Case Interview
A problem-solving interview format used primarily by management consulting firms and some tech companies, where candidates work through a business problem in real time. Evaluates structured thinking, quantitative reasoning, and communication — not pre-existing knowledge.
A case interview presents a business problem — typically a realistic management consulting scenario — and asks the candidate to analyze it, structure an approach, work through quantitative analysis, and recommend a course of action, all in 20-40 minutes. **Who uses case interviews:** - Management consulting (McKinsey, BCG, Bain — the standard; also Deloitte, Accenture, PwC strategy) - Internal consulting and strategy roles at large companies - Some product management and investor roles **Common case types:** - Market sizing ('How many ping pong balls fit in this room?') - Profitability ('A client's profits have declined 20% in 2 years — why?') - Market entry ('Should Company X enter the Indian market?') - M&A / investment ('Should we acquire Company Y?') - Operations ('Our plant's capacity utilization has dropped — what should we do?') **What's being evaluated:** - Problem structuring (breaking a complex problem into a logical framework) - Quantitative comfort (mental math, estimation without a calculator) - Hypothesis-driven thinking - Communication and executive presence - Handling ambiguity and clarifying questions **Preparation:** Case interviews require significant practice — most consultants recommend 40-100 practice cases. Resources: Case in Point (book), Victor Cheng's CaseCoach, McKinsey's free practice cases, and pairing with a practice partner.
Why it matters
Consulting interviews are highly process-specific — candidates who haven't practiced the case format consistently perform worse than their underlying intelligence would predict. The format is learnable, but only with deliberate repetition.
Candidate tip
Practice cases out loud with a partner rather than silently — the verbal articulation of your reasoning is half the evaluation, and it feels completely different when spoken versus when worked through in your head.
Related terms
Technical Interview
InterviewsAn interview format that evaluates domain-specific knowledge and problem-solving ability through technical questions, coding exercises, architecture discussions, or design problems. Standard in software engineering, data science, finance, and other technical fields.
Interview Preparation
InterviewsThe research, practice, and planning done before a job interview to improve performance. Effective preparation includes company research, STAR story preparation, question rehearsal, and logistical readiness — each of which reduces anxiety and improves your answers.
Behavioral Interview
InterviewsAn interview format where questions focus on how you've handled specific past situations — 'Tell me about a time when...' The premise is that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. Most structured interviews incorporate behavioral questions.
Structured Interview
InterviewsAn interview format where all candidates are asked the same predetermined questions in the same order, and answers are scored against a rubric. More predictive of job performance than unstructured interviews and more legally defensible.