Here’s a list of Case Interview Questions that I’ve received as a candidate. Keep in mind the interview format (especially for McKinsey) has evolved since the time I went through it as a candidate.
While many of the sample case questions are from the McKinsey interview, they are equally applicable for Boston Consulting Group, Bain or any of the other top consulting firms.
MECE is a principle used by management consulting firms to describe a way of organizing information. The MECE principle suggests that to understand and fix any
The Consultant Salary Guide is the latest information on management consulting salaries for 2022. Consultant salaries will vary by position and experience. Starting from the base, fresh
Case Interview Frameworks If you’ve done any research on case interview frameworks, you’ll find that my approach is a bit different than what you might
Case Interview Questions – Overview
Most questions in case interviews belong to one of these 9 types:
In this article, we’ll discuss how to answer each question, along with the necessary tips and tricks.
How to Answer Case Interview Questions
There are the four basic steps to answer case interview questions:
This general outline may vary depending on each type and each question – for example, brain teasers or information questions need only the last step, while market-sizing and framework questions need all four steps to deliver the perfect answer.
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While many of the sample case questions are from the McKinsey interview, they are equally applicable for Boston Consulting Group, Bain or any of the other top consulting firms.
MECE is a principle used by management consulting firms to describe a way of organizing information. The MECE principle suggests that to understand and fix any
The Consultant Salary Guide is the latest information on management consulting salaries for 2022. Consultant salaries will vary by position and experience. Starting from the base, fresh
Case Interview Frameworks If you’ve done any research on case interview frameworks, you’ll find that my approach is a bit different than what you might
Here’s a list of Case Interview Questions that I’ve received as a candidate. Keep in mind the interview format (especially for McKinsey) has evolved since the time I went through it as a candidate.
Type 1 – Framework/Issue Tree Questions
These are on top of the list among popular case interview questions!
If the interviewer asks you to identify factors contributing to a problem or to break down an entity (such as the revenue of a business), he/she is telling you to draw an issue tree.
And to draw a spot-on issue tree, you need to master consulting problem-solving foundations, the MECE principle, and common consulting frameworks. You should check out our other articles on these topics before moving on, because mastering the issue tree is the key to acing every possible case interview.
You also need good business intuition to draw good issue trees, so that’s all the more reason to start reading every day.
Gastronomia – a gourmet restaurant chain has found the turnover rate among its highly-skilled chefs increasing dramatically for the last 3 years; this has led to a noticeable decline in food quality and increased training costs, among other negative effects.
Which factors would you consider when tackling this turnover problem?
Job: Factors from the job itself. Further divided into 3 sub-branches
Company: Factors from the work environment within the restaurant chain, surrounding the affected jobs. Further divided into 2 sub-branches
Competitors: Factors from outside the restaurant chain, related to competing job offers. Further divided into 2 sub-branches.
For detailed guides on issue trees, frameworks and their principles, see the articles on Issue Trees, Case Interview Frameworks, and MECE Principle
FAQ
How do I start preparing for a consulting case interview?
How do you do well in a consulting case interview?
- Understand the 7 question types.
- Learn a repeatable method for solving cases.
- Solve practice cases (14 free example cases)
- Prepare answers to fit and PEI questions.
- Practice answering questions out loud.
- Do 30+ mock interviews.
How do I ace a consulting case study interview?
- Understand the issue; ask clarifying questions as needed.
- Identify the underlying assumptions.
- Summarize specific issues and findings.
- State your recommendations.
- Outline next steps and expected results/impacts.
