This answer will cover the subsequent grounds:
1. Difference between WAT and AWT
2. Why are they conducted?
3. What are the kinds of topics?
4. The way to steel oneself against these topics?
5. The way to structure the passage?
Let's begin with them step-by-step:
A) Difference between WAT and AWT
other than IIM Ahmedabad, all other IIMs of the country conduct a Written Ability Test
(WAT). IIM Ahmedabad takes an Analytical Writing Test (AWT), the reason behind this is to check the candidates, ability to reason and think critically and logically. Unlike WAT, knowledge isn't tested in AWT.
WAT topics are often 2-3 lines long. AWT topics, on the opposite hand, are up to
three paragraphs long and already mention the arguments made by the author. The
candidates are required to gauge the strength of these arguments and are available up
with better arguments to support or refute.
From here on, we'll be talking about WAT only because the preparation for both is the same. Why are they conducted? To understand this, let's list all the weather of WAT and see what's being evaluated on
their basis:
1. Topic - is employed to gauge the knowledge of the candidate.
2. Ideas - are wont to evaluate the heuristic of the candidate. it's the power to think from
different perspectives and helps the panellist judge how comprehensively the candidate
thought.
3. Structure - reflects the clarity of thought of the candidate.
4. Word Limit - tests the power of the candidate to be crisp and precise.
5. deadline - shows if the candidate is swift and adaptive.
Apart from these, WAT also acts as a discussion point for the interviews. Interviewers
generally have a group list of question types that they use to drive the interview during
a particular direction. If the candidate isn't ready to answer those questions, one point is
often his/her performance within the WAT.
What are the kinds of topics?
Basically, WAT and its topics are categorized into 4 types:
• Current Affairs Based - These topics test the knowledge of the candidates
on what's happening around. They make or break - if you do not know the
subject, there will be nothing to write down.
Examples include:
1. Me-too Movement is simply propaganda.
2. Selection Criteria of Supreme Court Judges is unfair.
• Opinion Based - Here, the thought is to offer a generic topic, on which you'll or might not have data points, but you'll always have some viewpoints.
Examples include:
1. is intelligence hereditary?
2. Politicians aren't respected anymore.
• Philosophical – well, these are all the intellectual quotes or famous sayings. A
philosophical point of view is predicted which may further be supplemented with
anecdotes or instances. Examples include:
1. Happiness may be a state of mind.
2. There’s no wrong time to try to do the proper thing.
• Abstract - If there's still a subject left that can't be bucketed within the above
three, it's likely to be an abstract topic. These topics search for heuristic i.e. the power to
think from multiple perspectives.
Examples include:
1. what's green can never be red.
2. A pencil is often used for _____?
How to steel oneself against these topics?
The first thing you would like maybe a repository of past year topics to urge conversant
in the above-mentioned types and develop the power to identify the sort.
Now that you've got got the list, try scanning through all the topics once and filter them in
your mind. it'll assist you to develop that habit of identifying the subject type. Why is it
necessary to filter? Because each type requires you to organize and attempt differently:
Current Affairs Based - Since the standards of evaluation here is knowledge,
the source of preparation is newspaper. While reading the news, specialise in two things:
• Opinions - assist you to build arguments.
• Facts - assist you to copy arguments.
You have to make a repository of such burning issues and write the subsequent - the
subject, arguments in favour of it, facts supporting those arguments, arguments against
it, facts supporting those arguments and eventually, your stance i.e. the side you favour
more. Most frequently, students make an error of not having an opinion with regard to
the news articles they read. It’s crucial to not only check out each side but also choose
one. Often students ask if they ought to watch some videos associated with the important
issues or ask GK books, etc. you'll definitely search extra resources like these especially
if you were not a fanatical newsreader already. But, while pertaining to any resource,
remember to require notes covering the five points mentioned above.
Opinion Based - These topics require you to consider data points that
you're generally conscious of (because of day-to-day reading or observations) and
supplement them together with your opinions. So if we see then the opinion-shaping
the technique has already been covered above i.e. to consider multiple perspectives. But,
regarding the info points, what you'll do is read blog posts, books, magazines, etc. which can cause you to conversant in a spread of topics.
Philosophical - These topics are often tricky ones. Aside from judging your
values and morals, they also judge your ability to attach anecdotes to reasoning. for
instance, if you quote an example, it's often judged how relevant it's to the purpose you
are making.
Apart from opinion-building and general reading that is mentioned already, there's another quite data-point that you simply can share, that you would like no preparation except the presence of mind - real-life experiences. The key here is to place it crisply and during a non-personal way i.e. not going an excessive amount of into details.
Abstract
These are the foremost interesting topics because they involve creativity and heuristic.
The more sort of points you'll bring onto the ground, the higher. For these, I'll share two thinking techniques which will assist you to develop heuristic ability:
• PESTEL - Whenever you encounter a subject, try thinking of examples from the
subsequent areas:
1. Political
2. Economic
3. Social
4. Technological
5. Environmental
6. Legal
Using these, you will be ready to come up with diverse points and examples.
How to structure the passage?
There is a basic format which is taken under consideration in every WAT or AWT:
1. Introduction - Here you not only share what you've understood by the
matter statement but you furthermore may mention the scope of your writing. For
instance, if the subject is Politicians aren't respected anymore, you'll set a boundary
saying I'd discuss only the scenario of India within the passage.
2. Body - It can span up to 2-3 paragraphs divided as follows: - Points in Favour - Points
The key's to recollect that every paragraph should mention just one aspect of the
subject. It’s highly recommended that you simply cover each side of the coin and back
both of them by reasons and examples.
3. Conclusion - Your passage should end with a conclusion, wherein you mention which
side weighs more in your opinion and why and summarize.
Now, some topics won't allow you to follow this structure. For instance, the Abstract
ones. So, just substitute the points in favour or against paragraphs
that mention individual benefits or elements associated with the subject. That ought
to suffice. ________________________________________
Often, it's recommended to spend a minimum of the primary 1-2 minutes in brainstorming (using the techniques shared) and writing down the points on a spare sheet or with a pencil in order that you've got your data in situ.
Following that, you'll choose where the points would enter the structure and in what
order.
Keep a check on time because it likes to fly by quickly. Please consider writing neatly
and try to avoid grammatical mistakes or any information or texting lingo.
ALL THE BEST
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