How I Prepared For My London Business School MBA Interviews (And 5 Things I Learned Along The Way)

When I was preparing for my London Business School interviews, I did what I think most applicants do: I searched everywhere for advice. YouTube videos, blogs, interview questions, other people’s experiences. You name it, I probably looked at it.

But looking back, one of the most important things I learned was that preparing for an interview isn’t about having the perfect answer to every possible question. It’s about knowing yourself well enough to answer questions you haven’t prepared for.

Having gone through both the Kira video assessment and the final interview for LBS’s One-Year MBA, I wanted to share five things that genuinely helped me.

1) Prepare Your Stories, Not Just Your Answers

One of the first things I did was compile a list of common MBA interview questions. Why LBS? Why an MBA? Why now? What are your short- and long-term goals? Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership.

I drafted answers to these questions but quickly realized that memorizing individual responses wasn’t necessarily the best approach.

Instead, I spent time reflecting on my experiences and identifying five solid stories I could draw from. These were situations where I’d demonstrated leadership, overcome challenges, worked with others, or learned something important.

The trick was learning to tell the same story from different angles, depending on what I was being asked.

I also practiced structuring my answers using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). This didn’t come naturally to me at first. I would sometimes take a few detours before getting to the point, but practicing this structure helped me become more concise and communicate my experiences more clearly.

For example, one of the stories I prepared was about a university group project where I was elected team leader, but one member wasn’t contributing. Rather than making assumptions, I decided to speak with my teammate privately to understand what was going on. I learned they were going through a difficult time, so I worked with them to adjust their workload while making sure the project stayed on track. They eventually became more involved and felt supported, and we successfully completed the project as a team.

What I liked about this example was that I could use it to answer different questions, whether about leadership, managing conflict, or showing empathy. The story stayed the same, but the aspect I focused on changed depending on what I was being asked.

2) Make AI Your Practice Interviewer

This is probably one of the most useful things I did, and something I’d recommend to anyone preparing for an MBA interview.

I used ChatGPT’s voice feature almost daily leading up to my interview. I’d ask it to act as an MBA admissions interviewer, throw common and challenging questions at me, and then give me feedback on my responses.

What made this particularly helpful was having to actually say my answers out loud. There’s a huge difference between knowing what you want to say and being able to articulate it clearly when someone puts you on the spot.

For example, ChatGPT helped me notice when I was trying to cover too many ideas in one answer, when my examples needed to be more specific, or when I could better connect my response to LBS. It also picked up on small things in my delivery, like filler words I hadn’t even realized I was using. Having that feedback helped me understand not just what I was saying, but how I was coming across.

Over time, responding became more natural, and structuring my answers started to become second nature. Overall, as a tool for practicing and building confidence, I found ChatGPT incredibly helpful.

3. For The Kira Assessment, Expect the Unexpected

The Kira Video Assessment at LBS was an interesting part of the process because you have very little time to gather your thoughts before responding.

For my assessment, I knew one of the questions would be “Why LBS?” So naturally, I prepared that answer thoroughly. My advice for any question you know is coming is simple: practice it until you can answer confidently without sounding like you’re reciting a script.

But then came a question I hadn’t prepared for at all.

It was something along the lines of this: If money weren’t a constraint, what kind of business would you start?

I remember being caught off guard. It wasn’t one of the typical MBA questions I’d spent so much time practicing.

With only about 30 seconds to prepare, there wasn’t much time to overthink it. I had to trust myself, think about what genuinely interested me, and give an answer that reflected who I was.

And that’s where all the earlier preparation came in handy. Even though I hadn’t practiced that specific question, I had practiced thinking through questions, structuring my responses, and speaking clearly under time pressure.

I ended up sharing my idea of establishing schools in underserved communities that could sustain themselves financially rather than relying heavily on donations. The idea was to equip students and teachers with entrepreneurial skills they could use to start their own businesses, creating opportunities for themselves while helping support the schools. I drew inspiration from my experience supporting an orphanage in Benguerir, Morocco, and my belief that businesses can create a lasting social impact while remaining financially sustainable.

I think what helped me answer the question was that I focused on an idea I genuinely cared about, rather than trying to come up with something that simply sounded impressive.

My biggest takeaway? You can’t prepare for every question, but you can prepare yourself to answer almost any question.

4) Treat The Interview Like a Conversation and Be Authentically Yourself

Before my final interview, I tried to shift the way I thought about the person on the other side of the screen.

Instead of imagining someone trying to catch me out or find weaknesses in my application, I reminded myself that the interviewer was there to get to know me. They’d already read my application and liked it enough to want to meet the person behind it.

That small change in perspective made a big difference.

During the interview, we talked about my academic and professional journey, why I wanted to pursue an MBA, my career aspirations, and what I hoped to contribute to LBS. But we also talked about things I hadn’t necessarily expected.

At one point, I shared how, as a child, I’d collect seashells at the beach and try to sell them instead of spending all my time swimming. We also discussed my passion for writing children’s books and my idea for a student club that teaches children business concepts through storytelling.

When asked to name a leader I admired, I chose my mother. Not a famous CEO or entrepreneur, but someone whose leadership I’d experienced firsthand. I spoke about how she raised four daughters while pursuing her PhD in computer science. She empowered us to believe in ourselves and lead by example.

These weren’t necessarily the most conventional MBA interview answers, but they were genuine, and they gave my interviewer a better understanding of who I was.

I think applicants sometimes feel pressure to give the most impressive answer, when what really matters is showing how you think, what you value, and what you can contribute.

Since joining LBS, I’ve come to appreciate this even more. Being surrounded by classmates with such different backgrounds and experiences has reminded me that there’s no single way to think, lead, or approach a challenge. And that’s exactly why bringing your own perspective matters.

The goal isn’t to sound like the ideal MBA candidate. It’s to help the interviewer understand what makes you who you are.

5. Believe In Yourself, Do Your Best, and Let Go of The Outcome

I think we spend so much time talking about how to prepare for interviews that we sometimes overlook the mental side of the process.

For me, it started with genuinely believing that I had a chance. That I was capable, that I had something valuable to contribute, and that I deserved to be in that interview just as much as anyone else.

I used positive affirmations to remind myself of that, especially when doubts started creeping in.

My faith also played a big role. As a Muslim, I believe that whatever Allah (God) has planned for me is ultimately for the best. And that belief helped take a lot of the pressure away.

It didn’t mean preparing any less. Quite the opposite. It meant doing everything within my control, preparing as thoroughly as possible, and then leaving the outcome to Allah.

And I think there’s something we can all take from that, regardless of our beliefs. You can give something your absolute best without letting the result define you.

So, if you’re preparing for your interview, remember that reaching this stage is already an achievement. Be proud of yourself for making it this far.

Do your research. Practice your answers. Reflect on your experiences. But when the interview starts, don’t become so focused on delivering the perfect response that you forget to enjoy the conversation and be yourself.

Then, whatever happens, know that you’ve done your best. That’s something worth being proud of.

---

Imane Iraqi is a Moroccan-Canadian MBA student at London Business School with a background in strategy consulting. Having lived in five countries, she brings a global perspective and a curiosity for people, ideas, and new experiences. She’s also a children’s book author, an aspiring entrepreneur, and someone who loves turning ideas into real projects. Outside of all of that, she loves good coffee, long conversations, discovering new places, and the occasional unexpected side quest.

DON’T MISS HOW LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL GAVE ME THE MOTIVATION & TOOLS TO REIMAGINE MY CAREER

© Copyright 2026 Poets&Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets&Quants, please submit your request HERE.