How To Ace CAT Personal Interview?
Published on 13th January 2025, 12:00 PM
Gearing up for the CAT personal interview can be exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Keep in mind that to ace the CAT personal interview, you must prepare thoroughly, as the interview is all about displaying your abilities and personality. Hence, it is important to practice mock tests, referring to experts' guidance on encountering the panel with a whole lot of tips that will heighten your confidence level.
What Is A Personal Interview?
When it comes to personal interviews, candidates will be asked questions regarding their personality, work experience (if any), work ethics, mental actions towards things, and work attentiveness. Candidates are highly urged to focus mainly on the positive side, even if the panel asks a negative question. Remember not that every question asked has a right or wrong answer. Sometimes, the interviewer just wants to test the candidate's intellectual skills in answering questions. So, make sure to deliver a specific answer confidently.
What Is Asked In The CAT PI?
Candidates often find the CAT PI round extremely challenging, which can make them quite anxious. Mark, be very mindful during the entire process, as your GD and WAT/AWT rounds can serve as a means to understand you better as a person. Questions may be asked about what you have written and spoken so far.
When preparing for a personal interview, ensure that you have valid reasons for everything you have mentioned about yourself prior to or on D-day
Things To Keep In Mind Before CAT Personal Interview
> Do not speak wrong if you are not familiar with the topic asked by the interviewer
> Speak only of the actual algorithms.
> Do not try to bluff to look intelligent
> Avoid slang/jargon
> Be in a formal dress code
> Show your presence of mind
> Be thoroughly prepared
CAT Personal Interview Preparation
Now that you have a clear idea of what a personal interview is, let’s take a look at how you should prepare to ace it. Below are some of the tips that will help you crack the CAT personal interview.
Do a Thorough Research
First and foremost, thoroughly research the institute. Take as much time as you need to learn about the institute. Doing in-depth research will enable you to be more confident on this matter and will also help you prepare the answers to all related questions beforehand. Always check the official web page of the particular institute that you’re interested in and scan through the information provided. You can also ask people you know who have studied at the institute for more details. Do not go underprepared for the personal interview.
Carry All the Necessary Documents
Do not go without carrying your documents. Not carrying your documents may leave the interviewers with a bad impression and may also doubt your qualifications. Remember, seeing is believing. So always bring your documents and carry them with you and show them your qualifications to the interviewers if needed. Here are the list of documents to be carried are:
> Class X & XII certificates
> Bachelor’s degree
> Resume/CV
> Passport size photographs
> Any additional educational certification.
Learn the Basic Manners
When candidates become too nervous, they tend to make errors which then leads to losing points. Students who are unaware of basic manners must learn and prepare themselves before they face the panel. Here are a few of the basic manners that you must learn:
> Arriving on time and not being late.
> Avoid using your smartphone during the PI preparation.
> Listen attentively to what the interviewer is saying.
> Communicate only when it is necessary. Do not overshare or talk a lot.
> Do not say negative things about any institute.
> Maintain a good posture.
Learn Behavioral Interview Methods
Aside from learning the basic CAT PI questions, students must prepare themselves for a few behavioral-based questions as the PI also assesses what is implicit. Students are evaluated based on their behavioral interviews on how well they managed their past conditions. So to prepare for this, the best method is to list down your weak and strong points and then visualize a situation where you think you have already applied them.
Opt for a Decent Outfit
Dress for success and not dress to impress. In the CAT PI, students must wear a simple and decent outfit. Although there is no dress code, one should not be overdressed or wear flashy outfits. Go for formal attire. Try to look as simple and smart as you can. Do not put on a lot of perfume. Avoid using too much makeup, and keep your hairstyle simple. Remember you are preparing for a CAT personal interview, not for the fashion industry.
Stay and Look Confident
Students must be confident in their skin, how they respond to questions, and how they behave. It is very important not to make the panels feel that your confidence is slowly diminishing as you respond to tough questions. Remember that if a question is too difficult to answer, it is okay to say that you do not know and still be confident. Non-verbal communication is also very important and aids you in showcasing yourself in a good manner. So, to look confident, one must maintain a good body posture. Think about good and positive things during the personal interview. Keeping your mind positive will be reflected in your communication, and therefore, it will show how confident a person is.
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Best of Luck!!
