AUTHOR BIO

Abhyank Srinet is a graduate of the 2016 ESCP Europe MiM batch. He founded MiM-
Essay during college in a bid to provide personalized application consulting to students
and over time has gone ahead to help 800+ applicants get placed in top MiM-Schools
worldwide.
He has been guiding students since 2014 and is a Top Quora Contributor as well as a writer
on several Exam prep and Consulting Blogs. With 3+ years in the industry, he is uniquely
qualified to help answer all your queries.
Introduction

All geared up for the last phase of the application cycle?

The intensive hustle to put together your application has finally paid off, and you can
finally look forward to your interview.

But considering that only the best of the best applicants get that coveted interview
call, B-Schools are trying out new techniques of interviewing so that they can filter
out the candidates better.
Here's where Kira Interviews come in.
Several schools including Canadian, European and American schools only invite
applicants for a Skype/in-person interview after they’ve passed the Kira interviews.
Moreover, schools such as Imperial and EDHEC only have a Kira Interview for their
applicants instead of it being a two-step process wherein the Kira interview is just a
part of the process.

What is the concept of Kira Interviews and how is it different from the
traditional form of interviewing?

Kira Talent is basically a Canadian video interview platform that allows schools to
interview prospective applicants through this platform.
So, what's new in Video Interviews?
Unlike traditional virtual interviews, Kira uses the concept of a live recording to have
a holistic look at the applicant, on the basis of which he/she can further judge the
applicants on factors such as leadership potential, communication skills,
comprehension, drive etc.

Let's walk you through the process of how it is done:

1. As soon as you land on the page, you’ll be asked to register for the Kira Talent
Video Interview with your email ID.
Once you do so, you will further receive a step-by-step guide on how to progress
with the interview.
2. Once you’re ready with your device, microphone etc. you’ll be asked to set them
up and begin with the practice sessions.
If you face issues with the setup or are unable to access the guide for some reason,
you can click on “Help” for further steps.
The Rise of Kira

As dramatic as the title may sound, the impact of Kira is undeniable in the current
admissions scenario. A Canadian start-up company may still be a little-known brand
outside the education sector, but for students planning to go for higher education,
performing well on the Kira interview is now a priority.
Founded in 2012 by Emilie Cushman and Konrad Listwan as a tool to modernize the
traditional interview process for admission into prestigious programmes in top-notch
business schools, performance on the Kira platform is quickly becoming an
important factor for admission committees to decide which students are best suited
for their institutions.
The Kira talent interview questions claim to provide a holistic look at the applicant,
on the basis of which they can be further judged for factors such as leadership
potential, communication skills, comprehension and drive, things that usually are not
reflected by transcripts or scorecards in standardized tests. There are timed video
and written assessments, where the interviewee gets a few seconds to understand
the question, formulate their answer and then present it. The platform provides an
in-depth analysis of each applicant on the basis of their answers to the questions,
and develops a profile indicating scores on leadership potential, empathy, critical
thinking and motivation, among others. These individual factors are then combined
to give a ‘Program Fit’, that rates how good of a fit the applicant is for the said
program, on the basis of the aforementioned traits. It also minimizes reviewer bias to
a great extent, as independent feedback is also available in addition to the average
verdict, and reviewer analytics give details about each parameter the reviewer has
marked the applicant on. Having your own rubrics built into the platform also helps
ensure that all reviewers are looking for certain predefined criteria, and are
reviewing the applicants according to the needs specified by the school.
Kira has definitely revolutionized the admission process, and every aspirant must
acquaint themselves with the kind of questions that could be asked to be better
prepared when they have to face the actual interview. With schools like INSEAD,
London Business School, Imperial College of London and University of Toronto
Rotman School of Management on its client books, Kira Talent is definitely here to
stay in the education sector, and may soon become as standard as your basic
statement of purpose for getting into the higher echelons of business/management
education.
What Kind Of Questions Can You
Expect?

Your chance of getting into your dream school is never contingent

on a few standalone factors like a high GMAT score or a Big4
company on your resume.
Schools want a holistic view of your skill set, what makes you
different and why you fit into their class, hence you will be asked a
hybrid mix of questions to understand these factors.
Each question requires a specific approach, hence we have divided
all the expected questions into 5 broad categories and given you
detailed analysis on how to master each category.
Check out the categories below
Question Catagories

1.Profile Based Questions

These are directly related to your profile- The kind of work you have
done, your key areas of specialization, achievements, etc.
Common Profile Based questions are centered around:
Leadership Skills ( Eg: What kind of leader are you?)
Academic/Workplace achievements (Describe a situation where
you have created an impact)
2. Competency Questions
Competency-based questions are asked to understand your skill
set, Industry Knowledge, ability to identify the problem and build
the right strategies to solve them.
Common Competency Based questions are centered around:
Talent, Interest, and Passion (What is a weird talent you have and
how did you develop it?)
Problem Solving Acumen (Give an example of a "let down" and
what did you do to make up for it?)
Consulting and Strategy Building Acumen (How would you invest
1000 Pounds?)
3. Soft Skills
Soft skills gauge your ability to communicate and interact within
social groups.
Do not expect point blank questions like “Are you a good
communicator?” as they can be easily manipulated. Instead, you
will be given/ asked about situations that showcase how well you
work within teams.
Common Soft Skills Based questions are centered around:
Team-work and convincing skills ( How will you convince people
in a group work?)
4. EQ
Emotional Quotient or “EQ” is not a buzzword anymore.
Schools are very interested to know how have you grown as an
individual, this must be pretty evident through the essay questions
as well.
Kira interviews is another step closer to dig deep into how well you
know and regulate yourself.
If you are wondering just how important EQ can be, here’s a titbit:
Candidates with a good profile but sub-par scores have a much
higher chance of getting into a top school than candidates with a
great profile, great score but low EQ.
Type of Questions you can expect:
Introspective Questions ( What is your greatest strength?)
Exploratory Questions ( Is a picture worth a thousand words?)
5. Your USP and contribution towards the school
You need to give the schools a very strong reason to choose you
from 10,000 other applicants competing for your spot. In this
context, Adcoms are looking at three things:
What makes you different?
Are you clear about your long term goals and can you justify how
the school will help you in achieving the same?
How will you contribute towards the school and your fellow
batchmates?
If you can answer these questions with clarity, you would have a
pretty good chance of getting in.
Such Questions are usually centered around:
Student Profile Questions (What do you expect from the student
body and how can you contribute to it?)
School Specific Questions (.What do you hope to accomplish by
taking up this program?)
How will this e-Book help you?

Although the E-book focuses on Kira, you can use it as a

preparation tool for all B-School Interviews viz. Sonru and other
formats of video interviews.
We would also like to highlight that it is a pretty bad strategy to
check out sample answers of expected questions and then try to
frame your answers in a similar manner. B-Schools want to know
your journey, so this pretty much defeats the purpose of presenting
you as a unique applicant.
Not to mention that the Adcom can easily gauge any template
based answers, so doing so will not showcase you in a good light.
Keeping this in mind, we have written the answer tips by giving an
in-depth analysis of the motive behind each question and a step-
by-step breakdown on how to answer it.
We suggest you that for each question, dig deep into your profile,
pick strong and relevant experiences and then try to frame them in
the manner suggested in the answer tips.
All set to get started?
Lets start with a Dos and Dont's checklist first :)
Dos and Don'ts for Kira Interviews

Do’s:
Find a quite space for your interview and closed the door to avoid unnecessary
background noise.
Follow all the instructions carefully mentioned in kira talent platform to ensure
your set up is correct. Example:
1. Check Sound System: Test your microphone and the sound on your device
2. Check Your Webcam: Test your webcam and adjust camera position so that you
are in the centre of the frame.
3. Check the lighting: Make sure light should be in your face and shadow in your
background.
4. Set most natural background: remove anything from the frame of the video that
may be
Inappropriate or distracting.
Make eye contact with the webcam and pretend it’s a person and have relax and
smiling facial expression.
Be yourself don’t be nervous and consider this as interview not as video call
Don’ts:
Don’t start your interview in last minutes and try to complete your interview with in
24 hours of the given deadline so if any technical hazards will happen will
resolved in time.
Don’t log out or close your browser once you start answer the question because
you will not get another opprounity to answer it unless you seek permission to
reset.
Don’t miss the interview deadlines because many B-Schools have strict admission
timeframes and they wont be able to extend your completion deadline.
Don’t forget to disable pop up notification from emails, social media, games or
other app.

Now that you have a basic frame work of going about Kira Interviews, lets move with
the strategy to answer the expected interview questions.
Kira Preparation Tips
Since the process of Kira Interviewing is pretty different than the
conventional formats of interviews, you must be wondering how
you can prepare for it. These tips will help you get started on the
right note:

Take Notes during your Prep Time: Make a note of the key points you want to
highlight during the prep time. This ensures that you are not going to miss out on
anything important when the camera starts recording you.
Use your answer time optimally: Do not make the mistake of giving 30-second
answers. Make sure that you are optimally utilizing the space reserved for the
answer.
Keep a watch for a pop-up: The system will display a warning message before it
starts recording you. Make sure that you keep a look-out for the message.
Dress Appropriately: Do not make the rookie mistake of pulling over a formal
short over a pair of pajamas.
Now that you have a basic frame work of going about Kira Interviews, lets move with
the strategy to answer the expected interview questions.
#1: Leadership
It is no secret that Leadership is only an important but also a NON-
NEGOTIABLE quality that Adcoms look for in their applicant profile.
This is because the reputation of a business school is largely based on
the legacy of world leaders that it produces.
Wharton’s Sundar Pinchai, HEC Paris’s Jean-Paul, Duke’s Tim Cook…..
You get the gist.
Now almost all the applicants applying for top schools have been the
president of a student club, led a community and have even run their
own companies.
Hence interview is the best place to where the school can get an insight
into what type of leader you are, what drives you and the rationale
behind your decisions.
Tips to answer leadership based questions:
Choose Strong Examples: Be really Judicious about the examples that
you will be using - Your experiences should highlight your values,
resilience, problem solving acumen and ability to delegate, execute and
deliver
What you did NEXT Matters: Being a leader means admitting that you
have failed in the past. However, remember that What you did NEXT is
all that matters, and this is the part which will tell the Adcom how you
approach and deal with challenges.
 Q: When have you been a leader?

Think back on a situation where you led a team as the default or even as a de facto leader. It
could be leading a team for a work project, for an event, or even for a group project in
college. From leading your college team for a chess tournament to leading a team of interns
- the examples can be diverse. But you have to make sure that you showcase your
leadership skills by talking about your leadership style and how you managed your team in
that situation. It should clearly portray your leadership potential, therefore, make sure to
emphasize on how you went out of your way to support and lead your team.
Start with the context - talk about what the situation was, what were the challenges that you
were facing, and what was at stake.
Then talk about how you led your team - this can include points on how you divided people
into different teams for more efficiency, how you delegated them tasks by leveraging their
strengths to ensure maximum productivity, how you kept track of their progress through
weekly meetings, how you went out of your way to help them out when they faced any
problems and tried to help them improve on their weaknesses.
Then end with the impact that your leadership had, i.e., what role did it play in the success of
that endeavor.
 Q: What type of leader are you?

Start with what your idea of an ideal leader is, then talk about how have you tried to emulate
the same qualities through your leadership style - Are you an authoritarian, democratic, free-
rein or paternalistic leader?
Now, back up your claim with examples. Talk about situations where you had the
opportunity to lead teams, and in each situation elaborate on how you led or managed those
teams.
You can talk about how you believe that an effective leader would not only ensure the
growth of an organization but also the growth of their team, and would facilitate this by
giving them diverse opportunities. Then, talk about how you did this as a leader.
Another example could be how you believe that an ideal leader would form a personal
connection to his team, and recognize their strengths and weaknesses and delegate tasks
accordingly. Again, remember to follow this up with how you did the same when you led a
team.
Q: Have you ever failed as a leader, if so, how did you
correct it?

Pro Tip - Actually answer the question. Don’t try to cheat by narrating a situation where the
failure wasn’t actually a failure. It’s a cop out and the interviewers know it. Instead be
genuine and talk about a situation where the stakes were high for you but you failed and
that’s what made the experience all the more significant for you.
A good approach would be to talk about situations where your failure as a leader highlights
your lack of experience rather than the lack of an integral skill. For instance, a good example
can be describing a situation where the unfamiliarity of the situation or overconfidence
made you set unrealistic deadlines and that led to failure. Here, the failure highlights a
weakness but a weakness that can be improved on.
Be accountable. Acknowledge your role in the failure and make it clear that you are aware
enough to know your weaknesses. Start by describing the situation. Then follow it up with
how you failed as a leader and what was its cause.
The next point is to address what you learned from this failure and what affirmative steps
you took to correct it. So, talk about how you ensured that this time around the same
mistakes won’t be repeated by changing your leadership style. End your answer with how it
led to success. This would show the interviewers that you are capable of growth which is
actually the intention of the question.
Q: What qualities are important as a leader and what
have you done to obtain these qualities?

Start with qualities that you think a leader should have, you can include points such as:
Strong communication skills
Delegation and empowerment
Creativity and Innovation
Problem-solving skills
Empathy
Now, back these up with examples. To start with, think of your extracurricular or social
volunteering activities where you honed these skills. For instance, you can state how to hone
your communication skills, you joined a debate club or started participating in MUNs. Then,
talk about your experience here - what you did here and which skills did you gain
(“participated in over 20 debates and won…. This experience significantly increased my
confidence..”).
Similarly, back each such quality with examples. To hone your delegation skills, you took the
position of cultural secretary where you had the opportunity to organize several events. For
empathy, you can talk about your participation in various NGOs or other altruistic ventures.
For creativity and innovation, you joined the Entrepreneurship Club in your college.
Remember to showcase your best self by emphasizing on how you went above and beyond
in each of these instances.
 Q: What’s your Leadership Experience/Capability?

To answer this question, you can allude to an incident where you led a team to fulfill a task.
Citing a personal experience
Talking about a personal experience can be the most fitting way to give a testimony of your
leadership skills. Maybe you can talk about the time you led some members of a club to
fetch sponsorship.
When talking about leadership, do not forget to talk about the way you interacted with the
team members and motivated them to get a task done. Maybe you assessed each
member’s strengths and delegated tasks accordingly or some other unique way of dealing
with the team. Even if the pattern is not unique, talk about your way of implementation.
Further, it could be an experience where the team was about to fail but your lead saved it.
Form an outline of the experience as: Task or challenge -> How the work was done -> Impact
created.
Concluding Words
It is pertinent to mention how your leadership skills developed after this incident. Maybe
your perceptions changed or you learned a better way of dealing with people.
Further, you must also mention the impact that you and your team created. Maybe you
attained sponsorship worth thousands or something of that sort.
Try to link the experience to your leadership skills.
Q: What will you say to your team in a high stress/
short deadline situation?

A Masters degree requires working in teams and under stressful situations, so, this question
mixes both “how well you work in teams” and “how are you in stressful situation” and needs
to be answered similarly.
It also indirectly asks how good of a leader you are, so the best way to answer this would be
to give an example of how you have handled situations like it before and give a clear picture
of how good of a leader you are under stress.
Plus, what you would say reflect your personality and your values, therefore, ensure that your
answer complements the same.
Pro Tip - Be optimistic, emphasize on how you like working with people, learning from them
and how pressure can be a good motivation to do better and be creative.
#2: Teamwork and convincing skills
Very few jobs are successfully executed in Isolation. How well you
collaborate with other people is directly linked to how quickly your
career progresses.

Tips on how to answer:

Note that Teamwork and Leadership are interlinked : Questions
related to teamwork are often a bait to understand if you really are the
leader that is portrayed in your application. If you cannot justify
yourself as a good teamplayer, you most certainly cannot be the
leader you just bragged about in your essay.
Showcase that you can communicate without Jargons: Working in a
team means that you are dealing with several stakeholders and there
will be a minority will not truly understand your work.

Eg. You had to convince your CFO to sanction a budget for a new
software. This highlights your ability to communicate with a non-tech
person and actually convince him/her to work in the interest of your
project.
Q: You are asking your boss for a raise, he or she
hesitates, what do you do?

A question that exists to put you on the spot - The adcom wants to gauge how you would
react to unexpected situations. Do not state how this is something that you would never do.
There are various ways in which you can answer this question; you can be calm and
optimistic or humorous or a little defensive or a combination of all, but ensure that you don’t
sound patronizing or offended.
An answer can be “Well since I would make a case for myself by taking the reports for the
last few months and highlighting my accomplishments, they’re probably thinking about how
much would be enough, so I would give them the time to decide” while another can be “If
they hesitate then it’s probably because I wasn’t performing as well as I thought, so I’d ask
them for areas of improvement, work on them and then ask again in a few months time.”
Q: How will you convince people in a group work/Tell me about a
time you worked in a team project/Give us an example of a
situation where you exhibited teamwork?

This question is also pitched to collect evidence of your leadership skills.

You can talk about a previous experience when your strategy saved a team. Or, you can talk
about a motivation/inspiration plan you may have for the team to work. For instance,
imagine a scenario when all the team members are losing hope and refusing to work. The
task you take on your shoulders is to get the work done and to get the team back on track.
For this, you talk to each member about the problems they are facing and cut down a
complex issue into smaller tasks which are to be completed in a time frame and remain
easy on each member.
The idea is to keep the team going. Any innovative or old method can be used. You can
allude to an old experience or pitch a new method of conviction.
However, it is advised to fall back on a previous experience than to go on mentioning a
hypothetical situation.
Q: When funds are running out for a project, how would
you convince the investor?

The only proper way to answer this question is to state that you would make a proper report
for the project, highlighting how the previous funds have been utilized till now and your plans
for the future funds.
Emphasize on the fact that you would give the investor confidence in the project by
providing them with concrete plans for the project, including time of completion and its
benefits to not only the company/society but the investor as well.
Q: What role do you prefer when working as part of a
team? Why?

The safe way here would be to think of an answer that wouldn’t only make you, as an employee,
happy but your employer as well. Don’t think of it as an opportunity to complain about your former
employers as that would make you look unprofessional.
A better approach here would be to give it a personal touch by talking about a positive experience
of your career, so think about the work culture those places had.
First, start with the context - the company that you were working for and your position there.
Now, describe the work environment and culture of that place - What was it about this place that
made you productive, successful and happy? Think about it and you’ll have your answer. It could
be how two-way communication was encouraged and you were constantly given feedback which
helped you improve, it could be how your superiors constantly gave you opportunities to explore
new avenues which helped you diversify your skills and take initiative.
Follow that up with what such work environment helped you accomplish, so cite the result or
impact that you managed to create here.
And, then sum it up, with a concluding and descriptive line about your ideal work environment.
#3: Exploratory Questions - Getting to
know the real you
Expect to be really surprised at some of the questions that the adcom
will throw at you - From something as simple as “ What motivates you”
to something as abstract as “ Is a picture worth a thousand words?”
Since such questions are eccentric, it gives the Adcoms an insight into
the kind of person you are and what really matters to you.
Tips on how to answer:
Be real: There is literally no better way to go about this than being your
real self. Interviewers can easily gauge if you are being politically
correct or too diplomatic, so the best bet is to give honest and articulate
answers. These questions have no right or wrong answers - Just make
sure that you explain the rationale behind your answer well.
Don’t digress: Since these answers can be pretty descriptive, take care
that you ranting about unnecessary details. You are in control of how
much information you want to reveal and what do you want to project
through it.
Q: What motivates you and why?

When you found yourself at a juncture where you had to make a significant decision - what
motivated you to go for that option? If you sit down and introspect, you’ll find that in all the
significant decision which shaped your interests and goals, there’s a common thread
running, and that’s you’ll find what motivates you. Once you know that, the reasoning behind
the ‘why’ would soon follow.
Now, all you have to do is illustrate this with relevant personal experiences. For instance,
your motivation could be constantly pushing your limits and improve yourself by overcoming
difficult challenges, this is the motivation behind you traveling, taking up mountaineering,
pursuing your under graduation in a foreign language and, now, pursuing your dream of
entrepreneurship for which you are seeking MiM.
Another motivation could be to enjoy what you do which was the reason behind you
mentoring kids in classical music even while balancing a demanding course, and it is for the
same reason that you made the decision to switch careers and pursue your interest in
marketing for which you are seeking MSc in Marketing.
Both the examples end with a link between the candidate’s motivation and the reason behind
choosing that particular program which would be the ideal way to conclude this answer.
Q: People are motivated by altruism than self-interest.
Do you agree or disagree? Why?

While such questions may seem tricky, they are rather easy to answer, once you make peace
with the fact that there are no right answers to such subjective questions, you will be set.
These questions are not designed to trap you but rather to get a insight into you. Most
people trap themselves by giving an answer that they think the interviewers want to hear and
end up fumbling their way through the answer with half drawn-out and vague arguments.
So, do yourself a favor and answer what YOU think. If you agree with the statement, that’s
fine, if you don’t that’s splendid as well - just remember to back up your answer, whatever it
is, with solid arguments.
For instance, here if you believe that people are motivated by self-interest rather than
altruism, then don’t hesitate to say so but remember to give the rationale behind your
opinion. Here, you can talk about how you think that even altruistic deeds have self-interest
as their motive as, for one example, most of the people who do charity do it either for
recognition, self-satisfaction or to pay penance - in all three scenarios they are driven by one
thing - self-interest.
Q: Tell us about a time you received difficult feedback.
How did you respond?

In your academic or professional career, there must have been a significant point where some
critical feedback from someone had steered you in the right direction - that’s the example that you
want to talk about here.
Start with the context - What was the situation? If there was a particular reason behind the dip in
your performance that warranted that difficult feedback (such as juggling several projects,
Unfamiliarity with the tools, tight deadlines), mention that as well.
Follow that up with the difficult feedback you received and from whom. The second part of the
question is the most integral here. You should come across as a mature person who is capable of
handling difficult feedback, take it as a positive thing, and grow from it. So, that’s what you have to
convey here by telling them about how you carefully listened to the feedback, and while it was a
bit disheartening, you recognized it as an opportunity to improve and reassured that person that
you are going to work on it, which you did. You reassessed yourself, and after putting that
feedback into perspective you started improving yourself. End with an instance that shows that
you actually worked on that feedback and improved.
An example here could be how at the beginning of your professional career while you got stuck on
a problem, you became so intent on trying to solve it that you often struggled to complete your
projects on time. During an important project, while you managed to turn it just before the
deadline, the project manager had to rush through the review before sending it to the client. Even
though there were no errors found, your project manager gave you critical feedback about the
potential repercussion of such carelessness. Taking this feedback in stride, you learned to
consult your peers and other seniors whenever you found yourself struggling with a problem, and
soon not only were you able to complete your projects way before time, you were also able to
learn from them and grow. This was noticed by your project manager who praised you on your
growth and promoted you to the team leader
Q: What’s the best mistake you’ve ever made?

For this answer, take a walk down the memory line and think about a classic blessing in disguise
situation that significantly affected your life in a positive way. You can go with an example where
luck played a great role such as a scenario where because of not being able to score above the
cut-off list, you didn’t get admission into your desired program but instead had to go with your
second choice, Bachelor in Business administration, but as you went and discovered your
aptitude for solving business problems, you realized that it was the right option for you.
Another - and preferable - approach would be to make more impact by giving an example that
can show your potential of recovering from mistakes and making the best out of them.
An example here could be how in spite of your lack of experience, you started a start-up, and
while it failed after a while, you learned a lot from it and it eventually gave a direction to your
professional future, and, therefore, you think it’s the best mistake you’ve ever made.
Q: Tell us about a person or mentor who has
influenced you, how so?

It is for questions like this that you need to be prepared, you can’t think about this answer for a
really long time or start rambling about somebody without making a concrete point. What you
say should answer the question and showcase what you value. Stick to the basics - mention why
you admire them, the qualities that they have, what they have achieved and how those make you
want to be better, both at a personal and at a professional level.
You do not have to mention someone like Bill Gates or Elon Musk in your answer, a person who is
your mentor can be a friend, a relative, your school coach or even someone you have just heard
about from someone else.
For example; You can state how your mentor is one of your school teacher, who even though was
extremely strict in class, was always caring about the students and placed their overall
development above all else. Mention how it was because of them and their support that you
understood the importance of extracurriculars and how they develop lifelong skills which
complement the things you have learnt theoretically and have made you who you are are today.
Also include how you learnt to be patient and caring towards others from them and your wish to
continue paying attention towards your overall development and inspire your peers to do the
same.
Q: If you had a day of vacation and unlimited
resources, how would you spend the day?

This question is asked to understand your personality and your values from which the
interviewers can decide if you would be a good fit for the school or not. But, you can’t worry about
that too much, because if you give them an answer just to match the schools values and impress
them, they will know that you are lying as they’ve probably heard a similar answer one too many
times.
They want to see what sets you apart from the rest of the applicants, so what you need to do is
properly think about what you would actually do if something like that happened and then be
honest in your answer.
If you stay true to yourself, showcase your personality and are confident, there is no wrong
answer.
Q: What is the #1 most played song on your iPod, and
why do you like it so much?

This question is asked to understand your personality and your values from which the
interviewers can decide if you would be a good fit for the school or not.
But, you can’t worry about that too much, because if you give them an answer just to match the
schools values and impress them, they will know that you are lying as they’ve probably heard a
similar answer one too many times.
They want to see what sets you apart from the rest of the applicants, so what you need to do is
properly think about what you would actually do if something like that happened and then be
honest in your answer. If you stay true to yourself, showcase your personality and are confident,
there is no wrong answer.
Q: Is a picture worth a thousand words?

This question also demands to know your artistic inclination.

You can begin by arguing that a picture captures everything in a pause. The objects in a picture
can convey a thousand perspectives, one for each human. When presenting your points, it may be
considered better to cite certain examples. Do not hesitate to foray into the domain of paintings
since even they capture pauses.
You can pick up one picture from history and explain what it meant to you. Do remember that it is
a task of recreating a picture and you will have to follow an outline such as: The picture ->
Conveyance -> Impact on you so that your answer remains coherent. Keep in touch with whatever
you say so that you do not end up contradicting yourself.
Having mentioned what a picture actually meant to you, you can conclude that you believe
pictures unfold as stories only in the visual form.
For preparation, note everything a picture brings up in your mind.
Q: If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who
would you meet?

The aim of this question is to understand the fact that you have had admiration for influential
people.
The best way to answer this question is to bring up a person who has inspired you to move
forward in life. The person can be a late family member who taught you something in the
childhood. For instance, maybe your grandfather taught you to be the best version of yourself
while you grew up; you probably want such kind of words today to make you an even better
version of yourself. As such, mention what that person said or taught to you and how that
teaching mattered in your life and why you need the presence of that person again or why you
need to talk to them once again.
Another way of approaching it is by mentioning some influential public figure. But, this time
around, you will have to be specific with your reasoning - you cannot just say that you wish to
meet Freddie Mercury once in your life without mentioning what inspires you to meet him.
Maybe someone’s life trajectory was similar to how you have been moving and you would love to
learn from their experience or you could be desiring to reach the heights a person in the history all
ready did - mention such reasons.
You need to be prepared with the reasons why a particular person inspires you.
Q: What is your favorite time of the year?

Such questions digress somewhat from what your academic and professional experience is.
Creative answers are well appreciated. You can even say that your favorite time of the year is
summer when you can go on a family holiday. But for this, you will need to mention that you value
family time as keeps you moving forward in life (or it could be any personal reason).
Your favorite time of the year could actually be anything - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Diwali - but it
has to be properly backed up with the reason. You should be able to mention what role that time
has to play in your life. You can look back on how the previous year went and pick up a time you
cherish the most. Citing a personal example would be way better than cooking up a hypothetical
situation.
Follow this outline: Time -> What you did -> How it impacted you as a person.
Q: On what occasions do you recognize that you need
the help of others?

This question is an attempt to know how a candidate assesses their abilities.

The most common approach to answering this question would be a candidate exulting their
abilities and saying that they can handle almost all the work. We advise against this approach
because, quite evidently, it is dishonest and the interviewers would be able to see right through it.
To answer this question, proceed by saying that there are some things which are not humanly
possible. Maybe you can say that sometimes work becomes overwhelming as a part of a team. In
such a case, you may delegate some work to the other members. For instance, working under
stressful deadlines can be taxing and sometimes requires cohesive team efforts.
Other than that, your individual work may also get overwhelming. In this scenario, on the other
hand, you can say that you would seek the help of your seniors to guide you.
Further, you can think of some more occasions when something gets out of hands. Make sure
that you recognize and emphasize on the fact that there is always a limit to what a person can do
without others’ help.
Q: Describe the work environment or culture in which
you feel you are the most productive, successful,
and happy?

The safe way here would be to think of an answer that wouldn’t only make you, as an employee,
happy but your employer as well. Don’t think of it as an opportunity to complain about your former
employers as that would make you look unprofessional.
A better approach here would be to give it a personal touch by talking about a positive experience
of your career, so think about the work culture those places had.
First, start with the context - the company that you were working for and your position there.
Now, describe the work environment and culture of that place - What was it about this place that
made you productive, successful and happy? Think about it and you’ll have your answer. It could
be how two-way communication was encouraged and you were constantly given feedback which
helped you improve, it could be how your superiors constantly gave you opportunities to explore
new avenues which helped you diversify your skills and take initiative.
Follow that up with what such work environment helped you accomplish, so cite the result or
impact that you managed to create here.
And, then sum it up, with a concluding and descriptive line about your ideal work environment.
#4: Situational Questions

This is pretty much an extension of the exploratory questions - You will

be given situations that you may face on the campus, or on the job once
you graduate.
Tips on how to answer:
Highlight the process: One of the proven ways of nailing such questions
is to visualize the scenario, highlight the process/action steps that you
would undertake, while explaining the rationale behind them.
Since these are hypothetical questions with no outcome as such, all
focus is in what kind of action steps you adopt when faced with an
unexpected opportunity or challenge.
Q: You are in an elevator and you meet the CEO of
your desired company how will you introduce
yourself?

Coming across the CEO of the company may overwhelm you at first but that’s not quite the
answer you are going to present.
Breaking the ice with the CEO would be the toughest part. You cannot simply speak your
name aloud. A better way to initiate a conversation would be to talk about the latest news
from his company. Maybe you heard that the company launched a new product and the CEO
was on-stage at the launch event. Say, “I came across the xxxx launched by xxxx at Mobile
World Congress 2018…” Mention to him that you liked the product and the presentation
ceremony. Go a step further and give him some of your insightful reviews of the product
and/or the launch event.
Further, you can also talk about the latest news flash - maybe the company just
encountered unprecedented growth figures.
Such scenarios are good for initiating a conversation and presenting yourself as someone
who is actually interested in the company and knows about stuff.
Try not to disclose your name and profession at first. After having introduced yourself as
someone who takes considerable interest in the company, sign the conversation off with
your name.
For this answer, you will have to have good knowledge of the business world. Make sure you
keep yourself updated.
Q: Write a response email to the company from which for
just received an internship offer in around 250 words (5
mins)?

This question does not look for your writing skills as much as it looks out for your vision
towards the internship offer.
Prepare your goals and prospective learning for your time at the particular company. In the
letter, start off by
thanking the sender for providing you a platform to apply and hone your skills. After that,
move on to the next stanza and talk about how you view yourself as a part of the company.
Do not just state your role, talk about the learning you would gain from that role. Maybe your
role as an Analysis Intern will give you a platform to improve upon your analytical skills. Talk
a bit further about how these skills, when honed this way, would be imperative for your
career progression.
For the final stanza, write that you are determined to add value to the company by utilizing
your xxxx (add your skills here) skills.
Do remember the framework: Gratitude -> Vision -> Determination. Answering this way
would suffice.
Q: Imagine you got offered a place on the Imperial MiM.
It's the first day, how would I introduce myself to
people? And what would I want them to know about
me?

While the question lets you run your creativity free, it also has a potential trap in the way of
the breadth of information that you are tempted to disclose about yourself. So, don’t go on a
rant about anything and everything.
Stick to relevant points but also don’t end up reiterating your CV. Identify key experiences,
qualities, or interests of yours.
If it helps then stick to 3 key points and expand on them. One could be your background and
your goals, other could be your interests and hobbies, and the last point could be a fun fact
about you - a weird talent, any quirks? - Or you could go the other route and talk about how
are you looking forward to growing with your cohort.
Try to find a fine balance between informative and interesting, identify such 3 key points,
build a narrative that has momentum, end it on a high note, and you have your answer.
Q: Written Question: Your mentor has just given you the
email address of the CEO of a company you want to
work for in the future. Please write the introductory
email, asking to meet the CEO for a coffee?

A CEO might not take interest in a directionless small-talk so you will need to prepare an
agenda or a productive conversation that can happen over coffee. For this, in-depth research
on your part is necessary. Further, you will have to showcase that you actually are interested
in the company.
The best way to pitch something to a CEO or any important person is to talk about a product
launched by their company. You may talk about a review for that product and add your own
insights which can spark the interest of a CEO. For instance, if you are planning to meet Tim
Cook, you can pitch the idea that you have tested the processing speed of iPhone X and
that’s something you want to have a conversation about.
Framing the letter will include introduction of your idea or insight, mention of the meet-up
idea and your introduction. State that you just came across the product and ran some tests
on it which revealed stunning results. This would showcase that you are interested in the
company. To take the talks further, you can pitch the idea of meeting up over coffee.
You can also say that you are researching the company.
Note: Pitching anything casual may easily lead to the rejection of your proposal.
Q: Write a letter to your prof requesting him to recommend
you to CEO of x company?

You have already looked at your LORs, so you already have an idea but from a different
perspective.
Remember the format of the letter and keep your tone professional and cordial but not
distant. While you are writing the letter, mention the memories that you had with him as a
student to jog their memory and reform a personal connection - it could be a significant
experience that shows your potential and could’ve made an impression on the professor, or
it could be something that the professor taught you and you hadn’t forgotten all this time.
The letter should also contain the necessary and relevant information that they need to write
this letter such as your GPA, transcript, deadline for this letter, and your career aspirations.
Give a brief (BRIEF!) overview of what you did after your graduation to that point so that they
can connect the dots and be more genuine and enthusiastic while writing the LOR for you.
The professor shouldn’t feel that he doesn’t have enough information to pen a great letter of
recommendation.
Q: Written question- What recommendations do you have
for someone starting their bachelor degree /
Advice to People starting their bachelors? (Written)

The easiest way to answer such a question is to think about this in reference to yourself.
Think about what advice would you have given to your younger self when they had started
their bachelor’s.The greatest advice that you would have probably given would have been
how they should step out of their comfort zone and explore territories beyond just
academics.
Focus on three things - academic, personal and professional growth. Now, talk about how
you would advise them to explore beyond their curriculum, either through books or online
courses to gain extra skills or a more in-depth knowledge, or just to pursue their interests.
How they should join clubs, NGOs, students societies or committees to meet like-minded
people and create their own network and promote mutual growth. For professional growth,
you can talk about how they shouldn’t sit idly, and be on the constant look-out for
internships.
End it all with a concluding and definitive statement such as how the most significant advise
that you want to give them is how they shouldn’t just accept the status quo and let their
bachelor’s degree dictate their choices, but they should keep exploring until they find their
niche.
#5: Personal Skills and Abilities
Adcoms want to know what are your strengths, how you have worked on
your weaknesses and what are the areas that you are still working on.

Answer Tips:
Self-Introspection: Going for the interview without doing a SWOT
analysis of yourself will turn out to be a huge deal-breaker.
Objectively analyze your strengths and weaknesses and be ready with
action steps on how you are planning to work on your weaknesses.
Q: What is your greatest strength?

Brainstorm and look for your most significant achievements - which skill or personality trait
facilitated success in those endeavors? - dependable, flexible, friendly, hard working,
expressive, being a team player etc - you can mention any such personal strength.
Pinpoint a strength, mention that and then back it up with relevant examples. Highlight how
that strength played a role in your success.
For example, you can talk about how your greatest strength is being dependable, and you
can back it up with examples such as how in a moment of crisis with a tight deadline, your
senior trusted you with a project and even though you were juggling multiple projects, you
didn’t hesitate from putting in extra time and going that extra mile to complete that project.
End your example with what was the outcome of that situation and remember to highlight
how it was your strength that was the driving force behind the success of that endeavor.
Q: Tell me about a previous weakness of yours that is
now a strength ( Written Question)/ Your greatest
weakness?

This is probably the most straightforward question asked but is the trickiest to answer.
Before going for any interview for you must do a self-evaluation to find out where you stand,
what you’re good at and where you can improve.
To answer this question you should be honest about your weakness, while ensuring that you
don’t say anything contradicting to what you have already stated in your application.
Avoiding mentioning integral skills like teamwork and leadership which are required to do
well in not only a Masters degree but also in your personal and professional life. Also,
towards the end of your answer do not forget to mention the steps that you are taking (no
matter how big or small) to improve upon your weakness or how you’ll turn it into a strength.
Pro Tip : DO NOT mention strengths in disguise like being a perfectionist
A good answer would be - “I am not good at figuring out how long it would take me to
complete a task, which has led me to rush into getting things done or pay less attention to
tasks which required more and vise versa. To improve upon this though, I have started taking
time management courses.”
#6: Interests, Talent and Passion
Every B-School has a plethora of extracurricular opportunities in the
form of student clubs, events, and start-up incubators.
They want to know if you are someone who will just dwindle from the
classroom to the dorm or are you willing to contribute towards the
school.
Preparation Tips:
Focus on the few things that you excel in: Applicants feel that in order to
showcase themselves as a competitive profile, they need to be the
athletic caption, volunteer for a dozen NGOs and be the lead vocalist of
a band. Don’t try to be the jack of all trades without showcasing any
noticeable impact
Instead, Focus on the few things that -
You are really passionate about
You can do better than the others
Q: What are your personal interests? /Talk about a
personal Interest you have

Give a very straightforward answer for this, explain to them what activities you like doing in
your free time, why you like doing them and what have you accomplished through them.
Along with this though, you need to make sure that your answer shows your holistic
personality and matches what you have already mentioned in your application.
For example; You can elaborate on the fact that you like reading because it gives you a
broader perspective along with playing sports, where you have participated and won various
competitions, because it is not only fun but also teaches you lifelong skills like teamwork,
discipline and cooperation.

Mention a personal interest that will give an insight into your personality but would also
establish your personal strength. So, a good approach would be to think of a personal
interest that is interesting but relative as well. Take that personal interest and talk about how
went above and beyond there or how you added value through that.
For instance, you can talk about how in your spare time, you love teaching and have
participated in various NGOs where you have set-up education camps and tutored
unprivileged kids. Not only would this show you as a socially-conscious individual but would
also highlight your communication skills.
It could be a hobby as well. You can talk about how you love mountain-climbing and follow it
up with what drew you to it, and what do you get out of it. Presented in a tactical way, such
examples will show you as a determined individual who loves challenges.
Don’t make your answers forced. Just try to present them in a way that highlights your
strength. For instance, while talking about your love of reading, you can also talk about how
you like to keep up with the current business developments or how you created a reading
club to share your interest and foster growth.
Just remember that presentation is everything here, and you have to be genuine while
highlighting your strengths.
Q: What is a weird talent you have and how did you develop it?/What do

you do in your spare time/Please tell us an unusual hobby or talent you

have. How did you discover this?/Tell me about your hobbies and

interests and how has this helped you in your work or studies?

Again, there are no right answers to this question. A weird talent does not necessarily have
to be something which is not commonly seen. What might make it weird is the way you look
at it or undertake it.
For this, you may come up with a personal experience where you ended up liking something
you did and found a talent for it. For instance, you might have found a weird talent of
imitating a celebrity while at a house party.
When you have figured out the talent, tell them how you developed it thereafter. Maybe you
tried mimicking other celebrities as well and became an entertainer at parties. And now, you
can spontaneously imitate anyone if asked to.
Just bear in mind that just stating the talent is not enough. You will have to tell the
interviewers how you figured it if you remember the situation, how you developed it further
and what is the current status of it.
Checking in again, there are no right or impressive answers to this question, it simply lies in
the way you plan to put if forth.
#7: Problem Solving Acumen

B-School is all about preparing you to solve real-world business

challenges. You might not be given extensive case studies, but be sure
to be presented with situations that test your problem solving acumen.
Preparation Tips:
Do not make the mistake of throwing random solutions as answers. You
approach should be structured and articulate - Breaking your answers
in the below format might help:
Analysis of the problem statement
Evaluation of different alternatives to solve the problem
Solution Strategy
Implementation Plan
Q: Give an example of a non-academic group that you have
participated in. What was your role?

It is essential here that you give a description of your experience here.

Start with context
What exactly was the project about? Maybe an NGO endeavour, or maybe it was a work
related project….what exactly were you doing….what was the objective of this groups
formation?
What exactly were the challenges you were facing to reach the goal?
Were you short on resources…the time line was strict?

What was your role in solving the challenges?

How did you analyze the situation, figure out the bottle necks…..manage the team when it
was on the verge of breakdown….motivated members who were falling back

What was the ultimate result?

This is important, mention your success…how grand was the event…what was the footfall…
did you end up saving a lot of money for the client and so on
Q: Tell us about a time when things didn’t go your way,
a promotion or a project?

Asked to make see how you would react to or handle a difficult situation, this question forces you
to talk about a negative period in your life and how it affected you. Out of all the experiences you
have had till now you have to carefully hand pick one which in the end had the most significant
and even a positive impact on you.
Tip; Even though you have to take a positive turn on the situation make sure that you don’t
underplay what it actually was.
It is essential to be very descriptive that while you answer this question;
1. Context
Give information about what exactly was the situation was; was it an academic project or a
promotion or a sports championship or maybe even an NGO endeavour. Also explain your role in it
and what you had expected from it.
1. Reason
Here you need to give the reason for the failure; what happened that made the situation didn’t go
your way, was somebody better than you? were you short of resources? did you underestimate
the deadlines you were given? Etc and how it resulted in the opposite of what you had initially
expected.
1. Conclusion
The ultimate result of the situation, both the negative and the positive. You need to go on to
explain how you realized your mistake, how the situation affected you and what you ultimately
learnt from it.
Q: Give an example of a "let down" and what did you do
to make up for it?

Context
Again it’s very important to back this up with a personal experience
Some good examples can be
1. Maybe a key work project you were working on
2. Maybe a thesis or academic project where you were working in a team
3. Maybe a major sports event
Remember you need to focus on key highlights of your profile, so rather than going for
things which are basic or common for a lot of people, focus on highlighting specific
elements of your profile
The let-down
You need to be descriptive here, mention what exactly was the issue, how did you let your
team or partner down….some good (and safe) examples can be
1. Didn’t prioritize the work due to other engagements
2. Didn’t manage the time properly and hence could not contribute effectively
The make up
Mention how you realized the mistake, apologized for the same and took concrete steps to
solve the issue, for example maybe you started being more selective about the work you
took up .
Or maybe you created and started following a very specific timeline.
You can further mention how you leveraged on this and were able to work together
effectively and win a major event.
Q: Tell me about a time you faced difficulty and how
did you deal with it?

Think about your most significant experience where everything was going wrong for you and yet,
in the end, you managed to come at the top. Now, the ideal example would be a situation that
highlights your strength and shows your potential as a successful leader. In your example, try to
showcase how you went that extra mile to tackle the difficulty that you were facing.
Set the stage by giving some context - what was the situation? What was at stake?
It could be about how while organizing an event, some of your sponsors backed out at the last
moment, or how while leading your college cricket team, your team was on the verge of losing
and, in that high-pressure situation, it was your turn to bat.
Remember to emphasize the high stakes of the situation, i.e., what could be the potential
repercussions of your failure.
Now, address the second part of the question - How did you face it?
Explain this in steps. What was the solution that you came up with and how did you think of it?
Taking the previous examples forward, you can mention how while everyone was panicking you
started scoping out for more sponsors and for a contingency plan, you came up with the idea to
organize a street fest to acquire funds and cover for the sponsors that backed out, or you can
explain how instead of focusing on losing the semi-final match, you decided to focus on the
match and try to play your best one ball at a time.
In the first example, the candidate’s problem-solving skills are highlighted while in the second
example, the candidate’s ability to perform well under-pressure is the focus.
Denouement - What was the result?End with the conclusion. Talk about how because of your
contribution, the day was saved. You can even mention if it was a failure (don’t try to force a fairy
tale ending) but it should be clear that it was an inevitable result even though you gave your best.
Q: When you have multiple tasks due at the same time,
what strategies do you use to ensure that all tasks
are completed on time?

Since juggling multiple tasks and completing all of them with efficiency and in time is crucial in
any Masters degree, the interviewers want to see how well you would cope with a similar
situation.
So, the best to answer this would be to give an example of how you have successfully multi-
tasked before and give a clear picture of how good you are at doing so and the skills you possess.
You need to state clearly what all you did at that time and how you were able to take the stress
and turn it into your success.
Also, Make sure to highlight the skills you have already mentioned in your application.
#8: Strategic Questions
Strategic questions test your domain and industry knowledge.
The approach is the same as the problem solving one, just that here a
lot would depend upon how well you know your concepts.
Preparation Tips:
Know the industry well: If you have been called for an interview, you
are expected to be updated with what's going on in the business
world globally.
Know your concepts well: Make sure that you are well versed with
the concepts and the best case practices of your target
specialization.
Eg: If you are applying for MSc Marketing, make sure that you know
how to implement SEO, Social media and offline strategies.
Q: What are the important things for a good Marketing
plan?

This question is asked to understand your basic knowledge of the concept and see your
reaction to a real world situation, the answer to this question needs to be very well
researched.
You can even take up a marketing plan by a company as your example and explain the
important aspects in it that made it good and therefore, successful. (For example; The
marketing plan for Samsung Galaxy, how it subtly compared itself to iPhone without using
the other brands name and showed how it was better).
They might even give you a situation or a product and then ask you to create a good
marketing plan for it, so you need to include the basic following points:
USP of the product
Market research
Target Audience
Competition
Marketing goals
Pricing/Branding
Q: Tell us about a company and its strategy that you are
impressed with?/Tell me about a company that
shows entrepreneurial spirit?

You need to do your research for this question, without that, It would not be possible for you
to answer it.
Here you need to state what the strategy of the company was and why exactly you
personally were impressed with it - Was it interactive? Did it raise a conversation among
others, positive or negative? Was is for the benefit of the society?
Your answer will showcase what you value, so make sure that you pick a strategy that
complements it and utilize the time given to answer this question well.
Example- If you’re aspiring to do a Masters in Marketing, you can give the Coca-Cola “Share
a Coke” marketing campaign as your answer. Mention how it was a brilliant way for coke to
increase its sales while creating a positive energy in the market.
Q: How would you invest 1000 Pounds? / Give us an
example of an Investment Idea?

This question is a little tricky, especially because a thousand Pounds is an absurd amount
which is neither too less nor too high.
Come up with an idea which may not necessarily bring the investment back but be a
meaningful way of spending it. Maybe you can say that you can help someone in need with
this amount. But for this, you will need to showcase that you wish to give back to society or
help the underprivileged. An answer like this may highlight empathy.
Other than that, you can pitch a clever way of investing this amount. You can say talk about
a scenario where drawing value out of this investment would be possible. Maybe you can
split the amount to invest in different shares in the stock market or any other innovative
strategy.
Another way of answering this question is talking about investing in a start-up idea or
crowdfunding. For the start-up idea, you can mention one idea you have always thought
about materializing.
Apart from that, you can also talk about investing this amount in cryptocurrency or anything
that has been trending in the market.
Do remember that a plan should be backed up properly as it may elicit a number of further
questions. Your innovative investment strategy will showcase your out-of-the-box thinking.
Do not forget to highlight the prospective returns from the investment.
Q: What significant challenges are businesses facing
at the moment?

This question intends to know how well you know the business world and how you are
planning to bring about a change.
You may talk about some common and outdated business practices which may be replaced.
For example, you can say that the current business models do not focus on the general
public and you want to start with a technique which is all-inclusive.
Further, there are other problems you can talk about from a range of topics including
climatic impacts, shortage of labor, lack of meaningful investment, emergence of
cryptocurrency or anything else which you think is pertinent. When mentioning such global
problems, go into the depths and talk about the reasons as well. For instance, shortage of
labor is mainly due to the rising norm of nationalism.
If you can (and it would be better), suggest a strategy you have in mind and which can be
implemented to better tackle these challenges. Do remember that you will need some
knowledge of the business world to answer this question, so make sure you get your
preparation on point.
Q: How do you think Brexit will impact business?

This question is asked to test your knowledge on a lot of things including world affairs and
business. For such questions, the only thing you can do is to keep yourself prepared before
the interview begins.
In case you are not aware of something, be honest and tell the interviewers that you don’t
know this instead of cooking up an answer. Wrong presentation may be bad for you.
Brexit has stirred up a lot of opinions all over the world. You can talk about its effects on
labor density in the EU and Britain. Maybe you can say that Britain will face a shortage of
labor as EU workers would find it difficult to enter the country with stringent visa regulations.
Moreover, Britain may attract a large number of qualified candidates from other countries to
work in the industry. You can also talk about the financial issues arising due to a change in
the currency parity between EU and Britain. Whatever point you present, present it with
conviction.
It must be iterated and reiterated that you should not contradict yourself. Make sure that you
are well-read on the consequences of Brexit. When talking about the future prospects, you
may adopt a subjective approach but do accompany that with “I believe”, “I reckon” and “I
surmise”. Citing the sources is crucial. If you do not know the exact source, tell the
interviewers that the point is not yours but do keep objective and subjective opinions
separate.
Other than that, you can follow an outline: Incident -> Effect -> Impact.
#9: Achievements
Adcoms are interested in impact created, not just participation. Here’s
how you can go about quantifying your achievements-
Stats are important but don’t make the mistake of randomly throwing
numbers. Give the interviewer a very brief context of the challenge
and highlight how you executed the whole thing to showcase an
impact.
Once the context is clear, back your answer with numbers ( Eg:
Impacted 200+ Villages through a community development program,
Increased the quarterly revenue turnover by 250%)
Q: Tell me about a time that you made an impact?

For this you need to first brainstorm and then select an answer that not only highlights your
profile but also showcases what makes you different. Your impact can be as simple as
forming an environmental club at school or as serious as having been a mentor to a child
and changing their life for the better. Whatever the impact, you need to explain it well.

Context
You need to state your initial intention and basically give a backstory for your actions; were
you just trying to give back to the society, did you want to make an impact, was there
something that was bothering you that you just hoped to change, etc
Your actions
Elaborate on what you did step by step and also mention if you were faced with challenges,
how you overcame them and what your motivation was to keep going.
Impact of your actions
You then come to the impact your actions had. Whether on a single person, your
school/university or the society, every impact is important and you need to convey it in your
answer. You can further mention what you learnt from the whole experience.
Q: What was your proudest achievement?/What is your proudest
achievement so far/Some of your proudest achievements/An
achievement you are most proud of?

To answer this question you need to brainstorm and pick an achievement that showcases
your skills and personality and highlights your overall profile.
The answer to this will be quite subjective, while for some their proudest achievement might
be their biggest, for others it might be something seemingly small but would matter a lot.
What you need to do while answering this question is make sure to elaborate on not only the
why you wanted to achieve something and the steps you took to achieve it, but also on why
this particular achievement is your proudest: did you overcome a fear? did you achieve
something that you never thought you could? did you succeed after a failure? etc
#10: Student Profile: What do you bring
to the table

You need to give the schools a good reason to choose you from 10,000+
applicants competing for your spot. Highlight what you bring to the
table, how can you impact your fellow batchmates and how can you
contribute towards the school.
Answer Tips:
Dig deep into your profile to know your USP. Your non-academic
experiences will play a major part here
Check out the student clubs and research programs of the schools so
that you can provide the Adcom with a tangible touchpoint as to
where you can contribute
Q: Why Imperial and why this program?

You have to be super niche here, bifurcate your answers into sections
Mention your goal and how Imperial will provide the right opportunities to get closer to the
same

Academic- Courses, electives that fascinate you

Clubs- Maybe the consulting club can give you practical case study experience, while the
Private Equity club can give you insights into niche aspects of finance
The location and the exposure the UK environment gives you
Specific experiences such as alumni meets, corporate trips, exchanges

Remember they are asking about why that particular school, so avoid making generic
statements based on brand , ranking…something which can be used for several other
schools as well.
Q: Do you have any outside study experiences or
outside your study, what has been your most
adventurous experience and what learning did you
take from it?

Here you can focus on any exchange you went for or a summer school experience you had,
or even a short project you took up
Here go descriptive, talk about what happened there, what did you do, what did you learn,
use the entire time give to you.
#11: School Specific Questions : Why
this school and how will it help you
accomplish your long term goals
Everyone wants to graduate from a reputed B-School, but schools won’t
select you just because you want to be a part of their legacy.
In fact, choosing a school solely on the basis of rankings is a very
Skewed approach in the first place.
Here’s how you can go about these answers:
Choosing a particular school and the program is directly linked to
your long term goals
What is it about the school that will help you achieve your long terms
goals - Is it the set of specializations , the resources or the network?
Q: Do you have any outside study experiences or
outside your study, what has been your most
adventurous experience and what learnings did you
take from it?

Here you can focus on any exchange you went for or a summer school experience you had,
or even a short project you took up
Here go descriptive, talk about what happened there, what did you do, what did you learn,
use the entire time give to you.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish by taking up this
program?

Start with what propelled you to take up this program:

Maybe your growth curve has flattened, you want to grow beyond your current technical role,
you are hoping to switch careers, or you lack the knowledge or skills to achieve your career
goals. Whatever scenario you present, it should be obvious that the program is the right
next step for you and would be able to bridge that skill gap that is currently acting as a
hindrance to your goals.Now, talk about how this program can facilitate your professional
growth.
For instance, an engineer who wants to become a consultant can talk about how although
his professional experience has given him an experiential knowledge in some aspects of
business, he still lacks the comprehensive business knowledge to create and execute
effective business strategies on a higher-level, from forecast to contingency plans, taking
into account the whole picture, and how through this program (“with courses such as..”) he
is hoping to align his technical proficiency with business knowledge to make strategies
backed by data and promote sustainable growth of an organization.
A good strategy would be to research the program thoroughly beforehand and list the
specific features that attracted you to this program in the first place and then link them to
your goals,.i.e, how these features will help you accomplish your career goals.
You can mention features such as the curriculum (core and elective courses directly
relevant to your professional growth), clubs and societies, the location, international study
trips, student exchange etc.
 Conclusion

Kira has veritably come up as an interview platform which gives the

interviewee the comfort of their home. However, as simplified as it may
sound, appearing for an interview has always made applicants anxious. While
you may be confident of an improv, getting there prepared is always a better
idea as it gives substantial insight into what to expect from the panel.
Further, prior information also makes you confident.
The Kira Interview e-Book aims at helping the B-school applicants make it
through some of the most unnerving and spontaneous questions asked
during admission interviews. We know that as an aspirant, it is only
imperative for you to make a lasting impact on the interview panel to secure
a solid chance at your dream school. Rest assured that most of the
questions are covered here with significant emphasis not on providing a
simple answer but on empowering the reader to channelize their thought
process into an informed and impactful answer. This approach would allow
you to personalize your answers in accord with your experiences rather than
giving you a robotic answer to mug up and blurt when the chance comes on.
Furthermore, we have segregated the questions into 11 categories with each
category including the strategy to tackle a range of similar questions. With a
categorical approach, we have covered a large number of interview questions
which are similar but are asked in several different manners, often baffling
the interviewees. Such categories will allow you to tap into such questions
and ace them with ease.
In light of that, we insist that you do not use this book as something you need
to assimilate but as a guide-book which teaches you a way to ace the
toughest of interviews out there.
With that said, we wish you all the best for all your future endeavors.