EY Parthenon ZUR case interviews for professional (3+y)

Hi there,

Based on my experience with EY-Parthenon over the past seven years, cases in Zurich are generally more random, general strategy cases rather than tightly tied to the specific business area you’re applying for. You’re typically assessed on core strategy thinking and problem solving rather than industry depth.

The process usually consists of around two interview rounds, with roughly two cases per round, followed by a final round that may include up to three interviews combining cases and fit. The exact structure can vary, but that’s a common setup.

From a Switzerland perspective, interviewers tend to value clear structured thinking concise communication and a calm professional style. Precision and pragmatism matter more than flashy answers.

If you haven’t done cases in three plus years, it’s strongly recommended to practice beforehand. Case interviewing is very much a muscle that needs retraining even for experienced professionals.

Happy to help you prep if useful feel free to reach out.

Best,
Evelina

Congrats on getting the interview. Here's what you should know.

Bain Zurich works across pharma, consumer goods, industrials, and financial services. But for internship interviews, cases are usually general strategy: profitability, market entry, growth, or M&A. Don't over-prepare for one industry. Be ready for anything.

Expect 2-3 case interviews, usually on the same day. Each is around 30-45 minutes with case and fit questions. The day is intense but structured with short breaks between interviews. Don't let a tough case throw off your energy for the next one.

A few things about Switzerland. Communication style is direct but polite. Be confident without being arrogant. If you speak German or French, mention it. And show basic awareness of the Swiss market: small domestic market, strong international companies, major pharma and banking presence.

Bain interviews are demanding but friendly. Interviewers want to see you succeed. The bar is high, but it's less intimidating than some other MBB offices.

Prepare a mix of case types. Practice under time pressure. Be ready to explain why Bain and why Zurich. Get good sleep the night before.

Good luck.

This is a great position to be in, and your concerns about coming back after a break are entirely valid. Recruiting at EY Parthenon, especially in Zurich for an experienced hire role, follows a specific logic.

You should absolutely expect the cases to be highly tailored to the business area you are applying for (FS/Pharma/Tech). For experienced hires, the interview process is less about demonstrating general framework knowledge and more about proving immediate utility to the vertical Partner. They need to know you can speak the language, understand the key commercial levers, and address the specific risks relevant to their clients. While the core strategic principle might be generic (e.g., market entry), the numbers, competitors, and regulatory hurdles will feel specific to your chosen industry.

For a 3+ year professional role, expect 3 to 4 distinct interview rounds. Each round is typically a full 45-60 minute session, usually comprising one detailed, integrated case study plus a significant amount of time (20-30 minutes) dedicated to fit and behavioral questions (PEI/Experience). Since you haven't cased in a while, remember the pivot: you are no longer just demonstrating the ability to solve the problem; you must demonstrate the leadership to structure and guide the client through the solution.

Specifically for Switzerland, two elements matter greatly: precision and feasibility. The Zurich market demands candidates who can quickly translate high-level strategy into tangible execution steps, factoring in higher labor costs and strict regulatory environments. When structuring your answer, ensure your recommendations are concrete, sequenced, and directly address the execution complexity. Focus your prep not just on math drills, but on synthesizing large amounts of information and confidently defending your chosen trade-offs.

Hope it helps!

hey there :)

Congrats on the interview. EY Parthenon Zurich cases are typically classic strategy cases and not strictly tied to the industry you apply for, the process usually has a few rounds with one case per round, and in Switzerland they value clear structure, pragmatic thinking and calm confident communication. Since it has been a while, I would refresh core frameworks, practice structuring aloud and focus on clean math and synthesis rather than speed. Happy to help you prep if you want, just reach out.

best,
Alessa :)

Hi there!

I've worked with several swiss candidates so if you have any specific follow-ups don't hesitate to reach out. 

If you're applying for a generalist roles, the cases can be from any industry. If you're applying for a practice / industry, then do expect cases from that area, and potentially, even a 'technical' interview. Do validate this with the recruiter since these things change at times and you should be 100% sure about it. 

Swiss offices also tend to be financial services heavy, so you can lean into that with your prep as well. 

Best,
Cristian