Everything you need to know about the written ability test!

With most MBA entrance examinations over and CAT results out, you must have eagerly been waiting for calls from top B-Schools of the country. But dreams will be dreams if you don’t work for them. So, before you proceed for the next step, you must have a clear idea of what you should be looking forward to. The next rung of the ladder that awaits you is WAT or the Written Ability Test. Conducted by premier B-Schools of the country, WAT, in most cases, is a direct alternative for Group Discussions (GDs). Though, there still are a few B-Schools that conduct both to avoid discrepancies.

To pull you out of this uncertainty, we bring to you a few tactics that’ll help you weave words in your writing assessment.

The Pattern

Except for 2 IIMs out of the 20, all IIMs have replaced Group Discussions (GDs) with WAT. So, before we dive into the details of the examination topics, let us have a quick look at the pattern of WAT:

WAT is a pen and paper-based examination

The duration of the written ability test is about 15-30 minutes

Depending upon the time given to you to write, the word limit varies and generally lies around 300 words

In recent years, the weightage given to the WAT score has increased to 10 per cent and more.

Topics

The most common topics that appear in written ability tests encompass the domain of current affairs. Revolving around this, the topic can either be narrative or argumentative. But when you come across a topic in the examination, you either have read about it previously and have in-depth knowledge about the same or you haven’t. In both scenarios, you’ll have to use different approaches to deal with the topic at hand. To get a better idea of what we’re hinting at, have a look at the ideas below.

If you know what the topic is about

Once a topic is hurled at you, you either are in a state of shock, not having any clue about the subject you’re being asked to write on or you do know a few bits, here and there, about the topic. Just in case you fall in the latter category, count yourself lucky. Not many candidates sitting in your room will have a clue about the topic given to you.

Now that you are aware of the topic, the next immediate step should be to list down everything you know about it.

Jot down points and not full sentences because you do not have a lot of time on your hands.

Write an introduction paragraph that speaks about the topic and the points you’ll discuss in your essay.

Write simple sentences that are easy to understand. Use crisp language and do not attempt writing flary sentences unless you’re entirely sure about them.

Avoid using points that are controversial and ones where your views are ambiguous.

Ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct.

Transition words like Hence/ Nevertheless/ However must be used with caution. Do not use them if you aren’t sure of their usage and context.

The last paragraph must conclude your writing piece and should have points that summarize your text.

If you’re clueless about the topic

There can be instances where you might come across a topic you have little or no knowledge of. First things first, calm your nerves. Don’t panic. That will only worsen the situation, landing you nowhere. Once done with that, go through the following steps:

Take a minute or two to read the topic, once, twice, as many times as you can in order to understand what it can infer.

If you still cannot deduce the language, break the sentence word by word. Try reading it again, making sense out of every word.

List down points that are relevant to the words you’ve gathered.

Use short sentences so that you’re able to express yourself better.

Tips and Expert Advice

Dare2Compete came across Vidushi Agarwal, a first-year student at IIM Indore who had appeared for many WATs before she finally chose to study at IIM Indore. Having aced the written ability test of multiple colleges, she shared with us some advices and the necessary dos and don’ts. The test, as she summarizes, lasts generally for 15 minutes with a maximum word limit of 300 words. The essay written should be more articulate than descriptive, she adds. For topics that are factual and narrative, the candidates should be to the point and not add fancy language, said Vidushi.

She also adds that the most common form of topics that appear in WAT are argumentative. To write answers for such topics, one should have an opinion but shouldn’t oppose or stand for the topic very firmly. The writer should be flexible with respect to his viewpoint and the write-up must reflect that he can accept contrasting opinions, Vidushi added. To deal with topics that are based on current affairs, students must develop a habit of reading newspapers. This gives them a fair idea of the current happenings of the country and the world, she concluded.

The written ability test is meant to judge how well students can express themselves. In addition to evaluating students on the basis of their opinions about the topics given to them, the panellists assess students on a variety of parameters. So, in case you’ve cleared CAT with a decent percentile and are looking forward to appearing for the written ability test, hang on. Sit back with a pen and paper, calm yourself and practice writing. Even if it doesn’t make you perfect, it definitely will assist you when you sit for the final examination. All the best!