1. General Questions
2. Questions related to Pre-MBA Preparation
3. Questions related to Group Discussion / Group Exercise
4. Interview-related Questions
5. After Joining MBA

2. Questions related to Pre-MBA Preparation

Q. What was your first step to start preparation for getting into the B-school of your choice?
A. Probably, my first step towards a business school degree was to start reading motivational books and biographies. Simultaneously, I met many successful colleagues and seniors in my office. I made up my mind to appear for CAT and DU courses' entrance exams. I bought IMS study material from my friend and started working hard. Further, I enrolled for IMS SIMCAT, and Career Forum Prac-CAT.

Q. When did you start your preparation?
A. I started my preparation in January 2007, but after 1 month, I got stuck with huge work load in my office, so couldn't continue the same, so then I re-started my studies in the month of May 2007.

Q. How many months and how many hours daily did you devote for preparation to entrance procedures?
A. Effectively, it was 6 months prior to CAT and 8 months prior to MBE and other DU entrance tests.

Q. Did you take up some coaching institute or you believed in self-study?
A. I started off my preparation with IMS study material and eventually I used basic books of 10th and 12th to clear my fundamentals as I had forgotten most of those basic things. I had huge burden of office work, so I couldn't join any coaching. In a way, I believed in self study and was utilizing the week-ends effectively and efficiently.

Q. What was your experience with coaching?
A. I couldn't join any coaching because of my highly demanding job so had no experience of coaching classes. However, I enrolled myself for 2 different Mock Test Series. I found SIMCATs actually good and Prac-CAT was a bit tougher than actual CAT. The SIMCATs helped a lot for MBE entrance exams. Staff of Career Forum was very supportive and they had given me liberty to choose any day for test as I had a genuine reason to want the same.

Q. What are the others books and tests that you used for your MBA preparation, besides the study material provided by you coaching institute?
A. I had no other books except IMS material and basic maths books. I was extensively dependent on online sources for English and Business GK. For Quant and DI, I used to practice from IMS material.

Q. Can you tell us which are your favorite books, books that you used for preparing for entrance, books for self-development and books for pure relaxation?
A. I am a die-hard fan of motivational books specially Paulo Coelho. I read all the books authored by him. Apart from motivational books like biographies of Armstrong, Jack Welch's 'The Winning', 'Business at the Speed of Light' by Gates, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and many more other motivational books, I read some light novels by Chetan Bhagat, etc., as well.

Q. What were your strongest and weakest areas while preparing for MBA?
A. Business GK was my strongest area and Quant was relatively weaker. I used to read 3 newspapers, and hence, mastered the GK usually asked in exams.

Q. Some tips which you used for mastering Quantitative Aptitude, Reading Comprehension, etc.
A. I used net resources like anything to excel in RC and GK. I used to surf portals of almost every business daily and magazine. Also I used to read Mckinsey Quarterly, Knowledge @ Wharton, and some other good current affairs' blogs.

Q. How much time did you put for MBA preparation everyday? In case you were working, how did you manage this preparation while working full time?
A. I was trying to utilize the time available at work and was trying to work very hard on week-ends. I really didn't follow a daily routine because I just couldn't. The nature of my job was pretty demanding.

Q. Which all Exams and B-schools you applied to?
A. I applied for CAT, IRMA, XAT, MBE-DU, FMS, FMS-PT, GBO.

Q. Your present B-school and programme. What made you opt or this particular institute and programme?
A. Presently, I am pursuing Master of Business Economics from Department of Business Economics, Delhi University. When I was working, I got fascinated with Economics because of extensive versatile reading and peer group. At the same time, I had the wish to pursue MBA from top college. In this program, I got both, a rigorous Economics study with grueling regular management practical studies with the brand DU. Apart from this, it boasts of 100% campus placement every year. So I decided to go for it.

Q. What procedures your school has for admission to its MBA program?
A. MBE Programme of Delhi University has its own national entrance test for 55 seats in total. Candidates securing qualifying marks and sufficiently high on merit rank in written test are called for next level, i.e., Group Discussion / Group Task and Interview. Marks obtained at the graduation level and relevant work experience are ALSO given due weightage in final short-listing.

Q. What is the range of score for students who are admitted in your B-school?
A. The written test is of 2 hours duration, comprising 180 multiple choice questions, in Mathematical Comprehension (comprises of some higher Mathematics questions), Logical Reasoning, Awareness of Indian Economy and English. Based on the combined score and securing qualifying marks, the students are called for next level, but the exact marks are not disclosed.

Q. What was your score?
A. The marks are not disclosed at all.

Q. Give some handy tips regarding the MBA written tests that would be of great help to MBA aspirants.
A. Improve your Business and Economics general awareness with regular reading habits. Stick to your plans and implement them in the real test. Never feel demoralized, as that will harm you only. Don't pay attention to negative thoughts and peer pressure. Never ever pay heed to people with negative attitude.

Contd.   3. Questions related to Group Discussion / Group Exercise