How many casebooks should one refer to?

Question

My situation: Completed 22 practice cases, working on structuring and numeracy.

Key questions:

Regional cases: I have heard that ME offices focus on public sector/energy/healthcare, while India offices emphasize market entry/growth cases. However, a recent McKinsey ME candidate got an AI case. What case variety should I expect across both regions?
Resource confusion: I am seeing major differences between casebooks:
- Premium ones (Darden/Kellogg) have detailed exhibits and data
- Indian resources (SRCC/IIM) are just one-liner questions without charts
- Each presents cases completely differently
Which approach best reflects actual MBB interviews in ME/India?
Focus strategy: Should I prioritize regional sector cases or maintain broad case type preparation for both markets?

I am feeling stuck choosing the right resources because I am doing cases from all casebooks and would value your perspective on what actually matters for success in these offices.

Thanks for any guidance you can share!

Answer 1

Hi,

In general, I recommend doing 25-50 quality cases before the interview, so you are on the right track.

You should be able to cover all the industries and frameworks, while it's true the office in ME focus more on government cases and energy.
Over all the interviews, you should expect a mix. Each case will cover at least 1 chart, 1 calculation and 1 brainstorming question. Depending on the case and interviewer, the focus will be more structuring/brainstorming/calculations/charts.
The answer is related to the first question. I would recommend keeping the broad overview and not focus too much on certain industries. The goal of the interview is to test your problem solving and communication skills, not to cover in-depth industry knowledge. Apart from that, I would make sure you have at least done some energy and public sector cases.

I have some cases available (focus energy and public sector) used in ME. Let me know if you would like to practice together.

Good luck with your preparation.

Mattijs

Answer 2

Hey,

Short answer, it doesn’t matter what casebooks you use. Core focus should be on building your problem-solving toolkit.

The questions you need to be able to answer at the end of your prep:

1. Can I understand the problem statement?
2. Can I produce a sound and structured approach to the problem?
3. Can I conduct/interpret some analysis done regarding the problem to derive insights?

4. Can I use all the above to deliver a sound recommendation and communicate it in a structured manner?

The topics can change, however, a great problem-solver will always find a way to demonstrate their abilities. That said, one thing to note is the difference between “interviewer-led” and “interviewee-led” cases, as that makes a difference e.g., McKinsey only does interviewer-led cases

Let’s make time to find the right mix of cases that can help you prep the right way. Chat to me👍

Answer 3

Hi there – great job getting through 22 practice cases already, that’s solid progress!

You're asking all the right questions. Here’s how I’d approach it:

1. Regional case focus (ME vs India)
You're right — Middle East offices often lean towards public sector, energy, and healthcare, while India tends to focus more on market entry and growth strategy. That said, case variety is increasing across the board. A recent AI case in McKinsey ME isn’t surprising — tech and digital strategy are becoming core across industries.

What to expect: It’s good to be familiar with regional trends, but you should prepare for a broad range of cases — profitability, operations, market sizing, M&A, and digital topics included.

2. Casebook quality and what reflects reality
Yes, there’s a clear difference. Darden, Kellogg, and similar casebooks tend to mirror actual MBB interviews more closely. They include data exhibits, realistic interview flow, and synthesis points. The Indian resources (like SRCC or IIM) are helpful for framework drilling and fast math, but not always representative of how a real case feels.

My suggestion: Use high-quality casebooks like Darden and Kellogg for your main prep. Use the others for sharpening speed and structure, but not as your primary prep material.

3. Focus strategy
Since you're targeting both ME and India offices, I’d recommend keeping your prep broad. Get comfortable with all the main case types. Then, closer to your interviews, do a few sector-specific cases (e.g., energy or healthcare for ME; market entry for India) just to get familiar with industry context.

At the end of the day, what matters most is strong structuring, clear communication, and comfort with ambiguity — not memorizing sector trends.

If you’re feeling stuck or want to simulate final-round level interviews, I would be happy to help. Just drop me a message if you want to chat further.

You’re on the right track — keep at it and best of luck!

Best,
Evelina

Answer 4

Hi there,

I think you shouldn't focus on only one book and instead work across them.

Why?

Because they have varying degrees of quality and complexity, both in terms of case construction and the quality of the sample answer.

It's important to remember that most case books are written by business school students who want to get into these firms in the first place. So they don't really have the insider perspective into how cases are being built and how they are assessed.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 5

Hello there,

It seems you are focusing on the format instead of focusing on the content. It’s like asking what kind of car you will drive, when you should be focusing on learning how to drive in any car.
Focus on being good at all the case parts (structuring, math, chart reading, brainstorm, estimations) and on how to communicate properly throughout the case. If you do this, it won’t matter the case type you will get.

Good luck on your preparation!

Best,

Mari