Written Ability Test : An Important Admission Criteria For B-school
Written ability test is gaining importance in the admission criteria of B-schools. It is a pen and paper test where a candidate is asked to write a short essay on either a current affairs topic or on any other issue where people usually have diverse points of view. While writing an essay for admission to a top B-school, the focus should be on the time. Here, the key will be to write as fast as possible in order to finish the essay. Don’t waste much time on thinking and planning the structure of the essay. Also it is important to develop the ability to think and articulate quickly. For B-school panelists, essays are tools to see how you structure your thoughts and produce them in the least amount of time. It gives the panel a valuable insight of your mind. Management schools use essay writing as a pre-interview yardstick to assess you on clarity, logic, focus, structure and argument. Few tips to crack written ability test successfully are:
(1) Expand knowledge base: The first and foremost step in preparing for any entrance exam or an interview is to expand your knowledge base. Know your subject well and keep yourself updated with the current affairs. This will give you substantial information to write on the topic given.
(2)Write frequently: In order to communicate the knowledge you have, you should improve your writing abilities. Writing frequently on some of the current affairs topic will not only boost your confidence, but will also help in improving your vocabulary and language.
(3)Structure your essay: Whether or not you have sufficient knowledge of the given topic, always remember to structure your essay to give it a logical flow. You are not expected to know everything, but by structuring your essay you will show the examiner that you are meticulous in your approach. Structuring the essay will reflect on the clarity of your thoughts, which is one of the important factors you will be assessed on.
(4)Make your writing interesting: By this we do not mean you should use exhaustive vocabulary or language that is difficult to understand. To make your essay interesting, give it a fresh perspective. Be specific and avoid predictable, generic and clichéd writing. Develop your main idea with a few facts, events, interesting observations and reasons.
(5)Manage your time: Remember, you are given very limited time to put down your thoughts. Spend the first few minutes on understanding the given topic and then structure your essay. Make sure you leave a couple of minutes at least at the end to review what you have written. Check for grammatical errors, punctuation’s, syntax, flow of thoughts and expressions used. Having said that, do not change too many things in the last minute. Make sure you present your essay in a legible and a good way.
In addition to written ability test, a person seeking admission for B-school also needs to prepare himself/herself for personal interview and group discussion, where he/she will be asked questions on current affairs along with knowledge of self.