That is a good heads-up, because a case requiring tools is fundamentally different from the standard 45-minute verbal case interview you've likely been practicing - it usually involves a significantly longer preparation time (60-90 minutes).
Here is the reality: they are rarely testing your advanced technical skills. You don't need to memorize every complex Excel formula. They are testing your speed of insight generation and your ability to craft an executive-ready narrative under pressure. Can you take 50 rows of raw data, spot the relevant trend, turn it into a crisp chart that highlights the "so what," and build 3 slides that tell a clear story, all while managing the clock? That is the actual skill being assessed.
Since full, perfect examples of these types of cases are scarce outside of the firms themselves, pivot your practice. Take any standard verbal case study you have already solved and treat the solution as your raw material. Give yourself 60 minutes to build a 5-slide deck—Introduction/Agenda, Key Finding 1, Key Finding 2, Recommendation, Next Steps—using dummy data in Excel to create clean charts. Focus intensely on presentation hygiene: clean colors, clear titles, and ensuring every chart has a concise takeaway title (e.g., "Pricing Model X delivers 12% higher profit margin"). This simulation is the best prep you can get.
All the best with the interview!
