How IIM Bangalore EPGP MBA Interview Works
Applications that are complete in all aspects and qualify in terms of the minimum academic and other criteria specified above are evaluated for being progressed to the next stage in the admission process. Shortlisted candidates will be called for the IIM B EPGP interview process.
The IIM Bangalore interview panel will evaluate each candidate’s performance in terms of quality of work experience, diversity, leadership qualities, social sensitivity, and multifacetedness.
As a general approach to selecting a candidate for the programme, a multi-factor model is used. These factors include academic track record, GMAT/GRE scores, quality of work experience, performance in the interview, and writing ability test. A composite total score will be calculated for each applicant using the multi-factor model. A merit list is prepared based on the composite total score. The offer of admission will be made to a certain percentage of applicants on the merit list. The number of offers made will depend on the availability of seats. The number of offers will be further subject to the candidate meeting a minimum cutoff in terms of the composite score and/or for any other factor score that the admissions committee may decide on
Who will interview you, and how long will the interview last?
Like most Indian B-schools, the IIM B PGPX interview is taken by a Panel. The Panel usually consists of 2-3 professors. The interview typically lasts for 25-30 minutes or may extend to 35-40 minutes in some instances.
Will the interviewer have read my application?
It is always safer to assume that the Panel members have access to your complete application. In most instances, they would have read it completely. Unless the school specifically says that it will be an blind interview. Mostly North American Business schools in US and Canada have an Blind interviews, European and SE Asian schools conduct interviews via Alums or panels which have full access to your entire application.
How can you prepare for your interview?
Like most MBA Interviews, your interview will mainly revolve around a pretty similar set of MBA interview questions. You can never predict what questions will be asked, but with enough research, you can predict what are the most commonly asked questions in these interviews. We have created a short FAQ list below to get you a jump start, and we also have a free guide linked below to help you prepare for these commonly asked interview questions.
IIM Bangalore EPGP Interviews Frequently Asked Interview Questions
Professional experience-related questions
- Tell me something about yourself, or Walk me through your resume.
- What are your short-term and long-term goals?
- Why MBA? or Why now? or Why an MBA at this stage of your career?
- Why IIMB?
- What is your Plan B? in case your primary goal does not happen?
Personal qualities-related questions
- What are your key strengths? Can you give some examples, please?
- What are your key weaknesses? Can you give some examples, please?
- How can you add value to the Class? or Why should we take you?
- Any reasons why we should not select you?
- Interests and Hobbies related questions – why do you do it, what have you achieved/learned?
Frequently Asked Situational & Behavioral Questions
- What is your leadership style? Can you give an example of a project you led?
- What would you describe are your greatest achievement to date?
- Give me an example of a time you failed.
- Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict. How did you handle that?
- Give me an example of a time when you did not meet a client’s expectations. What happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation?
The last one – Do you have any questions for us?
- Can you please tell me how international exchange students and schools are assigned?
- How club leadership is selected?
- Any other questions you may have in regards to the program.
IIM B EPGP WAT
Some essential you should know before the IIM B interviews: The WAT subjects are not too challenging, and they frequently concentrate on current economic issues. The college would like to see how well-organized your writing is and how well-reasoned your arguments are.
The following are important reminders to consider before you start writing.
- Express your opinions rather than facts
- Use reason to approach the issue logically and holistically.
- Craft clear and thorough arguments.
- Avoid making whatever you write seem complicated.
Some WAT subjects from recent years:
- There has been a trend of increasing commercialization in the education sector in India. What measures could be taken by the government and public to curb this trend?
- How do you feel about the recent farmer-related legislation?
- What can be done to recover and lessen the effects of the Covid-19-related decline in the economy and GDP?
- Should the economy be allowed to resume normal operations, or should lockdowns still be in place?
Received an Interview Invite?
Need Help with Interview Preparation?
Check out our interview Preparation focused services to get started with your Interview preparation
IIM Bangalore EPGP MBA Interview Questions – 1
I had my interview with an IIM B AdCom yesterday morning. Because I was unable to attend the interview in person in Bangalore the week prior, we conducted this over Skype (due to some personal reasons). At 10:30 AM IST, the interview began, and it lasted for almost 35 minutes. This interview had a few new questions that set it apart from my other ones. Here they are (not necessarily in the order that they were asked):
- I’ve read your essays, to start. Why did you decide to apply for an MBA this year, specifically? Do you believe now is the ideal time for you to pursue an MBA?
- In your writings, you’ve outlined your professional aspirations. Could you give a detailed explanation? What precisely is your strategy, and which businesses are you targeting, etc.?
- I note that you only worked for four months at one of the companies. Why did you go so quickly? Do you believe you could have waited there for a little longer?
- What can you tell me about the NGO with which you are affiliated and your responsibilities there?
- What is the one essential quality you would be looking for in a candidate if I told you that you were conducting this interview for IIM B ?
- What are the main factors influencing Indian businesspeople or entrepreneurs in their daily operations?
- In 3 words, how would your friends characterize you?
- What is the one item in your life right now that you are extremely passionate about?
- Do you consider yourself to be a leader? Why do you believe that? Who are you as a leader?
- What aspects of your leadership abilities do you hope to develop in IIM B EPGP?
Essentially just asked these questions. I’ll learn the outcome the following week.
IIM Bangalore EPGP MBA Interview Questions – 2
Two professors made up the panel for my IIMB EPGP interview: P1 was a calm, composed prof of about 55–60 years old, and P2 was female prof of about 35–40. They started right off the bat with –
Why EPGP – provided an answer that took my career restrictions and learning curve into account.
Few Questions about my work – After obtaining command, why not work in operations for a maritime firm?
Why IIMB and not others?
What do you like to do on the weekends? – I enjoy cricket.
Which athlete motivates you? Virat Kohli, for me
Best current performance, – Pakistan vs. Rangana Herath
Do you really believe you can work in a team, or lead a team? Can you give an example
What would happen if I didn’t choose you this time.
It took around 15 to 20 minutes, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. The panel listen to you patiently and quiz you on your comprehension of any subject that may come up during the conversation.
Final outcome: Admitted to IIM B EPGP
IIM Bangalore EPGP MBA Interview Questions – 3
The week before, I went to Indian Institute of Management Bangalore campus for my executive MBA personal interview with a panel of the admissions committee. The interview lasted for almost half an hour. During the interview, the interviewer was quite cordial and did a great job of putting me at ease. When compared to the questions, I was asked during my earlier business school and MBA personal interviews, the IIM Bangalore interview questions were a little bit different and included some really unique topics.
- Could you please explain your short-term and long-term goals in detail? Specifically, what is your approach, which companies specifically are going to be targeted, etc.? Please share with me a hard experience you had in the workplace.
- If I were to tell you that you are going to be interviewed for the position of product manager, what would be the most important quality in a candidate for you to look for?
- What are some of the things that you do in your spare time that you enjoy?
- The panel member now warned me that she was going to ask a challenging question and urged me to consider my response carefully.
- Which aspect of your application do you believe has the most room for improvement? My guess is that this is not a weakness question in the traditional sense but rather a query about application-specific weaknesses.
- Which of the following best describes the one subject about which you have an intense level of passion at this time in your life?
- When you consider of enrolling at RSM, what are some of the things that particularly make you nervous?
Are there any questions that we can answer for you?
IIM Bangalore EPGP MBA Interview Questions – 4
Yesterday I had my interview for IIM Bangalore, and everything went well. The professor with whom I spoke had only my resume in her possession; he had not viewed my application. I suppose that they were looking for essentially human characteristics to find there. That also means that she basically asked me the same questions that were addressed in my application, which are as follows:
- Why get an MBA right now?
- Detailed inquiry into the goals and why I want to change my industry.
- Asked about Plan B? would I be happy to go back into my current industry to firm after IIM Bangalore MBA
- I’m curious about both your strengths and your weaknesses.
- A few questions about situations at work – example of where I delivered something great for a client.
- If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask whether you submitted applications to any other programs? Have you been accepted, and if so, into which ones? I didn’t try to hide the fact that I had applied, and I even mentioned that I had already been accepted, but that I was open to reconsidering my preference for Bangalore EPGP.
Also, we had a good time and a lot of laughter was shared. Cheers, and best of luck to you!
IIM Bangalore EPGP MBA Interview Questions – 5
As some of you might already be aware, a new series of IIM B interview invites just went out. These are currently being administered in IIM Bangalore Campus, and I went to mine just yesterday.
Regarding the WAT, I had a few concerns, but it turned out that they were unwarranted. If you did well on the GMAT written section, then this should be a piece of cake for you! You will simply be required to summarize the material that they provide you with and respond to a few questions while presenting your answers. I organized my notes into bullet points, and then I elaborated on each point.
The remainder of the interview is nothing more than an opportunity for you to sell yourself. There are some in-depth questions, but their sole purpose is to better understand you. There is no cause for anxiety or to feel as though you are under undue strain. Just double check that you have comprehensive responses to all of the typical questions that will be asked at the MBA interview. Throughout the entire interview, the panel maintains a cordial demeanor, and the tone is almost casual; at some points, the interview may take on the tone of a discussion or even a casual conversation.
In a scenario like this, I believe you need to put in a lot of effort to market yourself, but you also need to make sure you don’t go too far and overdo it. It is difficult to gauge your possibilities after such an interview because she most likely would not show it if you performed poorly, but I came away with the impression that things went well for me. It is a cliche, I know, but you really need to be yourself during this interview since they are trying to evaluate whether or not the school would benefit from having you as a student in the same way that you would benefit from attending the school.
IIM Bangalore EPGP Interview Questions- 6
Interview conducted on campus on November 6, 2022
Decision made: Admitted
“I had two professors and an alumni interview me. 30 minutes were spent on the interview. I was asked the following questions:
1. What are your reasons for an MBA and other routes to achieving post-MBA objectives?
2. Concerning my line of work and the accomplishments listed in the application.
3. A few further questions were based on my answers to the earlier questions.
4. A few objections were made to the information in my essay.
They attempted to gauge how knowledgeable I was about everything I had done, including work and investing, throughout the entire interview.
I wish you luck!
IIM Bangalore EPGP Interview Questions – 7
Interview conducted online on September 22, 2021
Hello everyone
A five-person panel conducted an online interview with me. The IIM B interview debrief is provided below:
Two professors from the Decision Sciences and Public Policy departments made up the panel. An elementary introduction was given before the interview began. After that, I was questioned about my previous position (with specifics on daily tasks) and my prior international employment.
The questions then turned to my area of expertise, which is infrastructure and construction. I was questioned about my opinions regarding the Statue of Unity project (on which I was working) and whether the funds could have been used more effectively. The discussion then moved on to other ethically related queries, such as: As CEO, would you accept projects only primarily on financial considerations or would you base your choice on the nature and types of initiatives? The majority of the questions required three arguments in favour of or against the subject. I was asked for three key lessons learned from my prior position, three key considerations for a project, and so forth.
I was also questioned about India’s infrastructure ambitions, such as NMP and NIP, and what the biggest entry barrier is for projects involving public-private partnerships.
Finally, I was questioned generally about my interests, reading habits, what I learned from the most recent book I read, why I chose to pursue an MBA, my short-term objectives, and whether I wanted to stay in the same field.
Instead of an interview, it was more like a chat.
Approximately 35 minutes long.
I wish everyone reading this luck.
I hope you all get accepted to the colleges of your choice.
Thank you.
IIM Bangalore EPGP Interview Questions – 8
Skype Interview date: November 27, 2020
“The interview got underway an hour late. Two professors: P1 had smiling, greying hair; P2 had a younger, more restrained demeanour.
I had referred to Pragati Portal in my application (the platform aims to solve the problems of the ordinary man while also monitoring and analysing key government of India programmes and initiatives as well as projects suggested by State Governments). I was questioned about it.
How come a new portal?
Who controls it?
What is the advantage?
How is it superior to the previous review’s methodology?
Is there a benefit to it?
The majority of the interview was spent on this.
Following are some queries derived from my application and resume:
About my current role, I had given a couple of details in my SOP.
How big is the team I manage?
If there was ever a time when I had to tell the client no?
I questioned them at the conclusion of the interview.
The interview took 20 to 25 minutes to complete. They weren’t confrontational, but they did raise some questions in my mind. I can only advise you to be cool and consider your response before speaking.
IIM Bangalore EPGP Interview Questions – 9
On Campus Interviewed on: September 10th, 2022 Admitted
“The interview took place on the IIMB campus.
It was a high-pressure interview. They did not request an introduction, nor did they inquire about what I do or my professional aspirations or successes.
Entrepreneurship / Consumer Products / Marketing is my background.
The following questions were raised:
1) What is the ideal manner for a technology company to distribute excess capital to shareholders, and why? This sparked a lot of discussion.
2) What exactly is Advance Tax? Why is it imposed? What benefit does it have for the government? There was a lot of grilling on this.
3) Now that you’ve completed CFA L1, what is your favourite subject? I mentioned quants and probability.
4) How does the government use advanced tax probability models? This is constantly being grilled.
5) Where and how have you used Probability Models?
6) You should have said that you used it here. Why didn’t you say something like that?
7) Why do you want to get an MBA? An entrepreneur should not pursue an MBA, in my opinion.
8) Do you have any queries for us?
While I was answering, one of the panelists began making faces and yawning. One panelist kept offering a big false smile. The other panelist remained silent throughout. He only spoke when it came to worldly taxes concerns. He continued to pressure me with a few more questions.
This is the worst way to do an interview. You do not allow the interviewee to speak up or discuss pertinent topics.
The panelists were very narrow-minded and only wanted to discuss things related to their field of expertise.
Throughout the interview, they attempted to gauge the breadth of my knowledge in anything I had done, whether it was a job or investment.
Best wishes!
Thanks, However, going through such a situation keeps you calm for future engagements.
IIM Bangalore EPGP Interview Questions – 10
Online Interview Date: September 20, 2021, Admitted
“Written Aptitude Test – The topic I was given was “The Current Challenges of Online Education and the Future of the Same.” I had 30 minutes to read and write 250 words expressing my opinions. The only challenge was expressing my points of view concisely enough to fit under the word limit.
What do you do in your current role on a daily basis? They wanted to know precisely what I do. There was cross-examination.
2. How is my business attempting to stay current in the future? Discussion of my company’s long-term goals.
What are your hobbies, please?– a brief discussion of my interests, without asking any more questions.
In the industry:
1. Given that I work in the credit card sector, they tested my understanding of BNPL, its applications, and its effects on the industry as a whole.
2. The outlook for the credit card sector
1. Where should I invest?– Bitcoin and gold, I said. They inquired further about the distinctions between Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Why Gold? 2. Why is gold a worthwhile investment?
Gave me cookies when the interview was over.