This is a significant step before admission into one of the top management institutes in India. 

During this round, a group of 6-8 students is given a topic, they discuss their views for 10-20 minutes and present their views on it. The topic can be about businesses, economy, environment, social practices or a case study.

The Group Discussion round holds a certain weightage in each MBA college, this might vary from one B school to another. The evaluators grade students on predefined criteria such as their leadership skills, interpersonal skills, knowledge, clarity and confidence. 

What is the objective of Group Discussion?

1. Evaluate leadership potential: The judges notice if the candidates are initiating the discussions. Confident leaders must not dominate or present extreme opinions. They instead maintain a meditative stance about any topic. The management field is for smart and diplomatic people.

2. Test communication under pressure: In the Management field, there will be many instances when business leaders have to make decisions instantly. This step shortlists the students suited for MBA.  

3. Assess teamwork and collaboration: The education in MBA colleges teaches students to work in teams. The GD round tests if the students can coexist with differing opinions, share a common space and build on each other’s ideas. 

4. Gauge critical thinking: The topics given are such that the students are tested if they can think about the same topic from multiple perspectives. When questioned by a peer, will they be able to back their stance with a relevant example or data? 

5. Emotional intelligence: This step tests how well students handle disagreements or counter opinions.  To perform well in this round, students should not evaluate any issue based on emotions. 

6. Authenticity: The views presented by the candidates should be built on a personal level and ot just commonly held generic opinions. The speeches should not be memorised but should reflect genuine engagement. They promote natural thinking. 

7. Filter incompatible candidates: The judges make sure to spot candidates who possess a strong ego or rigid opinions. Students must find the right balance between speaking and listening without interrupting their competitor’s speech. Those open to learning are selected through this round. 

Types of Group Discussions

1. Topical Group Discussion:

During the MBA selection Process, Topical Group Discussion is one of the most important types of GD. The candidates are provided with a topic, for example - the effect of pollution, traffic in metro areas, political corruption, India's non-aligned position, etc., then they will be asked to develop their ideas and present them in front of the group in the presence of a moderator. Here, the aim is to check the candidate’s social awareness and knowledge of current affairs along with their ability to raise and present the important points clearly and quickly. 

2. Case Studies Group Discussion:

This type of GD is also important. In this type, a case study or perhaps a real or hypothetical scenario is given to the group, and they are asked to work on it together and then discuss it. Their performance is judged on their ability to work as a team, understanding of the case and also on their analytical skills. Therefore, they aim to look for the qualities that the company manager possesses when they step into the leadership role. 

 3. Debate-based Group Discussion:

Debate-based group discussion is an interesting one. In this type of GD, students are assigned a topic on which they may disagree. In this discussion, the candidate will either agree or completely disagree with the candidates who spoke before them. Here, the candidate's persuasion skills, communication skills and manners, patience and knowledge of the subject etc. are evaluated. 

Important topics for Group Discussions

Dos and Don’ts for the Group Discussion Round

Group Discussions and Personal Interviews are conducted by many top MBA Colleges for admission into their management programs. Both rounds revolve around personality analysis and the depth of knowledge of the candidates. However, group discussion (GD round) tests an individual’s collaborative skills and how they perceive others, while a personal interview (PI round) reflects how they perceive themselves. The table shows the points of difference and highlights how MBA aspirants must behave during each round.