How to Prepare for a Case Interview

What is a case interview?

It is an interview method designed to:
 test your analytical ability
 test your ability to think logically and organize your answer
 observe your thought process
 test your tolerance for ambiguity and data overload
 assess your poise, self‐confidence, and communication skills under pressure
 see if you are genuinely intrigued by problem solving
 determine if it is a good “fit” for you

How should you prepare for a case interview?

1. Become familiar with business frameworks, which can help you structure your thought process.
Some commonly used frameworks include:
 Porter’s 5 Forces: Barriers to Entry, Bargaining Power of Buyers, Bargaining Power of Suppliers
 Availability of Substitute Products, and Level of Competition Among Firms
 3 C’s: Cost, Customers, Competitors (Capacity sometimes added as a 4th C)
 4 P’s: Product, Price, Place, Promotion
 SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
 Profit = Revenue ‐ Costs: revenue is a function of price and volume; costs can be divided into fixed and
variable components

Note: Frameworks may or may not be appropriate for the case you are given. Be careful not to force a
framework onto the problem. However, a general understanding of the various frameworks will help you
address appropriate issues within the case.

2. Some questions require you to make assumptions. The idea is not that you have the right answer to a question
(for example: How many romance novels are sold each year in Canada?) it is your thought process they want to
see. You should also be familiar with:

 Population of Canada and the U.S.

 Men & Women represent what percentage of the population?
 Average life expectancy
 People per household
 Number of households
 % that have cable, DVD, PC, smart phones, Mac & the Internet

3. Research and practice case interviewing in order to become more familiar with the process. Case examples are
available at various consulting firm websites:

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  The Boston Consulting Group
 Practice case interviews
https://www.bcg.com/careers/path/consulting/practice-interview-cases.aspx
 Interactive case library
https://www.bcg.com/Interactives/ICL/

 McKinsey & Co.

 Interviewing
This site includes interview tips and downloadable practice tests.
https://www.mckinsey.com/ -> Careers -> Interviwing

 Oliver Wyman
 Case interview tips & simulations
http://www.oliverwyman.com/careers/entry-level/interview-preparation.html

 Deloitte
 Case interview tips
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/careers/articles/join-deloitte-careers-case-interview-
tips.html
 Preparing for the case interview
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/careers/articles/join-deloitte-case-interview-prep-
tool.html

4. CaPS also has the following books and online materials:

 Case in Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation

 Case in point: Graph and Analysis for Consulting and Case Interviews
 Case Interview Questions for Tech Companies: 155 Real Interview Questions and Answers
 Case Interview Secrets: A formar McKinsey Interviewer Reveals How to Get Multiple Job Offers in Consulting
 How to Get Into the Top Consulting Firms: A Surefire Case Interview Method
 Mastering the Case Interview: The Complete Guide to Consulting, Marketing, and Management Interviews
 The WetFeet Insider Guides: Ace Your Case
 Vault Career Guides (Online) http://careerinsider.vault.com/career-insider-login.aspx?parrefer=7165
(Registration with your McGIll e-mail is required).
o Once you are logged in, click the “Guides” link -> “Consulting” link to download these guides:
 Vault Guide to the Case Interview
 Vault Case Interview Practice 2: More Case Interviews
 Vault Case Interviews Practice Guide: More Sample Cases

5. Brush up on your math skills. Errors most commonly occur with the zeros. 100,000 turns into 10,000 or
1,000,000.

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