Collins Aerospace Production Graduate Engineer Trainee Interview Questions and Answers for Experienced

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Keep trying its a game of patience

Round: Test
Experience: Two papers: one core paper and the other on quantitative skills. EE had a different paper than civil/aero and meta. I don't remember questions clearly, but for core paper(EE) you should revise your 3rd year control systems notes. That should be enough. Quants has simple mathematical problems but computationally com- plex. Plus, you are not allowed to use calculator so be prepared for it.

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: Two interviewers, and they will mainly ask about your projects(BTP and MTP). Clearly explain your work to them. They will just ask questions if they have any doubts about your work. No funda asked in intervew. You can have HR interview before technical or vice versa. If you clear one, you will be called for the other.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: Usual stuff. They didn’t ask whether or not I want to go for a PhD since I have a high CGPA (this was asked in many companies in my case at least and others too with high CGPA).

Skill Tips: Control Systems background mainly, and projects related to Simulation/embedded systems None really, maybe knowledge of the language French would be helpful as it is a French company and this skill would definitely be a heads up in the HR interview MATLAB and SIMULINK, quant ability not that much required.Simple mathematical calculations for the quant test. The other paper requires extensive knowledge on control systems. Projects ,if related to controls (application based and not theoretical) or embedded systems, are definitely helpful.
College Name: IIT KHARAGPUR

Round: Test
Experience: Open for Programme/Departments: AE and ME (M. Tech)
Questions: Aptitude and English questions. From RS Agrawal
Duration: 60 minutes

General Tips: Must focus on SOM, Linear and Non Linear FEA.
College Name: IIT KANPUR

Round: Test
Experience: Based on questions from solid mechanics, structural analysis, continuum mechanics and finite element analysis. The question paper is mixed with objective and subjective questions with more than one options correct. I would emphasise on the fact that the questions are HIGHLY conceptual which means that the questions are not very demanding numerically nor are they lengthy. The questions primarily target the conceptual understanding of the student. The questions are not about solving problem. For e.g they’ll give a formula and give 4 situations, and ask in which situation will the formula be applicable. The questions are mainly on the assumptions and the domain of applicability of the various theories that we very frequently use in our respective subjects. The structural division had negative marking for incorrect answers. Simple questions on geometry, area volume, work time, unitary method etc . If one has good speed and accuracy, one can easily sail through it.
Tips: Also, it goes without saying Do not even try to use unfair means. Do not cram up big formulas for the exam either. No one is interested in testing the limits of your memory. The paper is analytical. If you have a basic knowledge of your field there should not be a problem.
Duration: 60 minutes

Round: Test
Experience: Simple class 10th level questions on geometry , unitary method, work and time problems.
Tips: Don’t get stuck on one problem. Leave it if you can’t solve and move on to the next. Keep track of time.
Duration: 30 minutes

Round: Interview
Experience: Single interview. One must clear this to move on to the technical interview. General questions.Simple interview. They’ll ask some basic questions. Be confident and sensible. Must have good communication skills.
Tips: Please respect the fact that the person interviewing you is much more experienced than you. Do not try to outsmart him (trust me you can’t), that will only hurt your chances of selection. Do not give answers that you cannot defend, and please do not give stupid answers that you find on the internet. The interviewer is intelligent enough to make out .

Round: Interview
Experience: Tough questions. Basically picked up from your CV and the courses that you mention on your CV. They also grill you about the MTP and BTP. Only the textbook knowledge of the subject will not suffice.Try to have a knowledge of the practical applications of you area of study in MTP and BTP. You must also be capable of expressing your answer in a clear and a technical fashion.
Tips: Again, don’t try to outsmart them. Don’t waste time in answering a question that you have no clue about.Although the questions may be tough, they can be answered if you know the fundamentals. Work hard in your MTP and BTP. Make sure you know each and every detail about it. Also no point in making guesses if you don’t know the true answer. Even if you guess right , they will keep questioning you until you find yourself in a dead-end.

General Tips: The only material for preparation are your syllabus textbooks. People generally think that academics capabilities are not required for future success, and they tend to believe that if they are smart enough they can “crack” interviews. Well, Airbus is not one of those companies. You have to be academically sound no matter how “uncool” that sounds. Rest just work on your communication skills. Study well during you entire course of study and you will be confident and all set to go. All the best to all the future aspirants.
Skill Tips: Airbus is a core engineering firm. Academics are MOST important here. At the same time, only a high C.G.P.A does not ensure your selection. A good C.G.P.A is a must to get short-listed in the first place but you MUST have a good grasp of the fundamentals. This time the company short-listed students above 7.5. Once you get short listed, your C.G.P.A is not a criterion from that point onwards. Also, it is not the on paper intelligence that one carries on their grade sheets that will help. One’s performance in the written exams and the interviews conducted by the company will matter the most. For this particular company I don’t think extra curricular activities play an important role. I did not have any extra academic activities mentioned in my resume apart of some very basic ones like NCC, NSS etc. I was not at all questioned about them in my interviews. I stress again that being a G.Sec or an Inter IIT participation is of no help in this particular case. I think almost all of the students here at IIT have the minimum math or quantitative ability required for the selection procedure for this company. The aptitude test is easy and most of the students can do well. it is just Class X mathematics that is asked. So that should not be a problem. As far as the knowledge of software is concerned,there was no such requirement but basic programming skills are always desirable on a resume and I think most of the students here have it. I was questioned a lot about by M tech project as well as my B tech Project. So make sure one knows every small detail about their BTPs and MTPs.No questions were asked regarding the interns.
College Name: IIT KHARAGPUR

Round: Test
Experience: The aptitude was of CAT level.

Round: Test
Experience: Basic questions related to flight mechanics and aerodynamics were asked.

Round: Interview
Experience: I was asked about my campus stay, my interests,the profile I had applied for. They were interested in knowing what my preferences were between a job and PhD.
Tips: Be confident in interviews.

Round: Interview
Experience: The technical interview went very smoothly. I was asked to introduce myself. They then asked some basic questions on flight mechanics like the control surfaces on the airplane, terms like tail strike and depressurization. It seemed like they gave more importance to the approach rather than giving the correct answer.

General Tips: Weigh your priorities and target specific companies that interest you. Be realistic in making these choices and prepare accordingly. Study the company profile and their expectations. CV is very important. You should be aware of your strength, and make your CV highlights them.
College Name: IIT KANPUR

Round: Resume Shortlist
Tips: Resume preparation was mostly done while I was preparing for the rest. One should thoroughly know about his/her interns, thesis and projects and should be confident presenting them in different ways depending on the profile of the company.

Round: Test
Experience: I practised a few CAT papers. 
The test was both Aptitude and profile based technical test. FOA: flight mechanics and aerodynamics basics.
There weren't many numeric questions however more fundamental ones.

Round: Puzzle Interview
Tips: Puzzles from techinterview.org and from geeks4geeks.

Round: Group Discussion
Experience: GD preparation was not really required in any of the companies I was targeting.

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: It went very smoothly. They introduce themselves and asked some simple questions on flight mechanics like the  control surfaces on the airplane, terms like tail strike and depressurization. It seemed like they were more interested in knowing how you approached the problem rather than giving them the right solution.
Tips: Prepared Thermodynamics, Flight Mechanics, Aerodynamics, and Turbo machinery are very important.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: It was like any other HR interview. They asked me about my campus stay, my interest, about the profile I had applied for. they were interested in knowing what were my preferences between job and PhD.
Tips: Prepare for all common HR questions. The more genuine it sounds rather than prepared is what I would recommend.

General Tips: Sort out your priorities and target specific companies that interest you. Be realistic in making these choices and prepare accordingly. Understand the company profile and what they expect from you. Be confident in your interview. CV is very important. Your CV should pour focus on your strengths.
College Name: IIT KANPUR

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: Projects on nonlinear FEM, and an internship at IISC Bangalore.
Tips: Nonlinear Fem is more realistic, hence industries look for expertise in such fields. You can work on related projects and thus have experience of writing codes and using softwares for them.

Round: Test
Experience: I attempted less questions but made sure to answer all of them correctly
Tips: Manage your time and try not to make mistakes. It is impressive to see all correct answers even if you have not answered all the questions

Round: Test
Experience: For airframe profile, questions from fem, stress distribution on structures, buckling, thermal loads and boundary conditions were asked.
Tips: Be sure to be able to reason your answer as they will be brought up during the interview process

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: Questions from fundamentals of solid mechanics, technical test and projects were asked
Tips: Have good understanding of your field of interest

Round: HR Interview
Tips: Be genuine while answering their questions. They just want to see if you will commit yourself to their company or not. Know the facts about the company, as it shows your interest in their company.

General Tips: Show your interest in the company, know how you are suitable for the job role.
Skills: fem, fem software package
College Name: IIT Kharagpur

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: Most probably, there is no shortlisting on the basis of CV. Everybody can appear for next round. However, many questions based on CV are asked in later phases. Emphasis on technical skills and details of projects completed. For the EE/IE/EC/MA technical test: NOT MCQ type. Mostly control system based elementary questions. Besides this there were some puzzles, some MATLAB based problems and 2 programming questions. There were also some questions on the fundamentals of aerodynamics. Mental ability test was a set of around 40 short numericals (MCQ type).

Round: Test
Experience: Two written tests: First, a technical test (separate for different departments) followed by a common mental ability test. Fundamental knowledge of control systems is required. Most probably not many in the group could solve the ‘’aero’’ questions. So, maybe being able to solve those would have been a plus.

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: Based on performance in written test, shortlisted students are called for technical interviews. Asked in detail about all projects done, and told about job profile. Also asked about interest in the aviation industry.
Tips: Try to bring out your contribution to the projects you have taken part in.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: Selected students were sent for the HR interview. Most students who made it to this round were offered a job.
Tips: Be calm and confident. It was quite like a really long chat about my background and other non-academic aspects of my CV. Be cool. Don’t be taken aback or over-apologetic if you don’’t know something, or if you make a mistake.

Skill Tips: Not important to have a high CG, but technical knowledge should be good, both for written test and interview. A bit of involvement in extra-curricular activities helps. Gives things to talk about in the HR interview! Any technical skill is a bonus. As for programming, C, C++, MATLAB knowledge is sufficient, but it is good to have additional knowledge. Projects and internships are very important from the point of view of Airbus. Technical interview is based solely on questions about projects and internships.
Skills: Programming, Communication
College Name: IIT KHARAGPUR