This series will give you the idea of how IIMs and other premier B-schools conduct GD/PI rounds, what they tests in GD/PI rounds and advice from current MBA students themselves. MBAUniverse.com asked Gunjan Gulati, the student of Post Graduate Programme in Management of SJMSOM, Mumbai to share her experiences and advice to MBA Aspirants.
Q&A with Gunjan Gulati
Q: When and where were the GD and PI held in your case?
A: GD PI process was held last year in Mumbai over a period of three days i.e. 29th Feb, 1st and 2nd March. The venue for the same was Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management (SJMSOM), IIT Bombay.
Q: What was the 'format' of these rounds when you took them last year?
A: Initially a shortlist of candidate on the basis of their Joint Management Entrance Test (JMET) ranks as well as sectional scores. This was followed by a "Case Study" based Group Discussion. The case for the same was usually a HR based case. This was followed by a Personal Interview on the same day. The final result was declared on 7th April 2008.
Q: According to you, what do the personal interaction and assessment rounds aim to assess in the MBA applicants?
A: More than anything else I believe they try to judge the candidate "Attitude", his "problem solving skills" and "how he/she approaches any question or problem". The technical knowledge is very much evident from the mark sheets. Perhaps what the panel is trying to judge is how fit a person is for the "MBA Education".
Q: According to you, how should MBA aspirants prepare for these rounds?
A: When it comes to case discussions there is no substitute for practice. Practice builds confidence. What you can do is to get hold of a book which covers the Do's and Don'ts of case GDs along with a few practice cases. GD books by every coaching institute contain these. If you can, try and form a group with like-minded friends and discuss these practice cases. Else you can join any workshop conducted by some coaching institute. In a case always set about identifying the stakeholders, the core problem at hand and the peripheral ones and their respective causes before actually moving on to solutions. If you take initiative to conduct the discussion in a structured manner, nothing like it!
The questions in the interview can be anything under the sun. It always helps if you attend the process s with a "Positive Attitude" and "Self Confidence". No one expect you to know the answer to each and every question but what matters is your approach to the problem/question.
For the preparation one need to brush up the basics of his/her "Graduation Subjects" and more so if he/she is a "Fresher". People with Work-Experience should be ready to handle a few questions regarding their work. Try making a list of probable questions regarding your job and make a mental note of the possible answers. For some reason people are often asked a few questions on "Statistics". Just be aware of the basic statistical terms (mean, mode, media, normal distributions, etc).
Expect a few typical questions like "Why MBA?" "Long term and short term goals and how MBA fits into it?" "Why SJMSOM?" "Which specialization you would like to opt for and why?" "Your take on entrepreneurship?" You might be asked questions about any drop in education or a sharp fall in marks at any stage (if any). Be prepared with the answer beforehand.
One may also be quizzed on the "Hobby and interest" that he/she have mentioned. You should be ready to handle a few questions on that too. If you don't know an answer to a particular question it is advisable to accept your ignorance and not to lie. The panelists are a very "informed" lot and it leaves a very bad impression of they catch you "bluffing".
Click below to read the MBAUniverse.com special series of articles on GD/PI rounds.
http://www.mbauniverse.com/admission_2009_coverage.php?id=1739
