West Asia, and

o   Nigeria - terrorism & Boko Haram. 

• National political &
  social issues:

o   Recent Assembly elections – impact on national polity;

o   J&K – elections, Article 370, & Jammu-Valley tussle;

o   Naxalism – origin, ideology, reach, methods;

o   Social Media - freedom of speech & curbs;

o   Black Money - menace of corruption;

o   Gender-related issues, including safety issues, and

o   Religion – conversions & reconversions debate.

(e) Work-related 

• All about your work profile;


• Check out the current state
  of the industry;


• Info about company or
  companies you worked for, and


• What did you learn from
  work, etc.

(f) Also, work on 

• Why management
  career;


• Why MBA;


• Alternate
  career plan; 


• What other
  calls have your received, and


• Which school
  will you join (in case of multiple calls). 

Be invested in your future. Be passionate. Work hard. Keep learning!