How do I prepare for the Oliver Wyman Case Presentation Interview?

Hi there,

First, good luck!

Don't try to make full slides. Use each sheet for an action title, 2-3 supporting points and key numbers; use the whiteboard for your overall storyline and final recommendation.

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).

Other helpful Q&As:

Scenario interview and presentation prep

How to practice written case interviews

Case interview discussion

Additional written-case practice discussion

Given how specific this format is, I'm happy to run you through a timed simulation and pressure-test both the analysis and presentation. You can reach out to me for coaching here.

Hi there,

I would spend the first third of those 30 minutes not writing anything. The constraint you are describing, paper and pencil and a whiteboard and no computer, is usually deliberate: the format is built so that the artefact cannot be good, which means the artefact is not what is being assessed.

A few drills I use with coachees preparing for this format:

• Decide the recommendation before you draw anything. Writing while still thinking is what produces four pages that do not add up to an answer, and it is the most common way candidates lose this format.
• Write down only what you cannot hold in your head. Numbers, the order of your arguments, and the two or three figures you expect to be challenged on. Everything else you can simply say.
• Give the whiteboard one job and keep it there. Either the storyline or the quantitative core, not both, because a whiteboard you keep rewriting in front of the interviewer reads as an unsettled argument.
• Rehearse the handover out loud. Say the recommendation, then the reason, then the risk, in under 60 seconds, before you walk through anything.

The discussion after the presentation is usually where the outcome is decided, and it rewards the opposite of what the preparation time rewards: being willing to drop a branch of your own analysis when it is challenged. Candidates who defend every page equally tend to read as rigid rather than rigorous.

hello!

I’d treat the 30 minutes less like creating slides and more like preparing a clear storyline. Start by identifying the key question, then structure your analysis around 2 to 3 key findings and finish with a clear recommendation, supporting evidence and risks or next steps. On the whiteboard, I’d only write the things you actually want to discuss: your structure, key numbers, a simple chart or two and your final recommendation. Don’t try to recreate PowerPoint slides. Most importantly, practice presenting a case out loud with only handwritten notes and a strict 30 minute preparation limit. That will make the actual interview feel much more natural.

best, Alessa :)

30 minutes with paper and no computer means you cannot build slides, so stop trying to. Use your pages for structure and math, and the whiteboard for the two or three visuals that carry your story, a simple chart or framework, nothing fancy.

Spend the first 5 minutes only on structuring your answer, not writing. Get your recommendation and three supporting points clear in your head first. Then use the remaining time to build just enough backup on paper to defend those points if pushed.

Oliver Wyman cares more about how you defend your logic live than how polished your board looks. Keep the whiteboard clean, one clear framework, one or two numbers, and spend your real energy on the verbal walkthrough.