IIM MBA Personal Interview Questions: List

Commerce:

1. What is the relationship between demand and supply in a graph, and which factor typically comes first? Can you provide examples?
2. Define depreciation and amortization. What distinguishes these two concepts, and how do they differ in practice?
3. Explain the format of a balance sheet, highlighting its key components.
4. Explore various methods of raising capital. What differentiates raising funds through banks from utilizing share markets?
5. Define outstanding shares and discuss their significance in financial terms.
6. What is the concept of Cost of Equity, and how is it calculated in financial terms?
7. Explain the notion of Enterprise Value in corporate finance.
8. Distinguish between finance and accounting, highlighting their respective roles and functions.
9. Provide a comprehensive explanation of the differences between a merger and an acquisition, citing examples. Can you identify a recent M&A occurrence and a failed M&A in India?
10. Define the inventory turnover ratio and discuss its relevance in evaluating a company's performance.
11. Identify the components of investment in cash flow analysis.
12. Explain the concept of a sinking fund and its importance in financial management.
13. Differentiate between book value and face value, emphasizing which value is recorded in a balance sheet.
14. Analyze the impact on book value when reserves decrease.
15. Define the accounting equation and correlate it with the three golden rules of accounting.
16. Discuss the regulatory environment of NBFCs and banks, highlighting which is more regulated.
17. Explore challenges associated with the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
18. Enumerate the types of taxes applicable in the stock market.
19. Explain different methods of company valuation.
20. How would you explain Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) to a 10th standard student without using technical terms?

Economics:

1. Define mean, median, and mode in statistical terms.
2. Explain the concept of inflation and discuss various causes of inflation. Is inflation generally considered beneficial or detrimental to the economy?
3. Define Universal Basic Income (UBI) and share your perspective on its implementation.
4. Discuss the impact of a shift in equilibrium point on an ISLM curve. Additionally, explain the concept of inferior goods with examples.
5. Define IS Curve and LM Curve, providing an analysis of their implications.
6. Identify the determinants of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
7. Explain Net Factor Income from Abroad (NFIA) and its role in economic analysis.
8. Discuss Daniel Kahneman's contributions to behavioral economics.
9. Define monopolistic competition and oligopoly in market structures.
10. Define inflation and its current value. What role does inflation play in economic dynamics?
11. Outline the functions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
12. Define the Production Possibilities Frontier and its implications for resource allocation.
13. Explain Elasticity of Demand and Elasticity of Supply, including their measurement methods.
14. Analyze the impact of imposing minimum wage requirements on the labor market.
15. Define substitute goods and discuss their economic significance.
16. Explain the concept of indifference curves and why they exhibit a specific shape.
17. Identify the types of externalities in economic contexts, providing examples.
18. Define the concept of a "lemon market."
19. Discuss Gresham's law and its implications for monetary economics.
20. Differentiate between Fiscal Deficit and Budget Deficit, explaining their significance in economic terms.

Mechanical/Production/Automobile Engineering:

1. Derive the equation for a parabola graph and illustrate the graph for x^3.
2. Analyze the slope of a given curve and provide a visual representation.
3. Interpret the characteristics of the quadratic equation ax^2 + bx + c = 0 when the roots are imaginary.
4. Define and provide the equation for a hyperbola.
5. Explain the thermodynamics and functioning of air conditioning.
6. Discuss the principles behind a gyroscope.
7. Outline the basic requirements for multiplying two matrices.
8. Explore the types of fuel injection systems used in automobiles.
9. Define and differentiate between ductility and malleability.
10. Graph the function 1 + (tanx)^2.
11. Explain Young's modulus of elasticity and discuss whether stress testing is destructive or non-destructive.
12. Draw a free body diagram of a car and elucidate the forces acting on it.
13. Define HVAC and HVDC.
14. Contrast engine oil and gear oil.
15. Differentiate between 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines.
16. Discuss the concept of driverless cars and common misconceptions.
17. Share your perspectives on electric cars and vehicles.
18. Respond to questions on Bernoulli's constant, Euler's Equation, submersible pumps, normal pumps, riveting, shear stress, and pressure head.
19. Explain the temperature changes over time and position for a heated rod placed at its midpoint.
20. Discuss whether we would hear a supernova explosion on the moon.

Production Engineering:

1. Highlight the distinctions between production engineering and mechanical engineering.
2. Define Six Sigma, Process Capability, and Process Capability Index, including their mathematical formulas.
3. Differentiate between PERT and CPM and identify which one is probabilistic.
4. Explain the concept of gemba kaizen.
5. Define lean manufacturing.
6. Describe the principles behind Kanban.
7. Discuss the bullwhip effect in production.
8. Explain the concept of Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and provide its formula.
9. Explain how a transformer works.
10. Identify the advantages of transmitting DC power over AC despite negligible resistive losses.
11. Discuss asymptotes.
12. Draw a line circuit diagram for circuit switching and clarify if circuit switching is analog.
13. Illustrate the graph of 1 + (tanx)^2.
14. Draw a Wheatstone bridge.
15. Describe the process of converting sound into a digital signal.
16. Discuss topics such as Star-Delta, stator-rotor, transmission losses, and solar panels.
17. Explain Laplace Transforms to an eight-year-old.
18. Discuss convolution, modulation, and methods of measuring frequency.
19. Draw the circuit diagram for car wipers.
20. Clarify whether transmission lines are in star or delta.

Electrical/Electronics Engineering:

1. Provide the equation for a parabola graph and graph for x^3.
2. Explain the slope of a given curve with a visual diagram.
3. Define Laplace Transform and Fourier Series.
4. Discuss a sum on the Normal Distribution Curve.
5. Integrate xex using integration by parts.
6. Explain Kirchhoff's Laws.
7. Evaluate the advantages of transmitting DC power over AC, considering resistive losses.
8. Highlight the basic requirements for multiplying two matrices.
9. Explain the functioning of a transformer.
10. Discuss asymptotes.
11. Draw a line circuit diagram for circuit switching and clarify if it is analog.
12. Illustrate the graph of 1 + (tanx)^2.
13. Draw a Wheatstone bridge.
14. Describe the process of converting sound into a digital signal.
15. Discuss topics such as Star-Delta, stator-rotor, transmission losses, and solar panels.
16. Explain avalanche diodes and antennas.
17. Explain the production of microprocessors.
18. Describe telephone communication processes.
19. Discuss the OSI Model and its seven layers, as well as the TCP/IP model.
20. Differentiate between PNP and NPN transistors.

Electronics Engineering:

1. Define a neural network.
2. Explain Y connection, 3 phase and 1 phase electrical systems, electrical sensors, and LED bulbs.
3. Highlight the differences between Intel i3, i5, and i7 processors.
4. Explore the distinctions between different Intel processor generations.
5. Define GPS and specify the number of satellites required for GPS.
6. Explain the function of a zener, including avalanche and breakdown voltage.
7. Discuss the operation of transistors and diodes.
8. Explain control feedback systems and provide an example.
9. Describe the VLAN concept.
10. Define a microcontroller.
11. Elaborate on the meaning of 'large' in VLSI.
12. Explain how a calculator calculates the cosine of a number.
13. Define control feedback systems and provide an example.
14. Explain the concepts of transistor, resistor, transducer, diode, satellite, and microprocessors.
15. Discuss avalanche diodes and antennas.
16. Explain how microprocessors are manufactured.
17. Describe the process of telephone communication.
18. Discuss the OSI Model, its seven layers, and the TCP/IP model.
19. Differentiate between PNP and NPN transistors.

Computer Science:

1. Define mean, median, and mode.
2. Explain the concepts of type 1 and type 2 errors.
3. Discuss the longevity of COBOL and its continued existence.
4. Describe Turing Machine.
5. Explain sorting and searching algorithms.
6. Define mesh topology.
7. List and explain the seven layers of the OSI model.
8. Explain the concept of a prime number and provide an algorithm to find one.
9. Discuss computer networks, IP addresses, subnet masks, and IP classes.
10. Define modems and routers.
11. Identify a data structure with non-contiguous memory locations and another besides linked lists.
12. Explain Polymorphism, Inheritance, Abstraction, and Encapsulation.
13. Discuss the four pillars of object-oriented programming.
14. Enumerate different types of network security attacks.
15. Describe the communication between Windows OS or Microsoft Word.
16. Define a bit and provide the full form of Bit.
17. Write a program for Decimal to Binary Conversion.
18. Draw the curve for a quadratic equation.
19. Write a program to determine if a word is a palindrome and discuss its time complexity.
20. Clarify why the constructor of a Java object is not specifically called.

Civil Engineering:

1. Provide insights into the pavement design procedure.
2. Discuss the conditions for applying pile foundations and their implications.
3. Differentiate between building and machine foundations.
4. Describe various types of dams, with a focus on gravity dams.
5. Explain the concepts of a cantilever and propped cantilever, accompanied by Shear Force and Bending Moment diagrams.
6. Define RCC (Reinforced Concrete Cement).
7. Explain stress-strain with the relevant unit and curve.
8. Enumerate different types of roads in India.
9. Discuss various foundation types.
10. Compare load-bearing structures with RCC structures.
11. Evaluate the feasibility of constructing a 10-story building with load-bearing structures.
12. Highlight the differences between first-angle and third-angle projections.
13. Define isometric view.
14. Discuss different grades of cement.
15. Determine the appropriate foundation for building

BBA/BMS:

1. Explain Financial Modelling and describe the process of calculating the terminal value of a firm.
2. Define the risk-free rate.
3. Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative research.
4. Explain the distinctions between need, want, and demand.
5. Identify the core elements of advertising agencies.
6. Discuss the differences between a business model and a revenue model.
7. Define statistical significance.
8. Explain the differences between spending and investing.
9. Define and explain IRR (Internal Rate of Return) and NPV (Net Present Value).
10. Define Green advertising.
11. Define an entrepreneur and discuss the criteria for being recognized as one.
12. Compare emerging and developed markets.
13. Discuss the foundational aspects of a company, including whether a contract forms its foundation.
14. Explain the differences between cash flow and profit.
15. Define the BCG matrix.
16. Identify the two axes of the BCG matrix.
17. Discuss the application and potential modifications of the MM Model.
18. Define autocorrelation.
19. Explain the concept of r (correlation coefficient), its range, and the formula for calculating it.
20. Define absolute advantage and comparative advantage.
21. Explain the concept of beta in the context of a stock and discuss its calculation.

Download Complete List of IIM Interview Questions on Pre MBA-Academics

If you have work experience, you must be well versed about every nook and corner of your work profile. Below is the type of questions on Work Experience that are asked in IIMs Personal interview. Get ready with answers to each of them.

Workplace Productivity and Quality Practices:

1. Suggestions to improve productivity in a workplace?
2. About the quality practices at the workplace and my contribution to its improvement.
3. What are the challenges faced by you at work?
4. Can you say you are a good salesman?
5. How do you measure if your marketing campaign has worked or not?
6. What does your deliverable contain? Explain me in detail.

Career Transitions and Decision-Making:

1. What learning did you take from your work experience?
2. How would you justify the reason for leaving your last job?
3. Why leaving job? Would you like to return to your company?
4. You were working in a big manufacturing company. Why did you quit the company and start working for a start-up?
5. Why not work for two years and then pursue MBA?
6. Justify the 7-month gap after Engineering cess.

Financial and Business Acumen:

1. What should be the ideal savings rate for a person of the middle-income range?
2. Tell me about your portfolio of investments.
3. You forecast the prices of commodities? Give examples.
4. Give us stock tips. Can I call you every night asking for some? Where should I invest now? What is efficient market hypothesis?
5. How many employees are in your company? What is the revenue of your company?
6. What is top line and bottom line of an organization?
7. How do you do vendor selection? How do you negotiate?

Technology and Industry Trends:

1. So you are a business analyst, what do you do, analysis or analytics?
2. Can you tell me some competitors of the technology you're working on?
3. Tell me about the corruption in your job industry.
4. What is the impact of demonetization on your industry?
5. What's your take on the IT sector? What exactly is the requirement of R&D in IT?

Career Growth and Development:

1. Where have you been placed? What profile? Aren't you wasting your engineering degree?
2. Mention three things that you learned from your work.
3. Did you get a severance package, a golden handshake? Do you know what it is?
4. How government is different from corporate?
5. What has been your growth at the company, and how has the company grown?
6. Do you feel your experience would be wasted or what would you carry forward from that?

Miscellaneous:

1. Devise a statistical tool to give a clearer picture of the placements.
2. If you attend or conduct a meeting in a company, what all will you consider?
3. If your boss doesn't give you due credit, what will you do?
4. By what parameters can one measure progress/status of a company?
5. Whom do you consider the most important person in a company, a finance person, or an operation person? Why?
6. How did Steve Jobs succeed without any market research?
7. What is the biggest problem that India is facing?
8. After an MBA, how would you contribute to your current organization?
9. What was your company's social message at the time it was established?
10. Tell me how a space agency would do business.
11. Have you screwed up anything at your workplace?
12. Tell us one recent news about your company?
13. How is your typical day at work?
14. Tell us your best professional achievement.
15. What is the difference between research finding and insight?

Download Complete List of IIM Interview Questions on Work Experience

(Questions on Work Experience)

Your personality is an important area of personal interview for MBA admission in IIMs. You may expect following type of questions and should finalise how you would respond to them:

1. Self-Assessment and Differentiation:

1. Why should we take you?
2. What sets you apart from others?
3. What would your friends say about you? Good points and bad points.
4. Positives and Negatives about your Leadership.
5. Tell me about yourself.
6. If someone says you are a jerk, is it a verifiable statement?
7. You say one of your failures has been work-life balance. Explain.
8. Your name is very uncommon. What is the meaning of your name? How did you get that name?
9. Were you dissatisfied with your graduation performance? Reasons for low grad marks? Why didn't you try for a job in manufacturing/core sector?
10. Who is your role model?

2. Personal Life and Values:

1. What makes you happy in life? And what makes you sad?
2. Are ethics important for business?
3. Do you think everyone should fail once in life? How do you cope with failures?
4. How Indians should be made more disciplined?
5. Is Parle-G ethically right in reducing the thickness of biscuits in the face of rising costs?
6. Was Draupadi right in inciting Mahabharata?
7. How comfortable you feel in formal wears (from a girl) vs. Traditional dressing?
8. Whom do you hate the most and why?
9. In one sentence, name your biggest achievement till date.
10. If you are CEO, between PLANET, PEOPLE, and PROFIT. What will be your preference and why?

4. Career and Education:

1. You have been good in academics in your school but why a dip in scores in college?
2. What is the better quality to have? Leadership or being a team player? What among these qualities do you have? Support with examples.
3. Tell us about your degree college, its founder and establishment year? Any famous alumni?
4. You have mentioned in the questionnaire that you don't like people criticizing only. But what about a journalist? His job might be to criticize.
5. How do you find the procedure followed by SP Jain?
6. Being humble or aggressive- what is better?
7. What is the motto of this institute? What is the single most Unique thing about this institute according to you?
8. Suppose we are board of directors and we order you that out of the 3 options do not suggest the best one for the client but suggest the one where we (company) will earn something. What shall you do?
9. Why do you want to get back in the industry after having become an entrepreneur already?
10. Have you ever taken negative feedback in life? How did you cope up with it? Can you take negative in the right spirits?

5. Decision-Making and Problem-Solving:

1. So you got a call last year. Why do you think did you not get selected?
2. Tell us about a decision you have regretted making.
3. You've uploaded a clean-shaved passport size photo, but right now you have come up with a much-grown beard. Why? Didn't you get time to shave?
4. If I met a person who hated you, what reason would he give for hating you? If I met a person who liked you, what reason would he give for liking you?
5. So, what all questions were you expecting from us in this interview?
6. Do you think everyone should fail once in life? How do you cope with failures?
7. Tell us about a difficult situation in your life.
8. Would you like to ask something?
9. Suppose we are the board of directors and we order you that out of the 3 options do not suggest the best one for the client but suggest the one where we (company) will earn something. What shall you do?
10. Suppose I am the PM of Turkey; I hire your team as a company. Revive my economy as efficiently, quickly, and robustly as possible.
11. Suppose I am Katrina Kaif. How would you dress me on the 29th of February?

Another important category of questions in MBA Personal Interview is your hobbies like sports, music, social work among others. Make sure that you know all about your hobbies and their latest developments around them. Check questions below, and be ready with your answers:

Hobbies and Interests:

1. Reading: Favorite books, Favorite authors
2. Cooking: Favorite dish, recipe, where did you learn from?
3. Why is volunteering (for any cause) considered cool today? Are people really driven, or is it just peer pressure or a cool thing to do?
4. About Kathak: What gharana are you from? How many gharanas are there? Name one exponent of each.
5. Freelance writing: What do you write? Is it online? Can we read it? How much are you paid?
6. You mentioned you are interested in Carnatic music. Name one famous Carnatic singer from your state. Do you listen only to him?
7. Name the dark art teachers from Harry Potter.
8. You have participated in drama. Tell us how dramatics brings unity?
9. Watching Cricket: What's your take on Kohli's aggressive attitude? Is it good for the team?
10. Recite a poetry in Hindi.

Sports and Games:

1. Top Table Tennis players, equipment manufacturing companies.
2. Wrestling: Why WWE is so famous? Why WWE and no other promotions are successful! Compare between WWE and TNA! What is Sumo Wrestling?
3. Playing kabaddi: What is your opinion about pro kabaddi league? How is kabaddi different from other sports?
4. Recently there were some changes in the rules of table tennis. What are those?
5. Tennis: What is topspin?
6. Youngest and oldest player to play test cricket.
7. Which fiction book do you consider to be good? Explain why? How reading books will help while doing an MBA and in the long term?
8. What is softball game all about?
9. How has ISL benefited Indian Football?

Creative Pursuits:

1. Photography: What is ISO? How do you control the image properties in a camera?
2. Tell me about the last screenplay you worked on. Further discussion.
3. So trekking is your hobby...which forts have you visited?
4. Name a song written by Javed Akhtar and sung by Shankar Mahadevan.
5. You have mentioned about your interest in psychology. Elaborate.
6. Tell us about the layers in painting.

Learning and Academics:

1. You love participating in debates? Where do you participate and how often do you participate in them? When was your last debate? What was the topic given? Did you win the debate?
2. So you like to solve puzzles. What kind of? Tell me the constraints you face while solving a Sudoku.
3. You had photography as one of your subjects, and it is one of your hobbies too. What should be your camera settings if you are in a train that's moving at a speed of 200 kmph and you want to click a deer that's moving in the opposite direction?
4. What have you learned from your hobbies?
5. Dancer: Asked to perform an act on a situation that they gave me on the spot.

General Interests:

1. Why do you feel everyone should travel more? Benefits of it.
2. You invest in the stock market. How do you select stocks? Do you know about the settlement period?
3. What articles and short stories did you write in your magazines?
4. What do you like to play then? (Candidate answered TT). Tell me the dimensions of a TT Board.
5. If you have to conduct IPL in TT, how will you do that?
6. Do you cook? What do you cook? Tell me how to cook rice?
7. My favorite songs and their ragas. What is the importance of learning classical music from a teacher and not from the internet?
8. Name of all the states you have traveled.
9. Why do I read Quora?
10. How to calculate angular momentum of a moving football?
11. How yoga helps me stay calm and relaxed at work even at odd times?
12. What did you learn from your hobbies?
13. How would I relate my passion for teaching if I get placed in Mahindra in Tractor Dept?
14. How do you relate swimming to management?
15. Do you think that CSR is merely an image-building exercise rather than truly being a responsible act?
16. Have you heard about Steven Spielberg? Name some of his movies.
17. What is the study of body language called?
18. Tell me some problems you faced in dramatics and your job and relate the two in management terms.
19. You have mentioned Green belt in Tae-Kwon-Do? It's a very basic belt.
20. What do you like to do in your spare time? (Unusual pastime activities/hobbies)

You must be joining MBA with well-defined career goals. So, you would be grilled with questions on your career goals in MBA PI round. You need to be very clear on this aspect and need to very carefully prepare your answers.

• Can you share the rationale behind opting for an MBA instead of continuing with the family business?
• What motivated you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career?
• In comparing MBA and MS, why did you choose the MBA path over a Master's in Science?
• From your perspective, is an MBA essential for those aiming for entrepreneurship? Does the CEO of your current company hold an MBA?
• Considering your current well-paying job, what drives your decision to take a risk, leave the job, and pursue an MBA with a loan of 20L?
• How do you perceive the impact of an MBA on your long-term career goals?
• What specific skills or knowledge do you expect to gain from an MBA that your current job doesn't provide?
• Can you discuss any experiences or encounters that influenced your choice of pursuing an MBA?
• Have you explored alternative paths to achieve your career objectives, and if so, why did you decide on an MBA?
• Considering the financial investment and potential career interruptions, what factors make you confident that an MBA is the right choice for you?

Current Affairs is the widest area of questions in MBA personal interview round. For this you need to remain updated with latest developments in your City, State, National as well as global developments. The type of questions asked on Current Affairs in PI round are shared below:

1. - Differences between life abroad and in India - pros and cons.
2. - What is a current issue with the judicial system of India?
3. - What was the last movie you watched?
4. - You studied Gandhian thoughts? What is one thing you like most in Gandhiji? By whom was Gandhiji inspired most from?
5. - Views on software engineers being called 'glorified typists'.
6. - Which government is better previous or current? Why?
7. - Take on Modi government's performance and hurdles faced by them.
8. - Why would you go or not go for 4G over 3G. Which telecom company you find the best?
9. - Sonia Ji or Mamta Didi or NaMo?
10. - Which is the best city to live in India?