Bain SEA written case — format and how to prepare (experienced hire, Consultant)

Question

I have Bain Southeast Asia interviews coming up for a Consultant role, likely November–December. I’ve been focused on live cases and want to make sure I’m ready if there’s a written case.

Is the written case different for experienced hires?
What’s the format? Pages or exhibits, prep time, paper or laptop, and what you present at the end — slides, a handwritten page, or a verbal recommendation.
How to prepare? Any materials, packs or coaches you’d recommend, and the mistakes to avoid.

First-hand experience from any SEA office would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi there!

Happy to provide a perspective on this since I've prepped multiple candidates for written cases.

First of all, do clarify with the recruiter whether you'll have a written case or not. Most firms don't use this format, so there's no need to invest time in preparing for it if you won't have to actually experience it.

The skills that you need to use are the same as for the live case. The big difference is that since you're being given time to think and digest the data, you are also provided with a much higher volume of data and the expectations are higher in terms of content, structure and presentation. Indeed, it would be useful to work with a coach on a simulation so you at least get a sense of what to expect and what to work on.

If you need any help, don't hesitate to drop me a line.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 2

Hi there,

First, good luck!

Before anything else, confirm with recruiting whether you actually have a written case and ask for the practical details: preparation time, materials, tools, and what you're expected to present. Don't assume there is one standard format across SEA offices or experienced hire processes.

I recommend the following:

Remember that most casing tips apply here (i.e. be very clear+focused on the objective, ruthlessly cut out information that doesn't help you meet this objective/question, make sure to thinking + communicate in a structured way, etc. etc.)
Practice/simulate this as much as possible beforehand...getting a coach to help you run through scenarios + how to react in inevitably challenging moments will do a world of good.

I have a number of written case I'd be more than happy to share with you! What I generally do with my candidates is, give them a written case x hours before our scheduled session (adjust # of hours based on the specific interview they're going to have), and then review their work during the session (as well as talk through tips+tricks to get better).

The big mistakes to avoid are trying to analyze every exhibit, spending all your time on analysis and leaving no time to prepare your recommendation, and making slides before you know what you're trying to say.

Practice under the actual time limit, including presenting and defending your recommendation!

For broader case preparation, these are useful:

How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case
Bain + BCG: Hot Wheels, for exhibit analysis and building a recommendation

The case is useful for the underlying skills; make sure you also practice the written format itself.