Blog · MBA
LBS MBA interview questions, from someone who asks them
I interview MBA and Executive MBA applicants for London Business School. This is what the conversation usually covers, and what makes it easy or hard to write up well afterwards.
One thing first. I will not share the school's assessment criteria or anything confidential about the process, and nobody who interviews for LBS should. What follows is the kind of ground an MBA interview covers, which is widely known, and my own view of what a good answer sounds like from the other side of the table.
How the LBS interview works
Interviews are by invitation, after the written application has been reviewed. They are usually with an alumnus or a member of the admissions team, often in your own region, and usually last around an hour. It is a conversation, not an examination. The interviewer has normally read your file, and part of the job is to see whether the person matches the paper.
The questions that come up
"Walk me through your CV."
Two to three minutes, not ten. Tell it as a story with a direction: what you chose, why, and what you learned at each step. The mistake is reciting job titles. The interviewer can read those. What they cannot read is why you made the moves you made.
"Why an MBA, and why now?"
Say what you want to do after the programme, in one or two specific sentences, and what you are missing today that the MBA gives you. "Now" needs a reason too: why this point in your career rather than two years earlier or later. Vague answers here are the most common single weakness I see.
"Why LBS?"
The test is simple: could your answer be about another school if you changed the name? If so, it is not an answer yet. Name the parts of the programme you will actually use, such as the flexible length, particular electives, a club, an exchange, or people you have spoken to, and connect each one back to your goal. I wrote more about this in why I chose London Business School.
"Tell me about a time you led a team" (or failed, or disagreed with someone senior).
Behavioural questions. Pick real examples where the outcome was not obvious and you had to make a judgement. Structure helps: the situation briefly, what you did, what happened, what you would do differently. The last part is where most candidates stop too early. Reflection is what the question is really about.
"What will you contribute to the class?"
Be concrete. Not "diverse perspectives", which every applicant claims, but something specific: a skill you can teach, a club you would help run, experience from a market or industry the class will not otherwise hear from.
"Do you have any questions for me?"
Always have two or three, and make them questions you could not answer from the website. Ask about the interviewer's own experience, or something specific to your plans. "No questions" reads as low interest, even when it is nerves.
What makes an interview easy to write up well
- A goal you can state in two sentences. If it takes five minutes, it is not clear yet.
- Consistency with the application. The interview checks the written file. A different story in person causes doubt.
- Specifics over adjectives. "I rebuilt the pricing model and cut the error in half" beats "I am analytical and driven".
- Evidence you have done the work. Events attended, students and alumni spoken to, and what you learned from them.
- Being a person someone would want in their study group. This is harder to prepare for than the content, and it matters.
How to prepare
Write down your answers to the questions above in bullet points, not scripts. Then say them out loud to someone who will interrupt you and ask "why?" twice. Candidates who rehearse word-for-word sound rehearsed, and the interviewer notices within a minute. Candidates who know their reasons can be asked anything.
For applicants from quantitative backgrounds, the most common problem is describing what you built instead of what it meant. I wrote about that pattern in what people are buying when they buy an MBA.
Common questions
How long is the LBS MBA interview?
Usually around an hour. It is a conversation, typically with an alumnus or a member of the admissions team, often in the applicant's region.
Does everyone who applies to LBS get an interview?
No. Interviews are by invitation after the written application has been reviewed.
What is the hardest LBS interview question?
For most candidates it is "Why an MBA, and why now?", because it exposes a vague goal immediately. A specific post-MBA goal and a clear account of what you are missing today make the rest of the interview much easier.
Is the LBS EMBA interview different?
The ground is similar, but EMBA candidates are keeping their jobs, so expect more focus on how the programme fits alongside your current role and what you will bring from your seniority.
How do I answer "Why LBS?"
Name two or three things about LBS you will actually use, such as the flexible programme length, particular electives, clubs or an exchange, and tie each to your post-MBA goal. If your answer would work for another school with the name changed, it is not specific enough.
Read next
All essays are on the blog. One problem a week, with the solution, if you subscribe.