Hi all!
I have a written case interview coming up in a days where I have one hour to read through the materials and answer questions, after that 90 min to present and discuss. I was wondering if anyone knows of the best cases to practice or how I could find them?
Thank you!
The EY-Parthenon written case format is notoriously challenging, and I commend you for recognizing that you need to prep specifically for it. Here’s the reality: unlike the typical fit/behavioral cases, EYP is testing your stamina and your ability to rapidly execute commercial due diligence. This means they are less concerned with how well you calculate market share growth and more concerned with how you triage 30+ pages of dense, contradictory, and often irrelevant data into a structured narrative.
Finding perfect, replicated EYP written cases is difficult because they are closely guarded, but you don't need them. You need to simulate the environment. The best way to practice is to find publicly available, comprehensive Private Equity (PE) diligence reports or very complex case studies (often found in advanced MBA casebooks) that force you to digest multiple dimensions—market, competitor, customer, and financial data—simultaneously. For the 60 minutes of analysis, the focus isn't solving the math; it's dedicating the first 10 minutes to framing the output: building the skeleton deck structure (e.g., Executive Summary, Key Findings, Risks, Recommendation). Practice synthesizing, not calculating.
During the 90-minute discussion, the interviewers will primarily push on the gaps in your synthesis, your assumptions, and why you chose to elevate certain pieces of data over others. You need to sound definitive and own your recommendation. Ensure your final practice run simulates the full time pressure: 60 minutes to read and structure your presentation deck (even if it's just on paper), followed immediately by running through your pitch out loud. That transition is where most people falter.
All the best!
Hi there,
A few tips / thoughts for your upcoming Bain written case.
- Make sure you pay attention to the time allocation. Likely time will pass faster than you wish. Make sure you complete the deliverable, an 100% completed output with 80% perfection is way better than 100% perfection but only 80% completed.
- Think about your storyline before deep dive into reading, so that you can read with careful selection of what you'd want to focus. Don't get overwhelmed by all the details.
- Likely you won't have time to do 10-20 slides. 5-7 slides probably would be the right amount.
- Be prepared to do Q&A as well.
Feel free to DM if you need more info.
Best,
Emily
I have a couple of examples of written cases from various firms, but this I believe you could also find online with some digging.
What's critical with written cases is
1. Time management. Meaning, deciding top-down on what you're going to invest your resources and for how long. The most common mistake is that candidates get sucked up in reading the exhibits and run out of time to create a proper output
2. Added focus on presentation and output. Compared to live cases, written cases put more emphasis on your ability to create consulting-like outputs (e.g., powerpoint pages) and present them. So practice this thoroughly beforehand and get feedback on it.
Best,
Cristian
