The MIS Interview: Shortlist Check and How to Prepare
After the window closes, MOHE posts a shortlist check on its portal. Shortlisted applicants are invited to an interview. MOHE publishes little about the format, so this page sticks to what is official and gives preparation advice based on the three selection criteria.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
Step one: check the portal in time
MOHE does not say it will email shortlisted applicants. In both recent cycles, the portal opened a fixed checking period:
| Cycle | Interview shortlist check |
|---|---|
| 2025/2026 | 4–12 September 2025 |
| 2026/2027 | 7–22 July 2026 |
The portal’s wording in 2026 was that applicants could “check whether they have been shortlisted to sit for the interview session”. Log in to the MIS system during that period and read any instructions carefully.
The MIS guidelines and portal do not say whether interviews are online or in person, how long they last, or who sits on the panel. Follow the instructions that come with your invitation. Treat any blog post that describes a fixed format as unverified.
What the panel is assessing
The guidelines list three selection criteria. That makes them the safest basis for your preparation:
Your results, and what you did beyond them: leadership, service, competitions, publications, work.
Its quality and its potential contribution to technology and human well-being, with a preference for Malaysia-related topics.
“Excellent communication, writing and reading skills in English.” In an interview, this means speaking clearly and answering directly.
Full-time study, no change of programme without permission, research in Malaysia, and no paid work without approval.
How to prepare
This is our advice, not a MOHE statement:
- Know your proposal by heart. Be ready to explain the question, the method, the data you will collect in Malaysia, and what changes if you are right. If you are a coursework applicant, be ready to explain why this programme and how it links to your plans.
- Explain “why Malaysia” in concrete terms. Name the university, the research group or facility, and the Malaysian context of your work. Do not just praise the country.
- Prepare two-minute stories for your strongest academic result and your strongest co-curricular achievement (criterion 1).
- Practise in English out loud, with someone who will interrupt and ask follow-up questions (criterion 3).
- Know the rules. If you are asked about funding, other scholarships or paid work, answer in line with the terms. Paid employment needs written approval from your host university.
- Have your documents to hand: passport, offer letter (if any), transcripts and proposal, in case you are asked to confirm details.
Questions worth rehearsing
These are not official MOHE questions. They follow from the published criteria:
- Summarise your research in one minute. What is new about it?
- Why this university and this supervisor or department?
- How does your work relate to Malaysia, and where will you collect data?
- What will you do if your main method does not work?
- Which achievement outside the classroom are you proudest of, and what did it involve?
- How will you manage on RM 1,500 a month, paid every four months?
- What will you do after you finish?
After the interview
In the 2025/2026 cycle, the portal opened an offer-status check from 27 October to 31 December 2025. If you are offered the award, the guidelines make you responsible for your student pass, including the medical examination. Getting the scholarship does not guarantee a visa. Start with EMGS and your university’s international office as soon as the offer arrives.
Sources: MIS portal; MIS 2026 guidelines, selection criteria and terms.