3 Case Interview Workbook
A case interview is a type of job
interview, used most frequently
by consulting firms, that allows an
applicant to demonstrate his/her ability
to solve a given business problem.
During a case interview, an interviewer
presents a situation or case and then
asks the applicant to explore the
underlying causes of the problem and
suggest recommendations to remedy
the problem.
The cases given tend to be real business
situations, often drawn from the
interviewer’s actual project experience.
Case interviews typically last from 45
to 60 minutes, with a focus on the case
itself lasting 30 to 45 minutes.
Your success in a case interview will
not depend on identifying the “correct”
answer, but rather on how clearly you
define the problem, how logically
you structure your analysis, your
quantitative analysis skills and how well
you communicate your thoughts to
the interviewer.
Consulting firms are looking for people
who can show problem solving and
business analysis skills, think under
pressure and maintain a professional
presence with their teams and the
clients. A case interview provides
excellent insight into how well you
would perform in a consulting situation.
The purpose of this guide is to help
familiarize you with the process of a
case interview, introduce you to
some potential methodologies, and
provide you with sample cases to
practice. Learning about case
interviews is also a helpful way to
determine if strategic
consulting is right for you, as these
cases reflect the types of business
situations and structured thinking
consultants encounter on a daily basis.
WHAT
IS A CASE
INTERVIEW?