The next step after clearing the written test is the Group Discussion and Interview Round.  For those of you who had heaved a sigh of relief on getting a call, just remember that there is still some distance to go before you get where you want to go.  It's not the time to take it easy, but is the time when you have to be at your competitive best. The GDs and the Interviews are far tougher than the written test. They test your presence of mind, the depth of your knowledge, your communication skills and your ability to argue logically. They set apart the boys from the men or the girls from the women, as case may be. Let's start with the Group Discussion. Typically, the group is given a topic or a case for discussion by the panel. The topics could be categorized thus

The topics are controversial in nature and are meant to give rise to heated arguments. It is the proverbial bone thrown to the dogs. The panel is looking essentially at three things.

This seems pretty general and commonplace information; however, the truth is that in the heat of a discussion the students very often forget these basic points and end up taking criticism personally. It is important to remember that this is a discussion where various aspects of the issue must be examined before arriving at any conclusion.

So, how does one sail through group discussions and come out with flying colors? We need to understand that a group discussion is not something, requiring one to acquire a completely different set of skills. All of us are continuously involved in informal discussions in groups. The rules that apply in these informal discussions.

Think of the last time you have been involved in an informal discussion in a group for issues such as which movie to watch? where to go for a picnic? How to make the college cultural event a success?…... If you reflect on the process of the discussion, the solutions and decisions arrived at, you will notice that the following activities happened: