Altman Solon (London) – How much preparation time for an experienced hire with no case interview experience?

Question

I've recently been invited to first-round case interviews at Altman Solon (London) for a Business Analyst role. Assuming I can dedicate evenings and weekends, how many hours of preparation would you realistically recommend before interviewing?

Also, how difficult or different are Altman Solon's first-round cases compared with MBB or other consulting firms?

Answer 1

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from Altman Solon!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

First of all, it is not only a matter of pure number of hours, but also about the amount of days and weeks spent - many skills require more than pure practice, they also require time to review and reflect.
Moreover, either way, I would strongly advise you to start immediately, and work with an experienced coach like me to receive the required acceleration you need in order to stand a chance.
Lastly, considering that you have no case interview experience, an indication how Altman Solon's interview process compares to others' interview processes doesn't really help you, besides that it always depends on the specific case studies and personal fit parts at hand.

You can find more on this topic here: Boutique consulting firms.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming first-round Altman Solon interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 2

Congratulations on getting the interview.

Rather than focusing on hours, I’d focus on quality of practice. If you’re new to case interviews, I’d aim for around 30 to 40 hours over a few weeks, with plenty of live case practice rather than just reading frameworks.

Altman Solon’s interviews are similar to other consulting firms. They may include more TMT-focused cases, but they’re still testing the same fundamentals: clear structure, logical problem solving, communication, and comfort with numbers.

Keep it simple. If you can communicate your thinking clearly, you’ll be in a strong position.

Thanks,

Alex

Answer 3

hey there :)

if you're starting from scratch with case interviews, I'd recommend around 30 to 50 hours of focused preparation. That should include learning the basics, practicing mental math and chart interpretation, and doing at least 10 to 15 live mock cases.

Altman Solon's cases are generally a bit more specialized than MBB. Since they focus heavily on TMT, you may see more industry specific questions and market knowledge, but the overall interview style is still very similar. The fundamentals matter most: clear structure, hypothesis driven thinking, quantitative skills, and strong communication.

If you only have about a week, I'd prioritize live case practice over reading frameworks. That's usually where candidates improve the fastest.

Good luck, and feel free to reach out if you'd like to do a mock case. Best, Alessa :)