GROUP DISCUSSION

Table of Content
 Definition of Group Discussion
 Characteristics of Group Discussion
 Prerequisites of a Group Discussion
 Benefits in Group Discussion
 How to Prepare for GD
 Assessment of GD
 Types of GD
 Discussion Etiquette
 Important points in Group Discussion
 Suggestion
 Types of Topics for Group Discussion
 Topics for GD

Definition of Group Discussion
● Group Discussion is another way to assess person’s
personality.
● It is both a technique and an art to judge the capacity of the
person and his suitability for the job.

Characteristics of
Group Discussion
● The term suggests a discussion or exchange of views and
thoughts among a group of persons.
● The group will have members around 5-10 who will express
their views, ideas freely in a friendly manner, on the given
topic.
● The abilities of the members of the group is measured on
certain scale as time limit, skills, knowledge etc.

Prerequisites of a Group
Discussion
● Topics given by panelists
● Planning and preparation
● Knowledge with self-confidence
● Communication skills/ power of speech
● Presentation
● Body Language and personal appearance
● Being calm and cool

Benefits in Group discussion
● It helps you to have better understanding of the subject.
● It stimulates critical thinking.
● It helps the group to make decisions consensually.
● It improves your listening skills.
● It increases your confidence in speaking.
● It helps you to understand your strength and weakness.
● It improves your Leadership Skills.

How to Prepare for GD
GD preparation involves three basic aspects:
● Group Speaking Preparation
● Content Preparation
● Listening preparation

How to Prepare for GD
Group Speaking Preparation:
Enhance your vocabulary to enhance your fluency, practice
tone modulation, and try to speak in front of mirror on some
topic.
Content Preparation:
Choose the current affair topic from different perspectives like
personal, social, political, cultural, academics, etc.
Listening preparation:
Participate in some discussions as an active
observer and try to evolve one’s thought process by
adding different perspectives.

Assessment of GD
● Leadership Skills - Ability to take initiative and able to
lead, influence and carry the team along to achieve the
organization's objectives.
● Communication Skills -Candidates will be assessed in
terms of clarity of thought, expression and aptness of
language.
● Interpersonal Skills – Interacting and managing the
people is an important aspect of any job.
● Persuasive Skills - The ability to analyze and persuade
the people.

Types of GD
Should the groups be formal or informal?
● An informal group is formed more or less spontaneously
to handle a task.
● The group disbands after the task is completed (usually
in a very brief time).
● For example, informal groups can form by simply asking
people to discuss a question with those around them.

● Formal groups, on the other hand, are created
with a little more planning, the tasks are also
more structured, and they tend to remain
together for a longer time.

Should the groups be structured or unstructured?
● In a structured group, each member is assigned a particular
role to play or task to perform in achieving the overall group
goal.
● In unstructured groups, the group is simply given the task to
be performed and each person in the group is free to
contribute as he or she wishes.
● The option chosen depends on the level of collaborative small
group skills displayed by its members.

● If the group has people with a high level of skills, the group can
be unstructured.
● If however, the group is not functioning well together, then
some structure might have to be imposed.
● It should be remembered that the goal of active learning is to
make people independent and self-monitoring.
● Thus, structured groups should be perceived as an interim
measure and thus they should eventually learn to perform well
in an unstructured setting.

Discussion Etiquette
DO’S
● Take initiative.
● Stay with the topic.
● Think before you speak.
● Make original points & support them by substantial reasoning.

Discussion Etiquette
DO’S
● Listen to the other participants actively & carefully.
● Be polite to the group.
● Regulate you voice through tone modulation.
● Try to get your turn.
● Be aware of your Kinesics.

Discussion Etiquette
DON’T
● Argue.
● Be nervous or shy ;it isolates you from G.D.
● Interrupt another participant before his claim or discussion is
over.
● Speak in favor. For example: Establish your position and stand
by it stubbornly.

Discussion Etiquette
DON’T
● Change opinions.
● Don’t make mockery of any participant even if his arguments
are funny.
● Excessive use of personal anecdotes and experiences.

Important Points In Group Discussion
● Be Assertive: An assertive person is direct , honest and careful
about not to hurt others ‘self-respect’.
● Be Patient Listener: Listening to another person is one way of
showing appreciation.
● Use Appropriate Language : Words can make friends & right
words at the right time make the best results.
● Be Precise and Authentic: It is necessary to make relevant points
which can be supported with facts and analyzed logically.

Accept Criticism
● If any member of the group criticizes or disapproves a point, it is
unwise to get upset or react hastily.
● In case the criticism is flimsy(weak), the same can be pointed out
politely.
● Show leadership quality: A group discussion also evaluates your
leadership qualities.

Accept Criticism
● Accept other's point of view.
● Express your argument with few facts, cases, %,
newspapers publications etc.
● Express without hurting others feelings.

Suggestions
● Never try to bluff.
● Control your emotions.
● Focus on quality of content rather than quantity.
● Get noticed - But for the right reasons.
● Practice group discussion with friends , family on different
subjects.
● Remember !Speech is a powerful weapon.

Types of Topics for Group Discussion
Group Discussions can be topic-based or case-based.
1) Topic Based GD
● Topic based GDs can be classified into four groups:
1. Current affairs topics
2. Factual topics
3. Controversial topics
4. Abstract topics

1. Current Affairs Topics
These topics include discussions which have been in the
news recently.
The topics are given to judge analytical skills and general
awareness.
For example; Why we should have mental health insurance
coverage?

2. Factual Topics
Factual topics are about practical things, which an ordinary
person is aware of in his day-to-day life.
Typically these are about socio-economic and general topics.
A factual topic for discussion gives a candidate a chance to
prove that he is aware and has good knowledge.
In factual topics, complete group agrees or disagrees with
the topic and there is less debate.
Given a problem, the group is to find some solutions.
For example; The education policy in Malaysia, Tourism in
Malaysia.

3. Controversial Topics
● Controversial topics are the ones that are argumentative in
nature.
● In GDs where these topics are given for discussion, the
noise level is usually high, there may be tempers flying.
● The idea behind giving a topic like this is to see how much
maturity the candidate is displaying by keeping his temper
in check, by rationally and logically arguing his point of
view without getting personal and emotional.
● For example: Abortion should be made legal, Vaccines,
Human Trafficking.

4. Abstract Topics
● Abstract topics are about intangible things.
● These topics are not given often for discussion, but their
possibility cannot be ruled out.
● These topics test your lateral thinking and creativity.
● For example; Love, freedom, success.

2) Case Based GD
● A case study is given instead of any topic.
● A candidate is required to study the case and then discuss among
the group.
● The case study tries to simulate a real-life situation. The situation is
generally problematic and there are no incorrect answers or perfect
solutions.
● The objective in the case study is to get you to think about the
situation from various angles.

Topics for GD
● Private or Government School - Which is better?
● Homework should be banned.
● All parents should be required to attend parenting classes before having a
child.
● Schools/ Colleges should block Youtube.
● Androids are better than iPhones.
● The driving age should be raised.
● Children under 18 should not be allowed on Facebook.
● Divorce and remarriage should be encouraged.
● Malaysian citizen (40years old) need to retake the driving license.
● Should cars older than 10 years be scrapped?
● Malaysian schools should implement cooking, ballet, music & art classes to
the students.
● Should we provide free education to the Malaysian students?
● Ways that can be promoted so more graduates can further study abroad
especially scholarship.