2019

Road to FMS

GD-PI
Preparation Kit
 Road to FMS
Dear Aspirants,

Congratulations to each one of you for getting shortlisted for Group discussion, Extempore
and Personal interview at Faculty of Management Studies, one of the oldest & premier
business schools in India. This institute has given the country its finest thought-leaders and
we welcome you to the toil that goes into becoming one of them.
With less than 4 weeks left for the final round, there must be some doubts in your mind. To
clarify such thoughts, we have decided to launch the FMS-Mentorship Program – Road to
FMS. Under this program, you have been assigned a mentor whom you can contact to
resolve all your queries.
The main agenda of this program is to help you get over with the interview and extempore
jitters. Also, selecting a B-School is an important decision and it should be an informed one.
We believe that this mentorship program will help you get to know FMS better. Hoping that
this initiative will not only help you sail through the next rounds but the MBA journey, you
are aspiring for.

Best Wishes,
MARCUS- Media Relations Cell
Faculty of Management Studies
Delhi
media@fms.edu

[Disclaimer: This document was prepared by the Media Relations Cell of FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES,
DELHI. Every reasonable effort was made to ensure that the information provided in this document is
accurate. However, information given here is not exhaustive and it is provided only for the reference of the
aspirants to help them develop an understanding of the topics and prepare for GD-PI, Extempore stage of
admission processes.]

MARCUS – Media Relations Cell, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi

 Road to FMS
What makes MBA at FMS unique?

What sets the MBA programme at “Red Building of Dreams” apart from any other
institution’s, is the ideal mix of opportunities, corporate exposure, and the kind of
conducive academic environment that allows the students to realize their dreams, with the
flexibility in the curriculum. This journey has truly been transformational for all who have
been part of the FMS legacy. The intense mentorship programme and spectrum of activities
carried out, instils within every individual the values and culture that this B-School has stood
for over all these years. At FMS, one has the liberty to initiate new activities and the
collaborative spirit of students makes it possible for numerous such efforts to bear fruits
every year.
We are a Student-run campus i.e. our student body, the Management Science Association
(MSA), manages the entire spectrum of student initiatives at FMS. MSA’s unparalleled
breadth and depth of activities make it an organization which is unique in Indian B-schools
landscape. With constant support and guidance of the faculty members, MSA is
instrumental in channelizing the students’ energy to give shape to the dreams of FMS - as an
institute and all the students—as individuals. MSA contributes to the development of all
FMS students in personal, professional, social, cultural, corporate interaction and industry
exposure. We currently have a total of 13 societies under the aegis of MSA. Besides these
we have many voluntary clubs for assisting students.

MARCUS – Media Relations Cell, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi

 Road to FMS
Admission criteria
The criteria for this year admission to MBA programme will be same as last year. Admission
will be based on Extempore Speech, Group Discussion, Personal Interview, Class X & Class
XII marks and CAT 2018 scores as provided by CAT centre. The following weight - system will
be applied for drawing the merit list of final selection:

1. CAT 2018 Score - 60%

2. Marks obtained in Class X - 5%
3. Marks obtained in Class XII - 5%
4. Group Discussion - 10%
5. Extempore - 5% 6. Personal Interview - 15%

An additional 3% of the maximum aggregate marks shall be awarded to the women

candidates who appears for the interview while drawing the list of selected candidates.

Interview day process at FMS

Usually, the interview at FMS lasts for only 10-15 minutes.

This makes the process more competitive and yet so exciting. This also provides you an
opportunity of making a profound impact in very short duration of time. Therefore, it is
essential to prepare well before the D-day.

Certain basic tips for the interview are: -

• Refrain from speaking just for the sake of speaking.

• Conceptualize your thoughts well.
• Prepare few basic questions before the process.
• Don’t sound rehearsed for the expected questions, be spontaneous.

The extempore will take place in between the GD and PI. After completing your GD, when
you go for the PI, you will be given a topic to speak for a minute. There is no specific basis on
which the topic can be given to you. It can be anything and everything.

MARCUS – Media Relations Cell, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi

 Road to FMS
Personal Interview
Few questions for personal interview: -

• Tell me something about yourself?

• To which city do you come belong? Some specialties of your city?
• Tell me a something about your family background?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why do you want to pursue MBA?
• Which specialization would you want to pursue in your MBA?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Long-term and Short-term goals?
• Tell me something that is not on your CV?
• Name some achievements of your life?
• What are the top three attributes of a successful professional?
• Describe your typical day?
• Talk about some landmark learning experiences in your life?
• Describe yourself as a person?
• Are you an: introvert or extrovert?
• Tell us your USP as an individual?
• What are some overriding interests in your life?
• What is the biggest regret in your life?
• Tell me a time in your life when you failed and how did you overcome it?

How to answer the “tell me something about yourself” question?

• Approximate duration of this answer: 60-90 seconds.
• You can begin the answer as My name is ________. I hail from ________.
• Give a brief about your family background. This can include the profession of your
father and mother and your siblings.
• Then you can mention your educational qualifications in the descending order
starting from graduation. (Don’t mention the names of your schools but you can
mention the board)
• Then you can mention about your work experience and your roles and
responsibilities in the company.
• Key learnings in your organizational role.
• Further, you can mention about the internships and graduation projects.
• You can give a brief about your interests and hobbies.
• Finally, you can mention your USP.

MARCUS – Media Relations Cell, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi

 Road to FMS
Extempore topics
The extempore topics are always unpredictable but certainly not very tough.
One of the reasons of Extempore is to check how spontaneously you can think on your feet.
The purpose is not to give very difficult topics but to see how creatively a person can think
on an easy topic. The topics can range from something very personal like hobbies, academic
background, a particular or recent incident, a common saying or proverb or an issue of
current affair.
So be prepared to speak on anything and everything. The key to extempore speaking is that
the words spoken are chosen as we speak them, and what is delivered is a stream of
consciousness that is fluent, erudite and articulate, while being unscripted.
Few Extempore topics asked in the year 2018: -

• Peace
• Water
• IITs vs NITs
• Debit card
• NPA
• PNB scam
• Shooting stars
• Fragrance
• Delhi Pollution
• Customer vs. Consumer
• Money
• Movie Stars in Politics
Few Extempore topics that can be prepared for the year 2019: -

• Glass ceiling in Corporate

• Pink is the new Blue
• Subsidy in agriculture sector
• Mythology and Management
• Individual freedom and civil society
• Optimism
• Indian classical Music
• Video game addiction
• Goods & Services Tax (GST)
• Negative Obsession with Artificial Intelligence
• India's energy crisis and ways to resolve it
• Elections

MARCUS – Media Relations Cell, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi

 Road to FMS
Group discussion (G.D.)
Few GD topics in the year 2018: -

• Knowledge based economy is more important for development in India

• Effect of Demonetisation on Indian Economy
• Should coaching centres be banned
• Can digital books replace library?
• Should terrorists be eliminated or is peace talk the way to go about it?
• Should E-commerce be regulated?
• Effective Managers vs. Efficient Managers
• Mobiles should be banned in colleges
• Beauty Contests and Objectification
• Is it feasible to have a single currency in Asia like there is Euro in Europe?
• Artificial Intelligence- A boon or a bane?
Few GD topics that can be prepared for the year 2019: -

a) Current Affairs
• Universal Basic Income
• Indian Economy in 2018-19
• Agriculture Role in India and Subsidies
• Importance of RBI Autonomy
• Minimum Support Price: Helpful or a Political gimmick
• Impact of Technology on Jobs: Will Automation & Artificial Intelligence
reduce or increase Jobs?
• Farmers’ Income: Will India be able to double it in next 5 years?
• Employment Generation
• 10% Quota Reservation Bill for General Category Poor Passed
• Statue of Unity: Symbol of Pride or Wastage of Public Money?
• World trade war
• Fake News will kill Social Fibre of India unless checked
• Individual’s Data Privacy
• Electric Vehicles: Is India ready for them?
• E-commerce regulations
• Linking of Aadhaar: Is making Aadhar mandatory a good idea?

b) Abstract

• Friends, Enemy or Frenemies?

• Success is a journey, not a destination

MARCUS – Media Relations Cell, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi

 Road to FMS
• Hard Work Vs Smart Work
• Me Too Campaign: Tool to Trap or Breaking Silence to Win the War
• Your failures can be your stepping stones or your stumbling blocks
• GD Topic: Ethics or Profit?
• Work- Life Balance is a Myth
• Are ethics necessary in Business?
• Is MBA necessary to be Successful in Business?
• Importance of patience in Business and Management.
• Innovation Vs Invention
• Change is the only constant
• Freedom is a myth
• Leader or Follower
• Strategy or Execution
• Means or End
• Gender bias in portraying Women in Advertisements

Interview Experiences 2018

1. Education Background: B.com
Work Experience: Fresher
Interview Experience:
Interview started with tell me about yourself, then I was asked If I had any other
shortlists and I said IIMC and then they asked why I am preferring FMS, eventually
turning it into my Extempore topic. Some question related to undergrad academics,
favourite subject and questions related to statistics, linear programming, simplex
method etc.

2. Education Background: B.com

Work Experience: 10 months
Interview Experience:
Interview started with tell me about yourself, then they gave me the extempore
topic as Air further asked about composition of air, then I was asked Why MBA and
what are my Long-term goals and Why finance. Then some questions on finance and
goals of capital budgeting decisions. I was also asked to tell about my workex and
Who is India head of Deloitte and then I was asked to explain my POR experiences in
college.

3. Education Background: B.Tech

Work Experience: 8 months
Interview Experience:

MARCUS – Media Relations Cell, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi

 Road to FMS
Interview started with tell me about yourself, then they gave me the extempore
topic “discuss your interview calls and preference order.” Then they asked that I
have a good profile, how will FMS help me and What is my domain of preference. I
was also asked about two favourite product companies and comparison of the two.
Question on my POR and hobbies and How will my background as an artist help the
class?
How famous is the name FMS down south? And the interview ended with “Any
questions for us?”

4. Education Background: B.Tech

Work Experience: Fresher
Interview Experience:
Interview started with tell me about yourself, then they gave me the extempore
topic “Shooting Stars”, which then shifted to Salman Khan and judiciary related
issues, there hiring procedure. One question on credibility of judiciary in certain
cases. Then they asked me about my role model in different fields like politics,
education, Bollywood, sports etc. and why that person is my role model. Few
questions on my favourite subject from undergraduate degree. And the interview
ended with “Any questions for us?”

5. Education Background: B.com and CA

Work Experience: 25 months
Interview Experience:
Interview started with the extempore topic being ‘Watch’. Then they discussed
about my percentile and why it was low in Quant section. Since I am a C.A, they
asked me about why I want to pursue MBA. They then asked about few accounting
terms. Then they asked me ‘Why FMS’. From there interview drifted towards which
profile I want to choose except Finance. They asked my take on Union Budget and is
the budget good or bad.

MARCUS – Media Relations Cell, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi

 Road to FMS
Placement Highlights
Domestic highest package is 48 LPA
68% students secured offers above 20 LPA.
Average CTC of top 100 students: 27 LPA
Average CTC (batch): 23.2 LPA

Achievements of FMS students: -

• Team Rags to Riches from FMS Delhi won the Capgemini's first corporate
competition which was held at Hyderabad. Finalists included teams from IIM B, C, L,
K, XLRI and FMS.
• Team Invincibles were runners up of RB's Global Challenge 2018.
• Team from FMS Delhi stood as regional runners up in the Pepsico Change the Game
Challenge.
(Find the details on the FMS facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FMSDelhi/)

MARCUS – Media Relations Cell, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi

 Road to FMS
General instructions: -

1. Candidates need to check www.fms.edu website regularly for all notifications, cut-
offs, merit lists, waiting lists etc. All communications with the candidates will be
done through the registered email address of the candidate.
2. For any information or queries related to admissions, you may contact us at: E-mail:
admissions@fms.edu; ao@fms.edu Telephone: 011-2766 6382-6388 (Working days
between 10:00 and 17:00 Hrs)
3. The interviews will happen in the north campus of FMS, Delhi unless notified
4. Kindly reach at least an hour prior to the scheduled timings. Also, the process may
extend beyond the stipulated timings, so keep a 4-hour safety margin.

CONTACT:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FMSDelhi/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fms_delhi

Instagram: www.instagram.com/fmsdelhi/

Media Relations Cell

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarcusFMSDelhi

Email: media@fms.edu

PagalGuy: https://www.pagalguy.com/discussions/official-fms-delhi-admissions-2019-21-
4720985163431936

MARCUS – Media Relations Cell, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi

 Road to FMS
How to reach FMS: -
Complete Address: -
Faculty of Management Studies - University of
Delhi
Prof ND Kapoor Marg, Opp. Kirorimal College,
Delhi School of Economics, University Enclave,
New Delhi, Delhi 110007
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vN2U4

Nearest Metro Station: -

Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station
Distance- 1.6 Km from the metro station
Commute options: - OLA, UBER, E-rickshaws

MARCUS – Media Relations Cell, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi