What do you need to know about the WAT in the CAT exam?

The Written Ability Test (WAT) is a substantive part of the selection process that gets one enrolled into Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top business schools in India.
Unlike the CAT exam, which essentially evaluates a candidate’s quantitative, verbal, and logical reasoning skills, the WAT evaluates their ability to articulate ideas clearly and persuasively.

If you are someone preparing for the CAT exam, it is obligatory to understand the WAT exam’s significance, format, and strategies to ace it. As you read this article, you will find helpful bulletins that will enhance your preparation.


What is the WAT?
The WAT is a concise essay-writing task in the MBA selection process. WAT sets a level-playing arena for every candidate, ensuring an equal opportunity to display their analytical and communication skills. In several IIMs, it replaces the Group Discussion (GD) round.

Objective of WAT
The primary objective of WAT is to evaluate the following:

• Clarity/Quality of thought—How well can you structure and express your ideas and opinions from different perspectives?
• Critical thinking—Can you analyze different perspectives on a given singular topic?
• Coherence and structure—Is your essay logically organized and easy to follow
• Language and grammar—Do you use appropriate grammar and vocabulary?

Format and Duration
The format of WAT varies from institution to institution. But the generic templates are

• Candidates are given a topic to write an essay in 15 to 30 minutes.
• The word limit for the essay usually ranges between 200 and 400 words.
• Topics may encompass current events, business and economic matters, abstract ideas, social and political challenges, or philosophical subjects.

How to prepare for WAT?
Anyone appearing for the CAT should also be preparing for the WAT exam subsequently.

Stay Updated: Since most of the WAT exam topics are current affairs, reading newspapers, magazines, and editorials will help you align with expected topics.
Practice writing: Practicing writing every day helps you analyze your skills and thereby improve where you lack.
Structure: The most important part of the exam is how you structure and present your idea. Using clear and concise language with a structured flow and no bulletin formats helps in enhancing your stance on the essay. Stay within your topic, not expanding it to shrink its pivotal arguments.
Avoid Controversies: Having a clear stand that does not facepalm the evaluator. Have a neutral and well-resonated stand on the given topic.
Authenticity: Coming up with false statistics can lead to a reduction in score. Thereby, trust your knowledge and develop an engaging style of writing.
Time Management: A key trick to ace the exam is to divide and give the required time to collect thoughts, pen them down, and proofread them at the end.

Conclusion
While every candidate has a subjective approach to the examination, this information will be helpful in creating your strategy, as there is no single formula for the WAT exam. MBA aspirants must know that CAT is not the only important part of the process and should be able to navigate through all other rounds like the WAT.