What is a Case Interview?
A case interview is a business problem-solving simulation used by consulting firms to assess a candidate's ability to think critically, structure complex issues, and communicate insights clearly.
Unlike traditional interviews that ask about your resume or personality, case interviews put you in the role of a consultant working through a client problem—on the spot.
You'll be expected to break down ambiguous challenges such as:
- “How should a retail chain increase profits in declining markets?”
- “Should a telecom client enter a new geographic region?”
- “How can a tech company respond to a price war?”
Top firms use the case interview to evaluate not only your analytical and communication skills, but also your business judgment, creativity, and composure under pressure.
According to McKinsey & Company, their cases “simulate real client challenges and evaluate how you approach and solve them.”
Why Consulting Firms Use Case Interviews?
Case interviews aren’t random puzzles—they’re designed to mirror the actual work consultants do.
Firms want to see how you:
- Break down messy, unstructured problems
- Use frameworks to find structure
- Prioritize issues based on data and intuition
- Communicate recommendations with logic and clarity
BCG puts it simply: “There are no right answers—we’re looking for how you think and solve problems.”
What to Expect in a Case Interview?
There are two main types of case interviews:
1. Interviewer-led Cases (Common at McKinsey)
The interviewer drives the case forward by asking specific questions or giving structured prompts. You’ll be expected to respond with focused answers and sharp insights.
2. Candidate-led Cases (Common at BCG, Bain)
You take control of the case and drive the process, asking questions, proposing frameworks, and guiding the conversation. This simulates a real-life client setting.
Typical elements you’ll encounter:
- Clarifying the problem
- Building a framework
- Analyzing data (charts, tables, exhibits)
- Estimating market size or revenue
- Providing a synthesis and recommendation
What Firms Are Looking For
Across firms, interviewers are evaluating similar core capabilities.
Here’s what they want to see:
- Analytical thinking (Can you break down and prioritize complex data?)
- Structured thinking (Are your thoughts organized and MECE, Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive?)
- Communication (Do you understand how businesses operate and make decisions?)
- Composure (Do you remain calm and curious under pressure?)
Management Consulted emphasizes: “The best candidates treat the case like a real conversation with a client, not just a checklist of buzzwords.”
The High Stakes of the Case Interview
Top consulting firms are selective—often hiring fewer than 1% of applicants. According to Harvard Business Review, firms use rigorous case interviews not just to evaluate intelligence, but to assess how well candidates handle real-world ambiguity, pressure, and rapid decision-making. And they matter.
At firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, your case performance is the #1 deciding factor in whether or not you receive an offer.
That’s why proper preparation guided by proven strategies and real-world insight is the key differentiator.