I have a technical interview, and this is my first. What should I expect, and how do I prepare for it?

Hey, congrats on getting your interview.

It’s a bit hard to answer this question without more context - what do you mean by technical interview (is it a case study interview)? Which position are you applying for, and at which firm?

Hi Nawaf,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, which consulting firm have you applied to, and for which role?
• Moreover, I would advise you to reach out to the recruiter to find out what the interview will entail, as they are the only ones who know for certain.
• Lastly, generally speaking, technical interviews are usually centred around technical expertise, e.g. IT infrastructure, depending on the role. Sometimes they ask technical/strategic questions and at other times the case study is on a similar topic, but this depends on the consulting firm and the role.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there, 

This depends a lot from role to role, firm to firm and region to region. 

So to get the most accurate sense of what they look for, actually reach back to the recruiter. Try to get a sense from them, specifically, as to what they test and what sort of questions you can expect. Ask if there any prep materials they recommend. The more you manage to find out from they at this stage, the better. 

The second thing you can do is reach out to people who now work at that firm in the role that you are targeting. Try to understand from them how they went about their preparation for the interview and what they think made them successful. 

You might find this useful as a methodology for sourcing contacts for these chats:

• Expert Guide: How To Get Referrals Via LinkedIn?

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

It will be related to the role you’re applying to. Usually one has to complete some tasks that are related to the role. For instance, if it is a data scientist role, you’ll probably have a modeling/LLM assessment.

Reach out to HR and to people who have been through this process via LinkedIn to understand the process better.

Best,

Mari 

Hey Nawaf:)

What to expect depends a bit on the role, but in general, a technical interview tests how well you understand the key skills of the job—whether it's coding, data analysis, engineering, or something else. You’ll likely be asked to solve problems live, explain your thinking clearly, and sometimes answer theoretical questions too.

To prepare, review the fundamentals, practice solving relevant problems out loud, and use PrepLounge or other role-specific prep tools. Try to simulate the interview setting a few times—it helps a lot with confidence.

Best,
Alessa :)