The London Business School (LBS) interview is a pivotal stage in the admissions process. It is designed to help the admissions team understand who you are beyond your application and how you think in a professional setting. For many candidates, it is both the most challenging and rewarding step in their journey to business school.
At The Profs, we have supported hundreds of applicants preparing for competitive MBA interviews, including those for London Business School. Our clients have achieved outstanding success, with 89% of postgraduate students securing a place at their first-choice university.* Each of our Interview Training Tutors has deep insight into the LBS interview process and the qualities the admissions committee values most.
Keep reading for expert insights and proven techniques that will help you enter your LBS interview prepared, composed, and ready to impress.
Contents:
- Why the LBS MBA Interview Matters
- Top Tips to Master the LBS Interview
- What to Expect from LBS Interview Questions
- How The Profs Can Help You Ace Your LBS Interview
*Source: Postgraduate applicant data from The Profs Client Feedback Survey 2025.
Why the LBS MBA Interview Matters
The LBS interview isn’t just a formality; it’s the defining stage of your application. For most candidates, it’s the single deciding factor.
This interview is not designed to test your academic record. LBS already knows you’re intelligent, so what they want to see is your self-awareness and ability to communicate with confidence.
A deeper test of fit
LBS interviews are highly personalised. They’re conducted by alumni who work in your field or by trained admissions representatives who have reviewed your profile in detail.
That means they’re assessing whether your ambitions and personality align with LBS’s culture.
You’ll be expected to demonstrate that you:
- Have a clear understanding of your career path and how LBS fits into it.
- Are culturally adaptable and comfortable in a diverse, global environment.
- Can reflect on your experiences honestly, including both your achievements and challenges.
Why it carries so much weight
LBS prides itself on its 96% employability rate, one of the highest of any business school in the world. To maintain that standard, the admissions team selects professionally focused candidates.
That’s why the interview goes beyond rehearsed answers. It’s a real conversation that reveals whether you’re ready to contribute to and benefit from the LBS community.
Preparation is everything
Many candidates assume that knowing their CV is enough. It isn’t. The interview tests how well you can connect your story to your goals, and how well you naturally can communicate complex ideas under pressure.
You don’t have to be the most experienced to ace the interview. You have to prepare strategically and understand what LBS is genuinely looking for.
Top Tips to Master the London Business School MBA Interview
Success in your interview is not about memorising answers. It’s about demonstrating self-awareness and purpose. Based on our years of experience, these three strategies can give you a real advantage:
1. Build a Career-Driven Identity
The first thing LBS looks for in any interviewee is clarity of direction. The school’s outstanding 96% employability rate is built on selecting candidates who not only know what career they want but can also explain why that path makes sense.
To stand out, you need to show that your ambitions are grounded in experience. They want to hear that you’ve taken tangible steps towards your goals, whether that’s completing a professional certification or pursuing projects that align with your intended field.
If you haven’t yet had hands-on experience, look for opportunities before your interview. Even short-term internships or virtual projects can help you demonstrate certainty in your chosen path.
Think of your professional identity like an ‘equity story’; a narrative that traces your achievements and motivations. The most persuasive candidates can point to specific milestones that have prepared them for their next step.
Example:
Instead of saying, ‘I want to work in consulting,’ say, ‘After interning in corporate strategy, I became fascinated by how analytical problem-solving can drive transformation. I hope to build on that experience in a consulting role focused on financial services.’
That level of specificity makes your goals feel real and achievable, which is just what LBS is looking for.
2. Know and Prepare for Your Weaknesses
One of the biggest mistakes strong candidates make is knowing their strengths but not their weaknesses. LBS interviews are deliberately designed to probe the areas where you might be less confident.
Each alumni interviewer receives a guide listing seven key areas to explore, such as:
- Cultural fit with LBS.
- Quality and depth of work experience.
- Realism of career aspirations.
- Leadership potential and interpersonal skills.
- Multicultural awareness.
The admissions team selects two or three of these areas for each candidate, which means you won’t know in advance what you’ll be challenged on.
To prepare, take time to reflect on moments where you’ve faced difficulty, whether that’s managing conflict or learning from failure. Think about what you learned and how you’ve grown since.
Top tip: Practise articulating your weaknesses as lessons learned, not as shortcomings. For instance, ‘Earlier in my career, I struggled to delegate effectively, but leading a small team during my internship taught me how to empower others without micromanaging.’
3. Find a Champion and Build Connections
Throughout the year, and across the world, the London Business School offers numerous opportunities to meet and engage with its recruitment team, alumni, and current students. If you visit their website, you’ll find coffee chats taking place in cities such as New York, Rio, London, and Madrid. Attending these sessions – or joining them online – gives you a valuable point of contact you can stay in touch with throughout your application process.
We recommend our clients connect with a current student they can speak to, as well as a member of the recruitment team. You’ll actually notice on the LBS application form that there’s a section where you can list the names of these people. LBS will often reach out to them directly to ask for feedback and endorsements about you.
When it comes to your interview, being able to demonstrate that you’re a cultural fit is far more convincing if you can say you’ve already spoken to current students or recruitment officers, rather than simply claiming to know the culture without any proof. For example, you could say: ‘After speaking with a current student in the MIM programme, I was inspired by their experience in global consulting projects’.
Looking for expert support? The Profs can set you up with one of our expert Postgraduate Tutors who will help you stand out from the crowd.
What to Expect from LBS Interview Questions
The LBS interview is unlike most postgraduate admissions interviews. Instead of a standardised set of questions or a rigid assessment format, it is designed to feel much more like a professional conversation.
This format allows the interviewer, who is often an LBS alumnus working in your field, to explore your story in more depth.
A conversation, not a test
Unlike universities such as Imperial, which use a fixed bank of pre-set questions, LBS gives alumni interviewers full discretion to guide the conversation.
That means no two interviews are ever the same. Instead of reciting rehearsed answers, you’ll need to be ready to think on your feet, respond naturally, and engage in genuine dialogue.
The best interviews feel like two professionals exchanging ideas about your experience, goals, and fit for the programme.
The seven areas they will probe
Every interviewer receives a guidance sheet from the LBS admissions team. On it are seven key areas to explore:
- Your cultural fit with LBS.
- The quality and relevance of your professional or academic experience.
- The realism of your career goals.
- Your leadership potential.
- Teamwork and interpersonal ability
- Your global or multicultural awareness.
- Your motivation for applying to LBS specifically.
Before the interview, the admissions staff will tick two or three of these areas that they want the interviewer to focus on more closely. That means every candidate will face different lines of questioning, depending on what the admissions team wants to verify or understand better about your profile.
If you haven’t thought carefully about potential weaknesses in these areas, you may find yourself unprepared when the interviewer pushes deeper. With strong preparation, however, you can turn these ‘pressure points’ into opportunities to show reflection and growth.
Treat it like a job interview
Approach the LBS interview exactly as you would a professional job interview. The qualities that make you successful in business are the same ones that will impress your interviewer.
Expect a mix of question types, ranging from:
- Motivational questions, such as why you want to study at LBS and what you hope to gain.
- Competency-based questions, which ask you to provide evidence of leadership or problem-solving skills.
- Situational questions, where you’ll need to explain how you would respond to hypothetical challenges.
- Occasionally, even brain-teaser or analytical questions are designed to test how you think under pressure.
The aim isn’t to catch you out, but to assess your judgment and self-awareness.
The Profs’ six-pronged interview approach
For candidates new to interviews or those transitioning from academia into business, The Profs use a six-pronged preparation framework that mirrors the structure of top-tier professional interviews.
This approach helps you:
- Anticipate each question type.
- Build confident, well-structured answers.
- Identify stories that demonstrate your core skills.
- Stay composed when the conversation moves unexpectedly.
Work one-to-one with The Profs MBA Admissions Tutors who have years of experience under their belt. Join the 89% of our postgraduates who got into their first choice university.
LBS Admissions: How The Profs Can Help You Secure Your Place
Securing an offer from the LBS is one of the most competitive achievements in postgraduate education. Every year, thousands of ambitious applicants from across the globe compete for a limited number of places. Yet what truly determines success isn’t just ability, it’s preparation. That’s where The Profs can help you make a difference.
Our specialist University Admissions Tutors have years of experience guiding candidates through the entire LBS process. Many of our tutors are former admissions professionals themselves, with direct insight into what LBS looks for in its applicants.
With structured interview preparation and one-to-one coaching, The Profs can help your interview stand out from the thousands. The results speak for themselves, with 89% of postgraduates securing a place at their first-choice university.* That’s a level of success built on strategy and experience.
If you’re serious about earning your place at one of the world’s most prestigious business schools, now is the time to act.
*Source: Postgraduate applicant data from The Profs Client Feedback Survey 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions About the London Business School Interview
What should I wear to my London Business School interview?
LBS interviews follow a professional business format, so aim to dress as you would for an important client meeting or corporate presentation. Smart business attire is expected, such as a suit, tie, or formal blouse and blazer. The admissions committee is assessing professionalism as well as communication, so your presentation should reflect that.
Are LBS interviews conducted online or in person?
Most LBS interviews are conducted online, using video conferencing platforms. However, candidates based in or near London may have the option to attend in person. Regardless of format, the interview process remains identical. Ensure you have a stable internet connection, test your camera and audio, and prepare your space as if meeting face to face.
What is the acceptance rate for the London Business School MBA?
The LBS MBA acceptance rate is typically around 20%, but this depends on the programme and applicant pool. Competition remains high because the school attracts candidates from around the world with diverse business experience. To stand out, applicants must show strong academic ability, leadership potential, and a clear motivation for pursuing an MBA at LBS.
What is the interview process for the LBS MBA?
The LBS MBA interview process is designed to resemble a professional business conversation rather than a formal test. Each interview is conducted by an LBS alumnus or a member of the admissions team who has reviewed your full MBA application. You may also be asked to give a short presentation or respond to analytical or behavioural questions. The format allows the interviewer to assess your clarity, motivation, and readiness for the programme.
What kind of questions can I expect in the LBS interview?
LBS MBA interview questions are designed to explore your career goals, leadership style, and ability to reflect on your experiences. Common question types include:
- Motivational: “Why London Business School?” or “Why an MBA now?”
- Behavioural: “Tell me about a time you faced a challenge at work.”
- Situational: “How would you lead a diverse team through a project?”
Expect follow-up questions that dig deeper into your reasoning and fit with the LBS community.
Who conducts the London Business School MBA interview?
Most interviews are conducted by LBS alumni who work in fields related to your background. Occasionally, a member of the admissions committee or the Senior Manager of MBA Admissions may lead the interview. Alumni interviewers are trained to evaluate candidates holistically, focusing on leadership potential, communication, and professional fit.
How long does the LBS interview last?
The average interview length for London Business School varies but typically runs between 45 minutes and one hour. The timing depends on how conversational the discussion becomes. Alumni interviews often last longer because they allow for more in-depth exploration of your experiences and goals.
What is the structure of the LBS MBA interview?
The LBS interview structure usually begins with introductions and a brief overview of your background. You may then be asked to give a short five-minute presentation on a business-related topic or case study. The interviewer will then move into open-ended questions covering your career path, leadership experience, and reasons for choosing LBS. The session usually ends with an opportunity for you to ask questions about the programme.
How can I prepare for the LBS MBA interview?
Strong preparation involves reflection, structure, and practice. Review your MBA application carefully and prepare concise examples that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, and decision-making. Conduct a mock interview with an MBA admissions coach or a mentor familiar with the LBS interview process. Finally, connect with LBS alumni through LinkedIn or recruitment events to gain real insights into the culture and expectations.
What does the LBS admissions committee look for in candidates?
The LBS admissions committee looks for well-rounded individuals who can thrive in a global learning environment. They value cultural adaptability, teamwork, and the ability to think on your feet. Beyond academic excellence, they assess motivation, career direction, and how you will contribute to the LBS community both inside and outside the classroom.
How does the LBS MBA interview compare to other top business schools?
The LBS interview differs from schools like Harvard Business School or INSEAD because it focuses more on conversation than rapid-fire questioning. While Harvard Business School interviews are usually conducted by admissions officers and last around 30 minutes, LBS relies heavily on alumni-led discussions that can run longer and feel more personal. Both assess fit, but LBS places greater emphasis on global mindset and communication.
What is the mini presentation in the LBS interview?
Some LBS MBA interviews include a short five-minute presentation where candidates prepare and deliver insights on a business topic, case study, or current issue. You will usually have about five minutes to prepare before presenting your analysis. This task tests your ability to structure ideas quickly, communicate clearly, and stay composed under time pressure.
What happens after the LBS interview?
Following your interview, the admissions officer who read your application will receive feedback from the interviewer. The admissions committee then reviews all notes, including your presentation and communication performance, before making a final decision. Candidates typically receive an outcome within two to three weeks, although timelines can vary depending on the MBA intake round.
How can The Profs help me succeed in the LBS interview?
The Profs’ expert MBA admissions tutors offer personalised coaching designed to mirror the real LBS interview format. Many of our tutors are former LBS alumni and admissions professionals who know how the process works. Through structured preparation, mock interviews, and targeted feedback, we help you strengthen your answers, refine your presentation, and approach your interview with confidence. Our postgraduate tutors consistently enjoy a 89% first-choice university success rate.
