Case practice MBB

Question

Hello,

I’ve been practicing case interviews for the past two months, on and off, mostly alone using MBB casebooks and CaseCoach, while working at a Big 4 in a digital transformation consulting role. I just finished a project, so I currently have more free time and can also work remotely.

I find that practicing challenging cases alone helps sharpen my structuring and analytical skills in addition to having more time to do other stuff during the day or another case, while partner practice is valuable for communication and stress management.

I’ll be free from now until mid-August and I’m planning to reapply to MBB in sept/oct, after having failed the interviews about 2.5 years ago.

What plan would you recommend from now until mid-August?

I’ve noticed I start to burn out if I try to do more than one case per day, likely because I’ve been on and off with case prep for several years.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi there,

I think it all comes down to how serious you are about landing the job. Let me break it down:

What you did 2.5 years ago didn’t work. That’s your baseline. So, doing more of the same (just faster or harder) isn’t going to cut it. You need a different approach.
Consulting prep isn’t about doing more cases. It’s about knowing exactly what the interviewer is looking for. When I passed McKinsey, I only did 3 practice cases because I knew precisely what they wanted to see with my previous consulting and interviewer experience. That made my prep efficient and my interviews laser-focused.
You have to stand out. If you’re using the same casebooks, videos, and free platforms as everyone else, you’re not going to differentiate. Everyone is watching Victor Cheng. Everyone is reading Case in Point. So what makes you different?

Here’s the punchline: The highest ROI move is hiring a coach who’s seen both sides of the table. Someone who can tell you what “good” actually looks like and when you’re ready — no fluff, no guesswork.

If your goal is just “try again,” do it your way. If your goal is to actually win, optimize the way.

Best,

Alberto.

Answer 2

Hi there,

This sounds like a solid effort, and I like that you are trying to be strategic about how to invest your time.

It also sounds like you've hit a point on the growth curve where you don't see big improvements from day to day.

I would recommend you get a professional assessment of where you are, either from a coach here on the platform, or from a friend in consulting (if applicable) who has solid interviewing and coaching experience.

The purpose of this would be to understand where you currently are, what your strengths are and how they can be turned into spikes, and what areas you are struggling with and how to close the gap.

This will make for the remaining month, month and a half to be more targeted.

Aside from this, I do think that combining both individual and peer practice is a good idea. To make peer practice more efficient and effective, try nurturing a close group of 2-4 people with whom you regularly practice, rather than constantly trying random individuals.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 3

I would suggest doing a 'diagnostic' with a coach or current consultant (manager-level or above).

If you're hitting a bit of a wall, and you're not sure how to improve, an external perspective is likely to be the most helpful thing.

A coach or current consultant will likely be able to highlight your weak areas, and help you to develop a targeted plan for your preparation.

Following your previous strategy is unlikely to yield results if it didn't work the first time.

Best of luck and let me know if helpful to talk further.