Nursery interview prep, what Delhi parents should know

Nursery admission in Delhi is famously stressful, but most of that stress is misplaced. Schools, including Mother Mary's, follow guidelines from the Directorate of Education that explicitly forbid testing children at this age. So what actually happens during the "interaction"?

It's an interaction, not an interview

A class teacher or school counsellor sits with the child and parents for 10–15 minutes. The conversation is light, friendly, and centred on the child's comfort. Schools want to see how a child responds to a new adult, whether they're comfortable separating from a parent for a few minutes, and whether they show curiosity about the room around them.

What schools are actually looking for

• A child who is comfortable in an unfamiliar setting
• Some basic conversational ability, name, age, a favourite colour
• Curiosity, the child reaches for a book, asks about a toy
• No major separation distress (a little anxiety is normal)
• Engaged, calm parents who let the child speak for themselves

What schools are not looking for

• Reading ability (no school in Delhi expects this at age 3)
• Counting beyond 1–10
• Coached answers ("My favourite colour is blue because…")
• Performances, singing, reciting poems, etc.

How to prepare your child

The honest answer: don't. Children at this age don't need preparation. The best thing you can do is keep the day as normal as possible, a regular bedtime the night before, a normal breakfast, no extra dressing-up. Tell your child you're going to visit a new school where they'll meet some friendly people.

If you want to do anything at all, take your child to one or two unfamiliar play spaces in the weeks before, a friend's house, a new park, so a new environment feels routine.

“The schools that look for "trained" children are not the schools you want for your child.”

, A Delhi early-years teacher with 15 years of experience

How parents should prepare

Parents are part of the interaction. Schools observe: do you let your child answer? Are you anxious? Do you nudge or correct? The most useful preparation is to remind yourself the school is on your child's side. Be calm, be brief, and let the child lead.

And one practical note: schools see hundreds of families. The thing that stays with the team after the interaction is the child's ease, not the parent's presentation.