Collins Aerospace Associate Engineer Interview Questions and Answers

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Be confident and Answer what you know

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: 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: 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: 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