IIMA interview :-
The interview panel had 3 members and each of them asked questions from a different domain, and in a sequence. First the General Awareness questions, then questions related to Computer Science, and finally questions related to my hobbies.
So, Vyom, you have come all the way from Kanpur.
Yes Sir
So, when did you reach Delhi?
Last evening Sir.
Is it as cold in Kanpur as it is in Delhi?
No Sir, Its a little warmer there.
There's a lot of warming happening all over. Do you know about it?
Global Warming.
Yeah, Global Warming... Something is been done about it. Do you know?
Yes Sir . Kyoto protocol has recently been put in place to ensure that the amount of emissions are kept under a limit.
Who all have signed it and who have not?
It has been ratified by most countries including India. US and Australia have refused to sign it.
Why and from whom is it facing the resistance?
Sir, its facing resistance from some quarters in the industry which think industrial growth would be affected.
Has India signed it?
Yes Sir.
What does India need to do about it?
Basically keep its greenhouse emissions under control and enforce pollution emission control norms. Beyond this, I don't know more about the implementation issues.
So, how do you rate your own performance in GD? On a scale of 5?
I would rate it 2.5
That would be below average?
No Sir, I mean from 0 to 5, making an average of 2.5
What do you attribute it to?
At times, what I wanted to say had just been said by someone else, and I avoided trying to repeat exactly what had been said.
Ok, so you want to be a manager?
Yes Sir, and I find the area where technology meets management more interesting - the management aspect of technology.
"The management of technology"? -- guffaw-- So is there a technology aspect of management as well? Explain what you have said.
Sir, I meant to say, there can be 2 aspects, one hard core research sitting in a laboratory. The other is, that aspect of technology that actually appears in the market and is used by the masses.
But not much of this happens in Computer Science.. isn't it?
No Sir, if there are inventions, then they also directly affect the markets.
"Inventions"?
Sir, I mean, breakthroughs. For example, breakthroughs in algorithms.
Ok, so you are a CS student and you talk of algorithms. Suppose I have a list of all CAT students sorted on their marks, and I want to find out a student with marks say, 75. how will you do it?
Sir, we will try to see the marks of the middle student...
"Middle student"?
Sir, I mean, if there are 'n' students, then the marks of the student ranked n/2.
Do you know how many students appear for the CAT?
Yes Sir, approximately 1.5 lacs.
Hmm. Ok, proceed.
So, we try to see the marks of the 75000th student and compare it and then ... blabber...
How many searches will it take?
Sir, it will take log to the base 2 of 1.5 lacs. which is around 17.
How do you get the log value?
Sir, 1000 is approx 2 raised to 10. and this is 150 thousand, 150 is roughly 2 raised to 7 .
No, no. How does 'log' come into the picture?
Sir, in each step we are reducing the search space by 2. So we are exponentially reducing the search space.
So if there is exponent, you bring in log?
No Sir... blabber..
I still don't get it. Prove.
...Blabber...
Ok Ok.
It seems you like word puzzles and all.
Yes Sir.
Hmm. Ok I am giving you a puzzle. -- A Word Morph -- You have 2 minutes to solve.
( Puzzle --> go from MILK to CURD ) (2 minutes later --)
Ok, lets see how much you have been able to do.
Anyway, why do you think people like to play word puzzles?
I think it is the feeling of being able to overcome an obstacle, especially when one is not initially able to solve a problem and gradually is able to do that, then it gives a satisfaction.
But that is true of any sport. What's special about word games? With all this time limits and all?
I think they also make you think faster, so they hone your skills in that.
But that would be true of quizzes as well?
Yes Sir, but taking the case of crossword puzzles. I regularly come across things that I don't know and then I look up about that in an encyclopedia and learn about it. This way I am able to learn a lot of new things.
Ok. I guess that's it. So you are going back to Kanpur?
No Sir, I am going on a trip to Shimla.
Oh, it must be cold there.
Yes Sir, precisely the reason why we are going.
But you must be having other interviews?
Yes Sir, but they are later in March.
Ok, best of luck for them. You may have your toffee.
Thank You Sir.
PS: I think there might have been a fewer Sirs ( as in Yes Sir, No Sir... ) and I have unconsciously added a few extra ones here. :-)
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IIMB interview :-
The interview panel comprised of one lady professor and one male professor. The male professor seemed to be quite technically inclined while the female professor was quite interested in HR kind of questions.
Vyom, you are from Computer Science and Engineering?
Yes Sir.
Who is your head of department?
Dr S. K. Agarwal
Ok, who are your other star faculty members?
Sir, one professor who was recently quite in news is Dr Maninder Agarwal.
What was he in news for?
Sir, he gave a deterministic algorithm for testing whether a given number is prime or not.
-- lots of discussion on P, NP, a question on whether TSP is P or NP etc.
Ok, so what are your other interests in Computer Science?
Sir, I am interested in Computer Networks, and recently I have also developed interest in Agent-based systems.
See, I am not from a CS background, so I don't really know much. We learn a lot from interviews and this is one selfish reason for us to participate in this process. So tell us, what are agent-based systems?
-- discussion on what are agents, etc.
Are you doing some project on it?
Yes Sir, my B Tech Project is based on this.
What are you doing in your project?
-- lots of discussion on what our BTP is about.
Hmm. You have written in your write-up that your long cherished goal is to open a company of your own. How long have you cherished it and why do you cherish it?
I think since the start of my B Tech days, I have been thinking about it. The idea is so lucrative because I feel that I derive a lot of satisfaction from being able to produce end to end results. The feeling that I can start something from scratch and build a company from it is tremendous. Like, I also like to write poems, and I really like the feeling that I have been able to create something new. So...
But you have written that your brother is your role model, and he is currently an officer in the Income Tax Department. Isn't it?
Yes, but more than asking me to imitate what he has done, he has inspired me to look inside me and ask myself what I really want.
So, who or what else influenced you in your decision?
I have heard of so many people who have been able to build empires from scratch,
People like?
Bill Gates is a very clear example. Then there are a lot of entrepreneurs from IITK itself who have built up big companies from scratch.
Give some examples.
Sir, I forget the name of the company, but there is this person, X Y, who is an IITK Alumnus from mechanical engineering background, who has opened a firm. Its one office is in India and the other is in US. It is a software company in the field of CAD CAM etc. The problem they tried to address in one of their software was, when there is a solid cube of metal and you want to drill holes in it from all faces, I don't remember the technical term for it, if you do the drilling simultaneously, then the tips from drills may touch and get damaged. Now, their software looks at the dependencies and is able to schedule the drilling so that as many drills as possible are going on in parallel, without their causing damage to each other. This has increased the speed of the process manifold and is earning them a lot of money.
Have you thought something about what kind of a firm you would like to open?
Hmm. I haven't made concrete plans but I read about the immense possibilities in the hotel sector. I read that there is an order of magnitude difference in the sizes of hotel industries in India and China. There is a shortage in India, and lots of opportunities for growth exist.
But you have been studying at IIT Kanpur and I am sure you must have learnt a lot of technologies. You won't be using any of those if you do this.
No, that's not necessary. For instance, I could open a complementary tourist information service, which would provide visitors to a hotel complete information about other tourist destinations. So you can plan your travel according to that. That would need networking. One could always use Off The Shelf Components but then, to optimize the operations etc would require some background of CS.
Where did you get this information from?
Sometimes, I also pick up magazines.
Which ones?
Mostly, it is India Today, but sometimes Fortune and if I find something interesting, may be even Business Week.
What do you do when you are not studying?
I like to play crossword puzzles, once in a while I read books...
So, what sort of books do you like to read?
Any book which I find interesting. I mean, I read the introduction, and if I find it interesting, I go ahead.
What was the last book you read?
It was J M Coetzee's 'Disgrace'.
What did you like about it? Was there something you learnt from that book that you can use in your life?
The book is written in a very simple language. No flowery language is used. But still, the author is able to portray the ideas very well. I learnt to understand that people have their own reasons for doing what they are doing. For example, the protagonist of the novel is very distressed by what his daughter is doing. But the author presents the situation very well.
What other non-fiction book that you read influenced you the most in recent times?
It was 'I Dare!' by Kiran Bedi.. I mean its based on Kiran Bedi. Its her biography.
What did you like about the book?
The sheer courage of this woman, the way she handled problems in the North-East, her tenure as traffic chief, her activities at Tihar.. they are all quite inspiring.
What did she do at Tihar?
First thing she did was to bring transparency to the system, then she involved the prisoners in a lot of community activities such as yoga etc to reform them, then she also made sure that the prisoners are not exploited by the lower level staff at the prison.
Ok, that's all. Thank you. All the best for your other tests.
Thank you Sir.
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IIMC interview :-
The interview panel comprised of 2 professors, one bearded and menacing in his demeanor, the other Bengali and calmer. By his mannerisms during the GD and his manner of conducting the whole exercise, it was quite apparent that this would be my first 'stress' interview. The experiences narrated by the people who were interviewed before me only emboldened that perception. When summoned, I went in, repeating to myself that the worst that could happen inside would be that I would be quizzed and lambasted and I would make a mockery of myself. They won't possibly go after me with a dagger in hand!
There's a mistake in the second line of your write-up. (showing me my write-up). Tell me what it is.
(me, a little surprised, then clueless. I thought it might be some logical inconsistency etc. So was thinking in terms of big fundae).
(One professor to the other, in a hugely sarcastic tone) Now you will have to tell him what line it is, what type of mistake it is...
(me still clueless)
Its in the second line.
(unconvincingly) some blah about logical connections between the first and the second sentences.
Its a spelling mistake.
(in a split second) Sir, there is a mistake in the spelling of plunge. The 'e' is missing.
So you do know the spelling. Still, it took you so long. What happened? What took you so much time?
Sir, I was thinking in terms of logical errors.
You do know the spelling, don't you?
Yes Sir, now that you have pointed out that there is a spelling mistake, I am sure. Earlier I was a little confused.
So, what's this about your GD participation? What happened? Why?
Sir, (flabbergasted, but already anticipated that question!) , some blah blah about introversion and public speaking skills and lack of articulateness and inability to compose thoughts.
Is it that you were too conscious of what others might think?
Yeah... I mean... some more blah.
See, you have a good profile, you have got an ABS. You also seem to have other interests apart from studies. But what I see in front of me is not what I read here. You are not able to compose your thoughts, you take so much time to find out such a simple spelling mistake. Is it that you are too nervous? What... what is the reason?
Yes Sir I got a little unnerved... some blah. ( by this time, I was blah blahing so much, I can't recollect all of it :)) )
Ok, so how many calls have you got?
Sir, I got all 6 calls.
So, have you given all your interviews already?
No, Sir I have only given IIMA interview so far. B and L will be later. I and K interview I am not planning to give.
Why not I and K ? Why did you select them in the first place when you were filling your CAT form?
I am not planning to join them.
Then, why select them in the first place?
Sir, if I didn't have a call from the other institutes, then I would have gone for their interviews as well.
Are you always like this? Trying to prioritize your options, keeping your options open...
Yes Sir. I mostly like to weigh my chances and not leave out options beforehand. That could involve too much risk.
So, how was your IIMA interview?
I think it was pretty good.
How do you say that? How do you judge your own performance?
Sir, I was asked questions on General Awareness which I could answer, on Computer Science which I could mostly answer, and one puzzle which I could not answer, but then it was the first time I had played such a puzzle...
How do you rate your performance in this interview so far?
Sir, its a little different. In IIMA interview, I was asked mostly objective kind of questions, and so it is easy to evaluate my performance. Here, the questions have been more subjective and its difficult to evaluate my own performance.
What do you mean subjective? Are you saying that there is 'arbitrariness' in this process?
Sir, it is prone to becoming arbitrary.
Prone? Are you saying it is arbitrary?
It could possibly be.
How do you say evaluate your performance?
Sir, I mean there is a standard against which I can compare my own performance and see the results.
Elaborate. Give example.
If I write an exam and get more marks than someone else, then if that person passes the course, then I should also pass that course, assuming that the exam is a true reflection of what it intends to evaluate.
What is this property called?
I am not sure, but I think it is validity.
Have you read about it?
No Sir.
There's a similar property? Do you know?
No Sir. ( had a hunch, but not taking chances)
Reliability. If I take a test n times within a reasonably small interval, I should score similar marks.
So, you are from a CSE background, and you are good at mathematics, is it that you always like objective things?
No Sir, but yes, objectivity brings in ease of judgment.
I will tell you something. This world is more about.... Gyan...
Thank You.
Thank You Sir.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But you must be having other interviews?
Yes Sir, but they are later in March.
Ok, best of luck for them. You may have your toffee.
Thank You Sir.
PS: I think there might have been a fewer Sirs ( as in Yes Sir, No Sir... ) and I have unconsciously added a few extra ones here. :-)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IIMB interview :-
The interview panel comprised of one lady professor and one male professor. The male professor seemed to be quite technically inclined while the female professor was quite interested in HR kind of questions.
Vyom, you are from Computer Science and Engineering?
Yes Sir.
Who is your head of department?
Dr S. K. Agarwal
Ok, who are your other star faculty members?
Sir, one professor who was recently quite in news is Dr Maninder Agarwal.
What was he in news for?
Sir, he gave a deterministic algorithm for testing whether a given number is prime or not.
-- lots of discussion on P, NP, a question on whether TSP is P or NP etc.
Ok, so what are your other interests in Computer Science?
Sir, I am interested in Computer Networks, and recently I have also developed interest in Agent-based systems.
See, I am not from a CS background, so I don't really know much. We learn a lot from interviews and this is one selfish reason for us to participate in this process. So tell us, what are agent-based systems?
-- discussion on what are agents, etc.
Are you doing some project on it?
Yes Sir, my B Tech Project is based on this.
What are you doing in your project?
-- lots of discussion on what our BTP is about.
Hmm. You have written in your write-up that your long cherished goal is to open a company of your own. How long have you cherished it and why do you cherish it?
I think since the start of my B Tech days, I have been thinking about it. The idea is so lucrative because I feel that I derive a lot of satisfaction from being able to produce end to end results. The feeling that I can start something from scratch and build a company from it is tremendous. Like, I also like to write poems, and I really like the feeling that I have been able to create something new. So...
But you have written that your brother is your role model, and he is currently an officer in the Income Tax Department. Isn't it?
Yes, but more than asking me to imitate what he has done, he has inspired me to look inside me and ask myself what I really want.
So, who or what else influenced you in your decision?
I have heard of so many people who have been able to build empires from scratch,
People like?
Bill Gates is a very clear example. Then there are a lot of entrepreneurs from IITK itself who have built up big companies from scratch.
Give some examples.
Sir, I forget the name of the company, but there is this person, X Y, who is an IITK Alumnus from mechanical engineering background, who has opened a firm. Its one office is in India and the other is in US. It is a software company in the field of CAD CAM etc. The problem they tried to address in one of their software was, when there is a solid cube of metal and you want to drill holes in it from all faces, I don't remember the technical term for it, if you do the drilling simultaneously, then the tips from drills may touch and get damaged. Now, their software looks at the dependencies and is able to schedule the drilling so that as many drills as possible are going on in parallel, without their causing damage to each other. This has increased the speed of the process manifold and is earning them a lot of money.
Have you thought something about what kind of a firm you would like to open?
Hmm. I haven't made concrete plans but I read about the immense possibilities in the hotel sector. I read that there is an order of magnitude difference in the sizes of hotel industries in India and China. There is a shortage in India, and lots of opportunities for growth exist.
But you have been studying at IIT Kanpur and I am sure you must have learnt a lot of technologies. You won't be using any of those if you do this.
No, that's not necessary. For instance, I could open a complementary tourist information service, which would provide visitors to a hotel complete information about other tourist destinations. So you can plan your travel according to that. That would need networking. One could always use Off The Shelf Components but then, to optimize the operations etc would require some background of CS.
Where did you get this information from?
Sometimes, I also pick up magazines.
Which ones?
Mostly, it is India Today, but sometimes Fortune and if I find something interesting, may be even Business Week.
What do you do when you are not studying?
I like to play crossword puzzles, once in a while I read books...
So, what sort of books do you like to read?
Any book which I find interesting. I mean, I read the introduction, and if I find it interesting, I go ahead.
What was the last book you read?
It was J M Coetzee's 'Disgrace'.
What did you like about it? Was there something you learnt from that book that you can use in your life?
The book is written in a very simple language. No flowery language is used. But still, the author is able to portray the ideas very well. I learnt to understand that people have their own reasons for doing what they are doing. For example, the protagonist of the novel is very distressed by what his daughter is doing. But the author presents the situation very well.
What other non-fiction book that you read influenced you the most in recent times?
It was 'I Dare!' by Kiran Bedi.. I mean its based on Kiran Bedi. Its her biography.
What did you like about the book?
The sheer courage of this woman, the way she handled problems in the North-East, her tenure as traffic chief, her activities at Tihar.. they are all quite inspiring.
What did she do at Tihar?
First thing she did was to bring transparency to the system, then she involved the prisoners in a lot of community activities such as yoga etc to reform them, then she also made sure that the prisoners are not exploited by the lower level staff at the prison.
Ok, that's all. Thank you. All the best for your other tests.
Thank you Sir.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IIMC interview :-
The interview panel comprised of 2 professors, one bearded and menacing in his demeanor, the other Bengali and calmer. By his mannerisms during the GD and his manner of conducting the whole exercise, it was quite apparent that this would be my first 'stress' interview. The experiences narrated by the people who were interviewed before me only emboldened that perception. When summoned, I went in, repeating to myself that the worst that could happen inside would be that I would be quizzed and lambasted and I would make a mockery of myself. They won't possibly go after me with a dagger in hand!
There's a mistake in the second line of your write-up. (showing me my write-up). Tell me what it is.
(me, a little surprised, then clueless. I thought it might be some logical inconsistency etc. So was thinking in terms of big fundae).
(One professor to the other, in a hugely sarcastic tone) Now you will have to tell him what line it is, what type of mistake it is...
(me still clueless)
Its in the second line.
(unconvincingly) some blah about logical connections between the first and the second sentences.
Its a spelling mistake.
(in a split second) Sir, there is a mistake in the spelling of plunge. The 'e' is missing.
So you do know the spelling. Still, it took you so long. What happened? What took you so much time?
Sir, I was thinking in terms of logical errors.
You do know the spelling, don't you?
Yes Sir, now that you have pointed out that there is a spelling mistake, I am sure. Earlier I was a little confused.
So, what's this about your GD participation? What happened? Why?
Sir, (flabbergasted, but already anticipated that question!) , some blah blah about introversion and public speaking skills and lack of articulateness and inability to compose thoughts.
Is it that you were too conscious of what others might think?
Yeah... I mean... some more blah.
See, you have a good profile, you have got an ABS. You also seem to have other interests apart from studies. But what I see in front of me is not what I read here. You are not able to compose your thoughts, you take so much time to find out such a simple spelling mistake. Is it that you are too nervous? What... what is the reason?
Yes Sir I got a little unnerved... some blah. ( by this time, I was blah blahing so much, I can't recollect all of it :)) )
Ok, so how many calls have you got?
Sir, I got all 6 calls.
So, have you given all your interviews already?
No, Sir I have only given IIMA interview so far. B and L will be later. I and K interview I am not planning to give.
Why not I and K ? Why did you select them in the first place when you were filling your CAT form?
I am not planning to join them.
Then, why select them in the first place?
Sir, if I didn't have a call from the other institutes, then I would have gone for their interviews as well.
Are you always like this? Trying to prioritize your options, keeping your options open...
Yes Sir. I mostly like to weigh my chances and not leave out options beforehand. That could involve too much risk.
So, how was your IIMA interview?
I think it was pretty good.
How do you say that? How do you judge your own performance?
Sir, I was asked questions on General Awareness which I could answer, on Computer Science which I could mostly answer, and one puzzle which I could not answer, but then it was the first time I had played such a puzzle...
How do you rate your performance in this interview so far?
Sir, its a little different. In IIMA interview, I was asked mostly objective kind of questions, and so it is easy to evaluate my performance. Here, the questions have been more subjective and its difficult to evaluate my own performance.
What do you mean subjective? Are you saying that there is 'arbitrariness' in this process?
Sir, it is prone to becoming arbitrary.
Prone? Are you saying it is arbitrary?
It could possibly be.
How do you say evaluate your performance?
Sir, I mean there is a standard against which I can compare my own performance and see the results.
Elaborate. Give example.
If I write an exam and get more marks than someone else, then if that person passes the course, then I should also pass that course, assuming that the exam is a true reflection of what it intends to evaluate.
What is this property called?
I am not sure, but I think it is validity.
Have you read about it?
No Sir.
There's a similar property? Do you know?
No Sir. ( had a hunch, but not taking chances)
Reliability. If I take a test n times within a reasonably small interval, I should score similar marks.
So, you are from a CSE background, and you are good at mathematics, is it that you always like objective things?
No Sir, but yes, objectivity brings in ease of judgment.
I will tell you something. This world is more about.... Gyan...
Thank You.
Thank You Sir.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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