MBA Interview Questions And Common Mistakes

Is getting into one of the top B-Schools of the world your dream? With the number of applicants ranging in the thousands, getting into the business school of one’s choice can be a long and gruelling process. And one step of this process is the interview round meant to test the presence of an individual with their knowledge and confidence. Preparing for the MBA interview is essential and being aware of the common mistakes and the questions likely to be asked helps in making one feel better prepared. This blog is an attempt to list MB

MBA Interview Questions

Other than the questions mentioned above,  there are a large number of MBA interview questions that can be aked and preparing for them can help in avoiding common mistakes in MBA interviews. Enlisted below are some other MBA Interview questions that a person can prepare before heading to their interview. 

General MBA Questions

• What do you think are the possible qualities a leader should possess?
• In your idea, how is a leader different from a manager?
• What are some of the goals you would like to achieve right after completing your MBA?
• What are some of the accomplishments that you have achieved as a leader?
• Do you see yourself as a  good worker, leader or manager?
• Tell us about an instance when you faced your biggest challenge and overcame it. 
• In your current work, are you satisfied and what do you like about it?
• If you were given the space to change certain factors in your workspace, what would those changes be and why?
• Tell us about your long-term goals and what you wish to achieve in life.
• There is an abundance of applicants. Why should you be picked for the course?
• Describe yourself as a leader.
• Elucidate on what you are looking forward to learning from the course. 
• Is there anything you would like to know from us or get clarified?

Strength and Weakness in Interview

Resume Questions

• Run us through your Resume.
• What is the most crucial experience in your resume?
• Walk us through why you want to receive an MBA and how
• How do you plan to use your MBA for your career?
• Why did you choose to leave your current job?
• Why did you choose your previous job?
• Why are you shifting your career path?
• Give us a brief of your educational background 

Personality-Based MBA Interview Questions

• How do you describe yourself in five words?
• How would your boss tell you in five comments?
• What one characteristic or skill sets you apart?
• What is the first noticeable thing they notice when someone meets you?
• What are the three most important decisions you’ve made in your life? 

Situational Questions

Share a time when you:

• Handled your first big project
• Showed leadership skills
• Had to make an ethical decision
• Surmounted a major obstacle
• Set your expectations too high
• Set your expectations too low
• Had to work with limited resources
• Had a poor manager situation
• Had to choose from your personal growth and company growth
• Had to make an unpopular decision
• Showed your team player spirit
• Showed your communication skills
• Most challenging experience
• Had to make an unpopular decision

MBA Interview Questions For Marketing

• What is Marketing?
• What is the most interesting thing according to you about marketing?
• What is the difference between marketing and sales?
• What is digital marketing?
• Why do you want to work in marketing?
• What motivates you in the field of marketing?
• What is the difference between consumer and customer marketing?
• What are the keys to success in marketing?
• What is ambush/guerrilla marketing?
• What do you understand by social media marketing?

How to Tackle the ‘Why MBA’ Interview Question

MBA Interview Questions for Finance

• Do you know the difference between profit and revenue? What is the difference?
• What is the full form of GAAP?
• Can you define the meaning of goodwill? 
• What does Working Capital Mean?
• Can you highlight the meaning and purpose of a deferred tax liability?
• What’s Income Tax? Do you know how to calculate it? 
• What do you understand about ‘listed companies’?
• How does one determine a discount rate?
• What is India’s Foreign Exchange Reserve?
• What do you understand about Investment Banking?
• What do you have to say about the current condition of the Indian Economy?

MBA Interview Questions for Human Resource

• Why MBA in HR?
• Why did you choose our Business School for MBA in HR?
• Tell me about yourself in 5 mins.
• How important is effective communication for an organisation?
• What is Human Resource Management?
• What is performance management?
• What is the difference between recruitment and selection?
• What is the process of the appraisal?
• What are the general responsibilities of an HR representative?
• What are your strengths?
•  Who do you admire and wish to be like?
• Do you think being ethical is considered important in today’s environment? What’s your take on that?
• Have you ever proved yourself as a good manager?
• Explain decision making.
• What makes you an ideal candidate?

MBA Interview Questions For Freshers

• Why did you choose Masters in Business Administration as a career option? 
• Have you done your SWOT analysis? What are your strengths & weaknesses?
• What contributions would you make to a group?
• Have you worked in a team environment? What were your contributions to the effort?
• What would you do if a team member wasn’t pulling his own weight?
• How do you feel about working late or during the weekends?
• Have you faced any challenging situations?
• Why have you decided to major in this specialisation?
• What courses do you think you excel at?
• Tell us about your hobbies.
• What leadership roles did you play at your university
• How would you manage conflict in a professional setting?
• Describe your three most notable accomplishments.
• Tell me about a time when you contributed to a team?
• Tell me about a team experience that was a failure.
• Tell me about a time when you took initiative or innovated?
• What is your leadership style?
• What do you define as good management and bad management?
• If managers were describing you, what would they say?
• If colleagues were describing you, what would they say?
• What areas do you need to develop?
• What do you do for fun?
• If you had a long vacation right now, where would you like to go?
• Do you prefer working on your own or working in groups?
• What is your communication style?
• What do you know about the case study method?
• What would you do if not accepted anywhere?
• What would you do if accepted everywhere?
• Give me three reasons to accept you to the School of Management.
• What are your personal goals?

Industry-Related MBA Interview Questions

• Talk about three current developments in your field.
• What do you think your industry will look like in ten years? What significant changes do you believe will occur?
• What is the most pressing issue confronting your sector? 
• What solution do you suggest?
• What are the five essential abilities for successful management in your field?

Leadership and Perspective-Related MBA Interview Questions

• Which CEO in the world of business do you most admire?
• Which five qualities do you think are absolutely necessary for an effective business leader?
• In your opinion, how does having a global perspective help company management in the current climate?
• What does leadership mean to you?
• What effect have the socioeconomic patterns of today had on you and your way of thinking?
• Which recent international incident has changed how you view leadership? How?
• What are the top five benefits you anticipate from an MBA?

Tricky MBA Interview Questions

• Tell me about a time when you failed
• What is your biggest weakness
• Explain a conflict you experienced in your work
• What other schools are you applying to?
• Explain a project you worked on as if I was an 8-year-old child?
• What do you dislike about your job?
• Give an example of a time you worked with a difficult team?
• You don’t need an MBA to achieve your goals—why are you applying?
• Explain what would happen if wheels had not been invented.
• Describe colour yellow to a blind person
• How will you be an asset to the school?
• If you are accepted by XX Business Schools and ours, then which one will you choose?
• What are your expectations from an MBA?

Read our blog to find the Best Answer to Why MBA!

MBA Interview Questions and Answers

Appearing for the personal interview round during MBA admissions can be nerve-wracking. From the pressure of doing well to portraying one’s ability, it is an experience of a lifetime and requires a person to be well prepared. The MBS interview questions can be wide-ranging and cover personal questions to questions specifically meant to test the abilities of the individual. Being aware of the various MBA interview questions is imperative to have an idea of the round and prepare well for it. Enlisted below are some of the important MBA interview questions with the key tips to answer them well and create an impression on the interviewer.

Tips to tackle Interview Questions!

Common Mistakes in MBA Interviews

When appearing for your MBA personal interview, being well prepared is imperative but learning from others’ past experiences can be essentially helpful. There are a large number of common mistakes in MBA interviews and the trick is to be aware of them to avoid the pitfall. To perform well in an MBA interview, the interviewer has to like the applicant from all perspectives and therefore technical knowledge isn’t enough. Communication skills and body cues are also critical to the interview. Mentioned below are some common mistakes in MBA interviews that a prospective applicant should avoid making. 

• Lack of expression can be a possible deal-breaker. Keeping a composed demeanour with animated expressions serves to point to the confidence of the individual and thus the interviewer can evaluate the individual better. Answering questions laconically can be unimpressive and thus despite having the technical knowledge undermine the answer of the candidate.
• Verbosity is another common mistake in MBA interviews. Keeping the answer concise, crisp and to the point reinforces the strength of the answer and emphatically portrays the knowledge of the person. Using long-winded stories to make a point can get tedious and monotonous for the listener.
• Unidimensional answers can seem monotonous and thus not provide many takeaways to the interviewer. Using diversity in answers can impress the listener and create a more animated impression.
• Another frequently made mistake in MBA interviews is sounding unprepared under the pressure of the circumstances. Lack of introspection, retrospection and contemplation in the answer can make the answers seem dull and the person unprepared. Before answering, think about the answer, comprehend its meaning and then move on to putting forth your points. 
• Not researching about the business school and being ill-prepared to answer questions associated with it can have a negative impact on the interviewer. Getting a thorough knowledge of the business school, its vision and the way it supports you on the journey to achieving your dream should be clearly pressed to the assessor.

Tips and Tricks on Cracking your MBA Interview

• Practice: One of the most common and effective tips for acing an interview is practising! MBA interviews are no different from others and preparing and practising your answers before the actual interview will help you build confidence and answer properly. 
• Know your Resume and Essay: Another tip is to study your resume, essay or SOP submitted to the admissions committee. Panellists ask students questions based on their profile, sops and essays so try to study all the submitted documents before the exam. 
• Prepare your Answers: It is important to prepare for some common questions like telling about yourself, what are your hobbies, what are your strengths and where you see yourself in the future. This helps candidates give clear and thoughtful answers in the interviews. 
• Try to be Yourself: Another tip is to be yourself. It is important to let the interviewer know you rather as you are and how you will contribute towards the school.

Best Apps to Prepare for Interviews

• Glassdoor
• LinkedIn
• DropBox
• Interview Preparation Guide
• Job Interview English Practice

Must Read:
Career Goals for MBA Aspirants
Interview Questions and Answers
HR Interview Questions You Should Know About
Marketing Interview Questions for Freshers
Finance Interview Questions
How to Crack a Personal Interview?

FAQs

We hope this blog has helped you form an idea about what to expect from your upcoming MBA interview. Do you dream of enrolling in one of the top B-schools in the world? Fret not! Experts at Leverage Edu will help make this dream a reality. Its expert professionals will review your applications and prepare you for all the challenges of the admission process. Register today for a free session and say hi to your entrepreneurial dream!