CAP Interviews (Common Admission Process) for IIM Ranchi, IIM Trichy, IIM Kashipur, IIM Udaipur, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Jammu, IIM Sirmaur, and IIM Sambalpur are known for being highly structured, academic-heavy, and very profile-driven.
To help you prepare at the highest level, we have compiled Actual CAP PI Questions asked in 2023, 2024, and 2025 across all participating IIMs, along with BTRIBE’s answer frameworks used by top converters.
Why This Blog Matters?
- 100% real student-reported questions
- Categorized to match panel flow
- Ready answer frameworks to structure responses
- Helps you crack both Profile-based and Academics-based grilling
- Updated with 2025 trends
SECTION 1 — Top Behavioral Questions (Actual Previous Year)
1. Introduce yourself in one minute. Include something not on your CV.
Framework: SHEET
- S – Summary of your identity
- H – Highlight 1–2 achievements
- E – Experiences that shaped you
- E – Element NOT on CV (hobby/quirk/value)
- T – Tie it back to IIM & career goals
2. Tell me something about yourself aside from achievements.
Framework: “Values + Stories”
- Pick 1 core value (e.g., empathy, curiosity, discipline)
- Add 1 anecdote showing it
- Conclude with how it shapes your decisions
3. How do you handle competitive environments (example: CAP, IIM classrooms)?
Use CAR Framework
- C – Challenge
- A – Action
- R – Result
Include mention of
systems,
peer learning, and
self-awareness.
4. What is your greatest fear? Would you do something risky (parachute jump) to overcome it?
Framework: Fear → Coping Strategy → Growth
Panels evaluate self-awareness and bias for action, not bravery.
5. Why MBA Now? Why CAP IIMs?
Framework: GAP → FIT → FUTURE
GAP: What skill gap MBA fills
- FIT: Why CAP IIMs specifically
- FUTURE: Your clear post-MBA role
6. A year you want to undo — and why?
Framework:
- Don’t share trauma.
- Share a constructive regret → learning → behavior change.
7. Are you emotional or rational as a decision-maker?
Show balanced decision-making and give a STAR example.
8. Do you have dream companies/roles post MBA?
Mention specific companies in Consulting / Finance / Marketing / HR / Ops — depending on specialization.
9. Something beyond your form we should know
Go for personality + passions, not achievements.
SECTION 2 — Actual Academics-Based Questions (These dominate CAP interviews)
Economics & Finance
- Explain Diminishing Marginal Utility with an example.
- Difference between Balance Sheet vs Income Statement.
- What is NPV & IRR? Why do we discount cash flows?
- What are Financial Ratios you should analyze?
- What is Market Capitalization?
- Explain TIPS, Portfolio Risk, Beta, Variance vs SD.
- Capital Market vs Money Market
- What is Net worth?
- Explain Fixed vs Variable Cost
- Solvency Ratio | Debt Equity Ratio | Turnover Ratio
Framework to answer academic questions: D-E-E - Definition (crisp, textbook)
- Explanation (simple language)
- Example (industry-based)
Marketing - What are 4Ps, 4Cs, 7Ps?
- Difference between Employer Branding vs Product Branding
- What is Surrogate Advertising (example)?
- Do good products need marketing?
- KPIs for a Digital Marketing Campaign
- What is CTR and CPC (what is considered good)?
Math/Stats / Engineering (for STEM profiles) - Explain Descriptive Statistics
- MOSFET characteristics diagram
- Transcript amplifier design
- Quality of code
- What is DevOps & why is it needed?
- Will AI replace DevOps?
SECTION 3 — Work Experience-Based Questions Use STAR Framework (Situation–Task–Action–Result).
Actual questions asked:
- Tell us about a project that deeply impacted you
- What are your KPIs at work?
- How do you handle disputes between teams (Production vs Procurement vs Finance)?
- What projects do you handle?
- What level of involvement do you have in tendering?
- Explain user journey in your product (e.g., IRCTC–Dominos case)
- How did you manage cost overruns/ underruns in projects?
- How do you plan capacities & forecast population (for infra roles)?
SECTION 4 — General Awareness Questions (Very Common in CAP)
- Why did the stock market decline recently?
- What companies interest you?
- What do you think of DeepSeek vs OpenAI?
- Two good things & one criticism about the Union Budget
- How is the management of the MahaKumbh operationally?
- Freedom of speech issues (Samay Raina / India’s Got Latent)
- India’s pharmacy of the world: future
- Quick commerce – Why Dunzo failed? Why Blinkit succeeded?
- Lab-grown diamonds vs natural diamonds
- India's prospects in Champions Trophy
Framework: F-L-A - Fact (1–2 lines)
- Logic (your reasoning)
- Analysis (implications)
SECTION 5 — Ethical & Case-Based Questions (Very Common in CAP)
Topics asked in 2023–25:
- AI energy monitoring causing employee frustration
- Child labour in villages
- Underage tin mining used by Apple
- Ethical dilemma: job misrepresentation + layoffs
- Meta giving up third-party moderation
- Administrative decision: ethics vs empathy
- Financial prudence vs independence
- Quick commerce failures
- Kerala lottery system
Framework: E-D-I
- E – Ethical principles involved
- D – Dilemma (competing values)
- I – Impact-based solution
SECTION 6 — CAP IIM GD Topics (Actual Past 3 years)
- Pharmaceutical Industry & India's Growth
- Quick Commerce: Dunzo Failure
- AI adoption & employee attrition
- India becoming Pharmacy of World
- Meta’s decision to remove moderators
- Apple–Indonesia tin mining case
- Child labour in industrial villages
- Weight loss drugs & healthcare costs
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