oliver wyman round 1 case prep

Congrats on getting to the interview round!

If you have 9 days left, try to get a sense of where you are as soon as possible. You might consider getting an expert session to know what the gap is and what it would take to close it. 

Then, depending on the outcome, you could either try to push the interview or if that's not an option, double down on the feedback you received from the assessment and work on what will most improve your performance. 

This would be better than you trying to do everything at once over the next week and a half. 

Re cases - I wouldn't assume they will be from any specific industry, especially if you're applying for a generalist role. But do ask the recruiter. They should be able to give you more specific guidance on this. 

Best,

Cristian

Hi,

Congrats on making it to R1! 9 days is enough if you use them well.

On Oliver Wyman: I can't speak for their London process specifically, but it's true they have a strong financial services practice, so it's worth getting comfortable with the basics. Nothing too technical, just know how the main players make money:
- Banks: interest margin (lending vs. deposits) + fees, and the cost of risk
- Insurers: premiums in, claims and costs out (the combined ratio), plus investment income
- Asset managers: fees on assets under management
That way, if you get an FS case, you won't lose time understanding the business model.

For the 9 days, I'd do something like:
- 3 live cases per day, with a partner. Videos help to get back into it, but practicing out loud is what makes the difference.
- Cover as many case types as possible: profitability, market entry, M&A, market sizing, pricing, and a few FS ones.
- Most importantly, take notes after each session. Write down the feedback you got and what you'd do differently. Taking feedback is a big part of the job, and it's how you'll improve fastest.
- Then redo some of the cases a few days later, to keep them fresh and check you've actually fixed what went wrong.
- Keep a bit of time for mental math and for fit, including a solid "Why Oliver Wyman?"

And don't worry about being rusty, it comes back faster than you think.

Good luck!

Hi there,

Congrats on the interview!

First, I really hope you're not just starting? If you have 0 knowledge of case prep, you need to get a coach. Otherwise it's very long odds you'll be ready in time.

If you're not just starting out, the best thing you can do is 1) Figure out your gaps/weaknesses and then 2) Address those gaps and weaknesses.

It sounds simple,but that truly is the magic! Focus on your weak points.

For fit/behavioral, you need to be ready with why consulting, why OW, and your resume walkthrough.

Then, in addition to that, you need to practice your flexibility in answering any question. They can ask you whatever they like (and they do…I have the list!), so you need to practice your ability to answer questions…not memorize a list of possible questions (an impossible task)

Here's some reading to help:

The Most Common Pitfalls in Case Interview Preparation

How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case

Dos and Don'ts in a Case Interview

For the full preparation process, I'd use my Full Interview Mastery Bundle, which covers the case and fit preparation you need.

Hi there,

Congrats on getting through. Nine days is enough to get sharp again if you spend it on live cases rather than videos. Here is how I would split it.

Days 1 and 2, do two full cases with a partner or coach and write down exactly where you lost time or got stuck. That list becomes your plan.

Days 3 to 7, one live case a day plus 20 minutes of drills on whatever showed up on the list, usually mental math or reading charts.

Day 8, one final case under real conditions, camera on and timed.

Day 9, no casing. Prepare your fit stories and your answer to why Oliver Wyman, and rest.

On the industry question, ask the recruiter. If you want to hedge, include one financial services case in the week, but do not let it take over your preparation.

Happy to do a short free call to help you set up the plan, just reach out through PrepLounge.

Best,
Nikola

Hey there :)

Congratulations on getting through! With nine days, I’d focus on getting as much live case practice as possible. Oliver Wyman cases can be quite analytical and may have a financial services angle, so practise profitability, market entry, market sizing and cases involving revenue, costs, margins and financial calculations.

Make sure you’re comfortable interpreting exhibits, doing mental maths and communicating your thinking clearly. I’d also spend some time understanding current financial services trends, particularly in banking and insurance.

Most importantly, do full cases with partners rather than just watching videos. You’ll improve much faster by practising under interview conditions.

Best of luck!

Best, Alessa :)

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from Oliver Wyman!

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

• First of all, contrary to what other coaches have said, I would not count on financial services case studies. I would strongly advise you to expect anything and to prepare to a level where the industry does not matter.
• Moreover, nine days are short, so I would advise you to stop watching videos and to start with live practice today, with two to three case studies per day with different partners, and please skip the mental math. Also, please thoroughly prepare for personal fit, since this is (always) half of the assessment.
• Lastly, I would strongly advise you to consider doing a few coaching sessions with an experienced coach like me early on, to see what you individually have to work on in the remaining days.

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

Best,

Hagen