IIM Ahmedabad Interview Experience
- Career Simplified
- Aug 14
- 2 min read
My IIM Ahmedabad Interview – One of the Toughest, and How I Converted It
Some interviews test your knowledge. Others test your patience. My IIM Ahmedabad interview tested everything at once.
Back then, I was working with IOCL in a remote location called Haldia (2.5 hours from Kolkata). I was called for the interview at a Kolkata hotel along with 25–30 other candidates. The atmosphere was intense — every conversation you overheard made you feel like everyone was an overachiever.
Lesson #1: Don’t get psyched out by others. Stay in your own zone.
The process was fast-paced — four to five candidates were kept ready in parallel to avoid delays. When my turn came, I was asked to pick a chit. My topic:
“A teacher posted ‘We won’ after the India vs Pakistan match and was fired. Was it the right decision?”
It was controversial, and I was given a chance to change it. I didn’t. I thought I could handle it.
What followed was intense cross-questioning. Every point I made was countered. Every argument dismantled. The professor leading the panel (I later learned he was one of the toughest at IIMA) kept drilling deeper — not just into my answer, but into why I thought the way I did.
The discussion then moved to my profile. It wasn’t superficial “Why MBA?” — it was layered:
Why now?
Why not earlier?
What exact incident made you decide?
How does your technical background connect to your future plans?
I walked in calm. I walked out drained, sweaty, and convinced I’d blown it. But a few weeks later… I got the call.
✅Key takeaways for anyone preparing for IIM or top B-school interviews:
1️⃣ Be Yourself – Don’t try to match others’ achievements. Your authenticity is your strength.
2️⃣ Know Your Profile Deeply – Every point in your resume can lead to a chain of follow-up questions. Be prepared to go three layers deep.
3️⃣ Build Clarity & Confidence – You should be able to explain exactly why you want an MBA, why that specific institute, and how it fits your career trajectory.
4️⃣ Stay Composed Under Pressure – The panel may challenge you just to see how you think under stress.
If you’re preparing for IIM Ahmedabad or any top B-school interview and want structured guidance, feel free to connect. I’m happy to share my approach and help you ace your journey.
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