Cannot find any good candidate-led cases

Hi there,

You're right that truly candidate-led cases can feel harder to find, but the good news is that most cases can be adapted to this style if approached correctly.

How to Find & Use Candidate-Led Cases:

• Use the Case Library on PrepLounge and filter for "Candidate-Led." Even structured cases can be approached flexibly if you take the lead in breaking them down.
• Prioritize market sizing, profitability, and M&A cases—these are naturally more candidate-driven.
• Practice with a (more experienced) partner/coach and ask them to let you take control, rather than relying on strict prompts.

Let me know if I can help you in any way. Just DM me.
Good luck in your preparation!
Johannes

Hi,

In textbooks, there are indeed more interviewer-led cases, which are easier to practise on your own. For candidate-led cases, there is more value in practising with another person, preferable a more experienced interviewer who really understand the case. 

I have a lot of real candidate-led cases from Bain (and some of BCG).

Feel free to schedule a call or reach out via chat so I can help you further.

Mattijs

Hey there, 

Any case can be candidate-led. What matters more is whether the interviewer asks you the specific next question, or whether they let you lead and guide you as needed. 

If you are doing cases on your own, try to first think of what would you do / analyze next before checking the question in the case. If you are doing cases with friends, ask them to let you lead and only guide you towards the analyses in the case if you are straying too much.

Best,

Maria

Hi there,

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

• First of all, I would advise you to check out the PrepLounge case library. There are many candidate-led cases available, and you can filter them by difficulty and type.
• Moreover, please keep in mind that it doesn't really matter whether a case study is officially "interviewee-led" or "interviewer-led," since you should be practicing mostly with your peers, who can easily do it one way or the other.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming pre-interview assessments and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hey

You're right that candidate-led cases are more common outside of McKinsey, particularly at firms like BCG. Since BCG often uses candidate-led cases and market sizing, it's important to find resources tailored to this approach. PrepLounge offers a variety of candidate-led cases and allows you to practice. Another useful resource is Crack the Case by David Ohrvall, which provides insights into the candidate-led format. Market sizing is also often featured in BCG cases, so practicing cases that involve this aspect can help sharpen your skills. If you haven’t already, try reaching out to peers from BCG or similar firms, as they may have personal case materials or insights on how to structure your answers effectively in a candidate-led setting.

Alessa

Hey there, 

Let me put it this way... I have interviewer-led cases that I can turn into candidate led cases, and I have candidate-led cases that I can turn into interview led cases. :-) 

The case in itself is just the prompt and some exhibits and maybe some math problems..... But how you run through the case is essentially what makes it candidate led or not. So one the one side, you may feel there is not much candidate led material, it is definitely important to have a good "caser" to administer the cases to you

And I think PrepLounge really does have a good library of candidate led material. Under the "Resources" tab, go to "Case Library" and filter "Candidate-led" under the "Style" drop down arrow

Feel free to contact me directly if you would like us to chat more about it! :-) 

All the best!!

Hi there,

Every interviewer-led case can also be used as a candidate-led case and vice versa. Try it for yourself! :-)

Cheers,

Florian