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10 most commonly asked B-school interview questions

The B-school interview panel has experts who could smell fakes from a mile. So do not overtly attempt to impress them. Be yourself is the best policy in such situations.

Interviews are the trickiest part of an MBA admission process.

Literally anything under the sun could be asked.

What they attempt to gauge in a interview is whether you fit the bill for an ideal student they are seeking.

Are you humble, can you withstand pressure, do you take stress well, can you be polite yet disagree, do you know when not to pick a battle, these are some of the traits they seek to assess.

And they do it through asking you a range of questions.

Here we present a set of ten, which most interviewers tend to ask and how you must tackle them.

Also read: 15 blunders you MUST AVOID in Group Discussion

Also read: 14 things you MUST AVOID at a Group Discussion

1. Introduce yourself

This is the best question you can get. Do not repeat your name, place, degree etc.

Explain briefly the kind of individual that you are.

Lead the interviewers to your strengths, domains which interest you, any unique feature in your life that you want them to notice, etc.

Prepare it in three parts which are self contained so that you can stop when you notice slight discontent.

Do not in any case answer beyond three minutes for any questions.

2. Why MBA?

This is a googly. Be honest.

Do not say you want to serve the society.

Also don't just say I want to make tonnes of money.

Tell them about how an MBA would help you achieve what you want out of life.

Service and money must be part of your answer.

Rehearse this well and ideally link it in some way to what you have in your CV currently.

3. Sell me this pen/pencil/ eraser

In fact, it could be anything that catches the fancy of the interviewer.

Here the focus is not on the material or your pitch.

It is about how you handle the situation.

Are you stressed? Do you take it as a challenge?

Try and do a good job.

Try to be humorous, only if you can carry it.

Do not get unduly worried if your joke falls flat. And take only a few minutes to sell.

4. What are your hobbies?

This is a soft question. Handle it well.

Do not give monosyllable answers.

If reading books is your hobby, explain it. Tell about a recent book you have read.

Be prepared to mention a few authors you like.

If you have read a classic, do mention it and highlight its significance.

5. What is the worst book you ever read?

Here, be careful.

Do not hate a book because of any politically incorrect reason like caste, religion, disability etc.

Speak about language, plot, presentation, theme etc.

And if an interviewer has a contrary opinion, do not engage in an argument. Politely concede that he or she might have a point.

You are not there to win a debate. You are there to get admitted.

6. What are your strengths?

Prepare well for this question.

If "hard work' is your strength, be prepared to site examples of such hard work.

State the past achievements because of your diligence and also mention others who identify such a trait in you.

This could be your previous boss or your teacher/mentor.

If some person in authority has mentioned about an event that brings out the trait, do cite that incident. Be believable in enumerating your strengths.

Do not ever mention strength as a weakness.

When you say, "Perfection is my weakness," it sounds really hackneyed and rehearsed. Avoid such a scenario.

7. Walk me through your resume in less than 30 seconds

Just highlight your most important achievement. Elaborate just this.

Do not attempt to do a story, which is not needed here.

The interviewer will definitely stop you if you give a longwinded answer.

Here, you must finish your answer in two sentences maximum and wait for the interviewer to take the conversation further.

8. What is your most annoying trait

Or they could ask you something like: If your parents were talking about you right now, what do you think they would say is your most annoying trait?

Again, be parsimonious about truth.

Your weakness must be endearing, but non-threatening in a professional way.

Identify a trait like fawning over kids, pampering children overtly, fuzzing over elders, which do not have an impact on your professional life.

9. Why should I take you?

Never say, because I am the best.

Do enumerate a range of qualities and string of achievements.

Do say you will add value to your peers and to your school.

If the school has a known faculty, do say that it is your dream to be taught by him or her.

But do ensure that the teacher is in a domain where you have established interest previously in the interview.

10. What is Pareto hypothesis (or any such subject question)?

Answer only if you know.

Do not guess or beat around the bush.

The interview is not a means to test your knowledge. So if you don't know say it straight.

There are students who have been admitted even after saying "Sorry, I don't know" fives times straight in interviews.