9 Commonly Asked MBA Interview Questions And How To Ace

Them
Guest AuthorJan 14, 2014, 12.11 PM IST
Since the past two years, I have been visiting two of the top five business schools in
Mumbai as a personal interview (PI) panel member. This article is based on my
experiences and is written in the best interest to guide MBA aspirants who have been
working hard to secure a seat in a tier-I institute.
In the first place, I'll advice you to remain calm; PI is not a platform for ragging
prospective students, rather it's a means to test your aptitude and inclination towards
the subject. Ideally, on the day of interview (and even otherwise), you should start at
6:00am. Take a shower, dress professionally (reserve your vibrant colors, tight fitted
clothes and chunky accessories for evening party). Tie your hair neatly with a band
(applicable to all girls and those boys who maintain a long hair style). Clean your nail,
polish your shoes and carry a well organized bag/ folder for keeping your personal
belonging safe and handy. Remember to put your phone on silent mode. You should
definitely have a good breakfast and catch up with all headlines in the morning
newspaper. Start early to be able to reach the venue on time (rather 5 minutes before).
Secondly, remember that interviewers love those who are genius and respect those who
are genuine. As students, you are and not expected to know-it-all; so remember that
honesty is the best policy. Here are a few commonly asked questions:
1) Tell us something about yourself: This is one of the most common questions you
will come across while appearing for an interview (be it the MBA, or for a job or perhaps
when you go for a matrimony meeting). Interviewers ask this question for different
reasons - to test your communication skills, gauge your confidence, study your eye
movement and body language, check the clarity of your thoughts and perhaps make a
strategy to ask next few questions. I have come across many candidates who have a
well structured response to this question and a few candidates who start thinking at that
time. Think of those days when you rehearsed the 'Jack and Jill' several times to give
your first stage performance; don't hesitate to do the same now! Write your response
and keep reading it over and over to be able to present yourself well. You may like to
include your name, your qualification, your family background and your interests.
2) What are your Strengths and Weaknesses: This is the second most favorite of
interviewers. Give a genuine response; especially, don't fake a weakness (no one is
perfect). You may like to give an example of how you have used your strength in the
recent times to achieve an objective or how your weakness has taught you a life lesson.
You should be ready with a plan of action to work on your weakness and fix it soon.
3) What are your short-term and long-term objectives or Where do you see
yourself 5 years and 15 years from now: Don't try to give the witty response, "In
your seat, Sir"... this is outdated! Don't tell them as a Manager or General Manager or
Vice President; the interviewer knows the corporate hierarchy better! Talk about the
work you would be doing; for instance - "Advertising is the area of my interest; after five

years I see myself working in an advertising firm and conceptualizing print media
advertisements."
4) Why MBA? Why MBA from this B-school? and Why this particular niche
Program?: "My father asked me to do so". "There is good scope and I'll get a good
package". "I always wanted to earn a post gradate degree". "It's the trend; everyone is
pursuing MBA today". These are definitely not the kind of responses that the interviewer
wants to listen! If you are a fresh graduate, you can talk about how a MBA can better
prepare you to take up corporate responsibilities. Now there is no harm in adding that it
will also improve your monetary position. If you have work experience, you can talk
about an incident that triggered your decision. You should read the history and
credentials of the B-school where you have applied to and if you have applied to a niche
specialization, make sure you have studied the program brochure well. I had once asked
a prospective student, "You have applied for eBusiness; what do you think it's all
about?" She replied Empowerment in Business; being a girl I need to be empowered and
madam you are such a fine example of woman empowerment! I almost fainted!

5) Questions from your graduate level program: If you are an engineer, you may
come across a few questions around capacitors and diodes or perhaps your final year
project work. Aha, damn... you were never in love with machines and hence you're
pursuing MBA... But these questions still seem to haunt you! Relax, be honest and
explain your point. You may like to tell the interviewer to test your interests and your
knowledge in the program you wish to pursue. Those who have done B.Com or BBA are
perhaps a bit luckier! Really??? I was interviewing a prospective student who had
completed his BBA. I asked him about his final year project; he said that he had
submitted a project on 'Setting up a chain of Spa for Dogs'. My first question was, "Had
you estimated your market size?" He replied, "Oh yes ma'am, about 80% of urban
population owns a pet." I was still thinking which country he was talking about and there
the young man clarifies, "Ma'm you go to the Juhu Beach and you'll find every second
person has a dog!" After he left the room, my co-interviewer said, "Did this young man
include spouses of all those married in his category of 'pets'?" Moral of the story is, "Do
brush up theory from your graduate level program and final year project."
6) Do you read a newspaper? What headline spotted your attention
today?: The interviewer is checking your knowledge on current affair and general
awareness. Many students say that they skipped reading news as they had to reach the
venue early. Interviewers will then throw up questions like - What was major news in this
week or in this month? What is India's GDP? Name three CMs who are women? Who is
the Home Minister of India? What's the latest on the FDI in retail? Which company lately
announced an IPO? and so on... This year election could be a hot theme! So do read
newspapers and keep yourself informed on what's latest!
7) What are your hobbies and interests? or Do you like reading books?: Most
interviewers wish to understand whether you pursue an interest and if you do so, how
deep is your involvement. Most coaching classes have made students believe that the

only correct answer to this question is, "reading". Don't get in to this trap; the next
question will be - which books have you read, who have authored them, who are other
authors you admire, what's the synopsis and so on... On the contrary, your hobby could
be painting, travel, music, dancing etc. But once again be cautious; your interest can't
be shallow - you can't say, "Music is my hobby, I love listening to Bollywood music." If
you say traveling is your hobby, you should keep a list of places you visited on top of
mind and also what's striking about that place and its culture! One of my cointerviewers had asked a girl to show the various mudras of Bharatnatyam. So when you
talk about something being your hobby/ interest, make sure you are involved deeply!
8) Who inspires you or Who is your role model or What's the difference
between a leader and a manager?: These questions tests your definition of success;
some interviewers are also trying to test your ethics and values. Your response could be
any corporate tycoon; alternatively you could name someone you know closely. Provide
a good justification for your choice. Last but not the least; do read the difference
between a leader and a manager before you sit through any interview.
9) How would you handle a situation or What is a solution you recommend to a
particular problem: At times an interviewer may throw up a commonly faced real-life
problem and ask you to provide a solution. This could be to test your decision making
ability or ability to work in a team or understanding your managerial style. Try to be
honest and give a rational reason for your recommendation.
To summarize, your goal clarity, domain knowledge, general awareness and
communication skills are being assessed. Be confident, stay calm and respond honestly.
Wish you best luck!

10 Most Common MBA Interview Questions

January 7, 2014

Some people perceive it as The

Chance to succeed and fulfil their dreams while others look at it like just another round of selection.
While some feel confident having cleared the entrance exam as for them in their head that could be

the end of their dreams, there are others for whom the written is a cake walk and they are dreading
the Personal Interview.
The Personal Interview is indeed the last mile, the last stretch and the toughest round to clear in
more than one ways. This is because despite months of preparation, no one can predict the
questions youll have to face in your personal interview. But we can always guess right? And some
guesses and estimates are accurate is why so many recruitment & selection processes & decisions
have started to rely on your ability to come to accurate guesstimates. This is where interview
questions and answers come into the picture and take your preparation to the next level. While you
arent expected to know the answer to every question you will be asked in the personal interview, you
are expected to make sense all the time. So, be thoughtful and honest while in an Interview. The
round is also crucial as it gauges into your inter-personal & communicative skills & through it, the
university/organization seeks to ascertain your vision as an MBA aspirant or a Potential employee.
So here are some popular personal interview questions especially for MBA Aspirants1. Do you know yourself? Tell us something about yourself.
This is perhaps the most commonly asked question & is a question that one should always be
prepared to answer. Some of the things you can talk about here area.

Your

educational

b.

Your

interests

&

and/or

professional

hobbies,

that

is

background
to

do

with

that
your

is,

where

you

personality,

come

who

are

from?
you?

c. Your strengths, that is a glimpse for the recruiter into your profile and how that will benefit any
organization that you work for?
Dont repeat whats already there on your Resume. The question is thrown at you, to test your
communication skills, body language, confidence and how you make sure you are giving the most
brilliant first impression.
2. Do you have a Resume with a 6-second impact? Can you walk me through your resume?
This is a very challenging question as it requires you to be aware of your strengths and key
experiences. It basically tests your ability to present and talk about the highlights of your profile.
Make sure your resume is making the 6 second impact for free at http://www.vmock.com/bp now!
3. Do you know where youre headed? Where do you see yourself 5/10 years from now?
Another popular question that keeps recurring in the MBA personal interviews. You should try to be
honest while answering this one. Dont say In your seat! Its outdated and long foregone. You
should have a relevant and appropriate answer ready! For instance, if you have applied for an MBA
in finance, you should see yourself in a managerial position handling responsibilities in the finance
vertical of an organization. You can also substantiate your answer with the industry, field that you
want to go into. You can also talk about a vision for your personal life or a self-actualization need
here. Your ultimate career goal must be in line with your specialization and your choice to get an
MBA.

4. Have you done your SWOT? What are your strengths & weaknesses?
A SWOT is a detailed analysis of your-self. Its a cool feeling to analyze oneself like a subject. The
most challenging aspect of a SWOT, which stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities &
Threats, is the W. Its really hard to come up with Weaknesses that you can share with the recruiter
who is totally judging every word you utter. Also, need to simultaneously make sure that strengths
and weaknesses are not contradicting each other. For instance, dont say in one instant, that you are
emotionally stable and then in another, point out your short-tempered nature. Also, stay away from
the clichd way of presenting strength as your weakness. For example: My weakness is that Im a
perfectionist. Come up with a genuine weakness and then quickly move on to talking about how you
strive to tackle it and take it to your advantage. Interviewer is aware that no one is perfect so trying to
outsmart the recruiter here is a bad idea. For example: I can be disorganised at times & thus miss
important events. Ive started maintaining a planner & leave reminders on my phone to help me keep
track of important deadlines, events etc.
5. Do you know the purpose for your being there? Why MBA?
This answer would be tailor-made to where youre coming from or your background. If you are a
fresher, your answer could be that an MBA would be your ideal launch pad into the corporate world.
If you are someone with prior work-experience, you would have different reasons for pursuing an
MBA. Answers as abstract as To make more money, To gain more knowledge should not be on
your list.
6. Can you reason your willingness and potential to be where youre applying for?Why do you
want to join this B-school?
In an interview for B-school X, a person was asked to choose between X & Y while B-school Y is
better than X. The candidate faced a dilemma wrt the perspective to answer such a question.
Clearly, this is your chance to impress them! You should know about the institutes history, its flagship programmes, ranking, placement records, faculty members etc. It would be good if you can get
in touch with a few students of that institute before your PI. Apart from giving you an idea about the
kind of panel you would have to face, they can give you valuable insight into the colleges academic
& extra-curricular activities. Your answer should reflect that youve done your homework well & that
youre keen to pursue your management degree from that particular B-school.
7. Do you have a strong hold on your learning curve? Questions about the Course you are
pursuing or pursued.
This is about knowing the fundamentals of your course material well. Dont assume that there would
be no experts from your field in the panel who can quiz you to selection/rejection. Be well prepared!
8. Are you well-read? Questions related to your Profession

You should go prepared knowing all about your job profile, your KRAs (key result areas), your
organisation, its performance in the markets, your industry, your organisations competitors.
9. Are you a fun person? Questions about your Hobbies
Make sure your interests and hobbies also give you an edge and help you stand out! If youve
mentioned gardening as a hobby, you are expected to know which fertiliser works best for rose
flowers! So make sure that you have in-depth information about your interest. If you have mentioned
hobbies that are genuine, this should not be a problem. But if youve mentioned reading as a
hobby, just to impress the interview panel, then you better do some R&D!
10. Are you really aware or did you just get lucky? Questions from your GD
Its quite possible that your Personal Interview panel could be the same as your Group Discussion. In
such a scenario, be prepared to expect questions around your GD topic. They could probe you
further about it or ask about a certain point youd made in the GD. You should be able to defend or
justify your point of view.
But, every personal interview is unique. You might or might not be asked one of these questions.
At the end of the day, what matters is that you should be honest & thoughtful.

1) Tell me something about yourself?

I am a person with strong interpersonal skills and have
the ability to get along well with people. I enjoy
challenges and looking for creative solutions to problems.
OR
Besides the details given in my resume, I believe in
character values, vision and action. I am quick in learning
from mistakes. I am confident that the various tests that
you have conducted will corroborate my competencies
aptitude and right attitude for the job.
2) What do you seek from a job?
I would like a job which gives me a chance to apply all

that I have learned in college as well as one which

enables me to grow as a professional. I would like a role
which enables me to make a difference.
OR
Great learning opportunities, challenging roles, rational
career progression, good job satisfaction and
opportunities to use my strength organization that gives
me the opportunity to serve the organization and the
society.
3) How would you present your strengths ?
Always remember DO NOT SIMPLY STATE YOUR
STRENGTHS. YOU DO HAVE SOME STRENGTHS AND TRY
TO CONVERT YOUR STRENGTHS INTO BENEFITS. IN
SHORT TRY TO ADVERTIZE YOURSELF BY CONVERTING
YOUR FEATURES INTO STRENGTHS.
You can answer in two ways : a) I am a hard worker and because of this ability I can
work for additional hours to accomplish my tasks.
I am commitment oriented and hence I always enjoy the
trust and confidence of my team mates which enables me
to perform my duties very easily.
I am adaptable, so I can handle any type of people and
situations and also bring out the best from them in spite
of conflicting situations or opinions.
I am a quick learner, so I can any subject quickly and
analyze my job and add value to it as well as I can

identify the problem and solve them faster and better.

b) My strength is that I have very strong values and
ethics and a very good eye for detail. I believe in strong
relationships and have a very supportive family and very
good friends.
4) Do you have any weakness?
Always remember Try to specify your weakness
as your strength and also highlight it as a benefit.
Theres a saying
Quote:

However small the thorn maybe it has the ability to

pierce.

So never highlight your weakness unless specifically

asked.
Answer: One of my weaknesses as I perceive it would be
occasional compromise on time for quality and perfection.

5) Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

I see myself as a _______ in your esteemed organization
where by with all my enhanced learning and skill, I shall
be able to make up a valuable and meaningful
contribution to your organization.

6) Tell us an incident where you had a problem

with your team-mate. How did you handle it?
Once I had a problem with my team-mate in college who
was my partner in my field work assignment. We had a
disagreement on how to present our project report.
I explained my point of view to her and asked her for her
view point. Ive found that when conflict occurs,
its because of a failure to see both sides of the
situation. At that point we found a compromise could be
reached by incorporating both our ideas.
7) Is there anything else that we should know
about you that would impact our decision?
I am a continuous learner and try to keep myself abreast
of all developments in the field of IT. Also since I do not
quit in the face of toughest challenges, I am certain that I
would be able to achieve the targets that I set for myself
and beyond.
8) How do you deal with criticism?
You cant please everyone, so just please
yourself. You are your best critic. Some people are just
not going to like you. Accept it.
9) Did you have any failures in your life?
I failed to score a good percentage in my intermediate. I

worked hard for it but scored less than what I expected.

10) What have you learnt from your failures?
From my failures I have learnt to analyze myself and find
out my shortcomings. Those shortcomings are the areas
of future improvement for me and I have undertaken
seriously to improve myself on those relevant areas. One
more thing I learned is never to give up, never to feel
rejected.