From Campus to Case Studies: How a Commerce Fresher with a 99.99%ile Impressed IIM Ahmedabad
Candidate Profile
- Background: Final-year B.Com (Hons) student from a reputed Delhi-based university
- Work Experience: Fresher (with a pre-placement offer from Goldman Sachs)
- Academics:
- 10th Grade: 98%
- 12th Grade: 99%
- Undergraduate CGPA: 8.9
- CAT Percentile: 99.99
- Category: General Non-Engineering Female (GNEF)
Interview Panel
- Panel Composition: 1 Male (M1), 1 Female (F1)
- Slot: Afternoon
- Duration: Approx. 30 minutes
- Location: Ahmedabad
Analytical Writing Test (AWT)
Topic: A law forbidding employees from having work-related conversations with employers outside office hours.
Interview Questions & Candidate’s Approach
🎓 Academic Strength – Commerce & Finance
🔵 F1: Why MBA right after graduation?
🔵 F1: What is CAPM? How is beta calculated? Explain WACC.
🔵 F1: How do we value businesses? What are the formats of FCFF/FCFE? What ratios are used in valuation?
📊 Accounting & Quantitative Reasoning
🔵 M1: What is deferred revenue? How is it different from accrued revenue?
🔵 M1: Do you like math? Let’s do a P&C question. What is correlation vs regression?
🔵 M1: In advertising vs sales, which is the independent variable? Can sales increase advertising?
🔵 M1: What kind of strategy are we talking about here?
🎭 Extracurricular & Personality
🔵 M1: What are your hobbies?
🔵 F1: Why not pursue acting seriously?
🎯 Career Clarity & Future Plans
🔵 F1: Did you get placed? Tell us about your PPO at Goldman Sachs.
🔵 F1: What are your post-MBA goals?
Key Takeaways for Future Candidates
- ✅ Strong academic preparation is non-negotiable—especially for freshers.
- ✅ Be ready for a finance deep dive—CAPM, WACC, and business valuation are staples.
- ✅ Show real-world understanding—don’t just memorize; explain and contextualize.
- ✅ Stay composed when challenged—respond with clarity, even when humor is used.
- ✅ Authenticity stands out—talking about ad campaigns and video work added a personal edge.
🔍 The above interview experience is based on real candidate interactions collected from various sources. To ensure privacy, some details such as location, industry specifics, and numerical figures have been altered. However, the core questions and insights remain authentic. These stories are intended for educational purposes and do not claim to represent official views of any institution. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.
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