ETH Zurich Phd Student Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 37 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at ETH Zurich.
ETH Zurich
PhD Student
Intern Difficult Positive experience No offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Technical screen Onsite Background check Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
An interview process is how a company checks out if a candidate is a good fit for a job, looking at their skills, experience, and if they'll fit in. It usually has a bunch of steps, like an initial chat on the phone, then meeting people in person, maybe doing a test to see if you can do the job, and checking your background. The main goal is to see if you're right for the job and the company's vibe. It's also a chance for you to find out more about the job and ask your own questions.
Confirmed questions1 question
- What motivates your desire to contribute to a PhD program?
ETH Zurich
PhD Student
Entry Average Positive experience Accept offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen
Interview formats
Technical Presentation
We started with an intro about the background. Then, we moved on to professional questions where we discussed a project and your idea for a small project. Finally, you gave a quick summary of your idea and your initial tech path to solve the problem.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- Tell me about your research background and ask several questions on mechanical engineering.
- Discuss your project and your idea for this small project.
- Summarize your idea and your initial tech path to solve the problem.
ETH Zurich
PhD Student
Intern Average Neutral experience No offer 4 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Presentation Technical screen Take home
Interview formats
Behavioral Presentation Technical Other
It started with a chat with the supervisor about my motivation. Then, I had to give a presentation on my past research – covering the 'why', 'what', and 'how'. This was followed by a 10-15 minute Q&A. Next, they asked about my skills, specifically hardware and software. The final stage involved writing a research proposal within an hour.
Confirmed questions6 questions
- Why do you want to apply for this position?
- What is your motivation for this role?
- Could you present your previous research, detailing the reasons behind it, your approach, and your methods?
ETH Zurich Phd Student Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from ETH Zurich interview reports.
“Given the asymptotic constants in the error estimate of FEM concerning the meshwidth, what is an optimal meshwidth that minimizes a cost function defined as error multiplied by computational cost?”
Read reports →“Could you explain the difference between false positive and false negative results?”
Read reports →“What do you find most fascinating about the human brain?”
Read reports →“Can you describe machine learning specifically within the neural network framework?”
Read reports →“How does the training process work in machine learning?”
Read report →“What are your projected research directions for the coming years?”
Read report →“What makes you interested in ETH Zurich and this particular research group?”
Read report →“What motivates your desire to contribute to a PhD program?”
Read report →“Can you describe your experience with wet labs and chemistry?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 37 ETH Zurich interview reports.