London Business School (LBS) interviews are conducted by alumni, so the Admissions Committee doesn’t always get the opportunity to meet candidates in person. As part of the London Business School MBA application process, candidates invited to interview are therefore asked to submit two short video entries to support their candidacy.

Submitted via the Kira platform, the videos provide fresh, unmoderated insights for the Admissions Committee, so the team learns more about you and gets to know you as a person. The committee is looking to assess confidence and language skills as well as your ability to think on your feet and structure your responses. Of course, they also want to see how good your actual content is! They will be careful to consider cultural differences. (Note that the Kira exercise is completely separate from your alumni interview. Your Kira video will not be provided to your alumni interviewer.)

The Kira Process

When LBS interview invitations are released, you will usually have around 10–14 days to record your Kira interview questions. When you do, you will be asked two questions. The first is set in advance and is the same for all candidates: 

“What will you gain from the London Business School MBA Programme that you won’t gain from another MBA programme?”.

You will have just 90 seconds to record your answer.

Your second question will be randomly selected from a large set of prompts, so it varies by applicant. You will have just 45 seconds to prepare your answer — then 90 seconds to record it.

You will have the opportunity to practice an unlimited number of times on the Kira Talent platform, and I highly recommend taking advantage of this! Every time you login to practice, sample questions are provided (these change every time). Note that the sample questions are usually easier than the real thing.

As Senior Admissions Coach at Fortuna Admissions, working with countless LBS applicants over the past 12 years, I see the videos as an excellent opportunity to bring your application to life and convey another dimension of your candidacy.

How To Prepare for the LBS Video Question #1

The good news is that for the first question, you can prepare your answer in advance. The question: “What will you gain from the London Business School MBA Programme that you won’t gain from another MBA programme?” is really about doing your research — on classes, professors, treks, conferences and clubs that interest you and/or relate to your goals. Be specific and resist the temptation to simply quote generic information from the website. For example, if you are keen to gain more knowledge through a particular elective, make sure you say why; or if you are excited to participate in one of LBS’s famous Global Business Experiences, be clear how this will add value to your MBA journey.

You can also focus your answer on the appeal of London and the benefits of learning in a global business hub — two key differentiators for LBS. Why is being in London important to you? There could be many reasons such as access to certain companies, local speakers, London’s connection to so many industries, resources, being a major financial hub and so on. 

“Because you get this first question in advance, the team at LBS expects your response to be polished,” says Fortuna’s Emma Bond, former Senior Manager of MBA Admissions at LBS. “Every single interviewed candidate has to answer this question, so it’s important to make yourself stand out. Think deeply about what LBS will offer you but avoid just reeling off a laundry list of activities. Instead, choose wisely and share how the things you’ve chosen are personally relevant to you and to your goals.” 

Another idea is to use the school’s driving mission — to challenge conventional wisdom, transform careers and empower people to change the way the world does business — to frame your answer. But remember it’s only 90 seconds, and sometimes less is more.

How To Prepare for LBS’ Video Question #2

For the second question, there is no way of knowing your question in advance. You should prepare for a range of topics, as you would for any interview. Here are some example questions asked to previous candidates:

• Tell us about a time you worked in a dysfunctional team. What did you do to improve it?
• Tell us about a time you received feedback. How are you implementing it now?
• If you could change one thing about your professional experience, what would it be?
• Tell us about a time when you faced conflict at work.
• Tell us about a time when you were exposed to a different culture. Where did you find the most value in this experience?

More Key Video Tips

Of course, the general rules of video presentation apply. Make sure you focus on the camera, have good lighting, excellent sound quality, and a background free of clutter or distractions. Fortuna’s Caroline Diarte Edwards, former Director of Admissions at INSEAD, offers great advice on how to ace the MBA video essay, including tips on setup and presentation. 

Remember, there are no right or wrong answers to the LBS video questions. LBS’ intention is simply to offer applicants a different medium to interact with the school. It’s an opportunity for you to present yourself more directly to the admissions team since they don’t often get to meet you. They are looking for authenticity, to get a sense of who you are and to see whether you would be a good fit for the vibrant LBS community and culture. 

Practice, practice, practice – timed and out loud! The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel doing the video and the better you will be able to present your answers in the 90 seconds they provide. And finally, be yourself, remember to smile and have some fun with it!

Get Ready to Shine

If you are preparing for the LBS video interview questions, my colleagues and I would be delighted to help you. Reach out now for a free 30-minute consultation to learn more about how we can guide you through this high stakes element of the application process and help you put your best foot forward on the day.