Vivek Agarwal scored 93.4 percentile in CAT 2023 and is creating this page as a reference for future applicants who will clear the CAT exam or any other major exam in the future and want to prepare for GD PI or WAT but do not have many resources or a network that can help them prepare like Vivek does.
Vivek says, “I didn’t have many resources, but I prepared with whatever information I could find online. Later, I realized that applicants like me share their interview experiences in groups, and edtech giants use them to discern the trends of questions asked in interviews. Hence, I decided to share those experiences on this website, which could help you understand the pattern of questions asked in interviews and design your preparation plan accordingly. One request: if you find this helpful, please consider sharing the website and refrain from copying and sharing it elsewhere.
Keep these five things in your hand, as what experience says:
- Current affairs (Refer it through business and economics)
- Knowledge about your state and city. (videos on internet)
- Civics (politics) and position holders name
- Academics
- General HR
Click here to explore those interviews
The MBA interview, a pivotal moment in the application process, serves as a platform for candidates to showcase their potential beyond their written credentials. It’s a dynamic exchange where intellect, ambition, and personality intertwine. Candidates must articulate their career aspirations, demonstrate a deep understanding of their chosen field, and convey how an MBA aligns with their goals. Beyond the academic and professional journey, interviewers often seek glimpses of leadership, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. The interview is not just about answering questions but also about forging a connection, presenting oneself authentically, and leaving a lasting impression that distinguishes the candidate from the rest.
Page 1
The interview experience is listed down:
1. SCMHRD BA Interview Process
1- GE
We were given a case in which there was a geopolitical disruption in Europe and first each candidate had to write five questions that people will search on this issue on the internet. After that we had a discussion on those points and then concluded five points overall that the people might search regarding the issue.
2- PI
Q- Tell something about yourselves that is not in the form.
Q- Why Business Analytics?
Told the prospects of data and BA in field of healthcare and agriculture, and how it can improve those fields.
Q- Cross questioning on how BA will help in agriculture.
Q- How SCMHRD will help you?
Q- You have mentioned you can multitask. Give an example of that.
Q- Tell some recent government policy that might have affected any industry.
Q- Then gave a guesstimate to solve. It was like ‘How will you determine the number of web cookies that a person comes across’?
Then they modified the guesstimate to ‘How will you determine the number of web cookies that a 20 year old cyber security expert might require’
2.Scmhrd BA
93.8/82.46/7.9
GEM with 24 months of workex in #SoftwareDevelopment
Background: #ComputerScience
P1: Female in 40s
P2: Male in 40s
P1 (Started with a cosy smile): So you are from Samsung, tell me about the achievement at your workspace you are proud of ?
Tell me about one failure at your workspace.
You play chess, tell me how you make strategies in a game?
What do you think how Samsung manages to stay in the market for such a long time, specifically in smart phones?
What Samsung does better then other competitors?
P2: You said you are already working on AI and Machine learning, and in well established company like Samsung you have lot of scope to work on different projects then why do you want to come for 2 years and do MBA? Why not some online course or excutive MBA?
Why Samsung do not reproduce phones in India? If it does then how many?
Why people do not know about other products or fields in which Samsung is working like construction?
After your MBA if you would be offer a job at Samsung would you go?
If you join Samsung again, what will be the thing you would like to change first?
Have you been part of any decision making process of any project at Samsung?
P1 (again): Gave me a scenario: Tell me the annual revenue of a coffee shop selling coffee, beverages and snacks at business street. What assumptions have you made? What can be done to generate more revenue?
Have you participated at national or international level? Or have any certification like CA, CFA?
I gave answer “I prepared for 2-3 months for CFA two years ago but couldn’t pursue it due to lots of new learning opportunities at Samsung”.
After listening to my answer P1 told “Don’t worry, you would be having lots of opportunities here at our campus in finance and other domains as well 🙂 ” – I took it as a positive response!
Panel was chill, friendly and conversational. Did not grill. Just trying to know myself.
3.99.40%ile, 10th 10 CGPA, 12th 95.8#BMS from #SSCBS, DU; #CFA L1
~20 months at Bain Capability Network
#IIML
Introduce yourself, tell us stuff that’s not written in your CV
PE vs VC
How many states touch Delhi? From which side?
Why MBA? You’re already doing consulting
ESG assessment for construction company
ESG for road construction company in a village. How will you convince them?
Why not SM program?
Why CFA? Why ESG? – confusing profile
Do you help your dad w his business?
Do you know about ONDC?
Why is the government creating this marketplace?
IIMC Transcript
28/01/2024
~ 15 mins
9/9/8 #Civil Eng
working in #IT Supply chain
Panel 2M 1F
M2 – So you watch and play football, tell me what you know
Me – Started with Calcutta being called the mecca of Indian football, told about Mohan Bhagan club and finally told I watch european football”
M2 – What is Saudi doing these days here
Me – told about how they are building the league, how they offer inflated salaries to attact players from europe, ronaldo as an example and they want to make it a top 5 league in the world.
M2 – Why left #Civil eng for #IT, no jobs there?
Me – Told a prepped answer.
M1 – You said you have read autobiographies, name any 2 books
Me – I read Bad blood and Cant hurt me
F1 (she read the book) – Tell me about the bad blood book story and what caused the rise and fall of that startup
Me – told what I know
F1 – dont you think marketing played a role in the rise?
Me – said yes, they marketed their product well for those investors to believe that product
F1 – How do you think any investor should protect themself from such a scam
Me – Told that in this book they believed what the founder told, they should have tested few things before making an investment
F1 – But wont that cost investors money
Me – Told that it would, but it will be a penny comapared to the hundreds of million dollars they are investing.
M1(out of nowhere) – Who won the bharat ratna recently
Me – Told that it was the ex CM of Bihar, Mr Thakur something
M1- yeah, he is Karpoori thakur
M1 – tell me which is greator A – 1001^1000 or B – 1000^1001 and show me the appraoch
Me – Divided B/A , it will be (1000/1001)^1000 * 1000, or roughly 0.99*1000 so basically >1 and therfore Numerator B is bigger
M1 – seems satisfied.
M2 – so, you have work in supply chain side, any latest news in this front?
Me – explained about the Houthis Attach and how it is effecting global supply chains
M1 – why do a football or cricket ball swing?
Me – Told that I remember about magnus effect and how pressure difference on top and bottom create the change.
M1 – okay consider a polished football without any grooves, what will happen to it?
Me – Cannot answer this properly, I just told that grooves will have effect when air pressure acts on the ball, and without it there might not be any effect, ended abruptly
F1 – Tell what’s the biggest issue with broadcasting football
Me – I told that the media who have the broadcasting rights are very few
F1 = Dont you think Piracy is the issue
Me – told yes, many illegal sites broadcast
F1 – how can we solve it?
Me – I told how the concentration of broadcasting is limited to only few players and cost is high, maybe different players should be allowed to share the rights and the channel cost might be reduced and more may start opting to buy it instead
F1 – hhmm so cost reduction
Me – nodded(realised that I gave a stupid answer)
M1- lets have a rapid GK round. 1) name 5 State capitals 2)Name 5 CMs
Me – for each i could only give 3, (my mind froze after that)
M1 – okay, who is the Governor of Telangana
Me : Mrs Tamilasai
M1 -Are you sure?
Me – yes, she is the governor of Pondicherry as well.
M2 – Okay, it was nice talking to you.
4.IIMC Transcript28/01/2024
3 panelists P1, P2 and P3
P1: So you’re in #computerScience, Why do Apple and Amazon, being tech companies, venture into streaming services through the likes of Amazon prime.
P1: You have done an MUN, why does UN not take any action in resolving the tensions brewing in Middle East (Israel Palestine and Red Sea issue)
P1: Should India get veto power?
P1: Would it be better if veto power was removed.
P1: Who is the secretary general of UN and what was the name of the organisation before it.
P2: Tell me about your Smart India Hackathon project
P2: Provide a framework/example of Circular Economy.
P2: Should plastic be promoted?
P3: Draw a graph of √(1-x^2)
P3: Solve a puzzle (related to chessboard)
P3: Types of distributions, definition of central tendencies and example of mode
No Hr questions, No Intro, No static GK, Current affairs(surface level), Interview felt more like a discussion
I answered them, they asked for my opinion and I related it to my knowledge of the UN. It was not a question that would have a correct/wrong answer per say
Also guys, the entire process is random. You could have a 1000 scenarios running in your head abt the way your interview could go but it could still go down a completely different path. I was a cse fresher but wasn’t asked any acads, the next after me was a working professional and she was asked acads(they asked her to write algorithm and stuff like that).
The entire experience varies greatly even for people with the same background (grad, work) in the same panel.
5.IIML Lucknow interview transcript 29th Jan 2024Venue- IIM Lucknow, Noida campus
Background- BSc in #Chemistry
Working in father’s #veterinary #pharmaceutical company
Panelists – 1 Female in 30s or 40s and 1 Male in 50s
Tell me what you’ve been working on -Been working in my father’s business
What is the business?-told
What is the size of the business?-told
What role were you working in?-told that I’d been working as a marketing executive
In your transcript there is a course on Economics and Public policy, what can you tell us about that?- I didn’t recall anything regarding that course, told it was only a basic macroeconomics course
Tell us about your family- told
When did your father establish the company?-told
How many employees in the company?-told
Why MBA when your father already is a successful businessman?- told a prepared answer (interrupted in between)
What else did you do except marketing?
-told that I went for sales calls and also contributed in strategy meetings when I couldTell about any recent business news you’ve read in the past few days
-Could not recall much at the time and told about the Red Sea attacks (interrupted in between)Do you know about the Sony-ZEE merger deal and why Sony pulled out?
-Said that I had heard the news but didn’t read about it in depthAny questions for us?
-asked if the canteen would be open (to end on a humorous tone)Both of them laughed and said yes
Ended on this
Very weird experience, didn’t ask for intro, not much about academics and nothing about hobbies
SCMHRD BA interview :1. Group exercise about generative AI -5 questions exercise
2. PI had 2 panelists 1F 1MAsked to discuss about myself
I directed them to my achievements in the fitness goals/accomplishments and crypto market.Details about the current affairs of crypto and NFTs
Questions on block chain and it’s utility, future of crypto, relevance of crypto(my views)Hypothetical scenario to make my own crypto currency in Pune campus
Extra curricular activities
IIML experience
Profile: Graduation in BA(H) #Economics, 3 year work ex in consulting
Interview duration: 20-25 min
-Tell about your workex, one project details and questions related to it- Economics: Asked fav subject, I said macro so asked questions from macro – LM curve equation and graph, what are other possibilities of LM curve (horizontal/vertical) and reasons for that shape?
– Questions on maths / stats – what are random variable properties?- How to solve addition/multiplication/equality in matrices
– If y=mx+c and y is proportional to x, what will be the value of m?Is 22/7 rational? What about pie? How can one be rational and the other irrational as they are equal?
– what do you read in business? What is Global minimum tax and how will it impact the economy?- Walmart has partnered with which player in India?
– Any recent business news?
6.FORE Interview Process
1.- PI
Q- Introduce yourself.
Q- How will you apply your psychology knowledge in workplace?
Q- Kindly share your internship experience.
Q-Describe two theories of #psychology which can be implemented in workplace.
Q- Which specialisation will you choose and why ?.
Q- How FORE will help you?
2.- Extempore
Q- Extempore topic was shared on screen India or China! Who is gonna be the next superpower?.
Q- Tell us about your dream company and why?.
7.IIML experience
Acads : 9/9/6.7Cat 99.62 percentile
Panel – 1M , 1F
Profile: Graduation in #Physics(H), 2 year gap
Q. Tell me about yourself
– told prepared answer
Q. Tell me about your startup- started in lockdown during my college, told the various things that i did in it
Q. Your turnover
– told
Q. Why did you close the startup- told it was unsustainable for long term
Why mba
– told
Q. Why bad acads in clg- told that i couldn’t study in first 2 years
Q. justify the gap
– told the prepared answer about internships, bootcamps that i did.
Ended with thisDidn’t ask any physics related ques or gk questions
Overall, very basic interview
8.IIMC experience 29/01/2024
99.97 GEM 10/10/7
19 Months in IT
1. Tell us about yourself2. What is a hadoop cluster
3. How do you arrive at the decision of number of nodes in a hadoop cluster4. What is the determinant of a matrix? Calculate the determinant of the given matrix
5. Thoughts on recent guidelines for the coaching centres and how effective are they6. India china conflict, thoughts and reasons
7. Top 5 economies of the world8. Can India overcome China’s economy in the coming decade and if yes, how?
9. Any other calls
9.SCMHRD #BA Interview
Tell us something which is not part of ur resume
Why MBA BA?
What relevant skills have you developed in the past two years?
Tell us have you any experience with data and processing large amounts of data?
Do you follow news, what are the hot topics nowadays?
Asked about Maldives issue.
If you are the CEO of a telecom company, how will you use data to your advantage?
Gave a case at last, guestimaate
What percentage of youth search about mobile specifications before buying them?
10.bcom fresher ca inter IIMC interview
Wat topic – How are dating apps like tinder bumble aisle etc has been encouraging short term relationships casual datings. The gen z has had failed in understanding meaning of romance and love and marriage share ur thoughts on this3 panelists all males 2old 1young…
one of old was least interested
Had tilak on forehead interviewer asked y the tilak any pooja or what TMAY
say smtg interesting about u how will u account for goods stolen in transit
how will u record insurance claimwill u continue ca
do u know calculus or math (told i havent touched it after 12th)then the least interested guy asked to find differentiation or integration anything for |x+1|/x (tried but wrong)
said x in denominator if is zero what will happen told undefined 5/0 ?
0/0 ?difference between undefined and infinity
prime numbers is zero prime
bills receivables are uncertain yet we record what to do
done thank you
Click here to explore more interview experiences #2
