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 3
The interview experience is listed down:
1.SCMHRD GE EXPERIENCE
So we were seven members in the group.
They gave us a case.
Ecozone or something is a clothing brand which prides itself on its anti animal cruelty stance and its products are not made from animal skin. However, their brand ambassador who is a popular celebrity was spotted with a leather bag. This has led to a lot of backlash and PR crisis.
We were supposed to frame action points from the perspective of 4 stakeholders.
1. Marketing team
2. The brand ambassador
3. Product manager
4. PR team
First we were supposed to go one by one and give our points. Fortunately I was asked to go second last so had some points prepared. Later they opened it up for discussion.
In the end they changed the scenario and told me and another girl to criticize and other to defend.
In the end to told us to conclude.
2.#IIML #English grad #Fresher10/9/7.568
Iim Lucknow, 31 Jan, 12:30 pm
Noida campus1M 1F
#Wat topic: Banking for the unbanked in the digital age
So… you have filled for abm as well. Do you want to do it.
(Told that pgp is my preference.)
So Abm is backup. (Yes.. gave a reason why it is good option.)
Tell me about yourself.
What subject did you do your grad in?
What subjects did you have?
(F found one interesting and asked some follow up questions)
Don’t you think you should work for 1 year before pursuing mba?(Mentioned that my father has his business… follow up questions about it)
Why MBA after literature?
What would you bring to group discussion, case studies… etc.?
Any questions for us..?
Thank you.
Our panel was more conservative and didn’t get into technical stuff with anyone. Conducted really short interviews of about 8 to 10 minutes.
3.#SCMHRD PI
2 panelists….male
M1 SmilingM2 a bit of khadoos
…M1- where are you from
M2-why gap year.M1-any marketing campaign
M1-where do u see yourself in 4 years post MBAM1- a puzzle (which I tried…they didn’t accepted the answer but accepted the logic)
M2- asked about my hobbiesM1- asked about badminton (hobby)
…The whole PI was fine……
Preparations I did—1) as the PI was online….I made a display of my hobbies…cactus and badminton in the background .
#SPJIMR transcript | 1st Feb, Mumbai Background: BA #Sociology (Liberal Arts) #Fresher
#WAT topic: Which historical figure would you pick as a mentor. What advice would you seek?
GI – 1 (PGDM Marketing)
Three Panelists, two male & one female
Asked us to introduce ourselves.Q1. You have a unique background! Why MBA?
Q2. Is age a factor while marketing a book?Q3. How about Harry Potter? People of all ages read it (a couple of follow up questions were asked)
Q4. What other factors would you consider while marketing a book?Q5. What about self-help books? Who would you target?
Q6. What was the last book you read and who do you think it was targeted towards?Q7. Name one theory you liked learning about and who came up with it. (Answered: Male gaze by Laura Mulvey)
Q8. Think of a brand that has the male gaze. How would you improve it?Q9. Question for everyone: what did you learn in this interview?
GI-2
Two panelists, both male. Both were professors, one for Strategy and the other for Spirituality.
Started with trivia questions, how are you/where you’re from/favourite snack/dream pet if any.
Q. What do you think about Priyanka Chopra and Paris Hilton having their children through surrogacy?
Q. Here’s a situation: Paris Hilton decides she doesn’t want to do the messy work. She hires nannies to take care of the baby. Is that okay?
Q. Paris Hilton makes the nannies wear latex masks of her face and spray her body odour scent on themselves so that the baby thinks it’s always with her. Meanwhile she’s off doing drugs. Is that okay? (Discussion revolved around this)
Last question: Name a significant accomplishment that is not academics/work related.
4.#SPJIMR interview G1SPJIMR Mumbai campus
Profile – 87/83/74
CAT : 99.89Work exp ( 1.5 yrs )across #hotels and #events in Marriott and Wizcraft
WAT Topic was : What would give you more joy – watching a movie or reading a book? Why?
M1 – Male and M2 – Female M3 – Male
M2: (to everyone) Tell us something about yourselves
M1: (asked questions about my name)
(cracked a joke)
M1: I’m a little concerned about the switch that you made. While taking a break for 1 year did you do a specialisation course in anything related to an MBA?
M1: I’m assuming you’d know the basics of marketing, what is an STP?
(I said no)
M1: Do you know the 7ps of marketing? Which p interests you the most? (Answered packaging)
M1: Why packaging?
(Explained)
M1: Which brand do you think is hitting the nail in packaging and which brand needs to work on it?(Hitting the nail – Dior, needs work – fast food brands)
M1: What do you see in a Domino’s, how can they work on their packaging?
(Gave ideas about a more innovative and practical pizza box that can convert into a table or a coke takeaway holder that can become a fries holder)
M2: What do think about veganism emerging in the f&b market? How’s the market adapting? (Answered)
M2: If you had to hold an event to inaugurate a vegan restaurant, what would be the key points of the event? (Gave 3-4 minutes to work on the answer till they interviewed someone else)
(History wall, free samples, catchy communication and sustainable materials)
M1: General question: Is generative AI going to take jobs of humans? (AI cannot fill in for the emotional touch a human provides)
M3: Any questions for us? Thank you.
Around an hour in total.
4.NMIMS Interview transcript (Not mine)
Jan 31- afternoon slot
Group- 8
WAT topic- What are the issues concerning the the freedom of Media debate?
(They had given a paragraph about the supporting and opposing arguments regarding the freedom of speech for media).
Panelists- P1- female, P2- male
P1- TMAY
P1- Tell me more about the NGO you worked on
P1- Explain your roles and responsibilities (I had worked as the city-level manager in an NGO)
P1- What are the 7 P’s of marketing?(I have work-ex in marketing and also had mentioned my interest in marketing in the SOP)
P1- If you were in the marketing department of an Electric Vehicle company, what strategies would you use?
P1- How do you think the growth of E-commerce has affected the business of conventional shopkeepers and vendors?
P1- What do you think about the Make In India initiative? How has it impacted the country?
P2- Why did you switch from engineering to marketing?
P2- Tell me more about your job. What are your responsibilities and how does your typical work day look like?
P2- Which is your dream company and why?
P2- Does your manager know about your plan of going for an MBA?
Answered yes
P2- What was their response?
The end.
Overall, it was a pretty chill interview. Not much cross questioning.
5.#SIBM – 02/02/24
Profile – 9/8/9 GEM 3 years workex in #HUL
GI – Threat to data security in organization.
Arrange in descending order of the negative impact on following-
Banking & Finance
Healthcare
Technology & IT services
Goverment & Defence
Retail & E-commerce
PI
1F 40 1M 50
Tell me about yourself.
What is your long term goal and how will MBA help you?
Which specialization you want to take and why?
Tell about the cost savings project you executed in your role.
How will that project affect the customer.
Mention an instance where you were forced to do something which you did not want and what did you learn from it
Who is the Finance minister of India
What are the three takeaways from the budget.
How can India reach a 5trillion economy in the coming few years.
SCMHRD MBA GE-PI 02/02/2024
Profile: 92/82/72, GEM, 13 months workex at ITC
SNAP: 99.94%ile
GE: A 50 year old building in Mumbai is about to collapse, but residents hesitate to vacate. Write one action point for each stakeholder:
1. Govt authorised auditor
2. Residents of the neighbourhood
3. Residents of the building
4. BMC Inspector
5. Local Politician
Follow-up situation: A building in the neighbourhood collapsed damaging 10 lives. What would be action points for each of these stakeholders.
PI: 1F 30s, 1M 40s
1. Why left job and what you did after leaving job (told about my family business)
2. 4-5 Cross questions on processes of family business.
3. Plans after MBA?
4. 3-4 cross questions on my work at ITC
5. Guesstimate: How many hours of content is live streamed in a week?
6.#SCMHRD GE-PI Process
My Profile:
92.15/98.1/87.4
Computer Science Graduate
GE: In Ludhiana, in a steel plant company, a technical glitch led to a chemical leak. In no time, the leak started spreading and affecting the surrounding areas. People have started feeling nauseous and dizzy. What will be the action plan of each of these stakeholders? Discuss and come to a consensus.
Stakeholder:
Manager of the steel plant
A woman long time resident of Ludhiana
Doctor (Emergency Ward)
Deputy Commissioner
A worker at the steel plant
PI Panelists: M1- 50 and M2- 35
PI Process:
M1- Why is there a gap from your graduation to now?
I answered and also mentioned a few certifications I did in the gap year.
M1- What skills did you develop in the gap year after graduation?
I guess this was asked because I mentioned the certifications. I talked about both technical and soft skills that I developed in the gap year.
M1- Why is there a gap after the 12th?
I answered by saying I wanted to get into a better college in the Computer Science Engineering field.
M1- You have a great percentage in your 12th. Did you not get the colleges you want with that?
I answered by saying my percentage did not play a big role in getting the college I want in CSE.
M2- Since you talked about marketing skills in your SOP, can you tell me how you would market a new product in a company?
I answered
M2- Can you tell me about your greatest achievement?
Told. Then there was a follow-up question by M1 based on what I answered.
M1- Can you talk about any recent news that you read about?
I mentioned a few geo-political issues. He wanted economic and business-related issues. He asked me whether I knew about some recent big economic news. He gave me a clue saying it happened on Feb 1st this year and that it generally happens at the end of Feb. Then I answered saying Budget was released. No more follow-up questions after that. He just wanted to know whether I knew that happened or not.
M2- Gave me a guesstimate. What will be the total number of emojis in the comments posted on a trendy post on a social media platform?
Later changed it to- What will the total number of emojis in the comments of a Bollywood star on a trendy post on a social media platform?
I was a little confused as to whether the post was of a Bollywood star or a Bollywood star commented on a trendy post. It was later clarified that it was the second one. So I said 1 comment so 2 emojis. But they wanted me to take into account the replies to the comment as well.
M2- Are there any things because of which we should not select you?
I answered by talking about my weaknesses but could have said “I don’t think there is any reason for not selecting me” or something along those lines.
M1- Talk about some of your extra-curricular achievements on a national level and even participation at the international level.
I talked about a few music competitions I reached the finals of and a dance show I did.
M1- In which languages do you sing?
M1- Any questions for us?
I said no.
Interview Ended
7.#NMIMS
9/8/8 Btech CSE fresherNmat-253
Q1)Sort of why MBA?
A)Made it go towards finance a lotQ2)What all have you done in finance
A)Told investing and corporate finance knowledge Q3)What is capital budgeting and detailed cross questioning on it?
A)Told in detail and answered all questions.Q4)What’s your fundamental reason to chose a stock?
A)AnsweredQ5)Whar are the different ratios you will look in a stock before investing
A)Answered Q6)Who is Lt.Governor of Delhi?
A)AnswerdQ7)Who is RBI governer
A)Answered
They said in the end that you have good finance knowledge for a Btech Grad
#Scmhrd Gepi
02/02/2024
Profile : 88.66/88.33/79.21 Bsc Eco hons fresher
GE :
2 mins to read the whole case
Each person gets to 1 min to put forward their point.Then 6 minutes to discuss and then conclude in 1 more minute.
There is a music event being held , where a famous singer is being invited to sing. But the managing committee has let out more than usual tickets. Due to which there is overcrowding in a closed venue. People have started to come out with complaints of dizziness, and difficulty in breathing inside.
There are 5 segments that you need to consider and finalize what should their actions be :
Manager of the eventA music teacher with some students
Emergency Medical PersonnelHead of crowd control
Security personnel of the celebrity
After coming down with the appropriate actions for each , they introduced more information.
“ The young students see a group of drunk students who are causing a ruckus . The celebrity complains of breathing problems. “
Discuss for 3 more minutes then conclude in 30 seconds
PI : 1 M , 1 F
F:
Where are you from?So you’ve lived your life in West Bengal?
What have you been doing for the past 6 months?Who is your role model ?
When did you decide to do an mba?Give an example to how you’ve gain the skill of adaptability
How are you working on your weaknesses?What do you do in your free time?
What is the situation around the Red Sea region.
M :What is the fiscal deficit now and how is india planning to bridge it?
How is government looking into disinvestment?How are businesses working to achieve SDG’s ( Sustainable Development Goals ).
Guesstimate Question : What percentage of of businesses are on social media ?
Answer and give your reasoning.
8.NMIMS, Mumbai, 1st Feb, 8 AM Slot
Profile:
10th: 94
12th: 93
BE Electronics and Communication: 88.20
Workex: 18 months
GI1:
Q1 What do you think are the important skills to have for your job?
A) Answered
Q2 How will these help you in your goals ahead as an entrepreneur?
A) Answered
Q3 What is the latest project you have worked on?
A) Answered
Q4 What kind of analysis did you perform in the project?
A) Answered
Q5 What do you love about your job?
A) Answered
Q6 Why did you want to shift from a technical to a management role?
A) Answered
Overall the interview was short (~10 mins) and I was mostly asked questions about my work experience. No current affairs or acads questions asked.
9.SIBM MBA GE-PI 03/02/2024
Profile: 92/82/72, GEM, 13 months workex at ITC
SNAP: 99.94%ile
GE: Which 2 industries would be most affected by free trade agreements.
1. Automobile
2. Food processing
3. Textiles
4. Pharma
5. Aerospace
PI: 1M,1F
1. Tell us something about yourself
2. 2 Follow-up questions on research project
3. Which specialisation and plans after MBA?
4. Value add to ITC apart from responsibilities, and followup questions
5. What is our current GDP, and measures to reach $5T mark?
10.My NMIMS interview experience 3/2/2024 ( Morning Slot)
NMAT – 250, Workex – 20 months
WAT – Is social activism important for the survival of a democratic society ?
Interview : 1M, 1F (Both must be in late 30s)
M started
1. You’ve mentioned about Messi in your SOP, tell me about your learning’s from football2. What is the least practical learning from football that can be applied at a workplace
3. Can you describe yourself in 5-6 words? ( I mentioned 4 strengths and then he reminded me of including weaknesses as well) 4. Will you stay in touch with your current colleagues after your MBA begins? How many LinkedIn connections do you have?
4. Situation: If you were in a situation where you do not get the credit of your work and your seniors or colleagues take it away from you, how would you handle it?5. What differentiates you from other candidates
F started
1. You’ve mentioned about Sadharmik Bhakti (Jain principle) in your SOP, what does that mean2. Which specialisation you want to pursue? Any dream company
3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years 4. What do you think is the future of EV in India
5. What are the problems with EVs currently 6. Can EVs replace all the cars in the future
Overall the interview was chill, panelists allowed me to speak but nothing on workex was a surprise
Please note there were 20 panels so the interview experience will vary and if you are preparing for NMIMS interviews then be ready for any type of question
Click here to explore more interview experiences #4
