Written Ability Test abbreviated as WAT is one of the most crucial stages for getting
admission to the top MBA colleges such as IIMs, XLRI, IIFT, etc. Some top colleges have
replaced WAT with Group Discussions as well. In the selection process of management
courses in top institutes, the PI and WAT receive top priority. If you haven’t appeared for any Written Ability Test before and want to get some insights as well as preparation tips, you can refer to this article.
The WAT section is easy to clear if you have a good hold of current affairs. The WAT paper
can be filled with objective statements in which, the candidates will be asked to describe and put forward their opinions in a suitable manner. Some of the current topics are given below which the students can prepare.
Elements of Report Writing for WAT
The descriptive type of answers for WAT does not have to be written like a piece of news but can be opinionated writing like a column and an article. However, it contains the basic
elements of a journalistic report writing, which is commonly known as 5Ws and 1H including the ‘Mode of Persuasion’ which is described below,
WAT Tip: 5Ws, 1H
For creative writing, 5Ws and 1H rule are hailed as one of the important elements of non-
fiction writing which can be categorized in articles and columns. The 5W and 1H means,
Who, When, Where, What, Why, and How. These are the basic ‘W-H’ words that come to
one’s mind when they are developing a write-up for anything. If the student is given an article topic, the student, in his writeup, must dive deep into the introduction, description, and aftermath of the incident. To do this, asking these 6 questions comprising 5Ws and 1H initials helps a lot in making a writeup full proof.
WAT 2020 Tip: Modes of Persuasion
Mode of Persuasion is a very important factor for excelling in the Writing Ability Test or WAT for 2020 MBA admissions in the top colleges. The ‘Modes of Persuasion’ has 3 elements in it that are known for making the communication process more effective and appealing. In the newspapers, the columns and editorials that are published throughout include the 3 elements of the Modes of Persuasion.
The 3 elements are: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
These three components were first described as useful for effective communication in
ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle’s Rhetoric where he described the various mode of
communication which is still followed in written and verbal communication. The various
elements are described below:
Ethos
Ethos is known as the art of telling the reader about the writer’s or the communicator’s good hold on the subjects. It can be done by using terminologies and external references. It builds trust between the reader and the writer as the reader knows that what he is reading is coming from a man of words and it increases the overall credibility of the writing.
Example: A politician in his address uses his own examples as a social worker, as a soldier, teacher, or businessman, etc to appeal to the people. Thus, his experiences make his speech credible.
For the same reason, commercial advertisements on healthcare products use such lines
which are, “Indian Medical Association says dust particles in your hand can cause diseases, so use our X handwash.” Thus, they build trust between the audience by giving a reference.
Pathos
The element of ‘Pathos’ refers to assessing the emotions of the reader. Pathos uses
emotional elements to appeal to the audience emotionally. When the communicator/writer is able to connect with the emotions of his/her readers, the writing becomes very appealing and builds interest.
Example: “Mahatma Gandhi himself was a soldier in war, he has seen the suffering of
people due to violence which led him to the path of non-violence to give us a peaceful and secure future.” In the statement, while expressing the greatness of the philosophies of Gandhi, the writer uses how his peaceful ways would make a change in our lives, thus, the reader is influenced by the non-violent ways of Mahatma for ‘Peace’, ‘Security’ etc which gives him/her a psychological relief. The writer uses the word ‘us’ to create a sense of emotional bonding with the reader and writer.
Logos
Like Ethos, Logos is also used to increase credibility but unlike Ethos, Logos use the
reference of statistical data for the cause. It includes numerical and statistical figures of
varified sources to support a statement.
Example: “Staying with India between 15-29 million Indians died of starvation in British
induced famines. The most famous example was, of course, was the Great Bengal Famine
during World War II when 4 million people died in Bengal because Winston Churchill
deliberately, as a matter of written policy, proceeded to divert essential supplies from
civilians in Bengal to sturdy tummies and Europeans as reserve stockpiles.” This excerpt is
taken from MP Shashi Tharoor’s Speech in Oxford where he used statistical data to convey the horrors of the British Raj in India. The use of numbers easily conveys the scale of the incident which the audience can easily connect with. This speech is a fantastic example of the usage of Logos.
Current Affairs Topics for WAT
The topic of WAT in various institutes for MBA admissions will come from the current affairs of previous years. Students need to keep a check of the most important happenings in India and abroad. However, most questions are asked from the current affairs of the country.
Output
Written Ability test abbreviated as WAT is one of the foremost crucial stages for
obtaining admission to the highest Master in Business faculties like IIMs, XLRI, IIFT, etc.
Some prime faculties have replaced WAT with cluster Discussions still. within the choice
method of management courses in prime institutes, the PI and WAT receive prime priority. If you haven’t appeared for any Written Ability take a look at before and wish to induce some insights still as preparation tips, you, ll talk over with this text.
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