Is final round only harder because of the partners being interviewer ?

Hi,

I've found they're just different and they'll be harder based on your strengths/weaknesses.

Partner interviews:

• They are fluid, and conversational.
• May contain case numerical questions that are logical and "puzzle-like" rather than straight forward "pay back period"
• Might your questions make you think on your feet
• Might focus more on FIT questions (I was asked "Why did your manager feel that way" at least three times in my final partner round interview) 

Why..

Because Partners care about:

• Culture and fit - do they want to work with you?
• Can you be a good leader?
• Can you work well with clients?

Practice as per normal - but be ready for some chats - be your confident self. 

Good luck and happy to chat!

Hi,

In general last round cases with partners are harder vs. first and second round cases with consultants/managers due to several reasons (not exhaustive):

• less structured case/framework
• less time to structure ideas/questions
• quick shift from high level to very practical questions
• more atypical industries/goals

Let me know if you would like partner cases still used today.

Good luck with your prep!

Mattijs

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in the application process thus far!

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

• Contrary to what other coaches have said, final interview rounds are often times a bit different, but not necessarily any harder. I have written a detailed article about all the potential differences in the final interview round.

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 final-round interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

From my experience, the 2nd round felt just as doable as the first round from a casing perspective. Largely because the practice I underwent was focused on developing problem-solving skills as opposed to "cracking cases".

The elements that were more challenging (because they are crucial when interacting with Partner-level consultants in general):

1. Structured, top-down communication 

2. Composure when ideas are challenged or pressed for more elaboration

3. Following through on any stated hypothesis or changes to it based on additional insights and information shared

Partners typically look for "more". Your preparation should incorporate/simulate this expectation. One way is through getting waht I call "level-up feedback" as you progress with your case prep

Hello there,

Besides the pressure and higher bar (since they have way much more data points for comparison plus business acumen), cases may be more (1) unstructured, (2) unconventional or they may ask you to (3) solve the case without having the time to structure your thoughts. Some real examples of final round interviews that follow the above:

1. “How would you price a Time Machine?”

2. “Where does the fat of the world goes to?”

3. “Give me (on the spot) examples to increase revenues of a gas distributor”

That being said, if you are performing well in regular cases, you should be able to adapt to respond well to these situations. It’s a matter of logic and practice.

Best,

Mari

Hi there,

It depends a bit based on firm and office. Generally speaking, I would say that you're more likely to receive harder cases (incl. ones with potentially unfamiliar structures) in the second round vs. the first round, as well as the added difficulty of interviewing with Partners (or APs/Principals).

The best way to prepare is to practice a range of cases, including those which do not necessarily follow the 'standard' case format, and those which are difficult.

Let me know if you want to practice a hard MBB case together.

Best of luck.

Hi there, 

The case itself is not more complicated. In the sense that there are no 'official' first-round or second-round cases.

The case is made more complex by the interviewer, based on how they lead the case and how much information they share. 

Senior interviews tend to expect you to be more top down, often quicker, and more insightful. They are less interested in calculation questions, on average, and more on your ability to engage with them like you would engage with a client. 

Best,
Cristian

Partners typically don't need to go by the book when it comes to asking you to solve a case. Which means the ability to calm yourself and immediately switch to specific "modules" of the case is essential (e.g., math, recommendations, market sizing)

Besides that, it feels like any other case to be honest. Confidence is the key :)

Hey!

The final round isn't necessarily harder because of more complex cases, but it's different. Partners often focus less on structured frameworks and more on testing your intuition, top-down thinking, and ability to handle ambiguity. They might challenge you more, interrupt, or dive deeper into your logic to see how you think under pressure. So it's not just who interviews you, but also how they do it.

Let me know if you want to prep for that style!

best,
Alessa :)