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Commerce to MBA: IIM Calcutta Interview Tale

Decoding the IIM Calcutta Interview: From Commerce Graduate to Future MBA

Candidate Profile

  • Background: Bachelor’s degree in Commerce with a strong foundation in finance and statistics.
  • Work Experience: Recent graduate with internship experience in financial markets and portfolio management.
  • Academics:
    • 10th Grade: 91%
    • 12th Grade: 93.5%
    • Undergraduate CGPA: 8.7

Interview Panel

  • Panel Composition: 2 Male Interviewers
    • P1: Around 40 years old, warm and smiling
    • P2: Around 50 years old, stern, occasionally interrupting
  • Mode: Online interview
  • Panel Number: 36
  • Slot: 1

Interview Questions & Candidate’s Approach

🟢 Icebreaker & Personal Questions

🔵 P1: “Please introduce yourself.”

📌 Tip: Keep introductions structured: start with academic background, move to work/internship experience, and end with hobbies or unique achievements.

🔵 P2: “Are you Bengali?”

🔵 P2: “Which course are you pursuing?”

🔵 P2: “Where do you live and where do you study?”

📌 Tip: Expect rapid-fire factual questions early in the interview. Answer confidently and clearly without overexplaining.

🟢 Why MBA & Certifications

🔵 P1: “Why do you want to pursue an MBA?”

📌 Tip: Align your answer with your career vision. For commerce grads, connect your finance knowledge with aspirations in investment banking, consulting, or leadership roles.

🔵 P1: “Tell me about your certifications.”

📌 Tip: Highlight certifications as proof of initiative and interest beyond coursework. Explain what you learned or how it’s relevant to an MBA.

🟢 Economics & Finance Discussion

🔵 P1: “How are stock indices indicators of the economy?”

🔵 P1: “Which indicators would you track to measure economic growth—and why not stock indices?”

🔵 P1: Follow-up discussion on GDP & GNP.

📌 Tip: Be ready to differentiate leading, lagging, and coincident indicators. Stock indices reflect market sentiment but not necessarily real-time economic health.

🟢 Current Affairs & Industry Awareness

🔵 P2: “Who are the current heads of NSE and BSE?”

🔵 P2: “What was the NSE co-location scandal about?”

🔵 P2: “Do you know who the ‘Himalayan Yogi’ is?”

📌 Tip: Regularly follow financial news, key scandals, and leadership updates. Even if unsure, demonstrate awareness of the issue’s significance.

🟢 Technical & Quantitative Questions

🔵 P2: “What is the inter-quartile range?”

🔵 P2: “Explain coefficient of variance, variance, and standard deviation.”

🔵 P2: “Between 1/x and x², which function is larger for positive x?”

📌 Tip: Revise core statistical formulas and interpretations. Don’t just memorize definitions—understand where and why they’re used. For function comparisons, visualize or test sample values.

🟢 Closing the Interview

🔵 The panel asked the candidate to log off after completing the above questions.

📌 Tip: Even if no opportunity is given to ask questions, prepare one or two thoughtful queries just in case.

🎯 Key Takeaways for Aspirants

  • Be thorough with basic economic indicators and their interpretations.
  • Stay updated with financial market news and recent scandals.
  • Brush up on core statistics concepts and practical applications.
  • Expect panelists to test both academic knowledge and industry awareness.
  • Stay calm under interruptions; focus on delivering clear, confident answers.
📢 Disclaimer: 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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