Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune is a part of Symbiosis International University (SIU), that counts among the top 50 universities of India. SIBM offers admission to its flagship two-year full-time MBA and MBA(Innovation and Entrepreneurship)through Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP). The final admissions are determined by the candidate’s performance in further selection rounds.
Selection Process
MBA admission process 2022 at SIBM-P followed the given order:
- Shortlisting (based on SNAP score)
- Writing Ability Test (WAT)
- Group Exercise (GE)
- Personal Interview
WAT Topics
In the WAT round, candidates are required to demonstrate their written communication skills. For this, a 3x3 matrix of words was given and a total of eight arrangements of the 3-words groups were possible (3 rows, 3 columns and 2 diagonals), which were mentioned alongside the matrix. The candidate was asked to pick one arrangement and use these three words in the first sentence of their essay.
Each candidate had to write a passage connecting these words, in about16 minutes (including one minute to read). The word limit for WAT was 120-150 words. Here is someset of words given in WAT matrices:
- Tree, Indian rupee, digitization, mental health, spirituality, education, pandemic, import, covid-19, economy, rural India, telecom industry, mobile phones.
GE Topics
In this round, the candidates were divided into groups of eight. Each group exercise lasted for almost 25 minutes.Every group was shown a set of pictures/slides, where some statements/recent issuewas stated. The candidates had 2 minutes to think, 6 minutes to expresstheir choice, 8 minutes for open discussion, and 2 minutes to conclude. Generally, the group exercise followed the given format:
Four industrieswere shown or stated, one problem was given, and four solutions were required.Choose one industry, provide two relevant solutions, and reach a consensus.Listed below are the topics around which group exercises were carried out:
- Problem – ‘Disempowered senior citizens’
- Problem – ‘Ozone Layer Depletion’
- Problem – ‘Lack of sanitisation and hygiene’
4 industries: Healthcare, construction,manufacturing, education
4 tools: City planning, government policies,sanitary pads, vacuum toilet
- Problem – ‘Over-consumption’
4 industries: Food & Beverages, IT & Computers, E-Commerce, Banking & Finance
4 tools: CSR, Government Policies, Taxation, Forecasting
- Problem – ‘Lack of reliable renewable energy’
- Problem – ‘Inaccessible Healthcare’
4 industries: Telecom, Insurance, Manufacturing, Supply Chain
4 tools: Teleconsultation, Insurance &Government Policies, Test & Diagnostics, Health Kit
SIBM Pune - Interview Experiences
Interview Experiences
The interviews were conducted by a group of two panellists, one coordinator, and one moderator. Questions were asked about the candidates’ personality traits, goals, work experience, specialization preferences, achievements, and hobbies. Some candidates faced specific and detailed questions about their extracurricular activities. Each interview went on for 12-15 minutes. Here are some of the experiences shared by candidates interviewed in 2022:
Interview 1:
Questions:
- Introduce yourself quickly.
- You mentioned about Pitch Perfect competition. Then why not go for entrepreneurship? Why MBA?
- Why do you want to join SIBM Pune, especially considering your achievements related to pitch-perfect? (more specific questions on pitch-perfect and cash in hand that needs to be kept)
- Who is your role model in personal life? In technology? And finance? Justify each of these.
- If I were to invest in a start-up run by you, and the capital you need is 10 crores. I give 1 crore and demand for 50% stake, then what would be your response?
Interview 2:
Background:Graduate in IT
Questions:
- Tell us what makes you a good fit for MBA, without going into where you live and your academic qualifications.
- So, you have taken part in debates. Then, tell me something about debating that you haven't yet been able to master.
- Tell me something you are good at, when it comes to debating.Mention an instance when your research turned out to bea distinguishing factor. If 90% of debating is research, what is the other 10%? Why only 10% to these?
- Do you still remember things about the six-day war of MUN?
- Can you tell me more about MUNs, and what achievements you have for the same?
- You have a background in IT and a lot of interest in extracurriculars, then why MBA?
- But all of this you can achieve as a sportsperson as well. Then why not that route?
- Tell us what you can bring to the table.
Interview 3:
Background:Working professional
Questions:
- Do you feel exhausted?
- Tell me about yourself.
- Tell me about your work experience.
- Why MBA? You can also do an online course?
- Why MBA at SIBM?
- What specialization do you want to study?
- Which companies are you looking for after MBA?
- How will marketing help you in your current organisation?
- Which soft skills do you think a product manager should have?
- Can you tell us about a situation where you have shown creativity?
- Any questions for us?
Interview 4:
Background:Experienced Professional
Questions:
- Please take me through your CV.
- Tell us about the challenges you faced during your work-ex.
- Tell us about an instance when you were not able to do your work on time.
- You are from Jaipur. Are you aware of the trivias about Jaipur?
- Which specialization would you like to choose?
- So, you have worked on a project, do you have knowledge regarding project management?
Interview 5:
Questions:
- Why are going for MBA? Why don't you learn from your father and brother if they are already in the business? Why is MBA required for that?
- Which specialization do you want to do?
- What are your key takeaways from SIBM Pune?
- What other colleges have you applied for?
- What other calls are you expecting?
- If you don't get into any of these colleges, what is your next plan?
- What are your hobbies?
.jpg?null&itok=cfMtOH8a "Management Development Institute (2021 - 22)")
