Morgan Stanley Portfolio Analyst Interview Questions and Answers

Round: Test
Experience: There were 25 MCQs and 2 case studies (one was guesstimate and other was a strategy case).

Round: Other Interview
Experience: We had 4 rounds of interviews, each lasting for about 15 minutes. In each one, they asked something from the resume and some puzzles, probability questions and this was again because I told them I like Maths. Last one was telephonic and they asked me about my family background.

General Tips: Be yourself. Prepare everything from your resume. Take a good sleep before the interview. Don't pretend to be over-smart and DO NOT argue with them.
Skills: Puzzle solving skills, Probability
College Name: IIT KANPUR

Round: Test
Experience: Basic CAT level questions of Data Sufficiency
Tips: CAT preparation would help. Strong basics in High school mathematics needed, along with some smart thinking at times.
Duration: 30 minutes
Total Questions: 50

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: 15 minutes given for an almost impossible to get an answer problem. Later asked to explain your solution. The approach matters much much more than the final answer.
Tips: Be cool, think basics. Don't forget elementary things that units conversion, unitary methods, probability distributions etc. If while explaining, you realize you actually made a mistake while attempting the problem, acknowledge it and explain the correct approach from there on, rather than trying to disguise your mistake.

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: Things like, why Citi, prior experience with data analytics, examples from real life for mathematical concepts highlighted in Resume. Some general awareness related questions asked!
Tips: Be thorough through the resume. Act smart and reply what they want to hear. It's okay to ask them for a few minutes in case you want to think before answering something rather than mumbling what comes to your mind first!

Round: HR Interview
Experience: Again things like why Citi, why analytics. This round seemed more out of formality than for selection.

General Tips: Keep calm, and take the interview as a conversation - unless it's a stress interview. Always take your time and think before you answer anything rather than mumbling out the first thing that comes to your mind.
Skills: Probability, Statistics, Analytical skills
College Name: IIT MADRAS
Motivation: Needed a break into the Finance sector!

Round: Test
Experience: There were 25 MCQs. This was followed by 2 case studies, one guess estimate and the other was strategy case.

Round: Interview
Experience: It was for about 15 minutes. There were 4 such rounds. Questions were asked from resume, Some puzzles and questions on probability were asked because I told them that I like mathematics.

Round: Interview
Experience: This was over the telephone. They asked about my family background.

General Tips: Be yourself. Prepare from your resume thoroughly.
Have enough sleep before your interview as this will affect your performance.
Do not pretend to be over-smart, and DO NOT argue.
And lastly, prepare well, as in the end, it will all seem worth your efforts.
College Name: IIT KANPUR

Round: Test
Experience: The test had 25 MCQs and 2 case studies, one guesstimate and the other was strategy case.
Total Questions: 25

Round: Other Interview
Experience: Had 4 rounds of interviews, of 15 minutes each.
Questions asked were from my resume, some puzzles and some questions on probability as I had mentioned my liking for maths.

Round: Other Interview
Experience: The last round was a telephonic one, where questions were asked about my family background.

General Tips: Prepare well from your resume. Rest well before your interview, it could affect your performance. And Do not to be over-smart. Do not argue with your interviewers.
College Name: IIT KANPUR

Round: Test
Experience: Computer based Test
Enrollment round
Followed with other test rounds with one minute timer for each question.
Tips: Be quick,still careful.
Time management is the key to score.

Total Questions: 75

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: Computer based Test
Enrollment round
Followed with other test rounds with one minute timer for each question.
Tips: Be quick,still careful.
Time management is the key to score.


Round: Technical Interview
Experience: A general introduction of oneself.Hobbies and inclination towards IT sector job and why wells Fargo followed by different subject knowledge and basics .

Tips: Be confident.
Revise coding basics.
Know your microprocessor basics.
Be frank to say if u are unable to recall an answer at that moment.


College Name: Sikkim Manipal University

Round: Test
Total Questions: 60

Round: HR Interview
Experience: Basic introduction. Some specific questions and you just need to make then understand who you are as a person

Round: HR Interview
Experience: Basic introduction. Some specific questions and you just need to make then understand who you are as a person

Skills: Communication And Confidence, Problem Solving Abilties
College Name: Lady Shri Ram College

Round: Test
Experience: Easy, time was sufficient, Mostly Quantitative Aptitude
Tips: Chill and steam on till the end
Duration: 45 minutes
Total Questions: 15

Round: Puzzle Interview
Experience: Question was simple I forgot to take into account a factor in my equation but was able to correct my answer immediately upon given a hint

Round: HR Interview
Experience: Nothing special routine HR Questions

General Tips: Relax know yourself and your resume back and front
Skill Tips: A programming background helps
Skills: Quantitative Aptitude
Duration: 2
College Name: IIT Madras
Motivation: To get PPO and pursue an MBA abroad also the stipend is not bad
Funny Moments: When he asked me how much I wanted AmEx I told him that I told the Microsoft Interviewer that I would take an offer from AmEx irrespective. This was before I got interviewed for Microsoft.

PS I got offers from both AmEx and Microsoft

Round: Test
Experience: It was a decent test as normal apti tests but you have to keep little extra knowledge about retail banking and econometrics.
Tips: Just practice well for all aptitude test and boost your speed with accuracy.
Duration: 60 minutes
Total Questions: 40

Round: Group Discussion
Experience: It was a good discussion but in between there was a chaos as number of people in my group was too big(14) as far as GDs are concerned.But overall it was good and everyone whosoever wanted, had put their points.
Tips: Don't fight during GD. Make sure that whenever you get chance you utilize it fully and make a very effective point. Also keep in mind it is a GD so you should be humble to others as well.
Duration: 30 minutes

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: It was a very weird experience.
After get shortlisted from test late in the night, our GD was early in the morning and then followed by interview. And then something really strange happened.I was waiting for my turn since afternoon and I was the last one to be interviewed. When I was called for my turn, all three panel of interviewers came out of their rooms and they announced the result before taking my interview so it was shocking because as par our campus rule you can not straight away declare the results to candidates before the whole process gets over. It shook me and I was very angry at that time but I kept myself calm and turned that anger into a positive way thanks to my friend who were there with me during that time. All I thought was I will get a chance and now I don't have anything to lose so I have to make a better impact on them than the other guys and convince them to increase their selected candidate list. The interview started with general HR questions, why do you want to join us? Why do you think we should hire you? And then they started asking questions over my project which I mentioned in my resume. After that there were few basic probability questions and some analytical puzzles. And during my interview I said I like to play with numbers so they threw me a multiplication 55555*55555 and it took me around 25-30 seconds to do it so I think that was a really effective part of my interview well at last I got selected in HSBC.
Tips: Don't get panic and never lose your calm. Situations can be more worst than what you thought it to be but be confident on yourself. Sooner or later you will be rewarded for your work. Good luck in advance :)

General Tips: Just be yourself and be confident. Be with those who make you feel comfortable. Keep calm and eventually everything will fall in the right place.
Skill Tips: I would say that patience is not a skill but it is as important as any other skill during your interviews. You might encounter some serious situations which might take you on your nerve so be patient.
During your interviews make sure whatever you know you should be able to communicate it well enough otherwise your knowledge is of no use. At the same time ensure that you don't really show off that you know more. If you know more about that problem be humble to the interviewer as discuss or share your thoughts in a very polite manner. And last but not the least is the analytical skills. You might be asked to decode some case or do guesstimates to be prepared for it. Practice it a lot with your friends or else whichever way you like it to be done.
Skills: Analytical skill, Communication, Patience
College Name: IIT KANPUR
Motivation: My only motivation was to get a analytical job which I was targeting. And apart from it there was a reason in my life to get this job and do something for someone very special. So, this keeps me motivated even today.
Funny Moments: The whole placement process right from companies visiting your campus to giving test and getting shortlisted for the interviews was really stressful but when I look back I cherish all those moments where we all friend sat together abusing some bull shit companies their procedure. How we used to run like a wild animal from one test to another one PPT to another. Those late might discussion talking about our future. Those were the lifetime memories, good or bad, which will stay with us always.

Godd luck again for your placements. :)