Among the most common MBA admission interview questions, the ones evaluating the candidate's intent to take admission are the interviewer's favourite. So, here, we offer expert advice on approaching tricky MBA interview questions the right way.
Such questions are generally as follows: What are the other institutes you have got a call from? Would you accept our offer even if another Institute selects you? What is your plan B, in case you don't get selected here?
Purpose of MBA Admission Interview Questions on 'Choice of B-schools'
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By learning about the other option you have, they get a good glimpse of your calibre. For example, if you are appearing for the interview of XLRI but you have received calls from all the IIMs, it means that you have good analytical skills since you cleared the written exams of IIMs.
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Evaluators would like to know how much you know about different institutes - whether you could rank them in the order of preference. This also speaks about your seriousness in pursuing MBA and following up with good career prospects.
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Evaluators would like to know how honest you are. You should never lie that you would join a lower-ranked college even if you were selected in a higher-ranked college - in that case, you would be obviously telling a lie, and evaluators would not like it.
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They want to know the criteria you use to evaluate institutes. It shows your clarity of vision, goals, and management skills.
How To Answer Such Tricky MBA Interview Questions?
Firstly, be aware that this question could be asked. This is one of the questions that can be very easily rehearsed before the actual interview begins. Secondly, be honest about the answer. But be careful not to criticize the college for which you are giving the interview. You can relate this question to your career aspirations. Think of criteria important for you and construct a table to make a comparison between the Institutes.
Given below is an example of a bad answer for questions on B-schools:
- Poor answer
"I have got a call from the IIMs and XLRI. But I will accept your offer as I want to study in Delhi."
- Analysis:
- No clear reason for choice
- Seems dishonest
- Location should not guide decisions of this magnitude
- Shows no background information or criteria used for evaluating options
FAQs about MBA Admission Interviews
1. What is the hardest interview question?
Mostly, the questions related to your career decisions, personality, and work experience seem tricky and in-depth. For such questions, your answers can lead to cross-questioning so as to check your decision-making skills and clarity of mind.
2. How can I face my MBA admission interview?
In order to face an MBA interview, you just need to stay confident, be clear in your thought process, and be able to express yourself well.
3. What questions can be asked in MBA interview?
Questions in MBA interviews are based on the candidate's educational background, achievements, personality traits, experience, and hobbies.
4. What do MBA interviewers look for?
Interviews are primarily conducted to assess the candidate's personality and see if they are suited for MBA education and the associated career options.
5. What are some unique interview questions?
Generally, there are no such particularly different questions in MBA interviews. However, some top institutes like IIMs do sometimes put forth situation-based questions that could be around an ethical dilemma or a similar critical scenario.
Other Popular MBA Interview Questions
- Interview FAQ: What should I wear to the Interview?
- How do I greet the Interviewer?
- What kind of Body Language should I use?
- What if I cannot answer the question being asked to me?
- Do I have to ask questions at the end of the interview?
- Significance of the time of the interview
- How should I handle myself in a "stress interview" situation?
- How to introduce yourself in the interview?
- How to handle questions based on family background?
- Tricky questions related to your academic performance
- Deal with questions based on strengths and weaknesses
- Tackle questions related to your hobbies
- State the right career objective
- Where do you see yourself five years from now?
- Which field of management would you like to specialize in?
- Why do you want to do management from this institute?