MDI PGPM interview experience

MDI interview experience

Venue: Hotel Pai Viceroy,Jayanagar East,Jaya Nagar 1st Block, Bangalore
Date and Time : 20 Mar 2018, 09:00 AM

CAT17 Score : 99.75 (Sectionals 98.6+)
Class 10 = 91.xx
Class 12 = 86.xx
Engineering : 82.xx
Work Experience : 19 completed months as Software Engineer

Document Verification started exactly at 09:00 and I reached late by 7 minutes.

WAT Topic : Outsourcing : Advantages and Disadvantages.
WAT was for 15 minutes with 150 words as the limit. A big A4 sized sheet was provided and we could write on both sides.
WAT timings :  10:00-10:15

GP Topic : Outsourcing : Advantages and Disadvantages.
GD was for 15 minutes
WAT timings :  10:15-10:30
GD was a total fish market from the moment it started.

WAT prep : 3/5
WAT performance : 2/5 (It was Okay this time)
GD prep : 0/5
GD performance : 3.5/5 (I started it and put forward 4 key points)

I was third in the panel. The first person's interview was 10 minutes long (he was asked acads), the second person's was 20 minutes long (he was asked General Awareness).
There were 2 panelists, one male professor who was about 55 years old, another male professor of about 32 years of age with specs.
I was not asked for the documents which I was carrying.
The first 20 seconds passed with no action. They seemed uninterested initially.

Q1  : Mayur, Tell me what do you do at Dell?
Ans : Told them all the basic information and the product my team works on. Explained my role and its impact.

Q2  : Mayur, you have a decent job. Why MBA now? You should work hard at office and try to persuade your bosses to send you to Austin Development Center after 3-4 years.
Ans : Told them about product development and product management. They asked me if I am satisfied with my earnings, I took time to reply. The senior prof laughed and said, no amount of money is satisfactory. Even I smiled like a sheep at this.

Q3  : Tell us about Dell Business. What all sort of customers do you guys deal with?
Ans : Told them about our Enterprise and Consumer business. It was good 1 minute gyaan of all products I know. They were thrilled to know the facts.

Q4  : Tell me Dell rankings in Enterprise business and the reasons.
Ans : Rank 1. Better support and monitoring services with every device you buy. We have more than 28% of market share.

Q5  : Tell me Dell rankings in End User (Consumer) business and the reasons.
Ans : Rank 3. Lenovo's dominance in cheaper segment. HP's legacy and peripheral devices are the prime reasons for them being Rank 2. Dell has about 14% market share, HP has 18, Lenovo rules with 20% (2016 stats).

Q6  : Why is Lenovo almost 1.5 times of Dell in consumer space?
Ans : Chinese home grown company with 1.4 billion population and about 65% market share there. Plus more penetration in education sector.

Q7  : Major competitors in Enterprise space?
Ans : HP,Cisco,IBM,Lenovo.

Q8  : What are your hobbies?
Ans : Cooking, Cricket and Reading.

Q9  : Dell was Rank 1 in sales in 2005 and 2006. What happened? (Note : I was surprised they knew about it.)
Ans : Explained about Dell Hell campaign in 2006 and how we invested so much money and efforts. And now we are one of the best companies in terms of customer satisfaction. Also, more focus on Enterprise sales now.

Q10 : Your CAT score and other calls?
Ans : 99.75,IIMK,IIMC,IIMS,New IIMS.

Q11 : And you have applied only to PGPM and not PGP-HRM/IM.
Ans : I said yes. I was explaining the reason and they stopped me in between and said its alright.

Finally, they asked if I had any question for them. I had one. I asked and they smiled. They told me that it is a secret and I'll get to know about this once I come to MDI-G. I thanked them for their time and was leaving. When I was holding the door knob, the senior prof told me that even if I come to MDI, I might not get to know the answer to the question which I asked. I smiled and told them that I hope to join MDI soon and reveal the mystery.

Total PI time : 8-9 minutes.
Interview Prep : 2/5
Interview performance : 3.5/5

Verdict : Converted in the first list.

SPJIMR-PGDM interview experience

SPJIMR-PGDM interview experience

Venue: The Pride Hotel,Richmond Road, Langford Gardens, Bangalore
Date and Time : 16 Feb 2018, 08:00 AM

CAT17 Score : 99.75 (Sectionals 98.6+)
Class 10 = 91.xx
Class 12 = 86.xx
Engineering : 82.xx
Workex : 18 completed months as Software Engineer
Specialization : Finance

Psychometric test and WAT was to be completed in 30 minutes with no individual time limits.
WAT Topic : Describe a situation in life where you had conflict with others? What was your role in resolving it smoothly?
WAT had 300 word limit and we were supposed to finish it on both side of A4 sized sheet.
Psychometric test had questions like how much do you trust others?? Do you speak lies? and the likes.

WAT prep : 2.5/5
WAT performance : 1/5 (It was still pathetic)

Psychometric test Prep : 0/4
Psychometric test performance : Nobody knows.

Group Interview 1. [6 candidates, 3 male panelists.]
Details of 6 candidates :
1. Male, Finance. (2.5 years of work-ex in IT of IB)
2. Male, Finance. (Yours truly, Mayur Arora)
3. Female, IM. (1.5 years of work-ex in SEO)
4. Male, Marketing. (No work-ex, final year student)
5. Female, Marketing. (Almost fresher, less than 1 month of work-ex)
6. Male, Operations. (1.5 years of work-ex as safety-engineer) [Honorable mention : He became a good friend. Our offices are 100 met apart]

Q1  : Introduce yourself (Time limit : 2 mins, were told not to tell whatever is written in the form already)
Ans : Told them all the basic information.They interrupted and told me to filter out whatever is written in form.
Mentioned about long term goals and I wish to make a career in finance.

Q2  : Tell me about your parents and where do you come from?
Ans : Mom a teacher, dad a businessman. I am from Rampur, UP.

Q3  : Where do your work? What do you do?
Ans : Told them about my job.

Q4  : Why finance?
Ans : Told them about Dell EMC deal and how it was the birth of keeda inside me.

Q5  : But isn't finance something very different from what you do?
Ans : Yes.

Q6  : So does that mean you don't like your job, since you are sitting here?
Ans : Told them that I love my job. But there is a difference in what I do and what I want to do.

Q7  : Tell me about balance sheets. What do you know?
Ans : Explained assets and liabilities. They were not pleased.

Q8  : Why did you not pursue a career in finance right after college?
Ans : I became interested in finance after joining job.

Q9  : Why did you wait for 2 years for an MBA? You were sure about it since the very first day, right?
Ans : I told them that I applied for SPJIMR last year too and was rejected.

Most of the questions were aimed to both finance candidates. Whosoever knew could speak.

GI 1 lasted for 50 minutes for all candidates cumulatively.

5 out of 6 people progressed for round 2. The female who applied for IM was thanked for her time.

Group Interview 1. [4 candidates, 1 male panelist and 1 female panelist.Very jovial people.]
Details of 4 candidates :
1. Female, Marketing.
2. Male, IM.
3. Male, Operations. (The same guy who was number 6 in previous round.)
4. Male, Finance. (Yours truly, Mayur Arora)

It was more of a discussion. The male prof asked how long all of us had been in Bangalore? Then he went on to ask about special cuisines and places to visit nearby Bangalore. I think this was the last day of interview and those guys were planning for an impromptu trip somewhere.

Q1  : Tell us about your family background. (Jobs of parents, how long have you been in the city, nuclear/joint family, siblings, very detailed one.)
Ans : Told them about hobbies and family information.

Q2  : Suppose you are coming for this interview in a car, traffic police catches you for something. They are not letting you go without taking bribe. Will you miss the interview or pay bribe?
Ans : Miss Interview but will call SP immediately telling them the issue.

Q3  : Let's say you are carrying someone in your car, he is dying, and traffic police catches you for something. They are not letting you go without taking bribe. Will you let him die or pay bribe?
Ans : No bribe. Will give him my car keys, look for auto, ola/uber, beg for lift or carry the injured person on shoulders but that police-wala is not getting bribe from yours truly.

Q4  : Your father/brother/son committed a mistake. You love him a lot. Will you defend him? Or there is also an option to take the blame on you.
Ans : Will speak truth no matter what. If he is my blood, he will never lie.

Q5  : You helped your friend in assignment and professor accuses you of cheating. What will you do?
Ans : Will speak truth and face the consequences.

Q6  : Will you not try to defend your friend??
Ans : Nope. Truth, forever.

Q7  : Your opinion on female reservation in Lok Sabha and other bodies??
Ans : Yes, for a short term. Not for long term.

Q8  : Your opinion on female reservation in PGDM of SPJIMR??
Ans : Nope. All people coming here are graduates from top UG colleges, have cracked a very competitive exam. Why reservation?

Q9  : What did you prepare for this interview? What are you expecting?
Ans : Got to know about myself. I expect to be judged on parameters to check if I am a good fit for SPJIMR.

Q10 : Define your family and your upbringing in 1-2 sentences.
Ans : I was the first to speak and spoke exactly two sentences. Others spoke at great lengths.

There was some philosophical questions asked by yours truly which were not a part of interview. The interviewer answered it very well.

Panelist : OK guys, we are done with the interview, you can leave now. Hope to see you in SPJIMR soon.

Total GI-2 duration : 28 minutes.

Interview Prep  :2.5/5
Interview performance : 3/5


Verdict : Rejected. (Always fill the specialization as per your education and workex.)

CAP interview experience

CAP interview experience
This interview was for 10 new IIMs, viz, BodhGaya, Jammu, Kashipur, Raipur, Ranchi, Rohtak, Sambalpur, Sirmaur, Trichy, Udaipur.


Venue: The Monarch Luxor ,Infantry Road, Bangalore
Date and Time : 12 Feb 2018, 09:00 AM

CAT17 Score : 99.75 (Sectionals 98.6+)
Class 10 = 91.xx
Class 12 = 86.xx
Engineering : 82.xx
Work Experience : 18 completed months as Software Engineer


WAT Topic : Freedom of speech in India.
WAT was for 20 mins with 300 words as the limit.
No GD

WAT prep : 2/5
WAT performance : 0/5 (It was pathetic, once again, after IIMK)


There were 3 panelists, one male professor who was 70+ for sure, a female professor of about 35 years of age with specs. I think these two were finance professors. they asked only about finance and kept saying 'well done' whenever I explained something tricky.
The third panelist was a lady in late 20s, was very pretty and asked questions about me, family and work. She was the jovial kind and listened to the answers maintaining a very nice eye-contact. She was the only member who kept focusing on how I sit, how I was making hand gestures and asked me if I was comfortable.
The senior professor demanded the certificates and college transcripts as soon as I entered the room.


Q1  : Introduce yourself, with details about your family. They even asked me about my siblings, which college they are in.
Ans : Told them all the basic information. Mentioned about long term goals and I wish to make a career in finance.

Q2  : Tell me the subjects your mother teaches. Where does she work? Her college timings?
Ans : Sociology and  Home Science.

Q3  : Tell me more about your father's business. How do you procure goods? Do you participate in your business?
Ans : Told them about how we buy and sell. My dad has a handloom business. I told them I work part time there when I am home. They smiled when I told them that I get paid in ice-creams.

Q4  : Where do you work? Explain the final product on which you work.
Ans : Told them about Dell, my java developer job. They were keen to know about the product I work for. I told them to use it themselves and experience the awesomeness :)

Q5  : So you are interested in finance??
Ans : Yes. I am interested in asset valuation.

Q6  : Why Asset valuation? It is such a niche field and you might end up getting no jobs.
Ans : Told them about my interest and research in the field. They were glad to know that. (This was a long answer and they listened very patiently. They were actually interested in the entire story)

Q7  : What are your hobbies?
Ans : I like cooking, reading and jogging.

Q8  : Favorite cuisine? What all can you cook?
Ans : Not some cuisine per se but told them what all can I cook. Told them how to make Paneer Chilli with all ingredients and required quantity. I was asked if I can cook anything specific to South India?  I said 'No'.

Q9  : Where are you from? Are you a non-vegetarian?
Ans : I told them that I am a practicing vegetarian and I am from Rampur, UP.

The room-service people came with 3 glasses of juice and 2 water bottles. The panelists asked me if I would like to try the juice, I thanked them and said no. They asked for water twice before continuing the interview.

Q10 : What do you think of India-China relations?
Ans : I think we are the ones who will decentralize the power from the hands of USA. (I am not an expert on these things. Spoke everything very general) They did not seem to buy it.

Q11 : What do you think of India-Pakistan relations?
Ans : A peaceful discussion is required as of now. Told them what I read about the very recent firing on border in J&K in The Hindu today morning.

Q12 : Compare Dr. Manmohan Singh and Mr. Narendra Modi.
Ans : NaMo's victory was due to 2-3 people, INC had too stakeholders. More stable and globally recognized now, but few decisions could have been taken in a much better way (like Demonetization, which I  think was a small disaster).

Q13 : Which is your favorite author? Why?
Ans : Ayn Rand. Told them I was impressed with 'The Fountainhead'.

Q14 : Socialism V/S Capitalism. What is good for India? Choose one if you have to.
Ans : A mix of both. I chose Socialism.

Q15 : What is a balance sheet?
Ans : Explained assets and liabilities.

Q16 : What is an income statement then?
Ans : Tried to explain but fumbled up a bit. Prof smiled. I think the answer was incorrect.

Q17 : Tell me why asset valuation? What made a software engineer interested in it?
Ans : Told them about my internship where I witnessed a couple of start ups being acquired. Then tol them about the Dell EMC deal of 67B USD.

Q18 : How big is Indian economy?
Ans : Told them that nominal GDP is 2.5 T USD and PPP GDP is 9.5 T USD

Q19 : What is PPP??
Ans : Told them with the classic example of USD - INR. Also told them about Big Mac Index.

Q20 : You have won some Maths Olympiads in school. Tell me how many times the digit 0 comes if I write numbers from 1 to 123456789.
Ans : I was not sure as to how to solve, the 2 lady profs also started solving. None of us could solve in 20 seconds. The senior prof asked me to give up.

Q21 : Tell me the 3 basic models of valuation of companies.
Ans : Told them about DCF, Comparative model and option pricing model. The senior professor seemed pleased. He asked me 2 examples of each. I told them 3. :)

Q22 : What are options? What are different types of options?
Ans : I could only define options. I was not sure of the types. I told them that one is put option and could not name the other one  (It is call option)

Q23 : Tell me some characteristics of options.
Ans : Had vague idea so told them I am not sure but gave a random answer. They seemed to buy it.

Q24 : What are derivatives?
Ans : Gave them just the basic definitions, could not speak more. They decided to move on.

Q25 : Have you invested in stocks? Tell us about your portfolio?
Ans : I have not invested as of now but follow news with friends.

Q26 : Tell me the names of 2 Bharat Ratna Awardees from South India.
Ans : Told them about Sir CV Raman (My office is in CVRaman Nagar :) ). I told them that Mother Teresa was an Indian citizen too. They snapped back saying she lived in Kolkata and not south India.
The professor gave me a hint saying that the other one was a president too. I said 'Kalam'. He was not impressed. Told me I should have known this one.

Q27 : Tell me the names of 2 South Indian scientists who got Nobel Prize.
Ans : I knew only one : CV Raman. (They told me that his nephew Chandrasekhar also got it. I asked if it was posthumously? They replied in negative. I asked whether this was in 1990s, he told me that he don't remember the dates)

Q28 : Would you like to give back to the society? In what manner??
Ans : Told them about Dell CSR and activities during college.

Panelist : Ok Mayur, we are done with the interview, you can leave now. I stood up. Just then, the panelist who asked questions about family and work asked me if I had some recent achievements? I was standing now.
I told them about the award which I got in Dell, told them about Olympiads in school and quiz competitions in college.
She seemed pleased. I was asked to shut the door and they started scribing something on the sheets they had with them.


Total PI time : 25-27 minutes.
Interview Prep  :2.5/5
Interview performance : 3.5/5


Verdict : Converted all IIMs in first lists (except 2 , which I converted in second list).

IIMK interview experience

IIMK interview experience



Venue: The Monarch Luxor,Infantry Road, Bangalore
Date and Time : 08 Feb 2018, 1:00 PM

CAT17 Score : 99.75 (Sectionals 98.6+)
Class 10 = 91.xx
Class 12 = 86.xx
Engineering : 82.xx
Workex : 18 completed months as Software Engineer


GD and WAT Topic : Controversy is the new way to market a movie.
WAT was for 15 mins with no word limit but we were supposed to finish it on one side of A4 sized sheet.
GD was for 15 mins,was peaceful, all people spoke well. It started immediately after WAT with no breaks. They collected the WAT sheets before GD though.

WAT prep : 2/5
WAT performance : 0/5 (It was pathetic)

GD Prep : 0/4
GD performance : 4/5

Interview : 2 panelists. Both 40+

Q1 : Introduce yourself.
Answered

Q2 : I have not heard about your Engineering college. Tell me about it.
Answered

Q3 : Tell me the steps to open an engineering college.
Answered

Q4 : Where do you work? Explain the final product on which you work and what does it exactly do without technical jargons.
Answered

Q5: Is your current job your first ever? (It is.) Follow up question : Was it an on-campus offer?
Answered

Q6; Suppose I am an end user of your company's product. Tell me what do you contribute to my experience.
Answered

Q7: Tell me the revenue of your company and your department.How many people work there? Also share the financial details of the companies your organization has acquired in the past 5 years.
Answered

Q8 : Triple bottom line accounting
Could not answer.

Q9: Why did you chose CSE? (CSE is not the flagship branch of my UG college)
Answered (Poor AIEEE rank)

Q10: Tell me what do you know about IIMK.
Answered.

Q11: Tell me about placement statistics of CSE from your college.
Answered

Q12 : What sort of news do you follow.
Answered : I told them that I glance through the newspaper in office cafeteria while having my breakfast.

Q13 : Do you get free food in office? Tell the different cuisines and food options available in your office.
Answered

Q14 : Name a few friends from IIMK (alumni and current students). What do they tell you about IIMK?
Answered



Q15: What are your other calls?  Compare IIMC,IIMS and IIMK. (I had only these 3 calls apart from CAP)
Answered

Q16 : Would you chose IIMK over IIMC if you convert both?
Answered

Q17: Have you heard about some recent case of Shell?
Could not answer.

Q18: Where are you from?
Answered : They had never heard of my hometown but were aware of two adjacent big cities. They could,then identify my city.


Total duration : Just shy of 20 minutes.
Interview Prep  :2/5
Interview performance : 3/5


Verdict : Initial WL - 39 (General), converted in 2nd list.