Does ISB ask follow-up questions for every answer in the interview?

Question

I’ve heard that ISB interviews can get intense and sometimes they keep digging into your answers. Is that true? How deep do they usually go and how should I handle it if they keep asking follow-ups?

Supriya J · Accepted Answer

The digging happens,  especially when they sense a gap between what&rsquo;s said and what&rsquo;s actually thought through.
&bull; If your answer sounds too broad, like &ldquo;I want to be a consultant,&rdquo; they&rsquo;ll immediately ask why that field and what kind of consulting &bull; They won&rsquo;t dig into every single line, but if you give an unclear or surface-level answer &mdash; especially around goals or achievements &mdash; they&rsquo;ll definitely go deeper &bull; Even simple answers like &ldquo;I led a team project&rdquo; can lead to deeper questions like what role you played, what went wrong, and how you handled team conflict &bull; Best way to handle it is to not bluff &mdash; it&rsquo;s okay to pause, reflect, and give a simple, clear explanation &bull; Try prepping 3&ndash;4 examples from academics, internships, or college leadership that you can confidently speak about if they dig further
They&rsquo;re not testing memory or perfection,  just how clearly and honestly someone can explain their own journey.
For more details you can read this blog on "ISB MBA Interview Questions"

S Raghav · Answer

Yes, ISB interviewers often ask follow-up questions,  especially if your initial answer sounds rehearsed or lacks depth.
They&rsquo;re not trying to grill you but want to understand your thought process. For example, if you say you want to move into product management, they might ask what kind of product, why that role, and how your past experiences connect. If you mention a leadership experience, expect them to ask how your actions made a difference or what you&rsquo;d do differently now.
They usually go 2&ndash;3 layers deep on any strong claim, so it helps to prepare real stories, not generic lines. Don&rsquo;t panic if they keep asking , it often means they&rsquo;re interested and just want clarity. What works best is staying calm, pausing if needed, and sticking to what you truly know. You don&rsquo;t need a perfect answer,  you just need an honest and well-thought-out one.

Hema A · Answer

The digging is real ,  ISB panels will often keep peeling back layers until they know you aren&rsquo;t bluffing. One candidate shared that a simple answer about leading a CSR project turned into a 10‑minute discussion with cross‑questions on budget, team dynamics, and long‑term impact.
&bull; They may ask &ldquo;why&rdquo; multiple times in a row to see if your reasoning holds up. &bull; If you give a big claim (&ldquo;We grew sales by 30%&rdquo;), be ready to explain the exact calculation, your personal role, and challenges faced. &bull; Follow-ups can also jump sideways &mdash; from a work project to how you manage conflict with peers, if your answer hints at it. &bull; These deep-dive segments can last 5&ndash;10 minutes on a single topic, so pacing yourself and staying consistent matters more than rushing to sound impressive.
Interviews that go deep can feel intense, but clear, specific, and honest answers tend to end the probing faster.

Jayant M · Answer

Yes, ISB interviews are known for follow-up questions, and it&rsquo;s common for the panel to probe deeper into almost every answer. They&rsquo;re not doing it to trip you up,  it&rsquo;s to check if your stories and goals are well thought through.
If you mention a project you led, they might ask for exact figures, the decision-making process, and why you chose one approach over another. For career goals, expect questions like &ldquo;Why now?&rdquo;, &ldquo;Why ISB?&rdquo;, and &ldquo;What&rsquo;s your fallback option?&rdquo; ,  all tied to the same topic until they&rsquo;re satisfied.
One recent admit shared that when asked about a cost-saving initiative, the panel kept drilling for 4&ndash;5 follow-ups until they broke down the savings calculation in detail. The best way to handle it is to prepare layered answers with examples, metrics, and reasoning ready, and practice with mock interviews where the interviewer keeps pushing.