My friend is a PhD student at IIT Madras and shared his interview experience which is similar in all the branches.

Candidates are shortlisted based on written exams that make it easy for the panels to choose among the best. This exam comprises basic GATE-level MCQs and very few questions related to the department. The entire selection procedure is wrapped in 3-4 days. The written test is quite basic and is checked by research or teaching assistants. A few departments like applied mechanics have some difficult questions related to the discipline. But this is a rare occurrence.

Usually, the level of difficulty of the exam depends on the number of candidates. It’s advisable to go through the basic topics before attempting the written test and you are good to go.

The personal interview for a Ph.D. at IIT Madras takes place after a written test. In case your Undergraduate branch and PG branch are not the same, be ready to justify them with plausible reasons.

Some tips that will help you prepare for this interview are

• The most important thing is to speak about your interest in research on a particular topic
• Study the research projects related to Environmental Engineering from the official website
• Brush your basic knowledge and prepare well to present your PG project and answer questions about it.
• Discuss some current issues faced by your country, your stance on them, and ideas to resolve these issues.

All these pointers will help you ace the Ph.D. interview.

The written test for MS Mechanical has 3 major topics to choose from: Design; Thermal; and Manufacturing.

The section you chose has to be necessarily the same for both written and interview. There are a total of 12 questions in the written test - 10 questions from chosen section and 2 questions from Maths.

Every question carries equal marks (2 marks). Usually, 8 questions are numerical based while the rest 4 are theoretical. Numerical questions were based on engineering topics like SOM, Tom, and Mechanics while theoretical questions were highly conceptual. One has to answer around 8-9 questions to get shortlisted for the interview 

Once the shortlisted candidates' list is released, you are required to go for document verification. You will be informed of your interview date as well. You might be asked to bring a copy of your first-year project along with you and will be asked questions related to it. 

Once summoned, you will be asked to select 3 different projects out of 3 different specializations. (Thermal/design/manufacturing) for the MS course. You will be asked basic questions from the topic you have prepared beforehand and sometimes additional mathematics questions are also asked. 

Overall, the interview is not as difficult as it seems and enough preparation will get you through.

Being a 2nd-year student is too early to start preparing for UPSC CSE. You might tire yourself out and when the actual time comes to outperform, you might not have the energy left to cope. Here are some guidelines that might help you prepare for this exam well in advance.

• Know your CSE syllabus well
• Read NCERT books of History, Political Science, Geography, and Economics from classes 6-12. This will broaden your knowledge base and you will become well aware of economic policies which can be adopted in a particular social sector.
• Another great way is to start reading the newspaper on a daily basis. Keep yourself well acquainted with the happenings in your country in the economic and other sectors. Develop your own opinions on the various issues prevailing in society. 

However, just reading NCERTs will not suffice for the exam. There are some additional standard books that you need to master to prepare well for your UPSC CSE exam.

• Bipin Chandra's India's Struggle for Independence and History of Modern India.
• M. Laxmikanth is the bible of Indian polity. 
• Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh for economics
• Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India's Foreign Policy. 
• Environment & Ecology: Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Disaster Management by Majid Hussain

These books will help you become well-versed in various topics asked in UPSC CSE. 

The major prerequisites for preparing for the UPSC CSE exam are NCERTs, the standard books I have mentioned, and The Hindu newspaper. These will help you ace the exam. Additionally, you can work for NGOs to get a sound knowledge of prevailing issues, and practice writing answers and you will be well on your way.

If you are someone with a low CGPA and no coding skills, here are a few ways to prepare for your placements 

Apply off-campus: This will give you a push and will make sure you prepare your CV way before others. You will also be able to upscale it better. Having prior interview experience will help you prepare for being confident, convince others, and handling rejections. Moreover, you will have a chance to pursue a career in a field of interest that is not possible in the hustle and bustle of on-campus placements. In fact, most students forget their passions in the journey of seeking a good job and getting placed.

• Prepare for CAT: This is an obvious yet important step. Consider this as the turning point of your career. A lot of selection tests will ask questions based on CAT so you need to be prepared for it.
• Gather information: Be aware of all the necessary procedures pertaining to placements by talking to alumni, and finding out how selection processes work. Attend pre-placement talks and find out about companies. Gather knowledge about current events and company histories so you can appear confident and well-informed during the interview.
• Don’t lose hope: Placements are largely based on luck as very minor factors can work in your favor or against it during an interview. Also, interviews involve a number of uncontrollable factors such as your GD group, the panel you get selected for, and the interviewer's state of mind are some factors completely beyond your control. 

So it’s very important to know that failure is not the end of the world and you can achieve much more even outside of placements.

Don’t be fixed upon a certain agenda and keep your options open. If you will restrict yourself in such a way you might limit your options as well as the capacity to give your best.

Instead, I suggest that you try to analyze why exactly you want to pursue Engineering. Is it because of the sheep mentality or do you really want to build things?

Once you are sure, then figure out how exactly you will be achieving this goal. Set achievable goals for yourself and work sincerely on fulfilling them. Reward yourself for very little achievement on the way. This will gradually increase your confidence and pave the way to achieve much more.

However, a very important thing is to dream but not demand. That is you should be passionate about a certain thing but not fixated on it too much to the extent that if you fail to achieve it, you lose much more. So you can desire to pursue BTech in CSE at IIT Bombay but leave room for other options as well. 

Don’t stress yourself out too much and just concentrate on the present, your future will be visible sooner or later.

Yes, it is possible for a person to prepare for the CAT in the first year in SPJIMR and aim for IIM A, B, and C. If you are considering applying to MBA programs, it is essential to prioritize your time effectively. The first half of the top MBA programs can be quite rigorous, leaving you with little time to prepare for exams like CAT.

However, there is no need to apply to IIMs if you receive a SPJIMR admission. SPJIMR consistently ranks in the top 6 B-schools in India and is a great brand to have on your CV. The learning and placements at SPJIMR are quite comparable to IIMs, and there is a location advantage.

If you do find the time at SPJIMR to prepare and receive an IIM A, B, or C admission, it may not necessarily be worth it. The margin of error to receive a call from A, B, or C is too small, and you may not make the most of the most important year of your life at a top B-school like SPJIMR.

It's important to remember that you are letting go of one crucial year of your life if you do receive an ABC admission, which may not be worth it, especially when you have such an excellent B-school to study at. The opportunity cost of one year is too high, especially when you have the chance to race ahead of your peers who are at IIMs. Therefore, it may be wise to focus on making the most of your time at SPJIMR rather than trying to move to a different school.

You don't need to worry about your CV as it is not the most important factor. Instead, focus on your SOP as it will provide valuable information about you. Keep in mind that a significant portion of your interview will be based on your SOP.

You should remember that the following parameters are weighted as follows:

• NMAT score - 70%
• Group Discussion (GD) - 10%
• Personal Interview (PI) - 10%
• Academic record - 5%
• Work experience - 5%

Thus, your past experiences and the quality of your CV will only impact a small percentage of your chances (5-10%). However, if you score well on NMAT (above 220), you will be halfway to success. From there, focus on doing well in the GD and PI.

Keep in mind that you can't change much in your CV at this point. However, you can still improve your chances by doing well in the NMAT, GD, and PI. So, focus on preparing for these components, and you'll be on your way to success.

The GD-PI is a crucial part of the admission process. One cannot perform well unless they have prepared for the same. My answer comprises some benefits and tips that will help you sail smoothly.

Group Discussion 

For the GD one needs to prepare General Awareness. Candidates are expected to be well informed about General Affairs and should have their own logical opinions on the same. This can be done by reading popular magazines and newspapers to keep yourself aware of major issues related to your city, state, country, and the world. You might be asked to write about abstract topics too. The best way is to practice GD with a group of students 

Personal Interview 

The interview aims to analyze your personality, which is the main aspect of a manager. Some tips to ace your interview are

• Prepare well for your academic subjects of graduation, since your grasp on those subjects is taken as a parameter to determine your student capabilities.
• Prepare 2-3 subjects from the core areas of your study to prepare in depth because sometimes the interviewers ask questions from the basics of your subject or from the application of the same. 
• You should also prepare your projects and internships
• Channelising your interests helps them in understanding how passionate you are
• Give at least 2-3 mock interviews to an experienced and senior panel of people who can assess your preparation and provide feedback on the same.
• After each mock interview, evaluate yourself and see where you lack and how you can improve. 
• Search for YouTube videos or join a coaching institute as they offer excellent Counseling and help in GD PI and choosing the best B-School.

Preparation for a Personal Interview should start in advance as it requires a lot of time and effort.