London Business School MBA Interview Questions 2023-24

Ranked #16 worldwide (#2 in Europe) in the FT, #5 (in Europe) in Bloomberg, and #5 in QS for 2023, London Business School (LBS) has long been a prestigious name in the MBA world. LBS’s location gives it unparalleled access to London’s thriving financial, consulting, and startup markets, as well as easy connection to the rest of Europe.

LBS’s class size is just under 500 students who average 5.5 years’ work experience and an average age of 29. The class comprises 63 nationalities and is 43% female. LBS’s average GMAT for 2023 is 702, with scores ranging from roughly 600 to 780. The suggested GRE score is 163+ in both Quant and Verbal. 

Let’s explore how LBS structures its interview. We will examine how the LBS interview is conducted, provide sample questions from past LBS interviews, and give you specific tips for success at your LBS interview.

The LBS MBA Interview Process

LBS interviews are conducted by alumni or senior admissions staff. The interview is non-blind. This means that the interviewer will have read your written application materials (note that the interviewer does not have access to your video essays), so expect questions based on your application essays. Some reports indicate an intense focus on the CV walk-through. Overall, LBS interviewers are widely reported to ask many follow-up questions, so prepare yourself for questions that run several layers deep.

You may choose to take your LBS interview in person or virtually. In either case, London Business School will connect you with an alumni or AdCom interviewer in your region. The school says that a virtual interview will not have a negative impact on your chances of admission, but in our experience all business schools appreciate it when applicants make the effort to travel to an in-person interview.

The interview will last somewhere from 45 to 60 minutes. However, many reports indicate that the interview may go well over time, depending on how detailed the interviewer’s questions are. Past clients report that the interview style may differ: some interviewers keep things formal and choose to follow a set question structure that starts with work experience and progresses to behavioral questions and LBS-specific questions. Others may ask questions about family life and outside interests. Overall, the LBS interviewer is looking for a clear story about who you are, your goals, and how LBS fits specifically into these plans.

The Presentation Question

London Business School asks its interviewees to prepare a brief 10 minute Presentation Question that they’ll present during the interview, which works like a miniature case study. You will be provided with a case prompt. You will have five minutes to prepare and another five minutes to present.

This exercise is designed to test your reasoning and communication skills, and how well you can think on your toes. The case prompts aren’t typically technically difficult, so don’t worry about having to put together a whole slideshow. You are expected to give a strong presentation speech with a logical structure and well thought-out arguments.

The case prompts include topics taken out of the recent news, including corporate mergers and acquisitions and the sometimes curious business decisions of the tech world (e.g. Tesla’s interest in cryptocurrencies). Your interviewer will likely choose a case prompt aligned with your professional industry. As a general rule of thumb, it’s good to keep up to date with business news and world events from reliable sources.

You will not have access to this prompt before the interview. So it’s best to refer to prompts that previous applicants were asked, so you have a fair idea of how the Presentation Question section of the interview works. Here are some examples:

Example LBS Presentation Question Prompts

1. What might have prompted Edison, a leading EV manufacturer, to develop an interest in Bitcoin? Why do you think Edison stopped accepting Bitcoin as payments for its vehicles?

2. Imagine you are the CEO of Notai, a large tech company with name recognition but dwindling market share. To ensure profitability, you intend to invest in the development of your own AI program. Board members and upper management are nervous that AI is merely a passing fad. How would you convince them otherwise?

3. You are the CEO of Rkit, a tablet manufacturer that is considering “friendshoring” by moving your manufacturing plants from a country that has increasing political tensions with the West to a neighboring country. This country offers greater political stability and objectively better manufacturing standards, but significantly reduces profit for your company. What would you do?

4. Your company, Lithco, mines heavy metals necessary for EV batteries. The mines are large, noisy, and location-dependent, which requires winning the backing of the local community to ensure smooth, long-term operation. Although the mines offer local communities job opportunities, many community members are worried about environmental, societal, and potential health disruptions caused by these mines. What could the company leadership do to ensure support of the local government and community?

5. You are the head of Origet, a family-owned fine watch company that is facing a hostile takeover by a large watch brand, Blattch, that is widely known for its discount timepieces. Understanding the brand-consciousness of your client base, you are concerned that this will disrupt Origet’s position in the market. What argument could Blattch present that would convince you? What could you do to retain your branding in face of the takeover?

Jon

Samriddhi

Zack

Alex

Malvika

Sam

Rowan

Who is LBS Looking For?

London Business School looks for MBA candidates who show potential to be leaders in an increasingly global and interconnected world. LBS teaches its students “how to think, not what to think.” 

Given LBS’s location in a global hub, it seeks candidates who demonstrate, above all, three key attributes: a global vision, a collaborative attitude, and a drive to challenge entrenched ideas and think critically. 

So when you work on your LBS MBA application, ensure that you focus on demonstrating these values in your essays and interview. 

LBS Interview Schedule 2023 - 2024

LBS Interview Schedule	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3
Application Deadline	08 September 2023	03 January 2024	​25 March 2024
Interview Invites Sent	12 October 2023	06 February 2024	25 April 2024
Interviews	Mid-October to early November	Mid-February to early March	End of April to mid-May
Decisions	30 November 2023	27 March 2024	07 June 2024

LBS Interview Questions 2023 - 2024

Here are the LBS MBA questions that applicants have been asked previously: 

Introduction

1. CV walk-through plus follow-ups. 

2. Describe yourself.

3. Tell me about your current extracurricular activities.

Goals

1. What made you decide to pursue an MBA?

2. What makes LBS unique among the schools you’ve applied to?

3. How did you choose the schools to apply to?

4. What will you contribute to LBS outside the classroom?

5. What are your short- and long-term career goals? What happens if you don’t achieve these?

6. Since you’re already well on your way to Goal X, how does an MBA at this point help?

International/Global Thinking

1. Describe differences in work style or approach that you have seen in different cultures.

2. Describe an experience working with a person (or people) from different cultures.

3. Describe a cultural barrier that might negatively influence how two groups would work together. Explain what your steps might be to remedy such a situation. 

Behavioral

1. Describe a recent chance you took.

2. Tell me how your colleagues would describe you.

3. Describe your strengths. Describe your weaknesses.

4. Tell me about an important achievement.

5. What has made you successful?

6. Describe the most important decision you have ever made.

7. Describe your personality.

8. Tell me something about your childhood that still influences you.

9. Tell me about a time that you experienced a dramatic change in environment and how you dealt with this.

10. Tell me about a situation where you drove changes. How did you do this?

11. What means that a project is working? How can you adjust course if it is not?

Teamwork

1. Tell me why teams fail.

2. Describe a time that you were part of a dysfunctional team.

3. Explain how you have participated in diversity and inclusion.

4. What role do you typically play in a team?

5. Describe a time that you felt conflict with a superior or a teammate. How did you handle this?

6. How would you handle a situation where a teammate isn’t pulling his or her weight?

Leadership

1. Explain your style of leadership.

2. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader (with specific examples)?

3. Describe a time when you, as a leader, managed conflict.

4. What makes a good leader?

5. What is the difference between a leader and a manager?

Concluding

1. Is there anything you’d like to add that LBS should know? 

2. What do you wish that I had asked you?

3. Do you have any particular questions for me?

Tips to Ace the LBS Interview

We’ve used insights from previously successful applicants to LBS to compile our top tips to nail the LBS MBA interview: 

1. Identify which type of interview you are more comfortable with: online or offline. Chances are you’re better at one type over the other! 

2. Connect with LBS alumni on LinkedIn, online forums, or at networking events to gather important insights about alumni-led interviews. 

3. The interviewer will have access to your application materials (except for video content). So be an open book; you want the interview to flow naturally from question to question instead of providing short answers that the interviewer has probably already read in your essays. Focus on discussing your learnings and takeaways. 

4. Applicants often don’t think deeply about many of the points they make in their written material, and get caught out when probed further. So review your application thoroughly and ensure that you prepare stories, examples, and data points that are not already listed in your essays. It’s also best to think about your CV and essay narrative from different perspectives. For example, a story about your biggest professional achievement could now be reviewed from a collaboration and teamwork angle. 

5. Consider the value that London Business School places on international exposure, active participation in the community, collaboration, and challenging the status quo. Work with these ideas in your answers.

6. Interviews may be formal or informal; follow the lead of the interviewer to get an idea of what’s expected but be prepared for either scenario (or even for somewhere in the middle). 

7. Use the SCAR method to construct your stories and anecdotes. This will help you share information while assuring that your stories are logical, concise, and clear.

As always, check out more interview advice and practice, including video interview simulations, on MBAConsultant.com.

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Applying to LBS this year? Get started with your application by booking a free chat with one of our consultants.