Congratulations if you have got a call letter from an Indian Institute of Management or IIM. The interview round is the last stage of the MBA admission process and accounts for the highest weightage in the selection of a candidate. As this stage is the make-or-break moment of an applicant, he/she should take all the steps to ensure the selection in the final list.

The big question for few applicants remains-What is the language that I should use during interviews? Is it compulsory to use English in the IIM interview?

Language for IIM Interview

The question ‘Can I use Hinglish (Hindi + English) for IIM interview’ might look silly for most MBA aspirants. The common notion is that one must speak fluent English in the PI round of IIMs. This notion, though not mandatory, is correct. The following factors will help a candidate with doubts understand why one should decent English in an IIM interview:

• CAT Question Paper: The medium of the CAT question paper is solely English. All applicants must also score a decent percentile in the VARC section to receive a call letter from top IIMs. Thus, one is naturally expected to have good command over the English language.
• English as a global language: The MBA course that you are going to study will only be in English. The placement companies coming at IIMs also expects a candidate to speak English fluently. Most importantly, English is going to be the language you have to use in your future workplace.
• Interview: There can be various circumstances for a candidate because of which he/she cannot speak good English. Let’s assume you are fluent in Tamil or Hindi and not so much in English. But your interview panellists have zero knowledge of Tamil/ Hindi and can only understand English. How will you proceed? You have to answer in English only even if you are not comfortable. It is very important to have good English speaking skills because the interview determines your selection in an IIM.

Is English mandatory for IIM interview?

If you are still having doubts, the answer is both yes and no. Yes because of the aforementioned factors. No, because there is no rule of English being the compulsory medium for interview. However, all IIMs expect you to know English even before you arrive for the interview. Thus, it is advisable to improve your spoken English skills before attending the IIM interview.

How to improve Spoken English Skills Quickly?

Not fluent in English but have an IIM interview to attend? These tips will help you improve your English skills in a short period.

1. Speak English often– Use English as often as possible in your conversation. Find people with whom you can converse in English and identify the mistakes you are making while speaking English. This practice will help you to improve your spoken English skills.
2. Watch Movies/ Series: Try to watch your favourite Hollywood movies or TV-Series without subtitles. Listen carefully and pay attention to how they are pronouncing a word. This exercise will also help you to improve your vocabulary.
3. Debate– Use English while discussing a serious topic with your friends. Try to express your points in English even if you find it difficult.
4. Read the newspaper aloud. Practising reading daily will surely improve your fluency.
5. Try not to mispronounce a word. Google the pronunciation of the word you do not know how to pronounce.

Following the aforementioned tips daily will help you improve your spoken English within a month or two. These are all fun activities that you will enjoy doing alone or with friends.

Good luck with your IIM interview!