Process
The selection process (CAP) for new IIMs consists of Essay Writing (WAT) followed by Personal Interview (may include an extempore).
Feedback – Essay Writing (WAT)
Average Duration: 20 minutes
Word Limit: 300 words
- Youngsters posting everything on social media. What are your views on it?
- Should CSR activities be made compulsory for companies?
- The previous generations preferred not to share information about private life. But with the advent of smartphones, the present generation is sharing mundane trivial information online. What are your views on it?
- Have the successive governments been successful in bringing the non salaried taxpayers under tax net. If not, what can be done about it?
- Are uniform civil code and citizenship bill two sides of the same coin? Write your views.
- Opinion on Honour Killing
- There has been discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. What are your views and what steps do you suggest to deal with it?
- Why do you think women feel unsafe in India at night? Suggest a course of action.
- 10% reservation for EWS good or bad?
- Romantic movies are increasing unrealistic hopes in youth. How does this impact? Give your views.
- What are the SOPs proposed for small farmers in the recent interim budget? What is your view on these SOPs? Do you really think this will help small farmers of the country?
- A solution for easing the traffic congestion in cities is to improve public transport. How would public transport help? Why have the government and civic bodies not done enough in the area?
- Not only should justice be done, it should also be seen as done. Nowadays,it has been increasingly difficult to deliver fair and impartial justice.
- #MeToo Movement
- Critically evaluate whether the interim budget is beneficial for small farmers or not.
Feedback - Personal Interview
Average Duration: 15-25 minutes
No. of Panelists: 2-3
Excerpt from Interview 1-
Candidate Profile: B.Tech (ECE), Work Experience of two years
Tell us about yourself. What are your extracurricular activities? What is the difference between AM and FM? What is depreciation of currency? Do you know about assets? Tell us about your work and your company. Do you have any client dealings? (Some questions on current technological trends) Do you know about AI? Why MBA? Is your manager an MBA? Why are engineers trying to leave technical field and going into MBA? Don’t you think it’s a waste of engineering degree?
Extempore: What will start World War 3?
New IIMs - CAP Interview Experiences
Excerpt from Interview 2-
Candidate Profile: B.Tech, Work Experience of 13 months
What is Ayushmaan Bharat? What is the meaning of your name? What is Adani known for? What is Biochemical Engineering about? Is it different from chemical engineering? Tell us two organisms which are used. Tell me two fungi which we can eat. So you did graduation from Kanpur. Tell me about an IIT Kanpur professor who died for Ganga. Who was in charge of Namami Gange? recall the orange clothed woman? From which glacier Ganga comes out? Who was Harcourt Butler? Why from biochemical to infrastructure company, then small scale company and then MBA? How will you check the quality of this water kept in bottle? If I have to convince my father to stop drinking this water, how will I show? (candidate mentioned TDS meter) What is the range of it? What are the two products Kanpur is famous for? What is the meeting place of Mandakini and Alaknanda? Are there any competitions, in which new IIMs and old IIM students participate simultaneously? Any questions for us?
Extempore: News being misrepresenting Media and youth getting swayed.
Excerpt from Interview 3-
Candidate Profile: B.Tech (CSE),Work ex of 8 months in cloud computing
So, you are from IIT? (Candidate from Nirma University) Where is this Nirma? You have not mentioned that you work. Where is it in the form? Tell me something about yourself. So why did you not join Deloitte? (Candidate did internship in Deloitte Consulting) What is your job about? What does your company do? What is ETL? How do you write the jobs? How do you validate that the data migrated is correct? So, why MBA? Did you go through any of the tutorials or coaching? Have you met or interacted with anyone who is a B-school pass out? So, what do they say about this? Don't they also tell you that it is very hard to study MBA? Your marks are less. Don't you think so? Then how will you compete? Don't you think that you should complete another 1-1.5 year in the cloud industry and then go for an MBA? Describe 5 qualities of a leader. What is empathy? So if someone is in deep grief, would you also be in grief? What is the difference between a leader and a manager? How can he influence? So, talk about the world. What’s going on? Do you know about TATA Motors? What else? What's happening in Bengal? Is Shillong a State or a city? Which State? Name a river in Karnataka. You are from Karnataka?
Excerpt from Interview 4-
Candidate Profile: B.Tech, freelancer in social media management
Tell me something that is not there in your form. Spanish football clubs don’t interest you? (Candidate had mentioned about interest in football and Chelsea FC.) May I have a look at your folder? If you are willing to spend so much money on MBA, why not join any private university where you can get in easily, Why IIM? Do you have calls from any other IIMs? What is the ranking of IIM A globally? What is it IIM A known for? As an individual, what do you consider your greatest strength, which would also help you in a management career? How will you resolve a conflict between two people? Will you take a stand right away? Your college percentage are fairly average, could it have been better? Then tell me why it isn’t? Are you still in college? So what were you doing till now? Tell me the techniques you used for promoting on social media. Did you create a tagline? You completed a management development programme from this institute. Tell me what did you learn? What is marketing? Don’t give me the bookish definition, tell me what you understand from marketing. Tell me about flash sale. Have you been following current affairs? Tell me what have you read? What is the capital of Arunachal Pradesh? of Assam? and of Manipur?
Excerpt from Interview 5-
Candidate Profile: B.Tech (CSE), Fresher
Tell us about yourself. How did it change your view on life? (Candidate mentioned about a rescue operation) From your words, I can advice you to do any other thing, you said live in moment , you can you go for some social service, why PGP ? Why IIM? So failures met by your father in his business motivated towards to study this, right ? You said your hobbies changes, why is that? Now don’t you paint as you did in your childhood? Why is Kerala known as God’s own country? Why Kerala has a clean record of religious harmony even though it has a considerable Muslim population? Is Kerala not religious? So you are saying like in Kerala everyone knows each other, Muslims know Hindus, Hindus know Muslims and they go to each other’s house. Isn't that a factor? Then what happened in Sabarimala issue? Did it have any relation with Kerala’s Literacy? What is that called being religiously equal or in harmony? Are you sure? Are you interested in politics, current affairs or sports ? Okay what is happening in India? Do you think that budget is also some politics? What is happening after Pulwama attack? Which all alliances BJP withdraws after the terror attack? You read newspaper, right? You said you are practicing Kalari , martial art of Kerala. But Kalari is not as popular as Kung Fu and Karate. How will you promote it if you are given the role for it?