WAT Tests Your Thinking, Not Your Vocabulary
The best WAT essays aren't flowery — they're structured, specific, and argue a clear position with evidence.
WAT Tests Your Thinking, Not Your Vocabulary The best WAT essays aren't flowery — they're structured, specific, and argue a clear position with evidence.
Aristotle
Rhetoric (4th century BC)
Chip Heath & Dan Heath
Made to Stick (2007)
Steven Pinker
The Sense of Style (2014)
A 250-300 word essay should have 5 paragraphs: Introduction (50 words), Body 1 (80 words), Body 2 (80 words), Counter-argument (40 words), Conclusion (50 words).
Example:
Intro: Hook + Thesis. Body 1: Strongest argument with example. Body 2: Second argument with data. Counter: Acknowledge other side briefly. Conclusion: Synthesis + forward-looking statement.
How to Use:
Use this as a template. When you get the topic, spend 2-3 minutes outlining before writing. Knowing your structure prevents mid-essay panic.
Take a clear stance in your first paragraph. Fence-sitting essays score poorly. You can acknowledge nuance later, but your position should be clear from the start.
Example:
Not: "Social media has both pros and cons." Yes: "Social media has fundamentally improved democratic participation, despite valid concerns about misinformation."
How to Use:
Force yourself to commit. Even if you see both sides, choose one and argue it well. The counter-argument paragraph shows nuance without abandoning your position.
Specific examples beat general claims. "India's GDP grew 7.2% in Q1 2024" beats "India is growing economically." Specificity signals knowledge and credibility.
Example:
Abstract: "Technology affects jobs." Concrete: "Amazon's warehouse robots have displaced 100,000 workers while creating 300,000 new tech jobs — a net positive with painful transition."
How to Use:
For every argument, have one specific fact, statistic, or example ready. Build a mental database of examples for common topics (AI, climate, economy, social media).
Conclusions that merely summarize are weak. Strong conclusions synthesize, project forward, or call to action. End with something memorable, not a recap.
Example:
Weak: "In conclusion, there are many perspectives on this issue." Strong: "The gig economy's trajectory will be determined not by market forces alone, but by the regulatory choices we make in the next five years."
How to Use:
Draft your conclusion separately. Ask: Does this add anything new? Does it leave a lasting impression? If not, rewrite.
Rhetoric (4th century BC)
Key Insight: Persuasion requires ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic). Most WAT essays rely only on logos, missing ethos and pathos entirely.
Application: Start with a compelling hook (pathos), establish why you're qualified to comment (ethos through relevant examples), then build logical arguments (logos). All three, not just logic.
Made to Stick (2007)
Key Insight: Ideas that stick are Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and tell Stories (SUCCESs). Most essays are abstract and forgettable.
Application: Open with something unexpected ("Contrary to popular belief..."). Use concrete examples (specific companies, numbers, incidents). Tell a mini-story if possible.
The Sense of Style (2014)
Key Insight: Good writing is about clear thinking made visible. Jargon, passive voice, and unnecessary complexity signal muddled thinking, not sophistication.
Application: Write like you're explaining to a smart friend, not impressing a professor. Active voice, concrete words, short sentences. Clarity beats complexity.
How it manifests:
IIMA WAT topics are often complex or abstract. They value nuanced thinking over simplistic takes. Topics may have no "right" answer.
How to handle:
Embrace complexity. Show you can hold multiple perspectives while still committing to a position. Use "while it's true that X, the stronger argument is Y because..."
How it manifests:
IIMB occasionally uses creative or unconventional topics. They may test lateral thinking and ability to structure thoughts on unfamiliar subjects.
How to handle:
For unusual topics, first define terms and scope. "When we talk about 'success,' I'll define it as..." This shows structured thinking even on ambiguous prompts.
How it manifests:
IIMC WAT often has economic or policy dimensions. They appreciate data-driven arguments and understanding of macro trends.
How to handle:
Reference economic indicators, policy debates, and recent government initiatives. Show you follow business news and can analyze implications.
How it manifests:
XLRI topics may have ethical or HR dimensions. They look for values-based reasoning alongside practical considerations.
How to handle:
Include stakeholder analysis. Consider employees, customers, society — not just shareholders. XLRI values humanistic perspective in business reasoning.
How it manifests:
SPJIMR may present socially-oriented topics. They assess awareness of development issues and sensitivity to marginalized groups.
How to handle:
Show genuine awareness of social issues. Don't be performative — if you have real experience with social work or volunteering, draw on it authentically.
Practice writing complete essays in 20 minutes, including outlining and review.
How to do it:
3 minutes to outline (thesis + 3 points). 14 minutes to write. 3 minutes to review for errors. Stick to timing strictly. Do this daily for 2 weeks before interviews.
Why it works:
Time pressure is real in WAT. Practicing under pressure builds speed and prevents panic. You'll internalize structure so you don't waste time figuring it out.
Write the same essay from opposing positions.
How to do it:
Pick a controversial topic (privatization, reservation, etc.). Write one essay arguing for, then another arguing against. This builds nuance and prepares you for any stance.
Why it works:
Understanding opposing arguments makes your own arguments stronger. You'll anticipate objections and address them preemptively.
Collect and practice strong opening lines.
How to do it:
Read op-eds and editorials. When you see a compelling opening, note it. Practice adapting similar structures. Build a repertoire of opening patterns (surprising fact, counterintuitive claim, provocative question).
Why it works:
First impressions matter in essays too. A strong opening signals that this essay is worth reading. Weak openings doom even good arguments.
Build a database of examples for common WAT themes.
How to do it:
Create a spreadsheet with themes (AI, climate, startups, policy). For each, note 3-5 specific examples with facts/stats. Review weekly and update with current events.
Why it works:
Having ready examples prevents mid-essay blanking. Specific examples elevate generic arguments into compelling ones.
Reality: Clear writing beats fancy words. Using "ameliorate" when "improve" works signals pretension, not intelligence. Evaluators value clarity and precision.
Psychology: Research shows simple language correlates with perceived intelligence. Complex words often hide unclear thinking.
Reality: Take a stance. Acknowledge other views briefly in one paragraph, but commit to your position. Fence-sitting essays are forgettable.
Psychology: Decisiveness signals leadership potential. B-schools want managers who can make decisions, not endless deliberators.
Reality: A tight 250-word essay beats a rambling 400-word one. Exceeding word limits suggests inability to prioritize. Conciseness is a skill.
Psychology: Business communication values brevity. Executives don't read long memos. WAT tests whether you can communicate efficiently.
Reality: WAT tests thinking process, not subject expertise. First principles reasoning on unfamiliar topics can score better than superficial familiarity.
Psychology: Evaluators want to see how you approach problems, not whether you've memorized domain knowledge. Structured thinking transfers across domains.
Spend 2-3 minutes outlining BEFORE writing. A clear structure prevents mid-essay confusion and panic.
Write legibly. Evaluators read hundreds of essays. Illegible handwriting frustrates readers and loses marks.
Leave 3-5 minutes for review. Catching spelling and grammar errors is easier with fresh eyes.
Don't use the first example that comes to mind — it's probably what everyone else is using. Dig deeper for unique references.
If stuck on a topic, ask: Who are the stakeholders? What are the trade-offs? This unlocks any topic.
End strongly. Your last sentence is your final impression. Make it memorable, not a mere summary.
Use first principles reasoning. Define the issue, identify stakeholders, analyze trade-offs, take a position. You don't need expertise — you need structured thinking.
Aim for 80-90% of the word limit. Significantly under-writing looks thin, but don't pad with filler. Quality over quantity.
Very important. Illegible essays can't be evaluated fairly. Practice writing neatly under time pressure. Some candidates lose marks purely on readability.
Generally no — WAT tests continuous prose. Some schools may allow it, but default to paragraph format unless specifically permitted.
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