IIT Madras MS Written Test and Interview Questions [Candidate Experience]

Hey GUYS, Ankit Here.  This is all about my experience to enroll for MS in IIT Madras. How I started and got admission:

I was preparing for the GATE because I thought that the previous year’s GATE score was not enough as I didn’t want any NIT college (but I had applied for that) but didn’t get a good NIT college. Then I started preparation for GATE again leaving all these behinds.

How to Apply for IIT Madras MS course?

Somehow in October, I came to know there is a program MS in IIT Madras. I applied for that.

I was thinking I will not get the call also but by luck, I got the call for MS in IIT Madras for a written test and Interview.

I tell about that to my best friend and she told me that God has done his work now it’s on me, how will I use the opportunity given by him.

This word boosts me up and I started preparation for a written and interview.

Preparation and Journey for MS IIT Madras:

Nothing was roaming in mind only the thing I was thinking about my goal somehow 13 days completed and now it’s a time of journey as Madras is around 2400 km it took around one and a half-day to complete my journey.

I reached there at 2 a.m. When I entered the institute the atmosphere was totally different from outside Chennai (I don’t like the Chennai environment :P).

Excellent campus students were roaming here and there looks like that the time was morning at 10 am no buddy was sleeping I really loved that.

I got accommodation in one of the hostels. At that time I slept and then after some time again start preparation.

Then one roommate also came and we had some conversation he had 400 ranks that bother me because I was not expecting people such a good rank had not got admission anywhere.

I had a conversation somehow because I was curious to know how paper is set for the MS admission and many things that I got from a senior. (Actually, people are helpful there that increases the respect for these IIT’an in my heart).

I had a conversation with many other candidates who came there for written and interviews. All of them have a rank between 400 to 900. This thing was really bothering me because they were better than me in GATE and some of them had the experience of the interview there in June July session.

They were also sharing their experience.

Now the day comes. At 8 a.m. we had an exam we reached. (We mean I and my roommates three persons).

Written Test Pattern for MS in IIT Madras:

After having breakfast exam started.

There were two phases of the written exam.

• One was objective (actually that was not objective because there is no option in any question they are of fill in the blanks type).
• And another one was subjective.

We had 80 minutes for both exams and at most 40 minutes for one of them.

There were 20 questions in the objective. All questions were compulsory from discrete TOC, C, Digital, Graph Theory, DAA.

And four questions are subjective. All were compulsory.

I knew the solution of all questions in the objective was just because of GATE preparation. And the subjective question was also not so tough. They were also easy at least for me.

Result:

The written exam had over. We were waiting for the result. Around after one hour, they announced their result.

The feel which comes after seeing my name on that list I can’t explain because I was considering myself at a very low level as all others were better than me.

But I did at that time. One huddle had crossed. Now the time for the next phase and the important one interview.

Interview:

After around 30 minutes interviews started. After around 1.5 hours, there was my interview.

They were taking the interview for at least half an hour of each candidate.

This was really bothering me. (But it’s the fact more the time in the interview more the chances of getting clear that).

I entered the room. There were 9 professors inside but I don’t know from where they had come. I was feeling relaxed at that time. I had to face the questions of some of India’s best professors.

IIT Madras MS Written Test and Interview Questions for MS Admission:

Here are some of the Interview questions I can remember.

• They asked me about my graduation percentage, projects, etc then told me to choose any subject from the list given to me. I told them Automata (my favorite :)).
• Then they asked me which topic in automata I said “finite automata”,
• the question asked within a second what is finite automata write its mathematical representation. I did this.
• then after writing that again question came to write automata for binary mod 5 (they are looking at me like I am a dead body and they are vulture :P).
• Then again they ask to write an automaton for the odd number of 1’s and even the number of 0’s that was easy.
• Then they asked me pumping lemma about the regular expression.
• Then they told me to write a regular expression of the same automata.
• They asked me do u know about CFG I said yes.
• Then they asked what is CFG then the pumping lemma of CFL(I didn’t know the pumping lemma of CFL).
• Then they asked me the proof that the union of two RE is RE.
• Then asked, what is the union of CFL?
•  Then question on equivalence power of non-deterministic and deterministic finite automata,
• non-deterministic and deterministic PDA,
•  non-deterministic and deterministic Turing machine,
• many other questions write a CFL, which is deterministic

I showed some variation here. I guess I was successful in impressing them. There were some more questions about the Turing machine and proofs.

That’s the end of my interview.

Before leaving their room I pointed out the mistake in one question in the written exam. I told them about that. They accept that it was a mistake.

Somehow my interview was fine from my side. That was my cent percent I could need to do better than that, but I was not sure whether they will call me or not.

When will get the call for admission for MS in IIT Madras?

After leaving from there I again started the preparation of GATE. But after one week I got the call for admission that was one of the happiest days of my life because I got what I was looking for.

That’s it guys just one thing- use each opportunity given to you. Who knows what God wants for you.

And yes, be in preparation for interview rankers (250-1500). If you are not in preparation then it will be difficult for you.

One thing that really helped me that I was in GATE preparation so I cleared the written test there easily.

This experience is shared by Ankit Chauhan from IIT Madras.