Interview Intelligence Series · 2026 edition
The interview, decoded from 10 MBA Protocol client debriefs
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Prepared by MBA Protocol from first-hand client reports. All names removed. Interviews 2020 to 2025.
London Business School · At a glance
Long, formal, case-capped
A long alum interview: your story, your goals and a hard look at why an MBA and why LBS, then behavioral examples, usually capped by a five-minute case or presentation.
Who interviews you
Every interview our clients reported was with an alum, typically matched by region.
Where
Most were virtual (Zoom), from 2020 through 2025. The two in-person interviews were in the alum's city: both off campus.
How long
Usually 60 to 90 minutes; several of our clients' interviews ran past two hours.
Interview style
Behavioral and conversational, plus a case
The core is a resume walk and goals discussion plus classic behavioral prompts (failure, conflict, diverse teams), and most reports include a short case study or presentation exercise on top.
Blind or application read?
Mixed. One client said the alum clearly had not read the application in detail and the interview was not customized; another said the alum followed up on things the applicant had sent the school outside the application. Most reports center on the CV and standard questions rather than essay specifics, so interviewer preparation appears to vary.
Scheduling
LBS emails the applicant with the name of a regionally matched alum, and the applicant must reach out to schedule directly (sometimes continuing over a messaging app). The interviewer's identity is therefore known in advance in every report that answered the question. Virtual is the default; in-person depends on the alum's availability.
London Business School · What clients report
Inside the interview
The feel of the room
Alumni-led and long. Most clients describe the interviewer as friendly but formal, working through a set list of questions (one client learned the alum must complete a detailed form afterward), then loosening up once the official portion ends. Two reports describe real grilling, especially on why the applicant needs an MBA and why LBS over US schools or INSEAD. The experience varies a lot by interviewer: one client felt the alum had not read the application, another said the alum drilled into every line of the CV.
What our clients say happens
Clients report a marathon rather than a sprint: lengths ranged from about an hour to over two hours. The structure is usually a long question block (tell me your story, goals, why MBA, why LBS, behavioral examples), then a case or presentation, then time for the applicant's questions. The case is read aloud by the alum, you may ask clarifying questions, you get about 5 minutes to prepare and about 5 minutes to present. Case topics were business judgment prompts (pros and cons of a corporate decision, whether a product should stay free, how a company can place small bets under uncertainty, the pros and cons of ESG transparency); two clients were instead asked to present on leadership. Follow-ups on goals and the 'why' behind each career choice can be intense. Interviewers are experienced professionals and some keep the format strictly formal even when they share common ground with the applicant.
In clients’ own words
How did the interview feel?
Friendly 8 Professional 4 Relaxed 2 Formal 2
Words clients used to describe the tone, counted across 10 MBA Protocol client debriefs, 2020 to 2025. Red marks a less comfortable experience.
You can't really prepare for the case, but it is manageable.
The interviewer drilled into the CV and asked for full details and explanations, so be well prepared to discuss any point listed on it.
The rest of this guide
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- The questions you are almost sure to get, with how often each came up
- 5 curveballs that caught our clients off guard, and what to do about each
- Coach’s notes: what we tell our London Business School clients
- Three real interviews, every question in the order it was asked
- Where to focus your prep, with the Interview Hero frameworks that fit this school
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FAQ
London Business School interview, quick answers
What is the London Business School MBA interview like?
Long, formal, case-capped. A long alum interview: your story, your goals and a hard look at why an MBA and why LBS, then behavioral examples, usually capped by a five-minute case or presentation. Our clients describe the style as behavioral and conversational, plus a case.
Who interviews you at London Business School, and how long is the interview?
Interviewers in our data are alumni (100%), counted across 10 MBA Protocol client debriefs, 2020 to 2025. Interviews typically run 60 to 90 minutes. Most were virtual (Zoom), from 2020 through 2025. The two in-person interviews were in the alum's city: both off campus.
Is the London Business School interview blind, or has the interviewer read my application?
Mixed. One client said the alum clearly had not read the application in detail and the interview was not customized; another said the alum followed up on things the applicant had sent the school outside the application. Most reports center on the CV and standard questions rather than essay specifics, so interviewer preparation appears to vary.