Commonly asked questions

Tell me about yourself.

Why MBA?
Why MBA from this institute?
Mention 3 strengths. Write 2 lines about each.
Mention 3 weaknesses. Write 2 lines about each.
Give 3 adjectives that best define you.
How would your friend describe you? (3 adjectives).
How would your professor describe you? (3 adjectives).
What do you propose to do in your career in the short and long term?
Who is your role model in your life?
Why not work for a few years and then go for management OR Why quit your
job now?
Which specialization you would take in MBA?
If not selected then what are your alternative plans?
What are your family values?
Would you like to ask anything?
Reason for poor academic performance
What was your biggest decision in life?
What are your hobbies? What have you done to pursue your hobbies
seriously?
What motivates you?
Identify one instance in life and describe the situation:
1. Ethical dilemma
2. Aggression
3. Took risk which paid of
4. Took risk which did not pay of
5. Praise awarded
6. Rewarding college experience
7. You had trouble with people
8. Persuaded team on an idea
9. Overcame resistance
10.You made unreasonable request (in hindsight)
11.Frustration in dealing with the team
12.You used tact and diplomacy to get things done
13.Bout of frustration
14.Others criticized you
15.You put in eforts/ performance beyond requirements
16.You faced a crisis situation
17.You solved a problem creatively
18.You brought a new idea or a business goal to the table
19.Inspired people/ team members/ colleagues
20.Achieved results against all odds
21.Highest point in life

22.Compromised on values
23.Diference in opinion with team and you went ahead with your decision
24.Biggest failure. What went wrong and what would you have done
diferently?

Interview - Sample Questions & Suggested Answers

Justify your decision to pursue the MBA programme?
Don't tell the panel that you are looking for a "challenging job in a good firm with
lots of money, status and glamour". Instead, you must convey to the interview
panel that you have made a rational and informed decision about your career
choice and your intended course of higher study. There are broadly four areas which
your answer could touch upon:

Career Objectives: You could talk about your career objectives and how the
two year MBA programme will help you achieve them.
Value Addition: Value addition will essentially be in two forms knowledge and
skills.
Background: This is where you connect your past to your future. If you are an
engineer, try and say that the MBA course and your engineering degree will
help you do your job better in the company that you will join. You should be
able to convincingly justify how your engineering qualification will help.
Opportunities and Rewards: You could also at this stage mention the
opportunities that are opening up in organizations for management
graduates. At this stage mentioning superior monetary rewards for
management graduates may not be a bad idea.

Why do you think you would enjoy your chosen area of study (Eg:
Marketing)?
Marketing is key to the success of any organization and the function has always
appealed to me, because it requires a combination of creativity, strategic and
analytic ability - all qualities that I feel I possess. Through discussions with some of
my seniors, I have a pretty good idea of what it's like to work toward taking up a
marketing job, and I know I will enjoy the work.

How do you spend your spare time?

I have a good collection of books of diferent genre and enjoy reading. In addition, I
love driving during late evenings or on rainy weekend afternoons. Also, for the last
two years I've been volunteering at the local children's hospital on Saturday
mornings.

What are your weaknesses?

I used to be somewhat disorganized, but eventually this got me into trouble when I
missed an appointment I hadn't written down. It was clear that I had to learn how to
be more organized. So, with the help of my senior colleague we worked out a
system that I still use today. Not only do I stay on top of things, but I'm more
efficient, too.

The first thing you need to do prior to interviewing is assess yourself. This
includes listing your strengths and weaknesses, your accomplishments
and achievements, reviewing your strong and your weak subjects, and
recording some of the key decisions you have made in your life.
You should then review your interests, the disappointments you've
encountered, your work environment likes/dislikes, your business and
personal values, your goals, needs, restrictions, and life style preferences.

Prepare structured answers for the following potential questions.

1. Why should we admit you into our MBA program?
2. What are your strongest abilities?
3. What skills would you be bringing to the classroom? (Relevant if you
have job experience)
4. What are you looking for in this program?
5. Tell me something about yourself?
6. What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?
7. Where do you want to be in 5 years?
8. Why do you want to study in this institute?
9. What does "success" mean to you?
10. What does "failure" mean to you?
11. What are your three major accomplishments?
12. What have you disliked in your past jobs? (If you have worked in more
than one
organization)

13. What kinds of people do you enjoy working with? (If you possess work
experience)
14. What kinds of people frustrate you?
15. How long before you can make a contribution (Not monetary) to the
institute?
16. In the past year, what have you been dissatisfied about in your
performance?
17. What according to you is your ideal job and how will this program help
you realise the
same?
18. What can you tell me about your past bosses? (If you have work
experience)
19. Which is more important to you: money or the type of job?
20. What have you learned from your activities in college?
21. Were your extracurricular activities worth the time you put into them?
22. What have they taught you?
23. What qualities should a successful manager possess?
24. What two attributes are most important in your job?
25. What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with
it?
26. What have you done that you consider creative?
27. Who do you admire? Why?
28. What do you get passionate about?
29. What courses are you taking?