time or how the federal government works. Instead, it is a distinct

piece of the biological makeup of our brains. Language is a complex,

specialized skill, which develops in the child spontaneously, without

conscious effort or formal instruction, is deployed without awareness of

its underlying logic, is qualitatively the same in every individual, and is

distinct from more general abilities to process information or behave

intelligently. For these reasons some cognitive scientists have described

language as a psychological faculty, a mental organ, a neural system,

and a computational module. But I prefer the admittedly quaint term

“instinct”. It conveys the idea that people know how to talk in more or

less the sense that spiders know how to spin webs. Web spinning was not

invented by some unsung spider genius and does not depend on having

had the right education or on having an aptitude for architecture or the

construction trades. Rather, spiders spin spider webs because they have

spider brains, which give them the urge to spin and the competence to

succeed. Although there are differences between webs and words, I

will encourage you to see language in this way, for it helps to make sense

of the phenomena we will explore.

Thinking of language as an instinct inverts the popular wisdom, especially

as it has been passed down in the canon of the humanities and social

sciences. Language is no more a cultural invention than is upright posture.

It is not a manifestation of a general capacity to use symbols: a three year old,

we shall see, is a grammatical genius, but is quite incompetent at the

visual arts, religious iconography, traffic signs, and the other staples of

the semiotics curriculum. Though language is a magnificent ability

unique to Homo sapiens among living species, it does not call for

sequestering the study of humans from the domain of biology, for a

magnificent ability unique to a particular living species is far from

unique in the animal kingdom. Some kinds of bats home in on flying

insects using Doppler sonar. Some kinds of migratory birds navigate

thousands of miles by calibrating the positions of the constellations

against the time of day and year. In nature’s talent show, we are simply

a species of primate with our own act, a knack for communicating

information about who did what to whom by modulating the sounds

we make when we exhale.

Once you begin to look at language not as the ineffable essence of

human uniqueness but as a biological adaptation to communicate

information, it is no longer as tempting to see language as an insidious

shaper of thought, and, we shall see, it is not. Moreover, seeing language

as one of nature’s engineering marvels an organ with “that perfection

of structure and co adaptation which justly excites our admiration,” in

Darwin’s words  gives us a new respect for your ordinary Joe and the

Much maligned English language (or any language). The complexity of

language, from the scientist’s point of view, is part of our biological

birthright; it is not something that parents teach their children or

something that must be elaborated in school as Oscar Wilde said,

“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to

time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” A preschooler’s

tacit knowledge of grammar is more sophisticated than the thickest

style manual or the most state of the art computer language system,

and the same applies to all healthy human beings, even the notorious

syntax fracturing professional athlete and the, you know, like,

inarticulate teenage skateboarder. Finally, since language is the product

of a well engineered biological instinct, we shall see that it is not the nutty

barrel of monkeys that entertainer columnists make it out to be.

• Read the passage and answer the questions

below:

1. According to the passage, which of the following

does not stem from popular wisdom on language?

1. Language is a cultural artifact.

2. Language is a cultural invention.

3. Language is learnt as we grow.

4. Language is unique to Homo Sapiens.

5. Language is a psychological faculty.

2. Which of the following can be used to replace the

“spiders know how to spin webs” analogy as used by

the author?

1. A kitten learning to jump over a wall

2. Bees collecting nectar

3. A donkey carrying a load

4. A horse running a Derby

5. A pet dog protecting its owner’s property

3. According to the passage, which of the following is

unique to human beings?

1. Ability to use symbols while communicating with

one another.

2. Ability to communicate with each other through

voice modulation.

3. Ability to communicate information to other

members of the species.

4. Ability to use sound as means of communication.

5. All of the above.

4. According to the passage, complexity of language

cannot be taught by parents or at school to children

because

1. children instinctively know language.

2. children learn the language on their own.

3. language is not amenable to teaching.

4. children know language better than their

teachers or parents.

5. children are born with the knowledge of

semiotics.

5. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?

1. Language is unique to Homo Sapiens.

2. Language is neither learnt nor taught.

3. Language is not a cultural invention or artifact as

it is made out.

4. Language is instinctive ability of human beings.

5. Language is use of symbols unique to human

beings.

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In our country, English is the second language. Apart from metropolitan cities, which have a number of convent schools, all other students stand at a huge disadvantage, since they are not exposed to the English Language. In all these states, even though the English Language is part of the curriculum, the English Language is taught in their mother tongue. The teachers themselves are not trained properly and they do not have the ability to make the English Language interesting. Moreover the interaction between students also happens in their mother tongue, with the net result being a rude shock, when they get exposed to the outside world.

When I interacted with this category of students at length their concerns were:

If we try to converse in English with our teachers, they reply in our mother tongue

English is not required for me because I am joining the family business

Our friends make fun of us or treat us as social outcasts, if we try to converse in English

Our parents are not educated and our siblings are also sailing in the same boat

Our teachers discourage the use of English

We know only a few words

We do not know how to construct a sentence and pronounce the word, so we will end up making fools of ourselves

Emotionally sensitive

Inability to speak in front of a small group or public speaking

Thinking in one’s mother tongue and translating into English

After listening to their concerns, I just asked them one question, How did you pick up your mother tongue?  The answer was prompt. We learnt to speak our mother tongue by listening to our parents speak. My next question was, Did your parents teach you grammar?  The answer was No

I then went on to tell them, the English Language also needs to be learnt, the same way.

I worked out a plan of action which I am listing below:

Be passionate about the English Language

Make it a point to watch News Channels, Animal Planet or National Geographic. Close your eyes and focus on the words. Likewise, if you share a passion for a particular game, as in, cricket or football, listen to the commentary

In the initial phase do not bother about your grammatical accuracy, fluency or vocabulary. Your focus should be to reach a level, where you can boldly communicate in the English Language, with whatever vocabulary you have

Identify one person in your locality who speaks the English Language fluently. Have a serious discussion with this person,  and tell him that you want to improve your language, and you are prepared to stretch the limit. Ask him to correct your mistakes. Fix up a time convenient to him and interact with him for anywhere between 10 – 15 minutes daily.  This conversation can be in person or on phone. Ask him to correct your mistakes and make it a point, not to repeat the same mistake again.

Avail of every opportunity that you get to speak. Never bother about the reaction of the audience. There are bound to be people in the audience who will smile sarcastically or may laugh at you, while you are delivering your speech. Let me tell you that these people are failures. They have not achieved anything in their life, and are filled with envy. Make yourself mentally so tough, that nothing should pull you down, and destroy your confidence

Do not compare yourself with anyone. You are unique

Read any magazine which is related to your area of interest. If you want to go in for fiction, there is nothing to beat, James Hadley Chase. You will not put the book down, till you have finished, reading the book fully. The language used is also simple.

Always think in English. If you think in your mother tongue, and translate  into English, the structure will go horribly wrong. Let us take a sentence; Rita is beautiful, which is the right structure.  Assuming that your mother tongue is Hindi, the translation will be, Rita khoobsurat hai, which when translated to English becomes, Rita beautiful is.  Always remember the basic structure of the English Language, which is, Subject + Verb + Object

Practice Auto Suggestion. Human beings are blessed with two minds, conscious mind and the subconscious mind. When we go to sleep in the night, the subconscious mind comes on top and the conscious mind goes down. Auto suggestion means feeding your subconscious mind with positive thoughts. In this case, let us assume that you have to deliver a speech after one week. Everyday before going to sleep, imagine that you are one of the best speakers in the world.  People admire you and they have come in huge numbers to listen to you. See yourself talking confidently, and the audience listening to you, with full attention. After your speech gets over, the entire crowds’ gets up from their seats and give you a standing applause. Do this everyday without fail, and more importantly, believe in the power of the subconscious mind. Visualize this whole scene again and again. The great tennis player, Andre Agassi, is a master of the subconscious mind. When you get up in the morning, the conscious mind comes on top, and the subconscious mind goes down.  The job of the conscious mind, is purely to implement the commands, given to it, by the subconscious mind.  You can rewrite your whole destiny, if you tap the power of your subconscious mind

Before I wind up, I would like to quote Martin Luther King, who said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenges and controversies”

HAPPY SPEAKING

The basic objective of studying these subjects, is to ensure that your fundamentals are strong. No one expects you to master all the subjects. Tomorrow when you take up a leadership role, you should have the basic knowledge about all functions, to ensure that no one takes you for a ride.

At the end of the first year, students go for summer placements. The summer placement runs for around four months. After finishing their summers, students come back and the second year begins wherein they specialize in their core area.

Before the students go for their placement, they have to choose their core specialization, as in, Finance, Marketing, Operations and Human Resources. The students have a dual specialization. On most occasions, whenever I interact with students, I see students choosing the core field due to peer pressure. When I sit with them and discuss as to what made them choose that field, the replies that I get are:

Majority of my batch mates have chosen that field

We heard it is a sunrise industry

This field pays much more than any other line

As a teacher, it pains me a lot when I see students getting into functions they are not fit for. Personally I do make it a point to tell students to identify their strengths by doing an honest introspection and  to discuss the same with their family members and close circle of friends. If they have professional contacts, they are the best people, since they are already working in that line. They are not only the best source of information they will also guide you properly.  Once the student narrows down on his core specialization, he will know the gap to be bridged in terms of skill sets after he interacts with professionals working in that industry.

Lot of B Schools have come out with super specialization programs which is an add on to the core specialization. The areas are:

Airlines and Airport Mangement

Shipping and Logistics Management

Retail Mangement

Supply Chain Management

Let me also tell you that there is nothing called as a sunrise industry. Each and every industry has to go through the stages of Infancy, Growth, Stability and Decline. It is part of the economic cycle.

I also reiterate the point that compensation is totally secondary. According to me, at the start of your career what you learn, is more important than what you earn. I also see students having unrealistic expectations and living in their own dream world. Your specialization should be in tune with your skills. If you choose the wrong line, apart from being a misfit for the job, you are also putting your entire career at risk. If you get into an industry purely for money, the day is not far off when you will get frustrated and land up in a mess.

Once you have identified your skill sets and decided your core specialization, ensure that you keep yourself updated in that line. You need to seriously devote time to understand the industry, the major players, the standing of the industry right now and the future of the industry. The best source of information will be newspapers like Economic Times and Business Standard. Apart from this, try to identify a mentor, when you go for your summer placements. If you prove your worth during the summer placements, there is every chance that the organization will consider you, when they come for the final placements.

I would like to share some critical points to be kept in mind throughout the program:

• Integrity is the foundation on which your career is built. Never lie. If you have done a mistake have the courage to accept your mistake, instead of trying to hide it or getting into arguments.
• Be the first person to take the initiative. Put your heart and soul in your job, when you go for summer placements.
• Be disciplined and punctual. Never take any leave.
• Strictly adhere to organizational decorum.
• As I mentioned earlier, this is the apt time to identify a mentor, who will be your guiding and inspirational force. Never try to put on a mask and show interest. They are seasoned professionals and your reputation will take a beating. Be genuine. Be yourself.
• Be in touch with your mentor and work on your weakness. This should be done throughout the program.
• If you have the habit of gossiping, work seriously on it. All relationships are built on trust. Trust is built up only once. It cannot be built again and again. Likewise during the course of your program never criticize any of your batch mates or professors.
• During the program, you will get lot of opportunities to make presentations. Take each presentation as a challenge and keep on raising your bar.
• Be mentally alert and focused on the program.
• In group presentations you may have to work with other candidates who are not known to you. Extend your full cooperation and take the responsibility of keeping the group bonded together. Each individual will have his idea. Genuinely congratulate your group member if he has come up with excellent points. It is natural to get discouraged if your points are not included in the presentation. Try to find out why the point is not relevant. Always remember that our learning process continues till death. Moreover when you start your career you will inevitably be part of a team. You cannot afford to create disharmony within the group.
• Be very careful whenever you speak. Choose your words with care. Never indulge in any kind of casual talk. Likewise ensure that you are well dressed and maintain good hygiene. Groom yourself to become a person who can be trusted.
• Work on your vocabulary. Keep a daily target and strictly adhere to it.
• Keep working on honing  your listening skills. There is a huge difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is done with the ears. Listening is done with the mind and the heart. Powerful listeners can create miracles.

The basic objective of having summer placements is to get exposed to what an organization is, how does it work, the role of each department and how the industry works as a whole. This is because most of the students are fresh from college and directly enroll for an MBA Program.

The second year is the time when you have to hone your skills in your line or function and ensure that you keep abreast of all the latest developments in that line.

Likewise during your final placements make a very careful choice. There are two critical points which you need to keep in mind. The first is the reputation of the organization. The second is the Human Resource Interventions that the organization has in place. All professional organizations have an individual career growth plan for each employee. They also have structured training programs to help the new employee develop his skill sets and also get him exposed to all the functions. Your first job is the most critical because it is going to determine the entire course of your career. When an organization selects an employee, it does so with a long term perspective in mind. Never make the mistake of job hopping. It is suicidal. As of today, job hopping is looked upon very negatively by all reputed players in the industry. Even an experience of five years in an organization,  makes the other company think. You need to have a really valid reason for quitting the organization.

My only advice to all  MBA students is to make the right choice in terms of their specialization. Once you make the right decision, believe me, it will be an eternal honeymoon for you.

CHEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another misconception is that the online format makes RC more difficult. Some of the fallacious reasons advanced are:

The test-taker can no longer underline important parts of the passage that would  have been helpful in locating the correct answer.
Since the passage is displayed on only half of the screen, the test-taker has to  scroll up and down a number of times to read the passage.
Since, only one question is available at a time on the other half of the screen, overviewing all the questions becomes time consuming.
Talking of the third fallacy first, let it be known that all the questions are visible on the right half of the screen, while the passage is available on the left. So, the passage and the questions can be viewed simultaneously. Underlining never helped in cracking CAT RC, because the test requires the student to comprehend the underlying idea, rather than the detail. Scrolling up and down the passage repeatedly also means you are looking at the detail whereas you be looking for the underlying idea instead.

In most cases, the test-taker cannot attempt each question based on each passage. So, the best way is to choose what suits you best. Select the passage for attempt that you find interesting. Your interest means you understand, or will understand easily.

Remember every RC passage has a one-line gist. A 10-line gist means you did not understand the underlying idea.

So how should you go about cracking the RC section of CBT CAT?

Construct a “Dot Diagram” of the passage
Remember the dot diagram that you find in the kids section of a paper or magazine? There could be hundreds of dots. When once you join a few dots to form a picture, the other dots become irrelevant. Your RC is like that dot diagram. The hundreds of words are like the hundreds of dots. The questions revolve around the picture and not around the words. So get the picture out of the dot diagram.

Now how do you join the dots? Our advice:

Pre-read (First reading: 1 min)
Get a feel of the passage by reading the opening lines of each paragraph (the opening paragraph in particular) as well as the concluding lines of the last paragraph. Also have a look at the question stems (not the options).

Speed read (Second reading: 3 min)
Say you have to drive a train from Delhi to Mumbai. Should you drive at the same speed throughout? What about the stations that fall along the way? You will definitely slow down and even stop at some of the stations. Do the same thing in the case of RC.

I keep forgetting as I proceed: Speed read the first paragraph. Write down its gist in one single phrase on your scratch sheet. Do the same thing in case of the other paragraphs. Now you have five ideas for (say) five paragraphs. The common link among these five ideas is your dot diagram.

Post-read (Third reading: 30 sec)
This is to make sure that the picture you made was right. Look for repetitive words and phrases in the passage. These have to be part of the picture.

The opening paragraph and the concluding paragraph are important. But remember if the test-taker is smart the test-maker is smarter. Sometimes there may be nothing much in these paragraphs. So don’t overdo it.

Linking up the answers
You will be able to view all the questions together. But the answers to various questions based on a passage should have some link. And the link is provided by (you guessed it) the picture that you formed.

One major factor, which I notice, is students complaining about CAT going online. There was this fear of the unknown which haunted nearly everyone.

The only difference is, instead of a paper and pencil test, the test will be online. Everything remains the same. Students are given sheets to make their rough calculations. The right answer has to be clicked using the mouse. Candidates can scroll the entire paper and start from wherever they want. Likewise they can also change their answers.

If we look at GMAT, it is a computer adaptive test. A computer adaptive test will throw up questions according to your level. Just to cite an example, if you have clicked on the right option of a question which is difficult, the next question will be more difficult than the previous one. If you get this question wrong, the system will again start throwing questions, depending on your level. The marking will also happen according to the level of difficulty. If a candidate has got lot of difficult questions right, he will obviously get a higher grading than a student who has answered all simple questions correctly.

Coming to CAT, we have three sections, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Sufficiency, Analytical and Logical Reasoning and the English Language which includes Comprehension also.

As individuals we have our strength and weakness. Go to the section, where you are very confident and finish it off first. Ensure that you crack it fully. Once you are over with this, come to the other questions, where you will need some time. Taking the new format into consideration, you are required to answer 60 questions in 90 minutes. Ensure that you manage your time well.

I would like to focus on the Verbal Ability Section. The English Language happens to be the section, where I have seen students take a huge beating. Let’s have a look at all the possible question formats:

• Synonyms
• Antonyms
• One Word Substitutes
• Idiomatic Phrases and Phrasal Verbs
• Foreign words
• Jumbled Sentences
• Fill in the blanks with the right word
• Error Correction
• Cloze Test
• Sentence Improvement
• Reading Comprehension

If we look at the all the above exercises, the bottom line is vocabulary. If we do not have an excellent vocabulary, we are bound to take a beating. If you do not understand the meaning of one word, you will find it extremely difficult to pick the right option. This applies to all the sections in Verbal Ability. Unfortunately vocabulary is the most neglected part during the CAT preparation. I have seen all the so called reputed coaching classes giving a book full of words in alphabetical order from A till Z with their meanings and asking students to mug up all the words.  Rote learning will never work for you. It is virtually impossible to recall the meaning and more importantly by doing this you are in a way, blocking your career also.

A committed vocabulary building exercise involves two major activities. The first is adding new words to your arsenal. The second is to keep in mind the vocabulary you already know. The English Language has over one million words and the average speaker is well versed with only 30000 words. You can see the huge gap. A good vocabulary is a prerequisite for professional growth.

There is only one proven method to increase your vocabulary and also ensure that you do not forget the usage of the words, which you know. Make it a habit to read a newspaper or magazine. You are bound to come across words whose meaning you do not know. First try to guess the meaning of the word with respect to the whole sentence. Only then look up the dictionary and understand the precise meaning. Once you comprehend the meaning, make a sentence using that word in a sentence and have it corrected by a person who is excellent at the language.

Another excellent technique is to use the word in any area of your liking, as in your hobbies or extra curricular activities. Since you already like that line, you will find it motivating to use the word and the learning process becomes interesting and quick. Once you do this you will never forget the meaning and application of that word. Vocabulary Building is a long term process. There are no short cuts.

Having an excellent vocabulary has got lot of advantages. A better vocabulary will help you to enjoy reading more. Likewise having an excellent vocabulary will also give you the confidence to interact with professionals at the highest level. It will undoubtedly be a huge boost for your self esteem.

Another effective method is to understand the meanings of root, prefix and suffix. A root is the basic building block or a key which will help you to understand the meanings of many words.

To understand the importance of a root, let us take the word ‘ali’ which means another. From this, we can easily get to know the meaning of the word, alias, which means an assumed name. Another example is the root ‘am’ which means love. From this, we can understand the meaning of the word, amiable, meaning friendly.

Coming to prefix, it is a word which comes at the beginning. For example, the prefix ‘bi’ means two. We can easily understand the meaning of the words; bisect, bimonthly, bigamy and so on.

A suffix is a word which comes at the end of the word. For example, if we take the suffix ‘cide’ it means killing. We can easily get to know the meaning of the words, homicide, patricide, matricide, regicide, etc. If we take the suffix ‘mania’ which means madness, we get the meaning of the words, megalomania, kleptomania, and so on.

Another area I would like to touch on is Synonym and Antonym. Synonym means words which are similar in meaning. But this does not mean it can be used interchangeably. The right synonym needs to be used taking into consideration the message, we want to communicate. For example, if we take the word active, we have lot of synonyms like, agile, alert, efficient, energetic, quick, prompt, assiduous, indefatigable, etc

Let us take three examples to understand the usage of synonyms:

Mahesh is an efficient worker

A prompt reply is always appreciated

The guard was quite alert and this helped to catch the thief

The same logic applies to antonyms also.

Lastly, coming to Reading Comprehension, lot of books mention words like speed reading, skimming, etc. Let me tell you that all these skills can be acquired only through practice. Start practicing with small comprehension passages and gradually go to bigger ones. Read the questions first and understand what is required. Then go through the passage. While going through the passage, try to get the answers and mark the respective option.

The same technique applies to Cloze Tests also. Go through the whole passage. You will get an idea of what the passage is about, as in, the central idea.  After this, filling up the blank with the right option becomes easy.

With this, I conclude my write up and wish you all the best. Ensure that you

BELL THE CAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vaishnu is an authority on Quant preparation and gives coaching for CAT, GRE & GMAT. Faculty at TCY, he has been coaching aspirants for these exams for the last 14 years.

Is there a ‘magic number’ of hours of coaching that one should get while preparing for Quant part of CAT?

There is no ‘magic number’ of hours as such. Nevertheless, there are an optimum number of hours of classroom lectures that are required. From my experience of over 14 years, I feel that at least 84 hours must be allocated for Quant in order to excel in it.

How do you divide these hours? How many hours a day? How many days a week?
I would divide CAT test prep into three distinct categories. Rush Hour, Optimum and Ideal. Let’s talk about ‘Rush Hour’ first.

Rush Hour: is when a candidate sincerely starts his CAT prep after his final year exam. With just about six months to go for the CAT, the entire preparation schedule has to be completed in a relatively short time. For instance, at TCY, classes are scheduled six days a week and here, the onus is on the student to keep up with the hectic pace.

The student has to understand that a very self-disciplined effort in self-study will be required on his part to make it to the top.

Optimum: is when a student is in his final year and starts preparing in January/ February of his graduation year. With around 9-10 months to go, the pace of instruction is brisk but not as breathless as ‘Rush Hour’. For Instance, at TCY, classes are scheduled three days a week and a student gets optimum time to revise what is being taught in the classroom. A break of one day between classes allows students the luxury of self studying at the pace most suited to their temperament.

Even an average student who studies sincerely and consistently has every chance of making it to the B- School list.

Ideal: This is when a student enters the penultimate year of his graduation degree course. A good faculty gets the time to teach students to crawl before making them walk and run hard! Basics are covered in depth and preparation starts at the very grassroot level. At TCY, we schedule classes only twice a week over the weekend initially.

The first few months are spent entirely in concept building. It can be compared to being able to dig the foundations oneself before laying them and finally constructing upon them. By the time a student reaches the final year of his degree course, his foundation is so strong that he is more than halfway ready to take on the CAT. The best part about this is that it is of longer duration and more exhaustive than Optimum, but generally costs less.

What preparation strategy would you suggest for each of the three distinct categories you just mentioned?

In Rush Hour, I would recommend the student to take a Diagnostic Test first. A diagnostic test is a mock test especially made to gauge an aspirant’s grasp of concepts. Once the strengths and weaknesses are clear to a student, it is recommended that a student start working on his weak areas first as they are the ones that offer maximum chance of improvement. Areas of strength can be worked upon later in the day. At TCY, we put such students on extensive online testing with a strong focus on performance analysis with the help of TCY Analytics. With TCY Analytics, a student is able to benchmark his performance of each sub-section, section and subject against all his previous attempts. This helps him in analyzing his progress with each test. Later on, the aspirant can start benchmarking his attempt against lacs of other aspirants on our website, www.TCYonline.com.

The success in ‘Optimum’ category rests majorly on the optimum trade-off between self study and disciplined prep. Self study is any day the best test prep strategy. However, disciplined prep calls for following a light but consistent weekly schedule. The CAT programme on TCYonline works on lecture by lecture schedule for each test section. This helps the candidate decide what fraction of the total available time for CAT prep he should invest in a particular month.

Additionally, joining a classroom programme would add to your disciplined effort.

The ideal prep calls for, obviously, the ideal way. For a candidate, this means understanding what skills the exam tests and taking a few sample tests in each area to know his ‘Best’ and ‘Worst’ areas. A good faculty will help the student by chalking out a plan till December to develop the lower and middle level skills required. For instance, working on one’s vocabulary, reading regularly on topics that come in the exams, improving one’s reasoning ability and re-visiting the Class VIII, IX and X math concepts of 2-3 major boards viz. CBSE, ICSE and Maharashtra SSC can be very useful. One can find a lot of this basic stuff on TCYonline and can generate customized tests on any topic to move up the learning curve skill by skill.

What advice would you give to CAT aspirants?

First, the student has to be very clear ‘if’ he wants to go for MBA. To explain, let us take a hypothetical situation. A BBA student is in his second year and he has consistently been getting good percentage so far. If he is extremely sure that he will not take up a job straight after graduating, he can afford to take his foot off the pedal a little bit and start preparing for CAT. As long as his overall percentage remains above 50%, he can appear for CAT. A high CAT score will see him secure a call from the best B- Schools in the country.

On the other hand, even if he gets overall 70% in BBA, he can’t secure a call from a good business school with a low CAT score. I again say, vision is very important. If MBA is not of paramount importance, focus fully on your current academic pursuit. If MBA is your ultimate goal, learn to keep your focus and prioritise accordingly.

Date and time: April 16th – 9:30 am
Place: Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai

Reached at around 2 pm on Sunday the 15th and spent that evening at TISS – met many new PG friends – Vachan, Rajiv and of course later Saki and Ram (whom I already knew)… the stay overnite was nice – doesnt feel as if u are in Mumbai when inside the campus at TISS – small in size but really nice to have a walk in da evenings etc – and extremely conducive atmosphere and surroundings for study – and well – the latest news is that TISS has become wi-fi – all da info was poured in from Babu who met us on Sun evening and answered a lot of questions from our side…

Woke up early in da morning – got ready and went to the main lounge where there was a smal crowd – not as much as expected – we had a small presentation on the know-how of TISS by a second-year’ite of the HRM/LR program… later we came up and were grouped into different batches (as put on da notice board) – and were led to da different classes for the GD/PI – Mine was in class XI – 8 of us (2 absent) – 4 boys 4 gals… so even ratio

GD: Globalisation is a mixed blessing for the youth of today (it was the same topic for all the batches in my main group) – the other group had got Gandhian values etc etc… ( though the topics are being changed evryday – so dont go by them )

Very decent GD – chipped in a lot of times… was surprised by da female junta as some spoke real well, and real fluently. By da way we ourselves decided that we wud use paper, and recollect our thoughts for sometime – the 2 supervisors didnt have a prob with it – though when we decided on the topic as globalisation and started writing, one of them said ‘Isnt this a GD ?? ‘ – and well – one of the ladies started rite away. Two of the females seemed to be dominating the show – though all guys spoke well too – and well – chipped in a lott of good points – though the youth aspect was kinda fading away with all the industrial and economic aspect takin toll of da topic :mg: – all of us spoke without majorly cutting others – as we had been reminded that domination of the GD wud lead to getting -ve points.

Rating: 8/10

After this – we were led into a room, and were told that there is still some time for the PI. Hence we moved off – grabbed a vada-paav for a quick bite and then came back – to our disbelief the PI’s had already begun – apparently the people were being called RANDOMLY. Was surprised at this – but there was nothin we cud do. We just gave our names, and sat there hopin for a quick call. I was called in just before the lunch call – though they dedided later that I too shud be pushed in after lunch . So i went ahead, ate somethin and returned. The wait before the PI was long. The PI finally happened at around 3 to 3:15 pm. I was all jittery before as I had heard my panel had been stressing the people in da morning and blasting on GK… finally I was in…

PI: The panel – Oldish smiling lady – L (did almost all questioning)
Elderly man in between – E
Different lookin elderly person with long tied hair – D
Bakra moi – B

B (enters and wishes all – sits)
E: Whats these documents? (pointing to my change of name docs)
B: (Explains what were they)
E: But why did you change your name ?
B: blah blah
All 3 of them: Ok ok
L (smiling eternally :mg: ) – So u are working in XXX – how long?
B: blah blah
L: Oh – thats a lot of time – wat are u working in?
B: blah blah (cool workex questions :mg:)
L: Ohk so such a nice field – why do u want to come into HR?
B: Blah blah blah blah -( some kind of an answer which I had thought of… explained properly – wat do I get — EXPRESSIONLESS faces from all except from L – she is smiling in an understanding manner – E is checkin my papers/docs/certificates)…
E: So what do you know about HR as a field?
B: blah blah – tell them the basics
(all shaking head except D of course )
L: Ok – so Ashish tell me bout what you think of women in this present day corporate world? And what are the issues faced by them ?
B: blah blah – sexual harrasment, ego problems from men, etc etc
L: Ohkie – so wat are the things companies have been doin to prevent such things like sexual harrasment?
B: blah blah
(trying to maintain eye contact with all – but E is busy with file – doesnt look at me AT ALL – and D is well – blank – stone-faced – no expressions! )
L: Ohkie – so tell me about the reservations issue now -
wat do u think bout the reservations issue in the private sector?
B: Blah blah blah blah
L: Ohk cool – (looks at others for their turn)
D (all of a sudden): What are the different central trade unions in India?
B: (says somethin which goes kinda unheard)
D: wattt???
B: blah blah (explains)
E: Ohkay yes yes
D: (shaking head)
D: Can you name some trade union in the unorganized sector?
B: umm – dont think I know any – but i guess BMS can be one of them
D: (smilingly looks at L)
Moi understands that my answer is wrong
D: So which are the new states in India??
B: blah blah
(all quiet for sometime)
L: (asks E if he wants to ask any questions)
E: No nothin actually – so bout ur hostel accomodation at TISS — blah blah ( they were askin this to all at their interviews)
B: blah blah
L: Ohkay thats it then – thanx Ashish
E: yes thanks
D: expressionless
B: (wishes and exits)

Approx 15 min – Dont know wat to say – questions were ok and I answered without any gaps etc -managed it well- but hardly any reaction from the panel – except for the lady at times… the people before me and those after me had a similar kinda interview – though not entirely on GK questions – theirs were even shorter – some 8 to 9 min…
Looks like they were lookin for more than just mere answers…

Rating: 8.5 to 9/10 (from my side)

Travelled in da evening to Churchgate to meet a friend and stayed overnite with him – had kinda fun – and then travelled back to airport da next morning to catch flite back to Blore – Saki (chaosunlimited) and another girl accompanied me in it – so that was good fun too

General opinion: Diverse interviews being conducted – entirely on luck which panel u get, and also how ur interview goes. Heard later that my panel conducted stress interviews in the latter half of the day… was again surprised at that… The panel with the dean was stressing most of da guys (like every year) – so guess people had to watch out there…
Source:  http://ashishyahoo.blogspot.com

Jan 30th 8 AM- Pune ( first batch in the entire GD/PI process spanning 4 days)
Institute: Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM)
Batch – 1XF ( had a SNAP 100 scorer in this batch too )
Composition: 10 boys, 1 gal… but well – the gal wasnt present in the GD’s and GT’s with us…

The sight of SIBM wasnt really a pleasing one for me, as I had seen it the previous day – as it was nothing more than a building – frankly speaking even smaller than my school. Though I was here, and I had to attend the GD/PI now. The previous evening had been spent meeting friends, and also meeting my buddy Chinmay at SIBM (a buddy was supposed to guide he/her through the entire GD/PI process)

There was a crowd outside SIBM – the line of students for registration had reached the road ( the institute is one building right outside the road ). I got in the line – and it didnt take time to finish the registration procedure. I was given a batch tag – and was directed upwards to one of the floors above. We were made to sit in a classroom – some 3 or 4 batches in the morning. After a brief presentation by the seniors on SIBM and its culture, we started off. The first thing on the programme was the essay

Essay as told above – Whistle Blowers are guardians to democracy..

Hardly any time to recollect thoughts and write some stuff, in fact the topic needs better understanding and better examples as a good essay – which of course mine lacked.

Rating – 5/10.

Following this we were led to separate rooms where we sat with our buddies/other coordinators, who I must say were extremely helpful. My batch was seated in a small circle, and the coordinator gave us more ideas on how life at SIBM is. Soon we were called for the interviews – which was unexpected to come before the GD’s. I was the third on the list in the group. We were led to another room, where the three of us had a seat on the bench outside. The first person was a guy who was from PG – and had interacted with him in the morning. He seemed to have a good profile (2 years at DRDO, owner of a tech-forum online etc), and I was all apprehensive of him going before me. Still I was more at ease then expected. He had a cool interview, and so did the person before me – a 2 year experienced fellow at GE.

The next to enter was me. The following is how it all went.

Panel: One internal faculty(in middle) – F
One Senior HR Manager from Pepsi – P
One IIMA pass out – A
Myself – M

F did most of the questioning.

M (enters, greets and sits down)
F: So Ashish, tell me about yourself, your schooling, your extra curriculars, your workex, your hobbies and so on.
M (prepared answer): blah blah
P: Hmm ok – so which coaching institute have you prepared this answer from?
M (taken aback): Frankly this is my own prepared answer Sir, I do not require any external preparation for this – so I did not take help from any coaching class.
P: Thats good – its a general answer rite – so it doesnt require any preparations.
M: Yes Sir it doesnt
F: So Ashish, you have had workex as a technical consultant, so why an MBA now?
M: Blah blah – interests in HR etc
F: So Ashish, I see you have done your schooling and graduation at Goa. Why then do you want to come to Pune to do your management from SIBM? I am sure Goa too has a nice management institute.
M: blah blah – why SIBM prepared answer – qualities SIBM possesses.
F: So what in HR interests you?
M: Blah blah – more on Traning and Development
P: Ohk – tell me more about what kinds of trainings are there in Oracle
M: Blah blah
P: Ohkay – are all these trainings required at all levels?
M: No – as you go higher in the ladder, you require to take certain types of trainings.. blah blah ( had discussed most of the T&D part with an HR manager I knew – phew – was saved here )
P: Ohk
F ( looks at A )
A: So you say you like reading – what books do you read?
M: blah blah – all kinds blah blah
A: So name some books of Paulo Coelho
M: blah blah
A: Ohkay so you have interest in Hindu mythology…especially in Mahabharata – so I suppose I can ask you anything from it (big grin)
M: I guess so (scared a bit )
A: Ohkay – how many siblings did Dhritarashtra have?
M: 100
A: Siblings?
M: (oops!!) – Oh sorry – he had one sibling – thats Pandu
A: Are you very sure?
M: Yes Sir
A: Hmm – I think you need to revise your concepts on Mahabharata again then (all laughing)
M: Perhaps sir – if you say so…(was reasonably sure of the answer)
F: Ohkay Ashish – so what if we dont offer you the admission at SIBM? Whats the backup plan?
M: (prepared answer): blah blah – have to do it this year itself – maybe correspondence in HR – cant pursue a residential MBA after this year – blah blah
F: So you are hell bent on doing HR this year itself
M: Yes Sir
F: Ohk then thank you Ashish.
M: Thank you Sir

M (thanks all and leaves)
Quite a decent interview – would rate it 8/10.
Was bugged as they didnt go through my files at all – though they were there in my hands all the while etc. – Had really arranged them well and brought – and I tot i had some things to show in them

GD – Case study ( I guess all had case studies )… first case study of my life – hence was a bit nervous…

The case was about a person who joins a company as a programmer, then the company changes its domain of technology, and along with it, this 4 yr experienced guy has to adapt to the new domain, and new business. He is unable to do it , and underperforms, hence is warned from HR manager to be removed. The guy gets pissed, applies to other companies, gets reco letters from known people etc etc. One year down the line or so, the HR manager tells him that he has to leave the company. The guy loses it and threatens to sue the company for the treatment and show the reco letters as proof etc etc.
What should the HR manager do?

PS – this is as far as I can remember the case – ne one else please correct me…

Okish discussion – lot of argument – there was more talk about the reco letters and the suing , rather than the HR manager’s alternatives for tackling the problem – probably thats where we lost out. (my opinion).

The two panelists were ok (one male one female) – the female leader stopped us twice to make the quiet people speak – the male guy was noting our expressions, how we spoke etc… the GD was stopped by the female lady (probably she got bored )

Rating for my performance: 7.5/10

Next
Group Task: (This was the weirdest part in the procedure)
Panel: 2 old gentlemen

Task 1: This was a handkerchief placed at a distance from all of us – and we had to somehow touch it by crossing the line before it, without touching any part of our body to the ground. Weird rite? We discussed for a major part of the time – but I landed up convincing them to spend more time on doing the task at the end – so we somehow started. One fellow volunteered to be held by the others – and we all held him in some strategic method. Somehow we managed to do the task eventually. Looks like they were observing more of the group dynamics in it.

Task 2: This was a restrainer-captive task – where the prof stands at one end. We have to pair ourselves with a partner. At one instance I am the restrainer, trying to hold my partner from reaching the prof at the other end of the room. Next I am the captive, and he is holding me, preventing me from reaching the prof. We had this exercise – and well, I had some fun tickling my partner (he complained, but I retorted sayin that the prof had mentioned ‘the restrainer can do nethin in his power to stop the captive’. So it was kinda allowed. . At the end of the task, we all were made to stand in a line, and were questioned one by one on whether we liked to be the restrainer or the captive. This was dumb as the others further in line would try to mould their answers acc to what we answered. I chose to be the captive, as I gave some gyaan about having a certain goal to move to etc.

Tough to rate myself – but would give it a 6.5/10.

Our group was the first to finish that day. We left at around 12 – and me and my restrainer partner (Akaash) went over and had something at a Java Green center nearby. From there we departed, and I moved to my friends place where I was staying, and prepared to leave Pune.

Overall I was kind of satisfied with the entire experience – knowing I had done well with most of the proceedings – though I knew that if I got other calls later, I would have to leave this one for them – as the last date to pay the fees (75k) was 28th Feb. Eventually I did land up converting SIBM, but took a strong decision and gave up the seat without paying the fees. I had other better interviews to attend – and was confident in cracking at least one more of them.
Source: http://ashishyahoo.blogspot.com

To help students prepare themselves for all the possible twists and turns a personal interview can take, we publish first-hand experiences of students who managed to breeze through their PI and others who crashed and burned.

Here, Bharat Jhurani, a first-year student at IIM Lucknow, shares his interview experience as a part of the CAT selection process.

I am an electronics and communications engineer from the GITAM college of engineering (Non-NIT, IIT!), Visakhapatnam and I graduated in 2007(yup, a fresher!).

My lone IIM call — after all those arduous AIM CATS — topping them, working hard and even managing a 99.36 percentile in CAT — was from IIM Lucknow. One single IIM call! The reason? My slightly low score in the Verbal Ability section.

Anyway, no use crying over spilt milk. I decided to give this my best shot.

My group discussion and interview were scheduled on February 17 at 2 pm, the venue being Hotel Monarch, Bangalore. I was made part of Panel II and my number was 9 (why is it always Number 9?). I was called in for the GD and the essay at about 3 pm. There were two panel members presiding and 12 of us within the group. IIM-L is known for assigning abstract topics and it maintained its reputation upon this particular occasion. The topic? ‘The most effective way to eradicate poverty is through effective governance’.

As soon as it was dictated, we were asked to write a small essay in about 150 words within 5 minutes. After the stipulated time, the papers were taken away, leaving us to discuss the topic. With such an open-ended topic thrown in, it was literally a fish fight in the beginning — everyone was hurling in whatever facts they had at hand and I was no exception! I piped up quite a number of times during the process. Overall it was a pretty good GD, but it could have been better.

Then came the time for personal interviews — they were pretty short and I presented myself before the panel at 4:30 pm. It comprised of the same individuals who presided over the GD. My interview lasted for all of six minutes.

As I entered I was asked if I would like to enroll in the Agro-Business Management (ABM) course offered by the institute. I initially relented, but then informed them that I would prefer to leave it as a second option. So much for preparation!

Following this, I was asked the cliched question — ‘Tell us about yourself’ — which I answered reasonably well, highlighting my background, my hobbies (blogging, basketball) and my accomplishments (class representative etc).

Then followed a few questions on statistics, probability and simple mathematics. I answered all well, save two — one probability query, in which I mixed up the basic concept and a definition of disjoint events, for which I incorrectly rattled off all about independent events. I got so confused that they had to explain the concept to me and not becasue I didn’t know the answer, but because I was just too stressed. The lack of comfort showed so much on my face that one of the panel members actually said, “Don’t feel tensed! Be cool. It is not a stress interview.”

When asked what I do in my free time, I mentioned my hobbies once more. The younger of the two panelists seemed very interested in blogging — he questioned me on the contents of my blog and even noted down my blogsite! I started to feel a little better about myself and hoped that he would visit it before deciding my fate!

They then asked if I had any questions for them, to which I replied in the negative. I thanked them and smiled, leaving the room confidently. That was the end of my interview.

Two months later, I found that I have made it — I got a convert and am presently the first student out here at the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow.

Gathering from my experience, I would say that the interviewers look for passion, ability and enthusiasm in a candidate, coupled with decent knowledge of current events and decent English language skills.

Get in there confidently and you’ll emerge victorious!

Source: www.rediff.com/getahead

Through this article, we will try and give some tips and techniques which can go a long way in helping the candidate come out with flying colors in the group discussion.

What should I always remember?
First things first, most candidates must remember that it’s a discussion and hence it involves both speaking and listening. Doing only one of the two will not be called a discussion and hence a candidate should ensure that he listens as much as he speaks.

Besides this, the purpose of a group discussion must be clear to a candidate. The purpose of a group discussion is to understand the given problem or topic in its entirety and to try and reach a logical conclusion or opinion. Enough time should be given to understand the problem and jumping to a conclusion is the biggest mistake one can make. Mere consensus building is not the real purpose.

The other most important aspect about a discussion is to approach the topic or the problem in a structured manner. One should not analyse a problem and suggest a solution without looking at the objectives, without weighing alternative solutions and without predicting the kind of challenges that may arise while implementing the proposed solution.

Besides, this one must try and come up with relevant examples to corroborate one’s argument since they add a lot of weight to the argument and clarifies what one intends to say. A candidate should also try and be creative and come up with ideas from what he has read.

Communication is an area that plays a very important role. A candidate must speak clearly, slowly and briefly. One must present his argument by giving relevant reasons and examples as it builds a stronger argument.

How do I prepare?
As far as the preparation for a GD is concerned, the candidate should read extensively. The reading should be done with the goal of building perspective and developing an understanding and not just merely remembering facts and figures.

We recommend that one should read articles from newspapers, business magazines, online and then pause for a while to think about what one has read. A candidate should question himself on his understanding of the article. For instance, if the article is on an important business acquisition, then he should ask questions such as “what does it mean for the company”, “how will the industry change as a result of this”, “what should a competitor do”, “what can be some of the problems that may arise”. This will help a candidate not only build perspective, but will also help him develop the ability to think.

Once a topic is given to a candidate, the candidate must try and look at some of the keywords from the topic to generate ideas. The candidate can also approach it from the point of view of affected parties. Practicing generating ideas and speaking can help. One can even stand in front of the mirror and practice.

In the end, a candidate should stay calm and confident to be able to think clearly and give good arguments. Remember that it’s a discussion and forget for some time that you have to perform. If one makes 3-4 good arguments during different times in the discussion, the one can sail through.

Source: http://getahead.rediff.com

Unfortunately, many students leave their preparation for GDs and interviews till too late. This is due to over-confidence at times, or lack of awareness on how to prepare for these rounds. In this article, we shed some light on the latter aspect so that prospective candidates can start working towards the fulfillment of their dreams.

Preparation strategy

Content
If you wish to speak well and make a good impression in a GD, you need to have a fair degree of comfort with the topic that is given to you. Without this, you will struggle to say much; or even if you do have a few points, others may state them before you get a chance.

Keep in mind that for GDs, you could be given any topic: it may pertain to politics, economics and business, sports, social issues. Also, topics are not limited to national or local issues, but could cover broader global themes.

So how can you prepare? You would need to read widely and extensively over a period of time. This will help you in bringing a unique perspective to the discussion which others may not have thought of. A sustained effort at reading about important issues, across a variety of topics, is crucial.

Having done your reading, try and predict topics that may be given to you — what are the important issues that are playing themselves out currently? For example, for this year, topics pertaining to climate change, the environment and global warming, the Commenwealth Games, the issues in Indian hockey, the re-organisation of states in the light of the Telengana agitation, the Womens’ Bill, etc are relevant.

Try and make notes on these topics. Add to your notes the moment you come across a relevant point.

Analysis
Candidates should try and demonstrate sound ability in analysing issues. The top management schools certainly look for this feature in your discussion. You should try and go beyond mere opinions and use robust logic, data and examples to justify your point of view.

For example, if you state that China is doing better than India in terms of the strength of its economy, how would you justify this? You could quote figures pertaining to the relative GDP of the two countries, their GDP growth, per capita incomes etc. You could speak about the relative availability and quality of infrastructure present in the two countries. Then you could speak about trade and the presence of a trade deficit or surplus in the two countries, etc.

Such points help you justify the opinion you may have expressed — that China is doing economically better than India.

How can you develop your ability on this parameter? Whenever you read something, ask yourself certain questions: why did a certain development take place? Whom does it impact and how? What are the likely future repercussions of that particular development?

Once again, make notes of important statistics, data etc which you feel could be useful for GDs.

Communication skills and teamwork
These skills are important and refer to the ability to effectively put across what you know. It is important to create an impact-besides content, the way you express your point is also evaluated.

I advise that you put your point across firmly and confidently, but not aggressively. Do not speak just for the sake of saying something and registering your participation — it can be negative if overdone. At the same time, it is absolutely vital to speak during a GD, and the earlier you do so, the better.

Remember also that speaking just once will not be enough. Try and make at least three interventions during the GD — be a regular participant.

In addition, teamwork is also evaluated — listen to your fellow participants. You can build on the points put forward by others. If challenging someone or opposing his point, try and do so in a polite, non-confrontational manner.

Need for practice
Finally, practicing in at least a few mock GDs may be very useful — you can practice keeping the above points in mind. Also, practice will increase your confidence levels of interacting in groups and you can develop your abilities in communicating effectively in a group. Remember, people will try to interrupt you — you need to learn how to handle it, and handle it well!
Source: http://getahead.rediff.com