10 Most Frequently Asked Questions in the MBA Interview

In this article, we will take a broad look at the questions that you are most likely to be asked in your MBA interview. We will not go into great detail on how to answer these questions; the purpose of this articles is to ensure that you know what to expect from the broad, core questions.

#1 Tell Me Something About Yourself?

This is the most common question in every MBA interview, typically the opening question, often also phrased as "Please introduce yourself". This question is of a fairly personal nature and will require you to talk about all the various dimensions of your personality. A somewhat more formal version of this question is "Run me through your resume"; if your interviewer asks you this question, then you must only cover those aspects that are on your resume. The most formal version of this question is "Tell me about your professional experience"; in this case, you must talk only about your professional work experience. This question might also be framed as "Tell me about your current job"; in that case, you will obviously only talk about your experience at your current organization.

#2 Why do You Want to Pursue an MBA?

The second most common question requires you to explain why exactly you wish to pursue an MBA and why this is the right time for you to do so. You must be able to provide concrete, well-thought-out reasons for the same.

#3 Why do You Want to Pursue an MBA from Our Business School?

To answer this question, you must clearly and concisely explain why you want to attend that particular school. You should be able to provide at least four clear reasons.

#4 What are Your Strengths?

This is the most frequently asked and most important question in an MBA interview. This question reflects one of the most fundamental purposes of the interview, to gauge your strength as a candidate and determine whether you are someone who is capable of learning from the MBA program and will be able to become a worthy alumnus.

#5 What are Your Weaknesses?

This serves as a corollary to the previous question and its purpose is for the interviewer to gain a more complete understanding of your capabilities. Be honest in your response and do not try to give a clever answer, but also be sure to not harp upon your shortcomings.

#6 What are Your Career Goals Immediately after MBA?

This question is about your most immediate, short-term career goals, those you will pursue once you have graduated with your MBA. You must give a precise answer, naming a particular profile and industry and avoiding generic answers, such as 'a general management role with a prominent multinational firm'. A very important aspect of the MBA interview is showing that you have put a good deal of thought into how you will utilize the learnings of the MBA; remember, the school will admit those candidates who they believe will go on to become successful professionals and raise its profile.

#7 What is Your Long-Term Career Objective?

As mentioned above, a very important part of the MBA interview is showing the interviewer that you have carefully considered how you will proceed with your career, after completing your MBA. In order to do so, you will also have to explain your career plans over the long-term and how you intend to achieve them.

#8 Describe a Challenge that You Faced in Your Professional Life. How did You Overcome It?

This question is typically left open-ended, meaning that you can use any type of challenge as the basis for your answer. However, sometimes the interviewer may ask you to describe a specific type of professional challenge, such a leadership experience, a cross-cultural experience, or an ethical dilemma.

#9 Describe a Challenge that You Faced Outside your Professional or Academic Life. How did You Overcome It?

This question is similar in nature to question number eight but focuses on your life outside of your work and academics. The interviewer may be looking for insight into exactly what kind of life you have led and the challenges that you have faced within it.

#10 What Questions do You Have for the Admissions Committee?

This is one of the most important questions that you will have to contend with in your MBA interview; we will cover it in greater detail in another article. For now, simply keep in mind that this question is also an opportunity for your interviewer to evaluate your suitability for the program and for you to provide further insight into your candidature.

#11 (Bonus Question) Questions on the Most Peculiar Aspects of your Candidature.

While preparing for your MBA interview, you must ask yourself what the most peculiar or special aspects of your candidature are, the aspects that the interviewer is most likely to pay attention to, and expect to be asked about it. This aspect could be a positive one or a negative one. Some examples are unconventional work experience, unique international experience, frequent job changes, low GPA or GMAT, a second Master's Degree, taking on an MBA earlier or later in your career than is typical, and anything out of the ordinary in your essays. A good example of such peculiarities is a desire for a drastic career shift; if you have been working as a lawyer and now wish to begin working in business management, expect a question on the same. As it goes without saying, you must be absolutely thorough with the information presented in your essays, before sitting for your MBA interview.

These were the 11 most commonly asked MBA interview questions; we will cover how to answer these questions in the subsequent articles. For a more complete understanding of MBA interview preparation, please read the other articles, prepared by Experts' Global.