Hello everyone, I’m Ishaan Mane.
I had appeared for the MS CS interview at IIT Indore which took place in May 2025, and I’d like to share my experience here.
A Little Background Story
My interview experience with IIT Indore had an interesting twist, it clashed with the IIT Madras MS CS proceedings!
You may read about my IIT Madras MS CS Written Test Experience here: https://gateoverflow.in/blog/17373/iit-madras-ms-cs-2025-written-test-experience
Originally, the interview was scheduled for 10:00 AM, but since the orientation session for the MS programs at IIT Madras was also scheduled that morning, I contacted IIT Indore requesting a reschedule. They were very cooperative and kindly shifted my interview slot to after 2:30 PM.
I gave the interview from the IIT Madras hostel, right after wrapping up the written test. It was a hectic experience.
The Interview
There was no written test for this program; all shortlisted candidates were given a direct interview call. While IIT Indore did not release any official cutoff, based on my estimation, it was around a GATE score of 600 for the general category. The interview was conducted online via Google Meet.
There were a total of five panelists present during the interview, but only two of them asked me questions. Here's how it went:
P1: Tell us about yourself and why are you interested in the MS program at IIT Indore?
Me: I gave a concise introduction and mentioned that I’m interested in Data Science and Machine Learning, and I want to explore these areas through research, which is why I’m applying to the MS program.
P1: What subjects have you prepared for the interview?
Me: I told them I had prepared Linear Algebra, Probability Theory, and Data Structures.
P1: What is the rank of a matrix?
Me: I explained that the rank refers to the number of linearly independent rows or columns in a matrix.
P1: What is Regression?
Me: I explained why Regression is used and talked about Linear Regression in particular.
P1: What is the relation between mean, median, and mode for a normal distribution?
Me: I answered that for a normal distribution, the mean = median = mode.
At this point, P1 seemed satisfied and handed over to another panelist.
P2: Apart from the three subjects you mentioned, have you prepared any other systems subject?
Me: I wasn’t completely sure if Theory of Computation (TOC) qualifies as a systems subject, but I was very confident in TOC, so I mentioned it.
P2: Can you tell us about the Pumping Lemma for a Regular Language?
Me: I gave both an intuitive explanation and the formal definition of the Pumping Lemma. I spoke for about two minutes straight, and they seemed satisfied with my response.
I was not asked any further questions and was politely asked to leave the meeting. The entire interview lasted around 10–15 minutes.
Final Verdict
I received an offer for the MS CSE Program at IIT Indore in the very first round of COAP itself!
Advice for Future Aspirants
If you’re seriously considering MS programs from different IITs and have a GATE score of 600+, I would strongly recommend applying to IIT Indore.
Even if your score is slightly lower i.e. around 585 or above, there's still a decent chance of getting a call.
Also, don’t stop studying after GATE. Keep your concepts fresh and revise important subjects regularly. Interviewers can ask from any of your strong subjects, so stay prepared!
All the Best!
