MCA Exam

Decision Making

1. Give an example of a time when you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.
2. What was your most difficult decision in the last 6 months? What made it difficult?
3. Give me an example of a time when you had to keep from speaking or making a decision because you did not have enough information.
4. Give me an example of a time when you had to be quick in coming to a decision.
5. What kind of decisions do you make rapidly? What kind takes more time? Give examples.
6. Give me an example of a time you had to make a difficult decision.
7. Describe a specific problem you solved for your employer. How did you approach the problem? What role did others play? What was the outcome?
8. Give me an example of when taking your time to make a decision paid off.

Writing an effective essay examination requires two important abilities: recalling information and organizing the information in order to draw relevant conclusions from it. While this process sounds simple, writing an effective essay examination under pressure in limited time can be a daunting task.

Common strategy terms for Essay writing are as follows:

1. Analyze: Divide an event, idea, or theory into its component elements, and examine each one in turn: Analyze Milton Friedman’s theory of permanent income.
2. Compare and/or Contrast: Demonstrate similarities or dissimilarities between two or more events or topics: Compare the portrayal of women in Beloved with that in Their Eyes Were Watching God.
3. Define: Identify and state the essential traits or characteristics of something, differentiating it clearly from other things: Define Hegelian dialectic.
4. Describe: Tell about an event, person, or process in detail, creating a clear and vivid image of it: Describe the dress of a knight.
5. Evaluate: Assess the value or significance of the topic: Evaluate the contribution of black musicians to the development of an American musical tradition.
6. Explain: Make a topic as clear and understandable as possible by offering reasons, examples, and so on: Explain the functioning of the circulatory system.
7. Summarize: State the major points concisely and comprehensively: Summarize the major arguments against using animals in laboratory research.

Following are some sample essay questions:

1. Education comes not from books but from practical experience.Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which books might educate students better than practical experience. Discuss what you think determines when practical experience provides a better education than books do.
2. Scientific inquiry is rooted in the desire to discover, but there is no discovery so important that in its pursuit a threat to human life can be tolerated.Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statements means. Describe a specific situation in which a threat to human life might be tolerated in the pursuit of scientific discovery. Discuss what you think determines when the pursuit of scientific discovery is more important than the protection of human life.
3. Politicians too often base their decisions on what will please the voters, not on what is best for the country.Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which a politician might make an unpopular decision for the good of the country. Discuss the principles you think should determine whether political decisions should be made to please the voters or to serve the nation
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4. An understanding of the past is necessary for solving the problems of the present.Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which solving a current problem might not require an understanding of the past. Discuss what you think determines whether or not the past should be considered in solving the problems of the present.
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5. Wealthy politicians cannot offer fair representation to all the people.Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which a wealthy politician might offer fair representation to all people. Discuss what you think determines whether a wealthy politician can or cannot offer fair representation to all the people.
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6. In a free society, laws must be subject to change.Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which a law should not be subject to change in a free society. Discuss what you think determines whether or not a law in a free society should be subject to change.
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71. What did you achieve in your last job?
Answer :Prepare a number of relevant examples and explain one (two or three if they’re punchy and going down well). Make sure you feature as the instigator, or the factor that made the difference. Examples must lead to significant organisational benefits; making money, saving money/time, improving quality, anticipating or creatively solving problems, winning/keeping customers, improving efficiency.

72. Give me some examples of how you have adapted your own communicating style to deal with different people and situations.
Answer :Prepare this as one of your strengths, as there’s not a single job that won’t benefit from good adaptive communication skills. Give examples of how you’ve been detailed and given written confirmation for people who need it. Give examples of how you verbally enthuse and inspire the people who respond to challenge and recognition. Think of other examples of adapting your style to suit the recipients. Give examples when you’ve had to be task-driven, process driven, people-driven, and how you change your style accordingly. A chance for you to truly shine.

73. What do you find difficult in work/life/relationships (etc)?
Answer :Pick a relatively irrelevant skill and say that you don’t find it as easy as you’d like, so you’re working on it (don’t just make this up - think about it and be truthful). Don’t own up to a weakness in an area that’s important to the role. As with the weaknesses question, you can state certain difficulties because they are actually quite acceptable, even commendable, they’d include: suffering fools gladly, giving up an impossible task, tolerating unkind behaviour like bullying, having to accept I can’t help certain big problems in the world, etc.

74. How do you plan and organise your work?
Answer :Planning and writing a plan is very important. I think how best to do things before I do them, if it’s unknown territory I’d take advice, learn from previous examples - why re-invent the wheel? I always prioritise, I manage my time, and I understand the difference between urgent and important. For very complex projects I’d produce quite a detailed schedule and plan review stages. I even plan time-slots for activities that aren’t in themselves organised, like thinking time, and being creative, solving problems, etc.

75. How many hours a week do you work/prefer to work?
Answer :It varies according to the situation. I plan and organise well, so unless there’s a crisis or unusual demand I try to finish at a sensible time so as to have some time for my family/social life/outside interests. It’s important to keep a good balance. I start earlier than most people - you can get a lot done before the phones start ringing. When the pressure’s on though I’m happy to work as long as it takes to get the job done. It’s not about the number of hours - it’s the quality of the work that you do; how productive you are.

76. Do you make mistakes?
Answer :Be honest. Yes of course on occasions, but I obviously try not to, and I always try to correct them and learn from them.

77. (Follow above question with) - Can you share your mistakes with others?
Answer :Absolutely I can - I get the guidance I need, and it may help prevent others from making the same mistake.

78. How to do measure your own effectiveness?
Answer :By the results that I achieve, and that I achieve them in the most positive way. If there isn’t an existing measure of this I’ll usually create one.

79. What personal goals do you have and how are you going about achieving them?
Answer :Prepare for this - be able to state your personal and career goals - keep them reasonable, achievable and balanced. Explain how you see the steps to reaching your aims. An important part of achieving progress is planning how to do it. Be able to demonstrate that you’ve thought and planned, but also show that you are flexible and adaptable, because it’s impossible to predict the future - the important thing is to learn and develop, and take advantage of opportunities as they come along.

80. What makes you mad?
Answer :Nothing really makes me mad - it’s not a good way to deal with anything. Certain things disappoint or upset me - rudeness, arrogance, spitefulness (pick any obvious nasty traits or behaviours, particularly behaviours that you believe your interviewer will personally dislike too.)