CAT Group Discussion

Group Discussion is a vital check point in the admission process used by Business Schools in India. Group Discussions are conducted to get a first hand look at a candidates ability to analyze and intelligently present their views on the topic in discussion as well as a candidates ability to perform in a group/team environment. A CAT group discussion is a simulated exercise, where evaluators can easily look through and discount candidates that try to put up a show without any contextual knowledge in the topic being discussed.

Group Discussions vary in nature. Typically a group of 8 to 10 candidates are put into a team and are given a specific situation or topic to analyze and discuss within a given time limit. In some instances groups have been provided with case study of a simple problem and have been asked to come up with possible solutions and in some cases groups have been provided with a topic to discuss from various subjects that included sports, politics, social issues, environmental issues and current events. and asked to discuss the same.

The objective for any candidate participating in a group discussion is to be noticed while making meaningful contribution to the solution or to achieve a consensus in the discussion forum. It is essential that you prepare yourself to effectively tackle the rest fo the team in an assertive and knowledgeable way. Below we will discuss a few tips that can help you complete the group discussion with ease.

1. Be Prepared, even if you have extensive corporate experience that makes you feel comfortable, its important to keep yourself abreast of the current business and political events. While thorough information is not required for the discussion, having relevant background will help you go a long way.

2. Its important to be noticed, but for the right things. First you have to create your own chance to make an impression on the group and the evaluators. When you speak, be assertive and backup your claims with quantitative or qualitative data and facts that will make your points stick. Its easier to make an impression by saying that Long Term investments have yielded 10% annualized returns over the past 50 years instead of saying Stock market is good for long term investments.

3. The quality of what you say is more valuable than the quantity. There is a myth amongst many participants that the way to succeed in a group discussion is by speaking loudly and at great length. You must have meat in your arguments so its important to stay on top of the world events and to build your knowledge base as you get prepared for the same.

4. 80% of the group discussion participants will state the obvious. Try to bring a fresh or new perspective to the discussion. For example if the topic is about matrix organizations and everyone in the group is talking about roles, responsibilities and how organizations work, see if you can relate it to an analogy of your family and show that humans are used to matrix structures in daily life. Simplifying an relating topics to daily events always brings a fresh perspective to the table.

5. Try to be a consensus builder if not a leader. Its very hard for high performing teams to reach a consensus but thats what most successful business leaders do. This also shows your ability to be a strong contributor and your ability to build and be a part of a successful team.

Keep it simple, you will pass with flying colors. Dont try the obvious tricks, everyone around the table knows them.