I am new to case interviews. Any advice?

First of all, great that you’re starting this journey; preparing for case interviews can be challenging, but also very rewarding and extremely useful throughout your career.

One important thing to keep in mind is that case interviews are not just a list of questions. They test a combination of skills, including:

• Structured thinking and communication
• Problem-solving and business judgment
• Quantitative skills (math)
• Creativity and hypothesis-driven thinking
• Ability to synthesize and drive to a clear recommendation

As an “interviewer” in practice sessions, your role is not just to ask questions, but to guide the candidate and evaluate how they think, for example:

• Are they structuring the problem clearly?
• Are they asking relevant clarifying questions?
• Are they connecting insights to the overall objective?
• Are they communicating in a clear and logical way?

My suggested approach:

• Start with one session with a professional coach. No need to commit to large packages; a single session at the beginning is enough to:
  • Understand how to approach cases properly
  • Get a clear prep plan tailored to you
  • Benchmark your starting level
• Then, put in the work consistently:
  • Practice as many cases as possible
  • Work with peers regularly
  • If your budget allows, add periodic sessions with a coach to accelerate your progress and fix blind spots

Finally, remember that a big portion of the progress comes from consistency.

Hope this helps!
Feel free to DM me if you want to go deeper.

Best,
Franco

Hi there,

Best place to start: watch as many live case interview videos as you can. YouTube has loads of them — you'll get a feel for what good questions look like, how interviewers push on structure, and when to probe further.

If you look up my name on YouTube you'll find a few of mine as well — here's one: Digitization Case Framework Walkthrough. I also have cases on PrepLounge with video solutions linked directly to them — here's an example: Hot Wheels Case — with Video Solution

And two more:

Bain + BCG Hot Wheels - Part 2 WITH VIDEO SOLUTION | PrepLounge.com

BCG + Bain - Vets2U - Healthcare Based Case WITH VIDEO SOLUTION | PrepLounge.com

If you wait 1 more day, they'll be one on Youtube for this one as well: MBB - Climate Change Operations | PrepLounge.com

Watching real live cases is far more useful than any written guide for the interviewer role. Good luck!

Hi there,

Great that you’re starting early — and even better that you’re thinking about how to be a strong interviewer as well. That’s one of the fastest ways to improve.

As the interviewer, your role isn’t to “test” randomly, but to guide and stress-test the candidate’s thinking. Focus on a few key things:

• Push for clarity: if something is vague, ask “can you be more specific?” or “what do you mean by that?”
• Test structure: if their framework is weak, ask “is this MECE?” or “what’s missing?”
• Challenge assumptions: “why did you assume that?” or “what if that’s not true?”
• Go deeper on insights: “so what does that mean for the client?”
• Drive prioritization: “which of these would you focus on first and why?”

You don’t need to be perfect — just stay curious and help the candidate think one level deeper.

Also, after each case, spend a few minutes on feedback. The most helpful feedback is specific, e.g. “your structure was clear but not prioritized” or “good math but weak conclusion.”

This will help both of you improve much faster than just doing more cases.

Happy to help you get started or run through your first cases if useful - feel free to reach out!

Best
Evelina

Congrats on passing the assessments.

As an interviewer in practice sessions, your job is not to trip people up. It is to make the practice feel as real as possible. Read the prompt clearly, only share information when the candidate asks for it, and give honest feedback at the end even if it is tough to say.

For a Policy Advisor role, the cases will probably look different from typical consulting cases. Less about profit, more about public sector problems like how to allocate limited resources, weigh up policy options, or think through who gets affected by a decision.

For your own prep, do not try to learn frameworks by heart. Just focus on understanding the problem first, then talk through your thinking out loud. Interviewers can tell the difference between someone who is actually thinking and someone who is reciting a structure.

One more thing: do a few cases as the candidate before you try being the interviewer. You will give much better feedback once you know what the hot seat feels like.

That's a fantastic mindset to have, both for your own prep and for supporting your peers. Getting involved as an interviewer early on is actually one of the best ways to accelerate your own learning.

When you're the interviewer, remember your goal isn't just to read the prompt. You're simulating the reality of a consulting engagement: assessing how a candidate structures an ambiguous problem, thinks logically under pressure, communicates their ideas clearly, and adapts to new information. So, the "questions" you ask should largely come from actively listening to their framework, their assumptions, and their recommendations.

Focus on asking clarifying questions like "Walk me through your thought process there," "Why did you choose that particular area to explore first?" or "What assumptions are you making about X, and how would you test them?" You'll also want to push them on their calculations, challenge their conclusions respectfully, or introduce new data to see how they adapt. By identifying common pitfalls or areas for improvement in your peers, you'll naturally sharpen your own understanding of what a strong answer looks and sounds like.

Keep up the great work!

Hi there,

Great mindset — starting early and wanting to help others is exactly how people improve fast.

When you’re the “interviewer” in case practice, your role isn’t to be perfect. It’s to help your partner think better. Here’s a simple way to do that.

1. Your main job

You’re not testing them — you’re guiding a realistic case and giving useful feedback.

Think: “Did I help them improve in this session?”

2. What to focus on during the case

You don’t need tricky questions. Just check the fundamentals:

• Did they understand the problem correctly?
• Is their structure clear and relevant?
• Are they communicating top-down?
• Are they thinking, not memorizing?
• Are they interpreting data correctly?

3. How to give good feedback (this is key)

Avoid vague comments like “be more structured.”

Instead, be specific:

• “Your structure was clear, but it wasn’t tailored to the case.”
• “You had the right idea, but you didn’t lead with the conclusion.”
• “You got the math right, but didn’t explain what it means.”

A simple rule:

1–2 strengths + 1–2 clear improvements

That’s what actually helps people improve.

4. One small habit that makes a big difference

Take notes during the case.

At the end, summarize:

• What they did well
• What to fix next time

This makes your feedback feel thoughtful and structured.

5. Don’t overcomplicate it

You don’t need to act like a real partner or design perfect cases.

If you:

• Keep the case flowing
• Ask simple, logical questions
• Give clear feedback

You’re already doing a great job.

Final thought

You’ll improve just as much as your partner.

Being a good interviewer trains:

• Your structure
• Your communication
• Your judgment

So take it seriously — it’s one of the fastest ways to get better.

If helpful, I often work with candidates early in their prep to build strong fundamentals. Happy to support with structured coaching so you can progress faster and more confidently.

Best,

Soheil

Hey there :)

Great that you’re starting early, that already puts you ahead. As an interviewer in practice cases, your goal isn’t to “test” but to help the other person think clearly. Focus on asking simple, structured questions like “what’s your approach?”, “why this bucket?”, or “what would you analyze next?”. Always push for clarity and logic rather than perfect answers.

Try to listen carefully and challenge gently when something feels off, for example “does that assumption make sense?” or “what drives that number?”. That’s where most learning happens. At the end, give short, honest feedback on structure, communication, and math.

You’ll learn a lot just by seeing different styles, so don’t stress about being perfect at the start. If you want, I can share a simple interviewer checklist you can use in every session.

best,
Alessa :)

That's great that you're so keen and open to the process.

If you're at the very start of the process, I recommend you watch some simulations of an interview (e.g., on YouTube, search for my name and you'll find 2 full live case simulations).

This way, you can get a sense of what the interview consists of and what the general vibe is and the role of every participant. 

Then you can start practicing on your own and with peers. 

If you're looking to work with a coach, I strongly recommend you start with them early rather than late. This way you'll have clarity from the beginning on what to focus on and how. 

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop me a line.

Best,
Cristian