How to practice: running cases with a partner
Finding partners, being the interviewer with the worked cases on this site, a feedback scorecard, and how many cases to do in what order.
Key takeaways
- Reading about cases is not enough. You get good by doing cases out loud, with another person, and getting honest feedback.
- Start with one thing that worked. Then give the one or two changes that would raise the score most, each tied to a moment in the case.
- Read only the prompt aloud.
- Answer clarifying questions with the facts in the case.
Key idea
Reading about cases is not enough. You get good by doing cases out loud, with another person, and getting honest feedback.
This lesson shows how to set that up and how to make each practice case count.
Where to find case partners
- Classmates who are also preparing, especially through a university consulting club.
- Alumni of your school who now work in consulting. Ask for one practice case, not a job.
- Online case-partner communities, where candidates in many countries pair up by video call.
- People at a similar level for most practice, plus a few sessions with someone who works or worked in consulting.
How to be the interviewer
Running a case for your partner
- 1Pick a worked case from the Case library on this site. Read it fully before the session, including the model structure and the numbers.
- 2Read only the prompt aloud. Keep everything else hidden.
- 3Answer clarifying questions with the facts in the case. If the case does not say, give a sensible answer and keep it consistent.
- 4Share data only when your partner asks for it or reaches that point. In an interviewer-led case, ask the questions in the order the case gives them.
- 5Keep time. A case usually runs about 25 to 30 minutes.
- 6Take short notes against the five criteria below while they speak. Write what they said, not only your opinion.
- 7At the end, ask for a recommendation, then give feedback for five to ten minutes.
| Criterion | What a 5 looks like | What to write down |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Tailored to this problem, MECE (no overlaps and no gaps), clear starting point with a reason | The branches they gave, and any gaps or overlaps |
| Math | Correct, said out loud step by step, units kept, answer checked | Each mistake and whether they caught it |
| Judgment and creativity | Ideas that fit this business, sorted by impact | Their best idea and any idea that did not fit |
| Synthesis | Answer first, reasons, risk, next step, in under a minute | Their first sentence of the recommendation |
| Presence | Calm under challenge, clear signposting, steady pace | How they reacted when you pushed back |
So-what
Use the same five criteria every time, so you can see your scores change across cases.
Start with one thing that worked. Then give the one or two changes that would raise the score most, each tied to a moment in the case. For example: "When I gave you the cost data, you read all six numbers. Next time, lead with the one that moved." Specific feedback is useful. General praise is not.
How many cases, and in what order
A simple order that works
- Cases 1 to 5: slow and interviewer-led. Guesstimates (estimating a number, such as the size of a market) and profitability (finding why profit fell). Focus on the eight moves and clean structure.
- Cases 6 to 20: all the common types (market entry, growth, pricing, cost, mergers and acquisitions), timed. Rotate industries.
- Cases 21 and later: harder and mixed cases in the style of your target firms, with more pushback from the interviewer.
- Alongside all of this: short daily math and chart drills in the practice gyms, and your story bank (a few true stories about yourself) for the fit interview.
There is no magic number of cases. Commonly cited targets range from about 20 to 50 good live cases before first-round interviews, and more for the skills where you score lowest. Quality matters more than volume. When you score 4 or 5 on every criterion in three cases in a row, spend your time on your weakest area instead of adding more cases.
You are the interviewer. Your partner has not asked for the cost data yet. What do you do?
Which piece of feedback is most useful?
Sources for this lesson (1)
- Recognized public explanations of case-interview concepts and frameworks
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