J-PAL Manager Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 12 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at J-PAL.
J-PAL
Senior Manager
Senior Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Take home Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Presentation
The hiring process involves a written assignment, followed by 2 to 3 rounds of interviews. The interviews will primarily cover behavioral scenarios, your previous work experience, and technical aspects of RCTs. It would be beneficial to familiarize yourself with J-PAL's previous research and impact evaluation methodologies before the interview.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Could you share your motivation for applying to this role?
J-PAL
Associate Manager
Manager Average Negative experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Take home Technical screen
Interview formats
Technical Case
The interview process wasn't overly long in terms of rounds, but the response times were quite slow. The take-home assignment was engaging and covered situational analysis along with technical knowledge of RCTs and research. However, it felt like the interviewer hadn't reviewed the assignment beforehand, as many technical questions were repeated, and they didn't seem to grasp my explanations, especially when I referred back to points made in the assignment. A review of the assignment would have been beneficial. It was disappointing not to receive a reason for rejection after such an extensive and demanding process; feedback would have been helpful.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Given a scenario, which research method would you propose?
- Can you elaborate on your technical expertise regarding RCTs and Research?
J-PAL
Policy Manager
Mid Average Neutral experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Take home Phone screen
Interview formats
Technical Behavioral
They reached out to me for a job, and I had to do this written exam that took about 4 hours. It was all about impact evaluations, reading regression tables, and figuring out problems you might run into during studies. After that, I had a Skype interview.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Can you explain what a randomized control trial is to someone who doesn't have a technical background?
J-PAL Manager Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from J-PAL interview reports.
“In this situation, what are the reasons for choosing a regression discontinuity evaluation?”
Read reports →“Can you explain what a randomized control trial is to someone who doesn't have a technical background?”
Read reports →“Could you elaborate on the specific details of the regression results?”
Read reports →“Given a scenario, which research method would you propose?”
Read reports →“What were your findings from the study you were sent?”
Read report →“What is your approach to designing a randomized evaluation for a specific process?”
Read report →“What follow-up questions do you have regarding my presentation?”
Read report →“Can you introduce yourself?”
Read report →“Can you elaborate on your technical expertise regarding RCTs and Research?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 12 J-PAL interview reports.