The IMD assessment day is an exercise involving various types of assessments. We know interviews would last between 15 minutes to 1 hour. However, the IMD in Switzerland lets MBA applicants spend an entire day on campus and go through multiple stages of assessments.
These assessments comprise Interviews, Individual presentations, Case studies, etc. Each of these components is designed to judge the various aspects of a candidate’s profile. The Swiss University ranks at the 28th position in the Financial Times Business School Rankings 2022.
IMD has one of the most rigorous ways to choose the right candidates for their program. Students who have made their first cut have an extensive assessment day. Throughout the years the sequence of the events have have remained the same. The school does change a few things to maintain the surprise element making sure the applicants are true while attempting each of the assessment stages.
Why does IMD conduct an IMD Assessment Day instead of a regular interview?
The main reason behind Assessment Day is that during an interview you cannot reveal a candidate’s personality and behavioral traits. Many interviews are short, giving less time to reveal someone’s personality. An interview only shows how well you can prepare for an interview.
On the other hand, assessment day reveals much more. If you are someone who doesn’t want to work in teams or groups, there’s no way you will survive in a Business school like IMD. IMD MBA curriculum consists of a lot of group work in both cases and team projects. Hence it is important to work on your projects as a group or team. The other reason is you have to be able to handle stress because it is a factor during your studies at IMD as well as later in your career. This is the reason why the IMD Assessment Day has been a mainstay for admissions.
Introduction and MBA Interview Process
Meet and Greet On-Campus
At the start of your day, you will have a meet-up with a member of the admissions team. You will be introduced to the rest of the MBA applicants, who you will be spending the rest of the day with. A tour of the campus will be given to you along with your cohorts.
Personal Interview
Similar to many other personal interviews the structure remains the same. The interview will last about 30-45 minutes with the interviewer. The IMD interviews are known to be thorough hence we highly recommend you to prepare in advance. Early preparations will help you not get nervous and flustered. The interview is an extremely conversational setting where the interviewer will try to get to know you. Sometimes the interviews include some fun puzzles that add a fun twist and will help you be more at ease and also give you a chance to assess your problem-solving abilities.
Short Presentation
After the interview, you will be given 30 minutes to prepare a 5-minute presentation based on a business case study that will be given to you. You will not be allowed to work on laptops and the time limit is strict. Towards the end, once everyone completes the presentations, you will be put into group settings. This is done to test your interpersonal skills.
Lunchtime
During lunchtime, you will be served and also encouraged to interact with the IMD alumni. This will be a great opportunity to inquire about the IMD student life or just the course. Try to gain a perspective and understand how their time was during their Master’s program.
Case Study Discussion
MBA applicants are sent a case study to prepare for a class discussion along with other applicants. The case study will be sent two weeks prior to the assessment day. The discussion will be moderated by an IMD professor. The discussion will be on the basics of the MBA program. This is your chance to present the best case study since you will be judged by a professor who works with the faculty you want to join. Prepare to impress! Make sure you are pragmatic and willing to discuss and learn from others as well. Present your views clearly to the moderator, as you will be judged by the professor.
Class Observation
The final part of your assessment day ends with auditing a live MBA class. Just relax and observe. This part is done for purely informational purposes. This observation helps to get an idea of what teaching style you should expect at IMD.
While the IMD assessment day may seem daunting and intense, it will certainly be a rewarding one. It will be a great thing for an MBA applicant to have experienced the process. A great tip would be to do your research, start preparing and practicing for this full-day interview process and we are sure you will do amazing.