How to Prepare for GD?

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What is GD or Group Discussion?

Group Discussion is used by companies and universities to assess skills like communication, leadership and ability to work in teams. Group of candidates are given a topic or a situation and are asked to discuss the same among themselves.

What skills does GD assess?

Ability to work in teams Communication Skills Leadership Skills Ability to take initiative Creativity Reasoning Ability Assertiveness

Types of GD
GDs are either Topic based or Case Based Topic based GDs can be classified into Factual Topics Controversial Topics Abstract Topics

Factual Topics
Factual Topics are related to social economic issues which happen in our daily lives. These types of topics give candidates a chance to showcase their knowledge about his/her environment. Active participation shows that the candidate is well aware of events in her day to day life. e.g. Foreign policy of India, Education System, Entertainment, Travel etc.

Controversial Topics
Controversial Topics are those which are argumentative in nature. They are meant to generate controversy. Candidate should control their temper and noise level as controversial topics tend to generate emotions and noise level. The idea behind giving these topics is to judge how much maturity candidate is showing by keeping her temper in check. She should argue her points in a rational and logical way without getting personal and emotional.

e.g. of controversial topics are reservations in jobs, religious issues etc.

Abstract Topics
Abstract topics are about intangible things. These topics are not given often for discussions. Still you should be prepared for these types of topics. These topics test your lateral thinking and creativity. e.g. A is an alphabet, number 5.

Case Based GDs

The case study tries to simulate a real life situation. Information about the situation will be given to you and you would be asked as a group to resolve the situation. There are no correct and wrong answers in this type of discussions. The objective in the case study is to get you think about the situation from various angles.

Dos for Group Discussion

Speak pleasantly and politely to the group. Respect the contribution of every speaker. Remember that a discussion is not an argument. Learn to disagree politely. Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you answer the question? Try to stick to the discussion topic. Do not introduce irrelevant information. Be aware of your body language when you are speaking. Agree with and acknowledge what you find interesting.

Dont for Group Discussion

Lose your temper. A discussion is not an argument. Shout. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch. Use too many gestures when you speak. Gestures like finger pointing and table thumping can appear aggressive. Dominate the discussion. Confident speakers should allow quieter students a chance to contribute. Draw too much on personal experience or anecdote. Interrupt. Wait for speaker to finish what they are saying before you speak.