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How do I prepare for a Personal Interview (PI) on my CAT?

About the Personal Interview
The Common Admission Test (CAT) which final year college students and working professionals take is quite a challenge. When you take this test, you receive a score in the form of a percentile. A little less than 5000 test-takers are shortlisted to advance to the Group Discussion (GD) and the Personal Interview (PI). You will then be evaluated on your GD and PI when determining the offer of admission. Several IIMs employ the GD as a tool for evaluating candidates.

But have no fear - LearnHubbers unite! We want to help you out to ace everything that has to do with the CAT. You've made it this far already. Here are some pointers to help you prepare for the Personal Interview.

Timing is everything
You might have something exceptional to say, but if you run out of time - what good are your words if they never have the chance to be spoken? When practicing your responses, give yourself a time limit in order to keep your answers concise but still relevant. Say what you need to say.

Open and close on a high note

Even if you feel like your interview has not gone perfectly, you can leave the interviewer impressed if you leave them smiling and enjoying your company. They will remember you as an interviewee who stood out even after they have interviewed many candidates. And of course, first impressions matter a lot as well.

Know thyself

Be natural. Be yourself. This personal interview is probably much like a job interview. You want to use this opportunity to show that you are different from the thousands of other applications - that you stand out from the crowd in a good way. Try to elaborate on a topic which illustrates something about your strength of character and preparedness for your potential IIM education. Do not be redundant and drone on.

Manage your accent
Due to the diversity of India and its regional languages, the English dialects may be spoken with a regional touch as well. Be sure to make your pronunciation correct and communication easy to understand. Ask peers, family, friends and even strangers to help you discover what you sound like. You can try recording your voice too. Try to improve your by listening to TV News broadcasters and their speaking mannerisms.

Watch the body language

Show you are confident, but not arrogant. Maintain some eye contact and a friendly demeanor. You should appear composed - don't be nervous. Believe in yourself and you will do great!

Be clear about your goals

Know what you want to achieve in the next 3-5 years, as well as your vision for your career and how an MBA will fit in the picture. Know how your previous experience will help you in your future studies and your future career as well.

Questions you will probably be asked

Before your interview, you should prepare a list of any possible question they may ask you. Know what your answers would be, so when you are actually being interviewed you won't be completely lost.

What are your strengths and your weaknesses?

Make sure your weaknesses are not detrimental to your offer of admission; also note how you are attempting to improve or correct this weakness. Be able to provide examples of your strengths and weaknesses.

Why are you right for this particular business school? Why is this particular program right for you?

What are your goals in life?

You need to be moving towards something. If it appears to them that you don't have a distinct goal, they will choose someone else who is more likely to appreciate, value and benefit from the offer of admission.

What is your hobby?

A hobby is something non-academic which you are passionate about. It is outside of extracurricular activities in school. Of course, if you are passionate enough about something you will probably integrate it into your studies as well - for example, if you love playing chess you may have started a chess club at your school.

So, tell me about yourself.

This type of open-ended question enables you to lead the interview into a certain direction. Don't simply blurt out all your qualifications; prepare something intelligent but interesting.

Further questions about your education, jobs (both past and present) and opinion

They'll probably be interested in your education, as well as any changes you may have made along the way. For example, if you switch from engineering to economics in school, they might ask why you decided to suddenly change majors.

You may be quizzed on your knowledge of certain topics within your area of study and of current affairs. For example, if you studied physics, you might be asked about string theory and your opinion on it - as well as any current news involving string theory. They may ask what your opinion is on a certain topic - just know that any statement you may make, you should be able to back up with supporting evidence or arguments. Be careful not to make any opinionated statements which may offend a person there (especially when dealing with religion).

Good luck on your personal interview. LearnHub is rooting for you!

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