Hey there! For this particular post, I wish to share my experience in being a part of Bank
Negara Malaysia's Kijang Scholarship 2021 application process. This is a blog that I wish
I found back when I was applying for the Kijang Scholarship, I truly hope that this blog
would be able to give you a better insight on how to ace not only this scholarship's
application process, but other scholarships as well.
The Kijang Scholarship 2021 application process was held online from the comfort of my
own home.
What should you do before the scholarship application portal opens:
Before diving into the scholarship's application process, I wish to highlight that having
ample preparation beforehand is just as important. So, what exactly is this 'preparation
beforehand'?
Before applying for the Kijang Scholarship (it's most likely going to be after you receive
your SPM results), take note of when the application process will begin. This doesn't only
apply to the Kijang Scholarship but others as well, you want to have a list of scholarships
and dates of when the application portals open and close. This way, you won't have to
worry about missing out on any scholarship opportunities.
Next, I suggest having all your academics and co-curricular certificates arranged neatly in
a folder. Another tip is to arrange them based on the level of achievement. For instance,
you could arrange your school certificates first and then proceed on with state-level,
national-level and international-level certificates. Trust me this will save you so a lot of
time as compared to scrambling around your room looking for your certificates later on.
The best time to start doing this is NOW!
THE FIRST STAGE:
Alright, let's get straight into the first stage! For the first stage, it is fairly straightforward,
you will first have to fill in an application form (personal details, family details, SPM
grades, co-curricular activities et cetera). Moving on, there is a 500-word essay for you to
complete.
Based on my experience, the essay requires you to write about why you want to pursue
a particular course, how you can contribute to the bank and country by pursuing in
that course, what are your career aspirations, and why you deserve the scholarship.
I'll admit that it was fairly difficult for me to come out with good ideas for the essay in
the beginning. Nonetheless, I made good use of the internet to do research on the courses
I was applying for and did a lot of self-reflecting. Here are some of my do's and don'ts for
writing the essay (take it with a grain of salt).
DO'S:
● Begin drafting without thinking too much of the initial quality of your essay
● Begin drafting as early as possible to have enough time to polish up your
essay/prepare new drafts
● Talk more about your personal qualities and experiences (how it shaped you into a
better person)
● Research on the courses you are looking forward to pursuing, i.e., Computer
Science, Actuarial Science, Accounting & Finance, and Economics
● Ask your friends and family for feedback on your essay
● Read up on BNM's roles and objectives
● Make the essay flow well and pleasant to read
● Type your drafts on a third party application (e.g., Microsoft Word, Google Docs)
and copy-paste your final draft in the application portal when you're ready
● Length of essay should be around 500 words
● Give your maximum effort
DON'TS:
● Copy others' essay (plagiarism is a big NO)
● Rush your essay
● Be stubborn when others give you opinions (this was me haha but I learnt how to
solicit feedback)
● Send in your essay without proofreading
● Forget the main question of the essay
After completing this stage, you'll just have to wait patiently. Remember to check your
emails everyday! Additionally, you'll receive an email to send some necessary documents
to BNM so take note of this!
THE SECOND STAGE (Kijang Academy Pre-Assessment):
Congratulations! You have been invited to join Kijang Academy Pre-Assessment stage!
First up, Psychometric Assessment and Video Submission. Oh, I forgot to mention that
there's no elimination phase for this stage, so don't you worry! Everyone will eventually
be shortlisted for Kijang Academy Assessment Day so just solely focus on the
psychometric assessment and video submission.
Psychometric Assessment
There's not too much to worry about for this assessment, you'll just have to answer a set
of questions based on your personality. Do note that these questions need to be answered
based on how much you disagree or agree.
However, I wouldn't say that this is a 'no right or wrong answer' assessment. No, I'm not
telling you to lie, in fact, you should be hundred percent truthful. But, do ensure that you
are consistent with the answers.
You see, most of these questions are sort of repetitive in a way. Same questions can be
asked differently. If you're inconsistent with your answers, you'll come out as indecisive
or dishonest.
Here's an example of the psychometric assessment question:
"I like to be the centre of attention among my teammates"
"I like to be the main focus in a team"
I think we can all agree that both statements above are looking for the same answer but
they are asked differently. So if you chose 'disagree' for the first statement, they might
expect you to choose the same answer for the second statement. Don't stress yourself out
to select the exact same answer every time but do note that they are looking for
consistency in your answers. I recommend writing down the questions and answers while
answering the questions so you don't forget your previous responses.
In addition, try not to respond with 'strongly disagree' or 'strongly agree' too often.
Instead, go with 'disagree' or 'agree'.
Video Submission
For the video submission, you are required to film a video based on one of the three
topics given. In my case, I recorded a video on the topic 'Be better or be the best. Which
describes you closest?'. My advice for you is to be as creative as you can with your video
editing and speak confidently into your phone/camera. Be well-prepared and put in as
much effort as you can! Be yourself and you can stand out among the other candidates!
THE FINAL STAGE (Kijang Academy Assessment Day):
Alright, you have made it through all the previous stages and here you are, looking at the
assessment day email sent by BNM! For the assessment day, there are a total of three
assessments.
1. Ice-breaking stage
2. Group case study
3. Individual interview
Ice-breaking stage
In all honesty, the ice-breaking stage was really fun! We had to select a funny picture as
our virtual background (in Microsoft Teams) and explain why we chose that picture. This
stage was merely for candidates to get to know each other better and reduce the tension in
the group call. The assessors were also really friendly so just be yourself and calm down,
you're going to have a great time!
Group case study
This year's case study was to come out with a strategy to help out a neighbouring ASEAN
country in carrying out their COVID-19 vaccination programme (the topic varies year by
year). I'm not entirely sure how many candidates were assigned to a single group but for
my case, I was assigned to a group of 6 candidates - altogether 7 candidates including me.
There were three assessors for the case study.
For the case study assessment, it is important for you to engage in discussions and
encourage others to give out their opinions. Similarly, you should give out your views
and never forget to solicit feedback open-mindedly from others. This way, your group
will be able to come out with an output/solution which everyone can concur to.
When someone else is speaking, listen closely to their points and speak whenever
necessary. Do not tell the other candidates that their points are irrelevant or wrong as this
might cause them to have a negative perception towards you (respect others' opinions ok).
Under a spirit of approval, your team is going to do better and put forth greater effort than
when under a spirit of criticism.
Have a pen, paper, and calculator prepared to write down any information or calculations.
However, do note that there is a time limit, this is where you should do your best in
displaying good time management skills along with your group members. My group
managed to come out with a rather successful COVID-19 vaccination plan although we
did exceed the time limit given by 10 minutes. Nonetheless, we were glad to see that the
assessors were happy with our final presentation.
Having participated in this case study assessment, I think the main takeaway is to work
out a fine balance between getting your points across clearly and listening effectively.
Remember, your main goal is not to dominate the discussion and impress the assessors
but to do your best in contributing to the discussion while respecting the other candidates.
Relax, breathe and be yourself.
Individual Interview
So you've completed the case study assessment and now it's time for the individual
interview! In my experience, the assessors were really friendly and they wanted to know
more about me, making the individual interview my favourite part of Kijang Academy. I
was interviewed by three interviewers - two of them whom I had already met in the case
study session.
Keep on reading if you want to know my tip for letting the interviewers like you more!
Here are some of the questions I was asked during the individual interview:
1. Could you tell us more about your background?
2. What was the spark that ignited you to study hard and achieve good grades? (I
mentioned that I struggled academically during my lower secondary education.)
3. Tell us about an experience when you led a team.
4. What are some of the challenges you faced in school and how did you overcome
them?
5. What do you know about Bank Negara?
6. What if others don’t listen to your idea even if you know your idea is better?
7. Why did you put Computer Science as your first option and Economics as your
second option?
8. What is it that you want to achieve in life?
9. Which country do you want to study in and why? Will you come back and serve
the country? Do you acknowledge that you have to serve a bond?
Here are some of the advice for the individual interview:
● Be yourself and answer the questions honestly.
● Do some research on BNM's official website.
● Do research on the courses you are applying for.
● Reread your application essay.
● Prepare for 'tell me about yourself' question.
● Hold a pen while speaking (it helps with self-confidence).
● Ask questions at the end of the interview (I asked about job opportunities in
BNM's departments and the scholars' development programmes)
● Here's my secret tip to really let the interviewers like you, remember to
mention their NAMES (Remember that a person’s name is the most important
thing to them. Remember it, call them. If their names are hard to get, ask them to
repeat/ask them to spell it out.)
● Practise speaking to yourself in front of the mirror or record yourself speaking.
● Practise using strong and confident hand gestures when talking into the camera.
All in all, I believe you will be able to do well in your individual interview as long as you
speak confidently and elaborate more on your personal experiences. Do note that you
should be honest when you truly don't understand something but do mention that you will
do more research on it to understand better. BNM appreciates honest and enthusiastic
learners.
SCHOLARSHIP OFFER STAGE:
I waited patiently for 6 days before getting a scholarship offer email from BNM. I am
proud to say that I am now part of the BNM's scholars' family. I hope this blog will help
you in applying for BNM's Kijang Scholarship. All the best!
댓글