What is the Case Interview Round at Altera Institute?

As soon as students attempt management entrance exams like CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, etc., their focus quickly shifts to something that is often ignored in the preparation phase but has an equal, if not higher, weightage in some cases—the GDPI preparation phase.

But why do B-Schools conduct Interview rounds when they have the option to filter students solely on the basis of performance in exams like CAT, XAT, NMAT, and GMAT? For example, exams like JEE, NEET UG, and CUET are not followed by an Interview round or any other further process, and performance in these exams are the sole deciding factor for admissions to some of India’s top Engineering and Medical schools. 

B-Schools, however, differ in this approach because management programs are expected to produce talent who are not just good with numbers or precise in diagnosis, but well-rounded professionals who can grow businesses. This is why judging students solely on their raw analytical abilities and on-paper language skills isn't enough to holistically assess them and build conviction that they’d be a good fit for their program.

Hence, B-Schools want to understand a student's personality, communication ability, problem-solving ability in unstructured scenarios, and the ability to simply shape their thoughts and put forward their POV.

This is why interview processes based on a Personal Interview and a Group Discussion have become the norm in this industry and a necessary filter for judging students pursuing a management course in India.

The Evolution of the Admissions Process in Business Education

B-schools in India typically have two major types of interview processes to evaluate candidates. They are:

• Personal Interview Round: This is to judge whether a candidate has a consistent thought process, communicates well, and has reasonable depth in avenues related to their academic, professional, and co/extra-curricular backgrounds.
• Group Discussion: Here it is checked whether that person can function well in a group, work well in teams, coordinate with others, put forward their point, and take the group forward.

Now, amid business expectations increasing towards more specialist skills and talents, the expectations from a B-School graduate have also changed.

The MBA, which began as a generalist program at Harvard University in 1908, was designed to fulfill the needs of the post-industrial revolution world. Suddenly, there was a demand for a middle layer of ‘managers’ (below executives and above labor/staff) who could translate business objectives into concrete results.

This required managers to be trained to handle the full range of business administration, including finance, operations, human resource management, sales, marketing, and, in the future, information technology. As the industry grew, expectations shifted, and while a horizontal awareness of the various business operations was required, so was a vertical depth in at least one or two areas. Thus, industry today considers horizontal awareness as hygiene and depth in verticals as a differentiating factor.

Because of these new expectations, the way applicants are evaluated has changed. New methods, such as the Written Ability Test (WAT) used by top IIMs, and the Case Interview or Group Interview rounds now help B-schools better understand each candidate’s skills and motivations.

Currently, only a few forward-thinking institutes use the Case Interview Round. Most are global schools in the US, but some Indian schools like SPJIMR and Altera Institute have also adopted it.

What is the Case Interview Round at Altera Institute?

The case interview round at Altera Institute is a 30-40 min session in which a candidate is given a short case study (usually a 1- or 2-pager) to review for the first 10 minutes. Then they are asked to think about a solution to a given objective and discuss their recommendations in an interactive manner, while the interviewer also questions them on other aspects of the case.

The aspects on which students are judged in the case interview round are:

• Their ability to think in a structured manner in an uncertain situation.
• How well do they communicate their viewpoints in the right context?
• And finally, if they are able to lead the solution logically rather than in a hit-and-trial manner.

Some of the common pitfalls that students usually face in such case interview rounds include treating it like a viva rather than a discussion, focusing too heavily on the final solution rather than the approach, failing to explain their thought process clearly, and not driving engagement with the panelists.

Why does the Altera Institute conduct a Case Interview Round?

Altera Institute is an industry-backed B-school that is instituted with a hands-on pedagogy that helps students develop skills required to land Digital and AI-first careers in Growth, Product Management, eCommerce, Founders' Office/EIR., Brand Management, etc.

Thus, all the aspects of a case interview round mentioned above go beyond being add-ons; they are a necessary practice to evaluate candidates. For example, it helps explain the “why” behind a student's role preference. If someone wants to become a Product Manager, they must be thoroughly vetted on their reasoning to determine whether they are a good fit for this role.

Illustrative Examples of Cases Asked in Altera Institute Case Interviews

Below are two illustrative examples of the problem statements asked to students last year at Altera Institute during the case interview round:

1. BookMyShow Monetization Strategy:

Candidates were asked to act as strategists for BookMyShow, India's largest entertainment ticketing platform. The challenge was to improve monetization for the company through premium subscription plans, amid slowing growth in Tier-1 cities and new competition from Zomato’s District app. Students had to analyze segment-wise data (Urban Millennials vs. Tier-2 Families vs. Event Enthusiasts) to determine the benefits, pricing, and marketing strategies for a new subscription service, addressing high churn rates caused by convenience fees.

2. Coca-Cola vs. "Thirsty" Brand Challenge:

Candidates took on the role of a Marketing Manager for Coca-Cola to counter the rise of "Thirsty," a new budget brand that gained 15% market share in rural markets within six months by pricing its products 25-30% cheaper. With Coca-Cola's rural market share dropping from 30% to 21%, students had to study market data to decide where to focus investments, what pricing strategy to adopt, and what fresh strategies could check the competitor's rapid rise without diluting Coca-Cola's premium brand positioning.

These are typically the type of cases discussed in the case study round at the Altera Institute. If observed closely, someone with no understanding of the industry in the case setting could still reason through solutions/recommendations if they think about the fundamentals and approach the problem logically.

The USPs of Altera Institute’s PGP Course

Alter Institute is an industry-backed B-school in the Cybercity of Gurugram, aimed at helping students to join digital and AI-focused professions. Unlike conventional MBA programs, Altera institute provides business education with a modern upgrade where students are prepared to work in high-growth marketing positions of tomorrow, such as eCommerce, Brand, Growth, Product Management, Founders' Office/EIR, etc.

Its flagship, the PGP in Applied Marketing course, is a 15-month and full-time residential program that provides a contemporary upgrade to the traditional MBA. The program has three pillars upon which it is constructed. 

• First, the curriculum is designed by industry experts as well as taught 100% by industry leaders, including CXOs, founders, and marketing heads of companies like Amazon, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Mondelez, GSK, Bain and Company, and Goldman Sachs. This makes the curriculum relevant to the needs of the current market rather than teaching theory.
• Second, the teaching method is practical. Students work on live projects with real companies, attend weekly bootcamps, fulfill capstone projects, and solve real business problems alongside industry experts. They are also provided with more than 300 hours of career preparation and one-on-one mentorship. 
• Third, the institute helps students secure jobs in digital and AI-focused roles, which are often out of reach for graduates of traditional business schools. The selection process, including interviews and case studies, is designed to find students who will succeed in this challenging, innovative setting.

Placement Outcomes 

Admissions to the PGP at Altera Institute are highly competitive, as the B-school has quickly built a strong reputation for itself by demonstrating strong placement outcomes for its last 2 cohorts. With the recent class of 2025 placement report published, application volume is expected to rise, making cutoffs and selection rates even more competitive. 

Let’s take a quick look at Altera Institute's 2025 placement results, which have placed them as a strong option for students looking for options outside the Top 10-15 B-Schools.  

The class of ‘25 had a 100% placement rate. The median salary was ₹18.14 LPA, the average was ₹16.85 LPA, and the highest offer was ₹26.08 LPA. It is interesting to note that 70 percent of students were placed in roles that exceeded ₹15 LPA, and these were high-growth roles, usually offered in Tier-1 B-Schools.

The role distribution reflects specialization:

• 35% found their way into positions in eCommerce.
• 24% moved into Founder's Office and EIR roles.
• 12% secured Revenue and Growth positions.
• 9% entered Product Management functions.
• 9% in Brand management.
• And finally, 11% of the students got into FMCG Sales & Marketing roles.

Some of the top recruiters of Altera institute include Amazon, Flipkart, Godrej, Honasa Consumer, Himalaya, Mamaearth, Supertails, and numerous D2C and consumer tech companies.

It is important to note that Altera Institute's placement report follows IPRS (Indian Placement Reporting Standards) Revision 2.2, the same standard developed and used by IIM Ahmedabad. This enables Altera Institute to provide a detailed description of Fixed Yearly Cash, One-Time Cash Payments, Variable Pay, and performance-based Components; and across various cuts like Freshers vs Experienced, Location-wise split, etc., the information is usually not provided transparently in most B-schools.

A snapshot of the current PGP class of 2026: the program has 135 enrolled students, 65% of whom have at least 24 months of work experience. These are professionals who have left companies such as Nestle, Titan, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Marico, Goldman Sachs, Asian Paints, KPMG, CGI, Citibank, NielsenIQ, Reliance, etc., to attend the Altera Institute to have a structured learning experience.

At the same time, freshers make up the remaining 35% and bring solid experience from internships as well as strong academic backgrounds from institutes like Hindu College, Christ Bangalore, NMIMS, KJ Somaiya, and Mumbai University (Mithibai College, HR College, etc.).

Summing Up

This shift in the method of interviewing B-school candidates with the help of case studies round is an indication reflecting a more realistic change in the business environment, where a conceptual knowledge of business is no longer sufficient as a precursor to career achievement. 

Altera Institute focuses on making certain that its cohort goes beyond being academically competent but also industry-ready by subjecting them to intensive testing of problem-solving proficiency to navigate unstructured problems, data analysis, and the communication of strategy. 

For aspirants, this process is less about having all the right answers and more about demonstrating the structured thinking as well as adaptability required to lead in the current Digital & AI-first economy.

Note: The views expressed in this article are of Altera Institute and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.